# Toe edge turns with back foot not strapped in



## IslandCrow (Jan 15, 2010)

This is a question I've been meaning to ask. I'm guessing it's not just me, but when getting off the lift (i.e. back foot not strapped it), I find turning right (I'm a regular rider) much more difficult than turning left. In general, it hasn't been much of an issue, since generally a very gradual turn is all that's required when getting off any of the lifts at my local mountain, but I'm not sure I like having that particular weakness. So, two questions:

1) As with anything, I'm sure more practice will help. Do any of you guys actually practice riding with one foot unstrapped? 

2) Any hints for me? I have found that it seems to help if I move the toe of my unstrapped foot further towards the toe edge of the board, and I have gotten better, but not much better.


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## sook (Oct 25, 2009)

I did practice one footed riding on last bit of the bunny slope. My first couple seasons riding were very crowded and getting off the lift was usually a crazy experience so just being able to straight glide wasn't cutting it. I'd devote the first 15 minutes a day to it until I could turn both ways and stop on a dime.

My girlfriend is still a little nervous about the lift and I noticed that she cannot turn toeside either. Her problem is that she gets off with her knees locked, stiff legged. So she is trying to turn toeside by either leaning over her board or just flexing her ankles which just doesn't work fast enough


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

This is a surprisingly hard technique to master. I'm gradually getting it, and I can maneuver toe or heel side as long as it's not too extreme. Here's what I have to pay attention to:

- Weight has to be 50/50 front/back foot. Not enough weight on the back and you can't get the edge to bite, and you'll spin.
- You have to exaggerate heel or toe pressure to get the edge to bite. I actually stand on my toe with my back foot when doing toeside turns.

I've found occasionally that even if I seem to be doing everything right, the back end will wash out. In those cases, I find I can regain control if I release some edge on the front foot while driving even more edge on the back.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

The secret is in your shoulders. Keep them over your feet and don't twist your torso. When you get nervous, the tendency is to open up your shoulders and face the way your are going, then it's all over. Use ONLY toes/heel pressure and keep your weight 50/50 as donutz said.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

Btw..it's called 'skating'.


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

IDK if this has been said already...the responses seem ridiculously long...but you need to hang your toe over your toe edge when turning toe side, and hang your heel over your heel edge when turning heel side. It's really that simple.


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## mrjimyjohn (Dec 18, 2010)

yeah like everyone else said, keep your shoulders straight,front and back feet weighted equally, but if you need to do hard turns, i like to drag my toe or heel a little bit as well (like extremo said)


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## dodgemaniac (Nov 20, 2010)

i have the opposite problem of you in that i care make the toeside turn to the right easily but the healside one harder


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## fayewolf (Jan 3, 2011)

I have the *exact* issue. I usually have no issue standing and gliding forward, it is when I have to turn.. omg... i have no idea how to control the board with just one foot. 

I ride goofy, and was told sit on the left side of the chair. My first fear is hitting the left side of my board onto those poles (happened on rental and now I'm paranoid). Then getting off, if i'm by myself, I'm all good, I can do a heel side turn usually with just my front foot and leave my rear foot on my board. But if I have to do a toe turn, I almost always fall down. If i ride with others, I'm always on the left which means, I almost always have to turn left in order to avoid running into them.... 

I may try to hang my toe out a little and drag it. I think I tried that and jerked me and I fell...


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## IslandCrow (Jan 15, 2010)

cifex said:


> Btw..it's called 'skating'.


Yeah, I guess I was only considering it skating if I was pushing with my back foot.

