# Tips for this girl



## lernr (Feb 3, 2012)

My older daughter riding her Smokin Vixen on the blues at Whistler last week. (also younger one and wife in the vid but they didn't ask for tips )

She's looking to improve and I know some here are great instructors - please help

Thanks!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

lernr said:


> My older daughter riding her Smokin Vixen on the blues at Whistler last week. (also younger one and wife in the vid but they didn't ask for tips )
> 
> She's looking to improve and I know some here are great instructors - please help
> 
> Thanks!


lernr, 
Nice, way to get 3 gals shredding on the hill...if every guy could do that...the hills would be a different place. If she is the taller one with the darker jacket...looks good, smooth and comfortable...there is a couple places that she bends her knees/squats more and gets some top/bottom separation going....thus alittle more dynamic. She tends to favor heelside and toeside turns are alittle weak. I'd say she is needs either to mob around with a dirtbag crew or get on some more challenging terrain to push herself to the next level...she is kind of waiting for the turns to come and if she got on the nose more, got more dynamic; she could really start attacking her lines. She is kind of riding like a "mom"...which isn't bad...just boring. Also fix it for ya...


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## TheNorminator (Jan 6, 2013)

I think she needs to bend her knees a lot more. Especially on toeside turns. Like Wrath said, push her to harder terrain, like blues. Tell her to bend her knees as much as she can, like she's sitting down in a chair. That helps her get a more aggressive edge angle and "carve" a bit. She won't truly be carving, but it'll improve her turns. Get her more comfortable at speed as well. Speed helps you, but people are afraid of it. With more speed, your board can go into a turn much easier and it will help her get more confident on a board. Try increasing the forward lean on her bindings. It forces her to bend her knees and have better form.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

TheNorminator said:


> I think she needs to bend her knees a lot more. Especially on toeside turns. Like Wrath said, push her to harder terrain, like blues. Tell her to bend her knees as much as she can, like she's sitting down in a chair. That helps her get a more aggressive edge angle and "carve" a bit. She won't truly be carving, but it'll improve her turns. Get her more comfortable at speed as well. Speed helps you, but people are afraid of it. With more speed, your board can go into a turn much easier and it will help her get more confident on a board. Try increasing the forward lean on her bindings. It forces her to bend her knees and have better form.


That's what I was going to say Increase the forward lean on her highbacks. 
You have to bend more, there's no way around it.

I haven't watched the vid yet, but I'm assuming she's fairly young?
Has she fooled around with the forward lean? 

Most noobs have no idea that back piece is even adjustable:icon_scratch:
Unless you have done it yourself:dunno:, it's probably still on zero forward lean.

Tell her to do as many carves as she can.:huh:
Lots n lots n lots of smaller carves as opposed to only a few longer drawn out ones.

Practice makes perfect.
If she does hundreds of quick short carves, as many as she can possibly do. 
She will learn @ a phenomenal pace, 2wice that of any one else she rides with.

I've seen it happen, 4 realz:thumbsup: 

Thousands of carves a day= Real good, real fast.
Hundreds of carves a day= Not so much. You see the picture.


TT


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## lernr (Feb 3, 2012)

Thank you all.

She's 15, her 3rd year riding, but she doesn't come up with me as often as I'd like. This was easy terrain for her, we usually ride more demanding stuff. It was the first run for the day, we were warming up. 

Unfortunately, the heelside preference likely comes from me, it's one of my issues. She probably unconsciously mimics what I do. 

The forward lean on her FLows is very mellow, I set it up like this for comfort last year when I got them for her. We can play with it but on steeper terrain she does bend knees more - there's no way she could ride it 

Thanks again!


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## Consonantal (Dec 12, 2012)

Heh, I like to ride heelside whenever possible, just because it's a much more relaxed position to be in.


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

good riding. have her practice this technique to better her riding. goodluck and have fun.http://youtu.be/bEIRN6FY6mg


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## lernr (Feb 3, 2012)

This is great - thank you very much, Snowolf!!


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## Karasene (Oct 20, 2010)

I know snowwolf and some of the guys are much better at explaining things in instructor lingo.. I'm not an instructor but I know I'm a great teacher and rider so I'll chime in anyway.

I think she's doing great! One thing that I'd like to see her improve on is the dynamic she has with her board.. keep that lead shoulder squared up to the nose. Less twisting of the lower body one way/ opening her shoulders downhill. Looks with your head not with your body. Which honestly she isn't doing all that bad but I do see it. This is okay in tight maneuvers when you want that looseness in trees and such but on groomers like that a rider that has experience has rhythm and flow more of just a streamlined rocking heel/toe motion vs. steering with the weight on the back leg with that ruddering motion. Just making sure her weight is centered on the board (i slightly put my weight on my front foot more than my back on groomers) and feel that lead foot as your main guide and allowing the back leg to just follow and imagining that there's a string attaching your lead shoulder to your nose of your board keeping those shoulders and board parallel when carving. That might help a lot and she should feel/look more relaxed and more in control of her carves when she gets it right!

Another side tip I learned from Robyn and Erin (roxy pro riders) squeezing my knees in some one toeside turns to get more flex in that board and the rocking them out on heel turns.. you'll be able to feel the difference.. but that's not so much anything you should focus on.. just something to consider trying if she wants to get more arch in that toeside turn of hers. 

Anyway looks good. Have fun!


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## Karasene (Oct 20, 2010)

haha ^^^ yup sorry didn't realize snow wolf got here already.. makes me look like shame. Opps.


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## Karasene (Oct 20, 2010)

Snowolf said:


> The first thing I would advise is to have her work on "front foot steering" The best way to get someone to feel this concept is to go to a super mellow slope and ride it one footed.


I've made both my friends do this when I taught them. Hiked the bottom of the shallow hill and began one footed heel and toeside stops. Both of them had heel/toeside turns their first day! Glad you make me feel like I've done something right  anyway.. off subject.


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## lernr (Feb 3, 2012)

Thanks for chiming in!

I love these tips, too bad she isn't riding with me tomorrow, National Junior Honor Society event


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## Karasene (Oct 20, 2010)

Cool well both your girls look like they have a lot of potential to really excel at snowboarding! She's on the right track  I love seeing other girls snowboard!


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