# How long did it take ya to get toeside down?



## crazykid (Jan 28, 2008)

im not the seasoned of a rider, but to be honest, i didnt even notice when i started riding my toes, i was trying to teach a friend how to ride her heel and somehow ended up riding toes side... i still bobble every once and a while, but rarely fall anymore on the local hills here.

good luck with your friend, i like teaching friends how to ride, its alot of fun, ive only been riding just over a year... but ride 3 or 4 times a week.


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2009)

Make sure she keeps her weight on her front foot. Tell her not to lean her body into the turn but rather just to get up on her toes and dig in. She's probably getting nervous and either over-commiting her body or leaning on her back leg from fear.

She'll get it...just stick with it and don't be afraid to fall


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## jeri534 (Feb 19, 2008)

after I learned the hump and dump, i could turn after a few times to the mountain last year, but I started getting good carves when I started the hump and ump technique


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2009)

jeri534 said:


> after I learned the hump and dump, i could turn after a few times to the mountain last year, but I started getting good carves when I started the hump and dump technique


hump & dump? is there something I'm not doing right?


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

Hump - When turning toe-side you get up on your toes and dig in. You push your hips forward like you're "humping" to keep your center of gravity above your board, preventing you from falling into the turn.

Dump - When turning heel-side you get up on your heels with your butt out like you're taking a "dump" in the woods. You want to keep your torso over your board, preventing you from falling into the turn.

Hope that clarifies


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## Technine Icon (Jan 15, 2009)

Oh man, it took me about six or seven trips to get toeside down. It's very hard to commit because when you're not used to it, u can feel like you're out of control. Once I got toeside down, linking the turns came pretty natuarally. Yeah, it's going to take awhile, but just remind her to take it slow and that it will eventually pay off big time.


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## scottland (Jan 8, 2008)

It's always two things with beginners that make the heel-to-toe transition tough.

A. They lean back. Your weight needs to be evenly balanced. If you tell them to keep their weight centered they'll still be leaning back. So tell her to lean forward =), and she might actually lean forward enough to actually have her weight centered.

B. They keep their shoulders counter rotated (facing downhill) when trying to turn to the toe edge. Have her jam her chin into her front shoulder, if she plan on seeing where she's going, she's going to have to turn her shoulders with the turn.

And a final quick tip....C. If her balance is good, tell her to stop letting the board ride her, and start riding the board. Tell her to get aggressive with her legs, and really DIG into her edges. This is a good verbal cue that will force her to bend her knees and ankles. it will give her the feeling of more control which will increase confidence.


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

Nutsymptom said:


> Hump - When turning toe-side you get up on your toes and dig in. You push your hips forward like you're "humping" to keep your center of gravity above your board, preventing you from falling into the turn.
> 
> Dump - When turning heel-side you get up on your heels with your butt out like you're taking a "dump" in the woods. You want to keep your torso over your board, preventing you from falling into the turn.
> 
> Hope that clarifies


I think both of these moves are second nature to us males, may take some more work for the dainty females.:cheeky4:


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

ugh, I had a huge fear of doing toeside for a while. All I can say is, tell her to keep trying and don't give up. Make sure she invests in some knee pads, those are godly in these situations. Wrist guards are a good idea too. 

I have never heard of the "hump&dump"...


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

It was by no means carving, but I got to side turns and stopping on my toes the first day. I used to skateboard, but I was absolutely horrible, as in I couldn't even ollie. All I did was ride around. But I guess having loose trucks and just carving through the hood is what actually helped.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

Lucky you, on my first day I could barely go 20 feet without falling over :laugh:


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## Penguin (May 30, 2008)

3 seasons, because the first two I was riding regular when really I was supposed to be goofy. Could not figure out why I couldn't turn. 

Then I finally switched to right foot forward and was toe-siding within a couple hours.


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## Phenix_Rider (Dec 24, 2008)

Don't remember any more, but it took a while. Now toeside is better than heelside :laugh:

...And if I ride goofy, everything sucks...


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## BEC61408 (Jan 28, 2009)

took me 3 days to get on me toe side. Im about 7 days in now and for the most part, I look like everyone else


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

SnowBun said:


> Lucky you, on my first day I could barely go 20 feet without falling over :laugh:


Oh don't worry. First 3-4 runs down the bunny hill I couldn't go more than 20 feet. But by the end of the day, I managed to get down The Nile Mile at Camelback falling once or twice but only after having yardsaled like twice my first run down the trail.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

ohhh I learned at Camelback too! :laugh:

I did that run that ran parallel to the park... forget what it was called, it was a while ago. 

Have you been up to Camelback recently? I haven't gone up there so far...


