# 6'6 Beginner Duck or not to Duck



## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Duck is popular now. When you carve in duck it's different mechanics then carving in forward. It's really about preference and riding style. Are you planning on freestyle? Riding switch? Riding a twin board?

Many, many people ride duck and really don't need to (myself included).


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## tallbeginner (Dec 20, 2016)

Riding a directional twin. Or i guess i will be here in a week when i get my board. Played a lot of basketball growing up so i am use to a duck style stance. Just wanted to see if there were pros/cons for us tall guys. Just looking to carve up the mountain. Don't have the skills to do much else yet


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## Justin (Jun 2, 2010)

6'6" former basketball player here. I ride 18-18. Multiple reasons, it feels more like playing defense, helps reduce heal and toe drag, i also ride a lot of park so its pretty normal to have a equal duck stance as i ride switch a lot. You may also find that your stance never feels quite wide enough but you will adjust to this. As you progress and want pop you need your feet more inline with your frame generate force up through your body anyway.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

Personally I don't think height has anything to do with it, it's more about comfort for me. When I started in the 80's the standard was 45/0 then shifted to +/+ and I never felt comfortable until I tried +/-. 18/-12 is what feels most natural to me. You'll basically just have to try different stances and try to consciously think if your feet want to rotate one way or the other, at least that's the way I did it.


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## dfitz364 (Jan 10, 2014)

I wouldn't think height has much to do with stance angles, I would think stance width would be more effected by that?:shrug:

Anyways, I am 6'3" and I ride with +/- 15 stance for what it's worth! I ride probably more "all-mountain freestyle" though so switch, jumps, spins, etc. Really though it just comes down to preference. Take a screw driver with you, leave it somewhere that it won't stab you (i.e. don't put it in a pocket), or locate the mountain's courtesy tools. Try a few runs at a stance, switch it up and try again. Rinse, wash, repeat! From what I typically have tried, I normally don't run anything wider than 15 degrees different. (+15 to -15 is 30 degrees), but that is more or less a guideline than anything.


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## WasabiCanuck (Apr 29, 2015)

Just try different angles until you find one you like. I go +15/-15 but I'm not sure that I'm in love with those angles, might go to +18/-18 I'm still trying to find favorite angles. I like duck cuz I like to ride switch. Height has little to do with it. Your riding style and personal preference are what matters for stance.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

I am 12 inches shorter lol but I ride -18/+18.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Right now, get in an athletic/football stance like you're ready to take a hit. Squat all the way down and back up. Then look down at your feet.

I think the human body generally has the biggest range of motion when your feet are slightly wider than shoulder width apart, with your toes pointing slightly out. Your mileage may vary.


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## dave785 (Jan 21, 2016)

I feel most comfortable in my rear squat stance. I tend to do rear squats with my feet pointing outwards more than usual... so I ride 18 / -18. I have


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I was also going to say that even tho I ride duck I don't ride switch all that much, maybe if I'm riding with a beginner and need to constantly slow down, and I don't really spin hardly ever anymore either. Just pointing out that duck is not just for freestylers who spin to win and ride switch. 

I get where the carvers are coming from tho because when I longboard I can notice the ease of carving in a +/+ stance, but I would hate to be stuck in that position all day.


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## snoeboarder (Sep 19, 2008)

6'3" riding 9/-9

pros, I'm not sure, cons, center of gravity probably

your height wont matter ... your boot size will ... adjust the +/- to eliminate the boot hanging over your board edge ... less toe drag the better

stand naturally and see where your toes point

watch a few instructional videos, don't overthink it

HAVE FUN!!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

the nice thing about forward stances is that when you quit and become a skier, the transition is much easier since u never stood sideways in the first place


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## FJB85 (Jan 10, 2016)

I'm 6'3 with a size 12 boot, so I understand what some are saying here about toe/heel drag. I've only been riding for a few seasons, but I got the bug quickly and get out there as much as I can. I went crazy trying to figure out how to set up my stance when I bought my first board. Eventually, I decided to start with a duck stance (+12/-12) and that I would try a few different settings. I only adjusted them a couple of times to see what it was like, but turns out the stance I started with was most comfortable for me - Either that or I just grew into it. Either way, I think the best move for a beginner is to start somewhere neutral - Duck is fine if that's what you want to do. If you get comfortable in that position, other shit will be easier later if you decide to challenge yourself (switch, spins, etc). I would also recommend getting a few runs in before changing your stance up. Try not to confuse the learning curve with an uncomfortable stance - This shit is not comfortable in the beginning for most people that learn as adults (I was 27 the first time I rode).


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