Anyway, thanks for the advice. I had noticed that hanging my back foot a little did help me turn on my heelside when I was first learning. Now, I don't really have an issue with sharp turns on that side, but perhaps it would help me toeside. I mean, I'm not completely useless in that direction, but significantly worse than turning heelside. I may just have to play around with it on the beginner hill next time and try out some of the suggested techniques. It will give me something to do when I ride by the park (which is on the way to the beginner area) only to realize there are more people in there than I want to deal with.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Donutz said:


> This is a surprisingly hard technique to master. I'm gradually getting it, and I can maneuver toe or heel side as long as it's not too extreme. Here's what I have to pay attention to:
> 
> - Weight has to be 50/50 front/back foot. Not enough weight on the back and you can't get the edge to bite, and you'll spin.
> - You have to exaggerate heel or toe pressure to get the edge to bite. I actually stand on my toe with my back foot when doing toeside turns.
> ...


I don't necessarily agree to the 50/50 fore/aft weight thing. Weight the nose by having your back foot closer to the front. My riding stance is 24" but 1 footed exit ramp stance is about 12-14". Also keep your back straight...not hunched over or bent at the waist and again with your shoulders closed and your knees relaxed. If you need to turn/adjust, pick up your foot and place it...don't schooch it back and forth...because then you tend to twist your torso/waist and "overload" or oversteer.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

IslandCrow said:


> This is a question I've been meaning to ask. I'm guessing it's not just me, but when getting off the lift (i.e. back foot not strapped it), I find turning right (I'm a regular rider) much more difficult than turning left. In general, it hasn't been much of an issue, since generally a very gradual turn is all that's required when getting off any of the lifts at my local mountain, but I'm not sure I like having that particular weakness. So, two questions:
> 
> 1) As with anything, I'm sure more practice will help. Do any of you guys actually practice riding with one foot unstrapped?
> 
> 2) Any hints for me? I have found that it seems to help if I move the toe of my unstrapped foot further towards the toe edge of the board, and I have gotten better, but not much better.



Cifex is right though...you probably have your shoulders open but trying to go toeside...opposing forces at work


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## Thad Osprey (Feb 18, 2009)

I think its whatever works for you in this case. I also dont agree with the 50/50 weighting. I think its a bad habit in fact and if you ever had to skate down steeper exit ramps putting 50 on your back foot without a stomp pad could risk you slipping. Most of your control should be in the foot that is strapped in cos thats the only one you can rely on for serious edge control. If you are only going to make ONE turn on exit, then moving your toe or heel of the unstrapped foot over the edge helps. You will however be in a quandry if you need to make both toe AND heel side turns on exit (i.e. to avoid a fallen person in the unloading area then turning to you desired direction). I agree with putting back foot closer to front foot to weight the nose and keep your strength and focus concentrated. Lots of this back foot 50/50 edge dangling stuff comes from an over dependency on resting it against the back binding, which is also a very unhealthy crutch IMHO. Ideally your back foot should be passenger and you learn to steer only with your front foot. Skating practice is the only way to go. Stop some distance from the lift and skate there for practise. Skate for fun when waiting for your buddies etc. But hey, most impt thing to me is dont fall down. I may be in the chair behind you and you could be holding me up. Cheers.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

wrathfuldeity said:


> I don't necessarily agree to the 50/50 fore/aft weight thing. Weight the nose by having your back foot closer to the front. My riding stance is 24" but 1 footed exit ramp stance is about 12-14".


I was actually doing it that way my first season -- basically all the way forward on the board. It works, but I found the 50/50 distribution was more stable and achieved the same results. The point though is to commit one way or the other. You can't be sloppy about form and get away with it with one foot out.


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## IslandCrow (Jan 15, 2010)

Thad Osprey said:


> But hey, most impt thing to me is dont fall down. I may be in the chair behind you and you could be holding me up. Cheers.


