# Couple questions about when to use toe-side vs heel side



## Guest (Feb 24, 2010)

Since the natural contour of the mountain is sometimes more conducive to going toe side or heel side I'm wondering if it is ever normal to go across your body on one of the sides... by this I mean, say you are regular footed, would you ever be going heel side where you're traveling the direction 'right' along the slope (the direction 'right' as if you were looking straight down the slope)... just sometimes it seems to me this sort of thing would be natural but its hard to do..

also, like when going up a slope (such as on the side / embankment of a run) I'm never sure if I should go up and down on the same edge or change on the way down, like if I go up toe-side, it would be doing what I described above to go down as toe-side also..

I hope this makes sense, thanks for any input


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

rickdca said:


> Since the natural contour of the mountain is sometimes more conducive to going toe side or heel side I'm wondering if it is ever normal to go across your body on one of the sides... by this I mean, say you are regular footed, would you ever be going heel side where you're traveling the direction 'right' along the slope (the direction 'right' as if you were looking straight down the slope)... just sometimes it seems to me this sort of thing would be natural but its hard to do..
> 
> also, like when going up a slope (such as on the side / embankment of a run) I'm never sure if I should go up and down on the same edge or change on the way down, like if I go up toe-side, it would be doing what I described above to go down as toe-side also..
> 
> I hope this makes sense, thanks for any input


I think you're asking whether you should always be on the "uphill edge".

The general answer is that when you are going faster, you can be on the edge "behind the direction of travel". You will catch if you go on the edge "in front of the direction of travel".

Note that this is not the direction your board is pointing. It is the direction your body is moving.

When you start and are going slow, usually the direction of travel is somewhat in the direction a ball will roll if you put it on the slope. 

So if you go fast enough and start going "uphill", you have to get on the "downhill edge" to stop.

This is for skidding of course. When you "carve", both edges are alligned with the direction of travel so there is no "behind" or "in front". You can go on any edge to make a turn in either directon.

In your example. If you were merging into a new trail from the left at 30 mph. You will have to get on the heel edge to slow down and turn down the new trail or else you will run into the trees.


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2010)

I'm not sure I explained what I was thinking very well but thought about another way to describe it..

so say you are going heel-side, would there ever be a situation where you go heel-side with your back facing down the mountain? (so your chest / front is facing uphill)


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

rickdca said:


> I'm not sure I explained what I was thinking very well but thought about another way to describe it..
> 
> so say you are going heel-side, would there ever be a situation where you go heel-side with your back facing down the mountain? (so your chest / front is facing uphill)


An example of that is dynamic turning.

when ur on your downhill edge ( heel-side in this case ) this will cuz u to pick up speed more. If ur on your uphill edge going across the fall line then u will shed off more speed.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

but to answer your question i guess...i cant think of any situation as to why would you want to go across the trail on your downhill edge.


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2010)

Ok cool, so its just for turning... thanks I'll look into dynamic turning more


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

It doesn't have to be "dynamic turning" it's mostly dependent on speed. 

Here's carving (or "static turning") if it would help visualize it. This guy is constandly switching to his "downhill edge".

YouTube - Carving Snowboard Extremecarving


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## jlm1976 (Feb 26, 2009)

rasmasyean said:


> It doesn't have to be "dynamic turning" it's mostly dependent on speed.
> 
> Here's carving (or "static turning") if it would help visualize it. This guy is constandly switching to his "downhill edge".
> 
> YouTube - Carving Snowboard Extremecarving


That is a perfect example of where you would ride your downhill edge but those turns are far from static. That video is a perfect example of solid dynamic carves in hardboots.....


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## dharmashred (Apr 16, 2009)

If I'm understanding your question correctly, I believe the answer is no. 

If you are wanting to ride up and down the side of the run and there is an uphill, you will want to be on your uphill edge as go up and transition to your downhill edge as you bring yourself around and back down. If you are wanting to traverse and make a hard cut over to another area, you'll want to be on your uphill edge. This will vary depending on the direction you are traveling and if you are goofy or reg, but upnhill edge always.



rasmasyean said:


> So if you go fast enough and start going "uphill", you have to get on the "downhill edge" to stop.


