# Skating,.. Finally, A breakthrough!



## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

I have been struggling with this for three years and I think I've finally figured out what the trouble has been. I have been incapable of any semblance of control when trying to turn toe side while skating on my board. It would always end up spinning around on the nose of the board. Usually I wind up catching the heel edge after being spun, or I panic and set my free foot on the snow which usually gets me wishboned. :dizzy:

I could go heelside just fine, turn, stop, drag my free heel to brake a straight roll etc. But going toe often ended badly. 

Everyone I asked gave different variations of the same advice, but they all included telling me to lean forward like when riding to engage the toe edge at the contact point and help turn. 

Recently when dismounting the lifts, I started setting my free foot on the board with a fair amount of toe off that edge _AND_ keeping a lot more weight on the rear foot! This works!!! (...for me anyway.)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this works because on my cambered Arbor and my hybrid RCR Proto, this weighting the back foot puts the running edge in better contact with the snow. That and having more toe hanging out over that edge lets me pressure it better to help with stability and control. 

This has helped me skate/ride unstrapped for longer distances, with some reasonable ability to steer and control the board without all that spinning. 

Is my thinking sound on this? I mean it seems to work for me where nothing else has. :dunno:

Not to mention, Heel side has always been my go to side, so I find that even in this toe heavy weighted free foot stance, if things get sketchy or I need to bail for some reason on going toe. Getting back on my heel is pretty easy and I can take evasive action that way without crashing.


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## Webs (Oct 14, 2013)

I've had similar issues, I'll try it out tomorrow and let you know.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

if it works, and helps you not be ThatGuy, its a win


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

Do what works. But the more you one foot with success the muscle memory will develop. I'll bet that your back foot will start to move back to the center little by little. As you've said in another post one day it just clicked..


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

I had the same issue before but what I learned from my neighbor(he rides the proto) is to bend your forward leg, lean or shift your weight a bit forward and have your back foot just resting on your stomp pad or in front of the binding with no pressure. pressure your front toes and the board just turns. Now I'm just trying to maneuver around people when they decide to stop at the middle of the path and BS


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## hardasacatshead (Aug 21, 2013)

t21 said:


> I had the same issue before but what I learned from my neighbor(he rides the proto) is to bend your forward leg, lean or shift your weight a bit forward and have your back foot just resting on your stomp pad or in front of the binding with no pressure. pressure your front toes and the board just turns.


^ This is what works for me. I don't put much pressure at all on my back foot. I turn using exactly the same turn initiation principles at I normally would, toe side = bend the knee, heel side = lift toes and push down with the heel. Let the back of the board follow the front. I'd comfortably one foot it down green/blue groomers with no real dramas. 

In saying that, not everything works for everyone. If what you do stops you wiping out other boarders off the lift then sweet as. If it stops you wiping out skiers then go back to your old ways


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## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

Why don't you just spend time riding one foot on the beginner slopes? Spend an hour doing that each time until you can ride one foot. I can't really describe what I do, been riding so long it is just like second nature, but I could ride most easier slopes and some intermediates one foot if I had to. Once you can link turns on a green slope one foot, I doubt you will ever have problems on lifts. And I do drag a foot when needed, I think everybody does.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I just had a breakthrough skating myself! 

Different but skating!

There is a regular run to chair 8 involving a slow start and cattrack about 1/2 mile. Everyone including myself straps in and its kinda lame. Starting a couple weeks ago I just 1 foot the fucker and its way more fun, ends in a little gully into the trees at a treefort/smoke hut.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

1 footing in the trees is fun with the lil pops.


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## Irahi (May 19, 2011)

If you're having trouble turning towards your toe edge, you're probably letting yourself rotate your shoulders forward while trying to one foot it. I'll bet when you concentrate on shoving your rear foot farther back, you probably keep your shoulders more in line with your tip and tail.


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## Gohsef (Oct 11, 2013)

I definitely go let my toe of my back foot hang off the board a bit when doing toe-edge skate - agree that it does make it easier.