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

Awesome. Its a nice little place, even though everyone just bashes it. My first time out was January 10th, and I'm going up this weekend with my friend. Looking at the map, I didn't know there was a green there. I thought it was just all halfpipe on that trail.


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## Guest (Feb 10, 2009)

Not long at all really
Just buckled down and had it by the end of my first season


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

I think it'll be easier for her to learn once she gets going fast ie. a bigger slope. First time i went my friends made me go down a blue square haha. needless to say i learned pretty quick for survival.


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## mag⋅net⋅ism (Oct 26, 2008)

jeri534 said:


> after I learned the hump and dump, i could turn after a few times to the mountain last year, but I started getting good carves when I started the hump and ump technique


LOVE it! That's how my instructor explained it! Really, it's all about keeping your knees bent and your body centered over the board. This past weekend I spent learning how to ride switch -- it reminded me what it's like to be a beginner -- hard on the knees and the ego! But really, when you stay aware of your body while you're riding, the rest just comes.


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## Guest (Feb 11, 2009)

mag⋅net⋅ism;126164 said:


> LOVE it! That's how my instructor explained it! Really, it's all about keeping your knees bent and your body centered over the board. This past weekend I spent learning how to ride switch -- it reminded me what it's like to be a beginner -- hard on the knees and the ego! But really, when you stay aware of your body while you're riding, the rest just comes.


yeah dude ive been riding switch a bit. I always get into it with a little 180 that sometimes results in falling. I can mostly carve toe-side. healside is going to take some getting use to though. feels so alien

its cool though because if you can ride strong in one stance, it makes you a little proud when going to switch and learninging how that one direction just feels so natural


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2009)

I think when you are learning your moving at a much slower speed which makes it pretty difficult to initiate the turn. Speed is your friend when it comes to turning. The toe-side turn became much easier once I was comfortable with applying more pressure on my front foot and leaning out over the front of the board a bit.


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

djtang88 said:


> I think it'll be easier for her to learn once she gets going fast ie. a bigger slope. First time i went my friends made me go down a blue square haha. needless to say i learned pretty quick for survival.


haha yeah i kinda had the same thing happen to me, i am a pretty good skateboarder so i had it down within my first day, i must say that helps a lot, but goin to steeper runs does make it easier to learn toe side, not a double black by any means, but a nice mellow blue or harder green. i think the bunny slope is probably one of the harder slopes to learn to toeside on. never heard of "hump and dump" but that is awesome im gona use it if i ever have to teach anybody haha


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2009)

im the friend she's talking about, I appreciate all the advice. I do plan on practacing more, preferrably in an isolate place. I really like the "hump & dumb" idea. I just need to get over the idea of falling on my face and splitting something open. Thank you again for the advice.


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## mag⋅net⋅ism (Oct 26, 2008)

Don't worry about cracking anything open. The thing you hurt the most as a beginner is your pride.


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2009)

mag⋅net⋅ism;127838 said:


> Don't worry about cracking anything open. The thing you hurt the most as a beginner is your pride.


my pride hurts... it hurts real bad ;(


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## Music Moves (Jan 23, 2009)

You're gonna hate me, but...

It took me a few runs to get both heel and toe down. I skated avidly for years before I started snowboarding (even sponsored by a local shop). I skiied some before... I had friends that were riding a lot and finally talked me into going with them to ride - "dude, you rip on a skateboard, you GOTTA try snowboarding!!" 

So, I made a day trip with them and told them on the way that once I became used to the surface I'd be jumping. And so it was... after no more than 6 to 8 runs I was in the air.

Btw, I'm 36 yrs old and started skating back before the Back to the Future days.

Anyway, I'm in NC and, as you SHOULD know, conditions are less than desirable here to put it mildly. Moving forward, I was in a 7 year relationship that ended not too long ago, during which I gave up board sports, except for a little wakeboarding... but only because her pop had a lake house.

Now, I am 'finding myself again' and I am SO HAPPY that I didn't get married.

I went back out for my first time in many years this season and I feel like a kid again! It wasn't all hugs and kisses my first time out by any means, but the best advice I feel I could give anyone is to BE CONFIDENT and REPETITION IS KEY in any board sport. Emulate what you see experienced riders do and keep repeating what you're doing with slight differences each time and it will come.

My job should be taking me to CT soon and I hope to hit Vermont while there. I'm hopefully going west to Utah as well before the season is done. Stoked outta my mind just staring at my Ltd Hatchet right now!!!

Anyway, I think I saw where you posted something about not getting out much Mrs. Queez due to work and baby (congrats), etc. Well, as you seem to love it like I do, here's to board life!


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