This is confusing and sounds like a gnarly edge catch. Going *up*hill, facing *up* the mountain, but using *down*hill edge to stop?  That can't possibly be right.


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## crazyface (Mar 1, 2008)

you can, if you are making wide carves while going fast. if you are carving wide enough to make something shaped like a "C" you would most likely transfer edges while youre board is perpendicular to the slope.

about the going up a small slope it doesnt really matter. if you are going almost straight up something then turning around (like a quarterpipe) ou whould switch edges. if you are just going up something diagonally you can easily go back down it on teh same edge.


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## Camor (Jan 28, 2010)

If i'm traversing to the skier's right as a regular and on heel side.... aren't I just falling leaf? or riding switch?

Its hard for me to picture what your saying lol. But you should change your edge so that the uphill edge always in contact with the snow.

Also, I don't think the "natural contour of the mountain is sometimes more conducive to going toe side or heel side" is true. You can ride straight down using either edges and just make the turns using whatever edge you want.


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## unsunken (Dec 15, 2009)

Camor said:


> You can ride straight down using either edges and just make the turns using whatever edge you want.



But sometimes you can't ride down straight without going off-trail, which is what I think the OP was getting at?


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2010)

unsunken said:


> But sometimes you can't ride down straight without going off-trail, which is what I think the OP was getting at?


The thing that made me think of this was from riding up the sides of the slopes, like where it is sort of a small hill on the side of a piste, I would go up and then down and try to switch from toe-side to heel-side but found this hard to do so I wasn't sure if its just because I am still learning or if it would be more appropriate to go back down using toe side


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## Camor (Jan 28, 2010)

So this sounds like a natural half pipe or something like a dry creek? Its a skill you want to learn to able to turn at those areas, but it does take time.

Without looking at what you are doing there could be couple things you are doing wrong.

1. Too much weight on the back leg. When you go up the side of the dry creek and your weight is in the back leg, its going to be very hard to turn. Your board will want to come back down the slope on the same edge, and that will make edge transition very difficult.

2. You are hitting the side slope at too sharp an angle like perpendicular to the slope. Try hitting the sidewall at a shallow angle like 20-30 degrees. Its going to be much easier to practice edge switching then hitting it at a sharp angle. Start w/ a shallow angle and try to turn it like any normal turn.

You will want to be able to make these kind of turns. Coming back on toe side is only if you can't make it. A small half pipe would be a good place to practice. Don't need to get air or anything. Just go up half way and practice switching edge. But make sure you are comfortable at turning before you go to a half pipe.


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

dharmashred said:


> This is confusing and sounds like a gnarly edge catch. Going *up*hill, facing *up* the mountain, but using *down*hill edge to stop?  That can't possibly be right.


Sorry, I was just trying to involk a visualization to an extreme like if you were going up a ramp that rises... and want to bail out, you will have to stop using the edge close to the bottom of the ramp (the "down hill" one...a ball will roll toward this direction).

In general, being on the "downhill" or "uphill" edge doesn't matter much (if at all) once you are past beginner speeds. The "rule of thunb" turns to:

You should be in the edge "behind" (not uphill) your direction of travel.
If you on the "front" (not downhill) edge of your direction of travel, you will catch and back/face plant.


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## rasmasyean (Jan 26, 2008)

jlm1976 said:


> That is a perfect example of where you would ride your downhill edge but those turns are far from static. That video is a perfect example of solid dynamic carves in hardboots.....


I thought dynamic turns like when your feet sort of twist independent of your body. Like in cross under turns.

I just made up that "static" thing in contrast because that guy's body is not really doing this. It's more like those are croos over turns when he just leans his entire body to one side.


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

This question reminded me of something that happen to me riding yesterday. When hitting a spine (riding regular) and land on the downhill it is tough to decide which edge to use.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2010)

NYCboarder said:


> This question reminded me of something that happen to me riding yesterday. When hitting a spine (riding regular) and land on the downhill it is tough to decide which edge to use.


Yeah this is more what I was getting at... I do try my best to ride 50/50 toe edge / heelside although I'm still learning, actually I feel toe side is easier for me than heel side


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