I hear that. Few things are more embarassing than being the one responsible for bringing the whole chairlift to a halt. It's such a basic skill, but it actually sounds like it might be kind of fun to practice a bit. I saw a guy skate a FS 180 off a side hit a couple weeks ago, and call me easily impressed, but I thought that was kind of sick. Hell, maybe we'll see Torstein Horgmo doing double corks like that after he gets boored with his triple backflips.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

IslandCrow said:


> Yeah, I guess I was only considering it skating if I was pushing with my back foot.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the advice. I had noticed that hanging my back foot a little did help me turn on my heelside when I was first learning. Now, I don't really have an issue with sharp turns on that side, but perhaps it would help me toeside. I mean, I'm not completely useless in that direction, but significantly worse than turning heelside. I may just have to play around with it on the beginner hill next time and try out some of the suggested techniques. It will give me something to do when I ride by the park (which is on the way to the beginner area) only to realize there are more people in there than I want to deal with.


How's Terry Peak looking these days? Been a few years since I've been out there. Was actually the first place I ever rode. Ended up going through the trees to the side of the bunny hill and clipping a tree. Oofda.


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## jcdoc107 (Jan 10, 2011)

IslandCrow said:


> I saw a guy skate a FS 180 off a side hit a couple weeks ago, and call me easily impressed, but I thought that was kind of sick. Hell, maybe we'll see Torstein Horgmo doing double corks like that after he gets boored with his triple backflips.


check out scott vine in this vid, especially at 2 min.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6LjDVFQDDA


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## cadencesdad (Nov 18, 2008)

Extremo said:


> IDK if this has been said already...the responses seem ridiculously long...but you need to hang your toe over your toe edge when turning toe side, and hang your heel over your heel edge when turning heel side. It's really that simple.


I will second this answer.

I was having the opposite problem of OP....I was always skating right easily (my son always rides on left) and couldnt turn left very well. I read this 
and thought I would give it a try.....I hung my heels back off the board a little more and........Easy cheesy.

Thanks Extremo!!!

:thumbsup:


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## East§ide (Mar 14, 2011)

jcdoc107 said:


> check out scott vine in this vid, especially at 2 min.
> 
> YouTube - Arbor Snowboards At Mammoth Main Park


that video is so sick


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## NickCap (Feb 21, 2011)

Practice. Practice. Practice. also, dont look at what the person next to you on the lift is doing... found that out the hard way... keep your head straight and get ready to glide down... when your ready to turn put a little more weight on your front foot than your back foot: 60,40. also, like other people said... USE YOUR SHOULDERS! Good Luck Man!!! :thumbsup:


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## keyaspectsoach (Nov 11, 2010)

NickCap said:


> Practice. Practice. Practice. also, dont look at what the person next to you on the lift is doing... found that out the hard way... keep your head straight and get ready to glide down... when your ready to turn put a little more weight on your front foot than your back foot: 60,40. also, like other people said... USE YOUR SHOULDERS! Good Luck Man!!! :thumbsup:


What's with the obsession to use your shoulders when snowboarding / 'skating'. Why start a movement in the shoulders which is controling something connected to your feet. Do you see tennis players wigging their toes to start a shot or serve, or football (soccer to those across the pond) players using there shoulders when they take a penalty kick. Use the closest things to the snowboard - your feet! 

Sorry, rant over.. 

One point that I mention alot that might help you out, is to push the back foot up against the binding to add some stability. Give you a sense of where you need to be, sometime this is all it takes. knowing what to do and where to be when you exit the lift, rather than scrambling around and 'hoping' that you get it right...(Just my 2 pennies worth!)


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## keyaspectsoach (Nov 11, 2010)

Indeed, fully agree. :thumbsup:

Anticipate, not rotate!


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Eh, I just shift my foot so the toe is hanging off the toe edge when I want to turn that way. It also makes for a nice brake if you need to slow down or stop. I do the opposite if I want to do a tight heel side.


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## schmitty34 (Dec 28, 2007)

I suggest you hit the bar after your day/night of riding and then practice your skating on the way to the car after that. I find that type of practice to be very effective. I have yet to master the fast plant however.

I would not, however, suggest practicing without any feet strapped in unless you have a leash....I have learned this the hard way.


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