The other thing that I also found to be helpful was to push up against the side of my back bindings. Felt that this allows me to have a firmer grip on the board and helps prevent washouts. I do ride without a stomp pad so not sure if this would still make sense with a stomp pad.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

I am gonna try that. skating is a weak point to me. I always end up spinning on my front foot. just cant engage an edge when not strapped in. I find its okay if I turn only small angles but any bigger angles I would start spinning.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

t21 said:


> ...bend your forward leg, lean or shift your weight a bit forward and have your back foot just resting on your stomp pad or in front of the binding with no pressure. pressure your front toes and the board just turns....





hardasacatshead said:


> ^ This is what works for me. I don't put much pressure at all on my back foot. I turn using exactly the same turn initiation principles at I normally would, toe side = bend the knee, heel side = lift toes and push down with the heel....
> 
> In saying that, not everything works for everyone. If what you do stops you wiping out other boarders off the lift then sweet as. *If it stops you wiping out skiers then go back to your old ways*


...actually, more often it's more like it allows the skiers to take *me* out! :laugh:  Can't get out of their way or avoid their sudden moronic middle of the trail stops! 

Seriously tho, It's been a good two seasons since I was any kind of real hazard getting off the lifts. (...barring some idiot skier jamming his/her poles into my bindings when he/she pushes off) I can skate out & turn heel or straight off the lifts well enough that I'm not taking down anyone. (....usually.) What I'm talking about is _after_ getting off the lift, maneuvering the board while trying to skate/one foot my way to whatever run I'm looking to ride.



Irahi said:


> If you're having trouble turning towards your toe edge, you're probably letting yourself rotate your shoulders forward while trying to one foot it. I'll bet when you concentrate on shoving your rear foot farther back, you probably keep your shoulders more in line with your tip and tail.



No hate or sarcasm here, just pointing out that this advice given in the above 3 quotes, those are all variations of the exact same answers I've gotten before. I can't explain it but for whatever reason, it hasn't worked out well for me. Weighting my front foot, trying to initiate the turn with me knees and toes, watching my shoulder alignment etc., somehow I still wind up spinning around the nose of my boards, or if I'm trying to ride straight on a grade that is slightly sloped to my heel side. I will end up sliding sideways on the heel side of the board until it catches that edge or again, I start spinning backside around the nose.

This has been _slightly_ less of an issue when skating my Rome Garage Rocker. It is a Flat profile with rocker only at the tips/contact points. So I'm guessing it's due to having more of the running length in contact regardless of my F/R foot weight distribution. With my camber or hybrid profile boards, I definitely see an improvement in control when using the methods I've described in the OP. Naturally, all the other considerations of alignment, heel toe pressure etc. apply, but It only seems to work for me when my weight is _less_ forward on the board.

I have also done quite a bit of balance training this past summer. (Slack line, Balance boards, stability disks etc.) It seems that I am more comfortable & confidant than I used to be in moving/shifting my rear foot position from heel to toe heavy & back while actually moving on the board. So this is also likely to have helped with my skating control issues. (...that is until I inevitably overshoot, slide my foot right off & dig it into the snow!)




vajohn said:


> Why don't you just spend time riding one foot on the beginner slopes? Spend an hour doing that each time until you can ride one foot....
> 
> ....Once you can link turns on a green slope one foot, I doubt you will ever have problems on lifts. And I do drag a foot when needed, I think everybody does.


That's a good idea. Funny how often one ("I") can forget to back up and go practice something we would consider "basic" or below our present skill level! This skating issue has often had me looking like a total gaper Noob, as I'm skating over to the top of some blue/black run. Which I can then carve/bomb/ride/rudder or even go switch on my way down no problem! :laugh:


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

Simple tip, but effective for me. Just look where you want to go, not down at your board. I think it's natural to look at your board when getting off the lift and skating and if you can train yourself not to and to instead look where you want to go, it makes it much easier.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Agree with Cass... do what works for you. It's not like it's the most critical part of riding. I actually have trouble sometimes turning from toe to heel while skating, and when I do, I find I'm not bending my front knee enough.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

The Deacon said:


> Agree with Cass... *do what works for you. It's not like it's the most critical part of riding.* I actually have trouble sometimes turning from toe to heel while skating, and when I do, I find I'm not bending my front knee enough.


Very true! But since I can't just push off & ride 1 footed over to wherever I want to go, I have to keep my board up on heel and push/skate the entire way.









...I'm getting one _HELL_ of a case of "Skootch Leg!" Lol! :laugh::laugh:


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

wwwwwwwwtfff, i think it's gonna be a boy


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

chomps1211 said:


> Very true! But since I can't just push off & ride 1 footed over to wherever I want to go, I have to keep my board up on heel and push/skate the entire way.
> 
> 
> View attachment 36617
> ...


You cross country boarder, you! :laugh::laugh:


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## ItchEtrigR (Jan 1, 2012)

chomps1211 said:


> but It only seems to work for me when my weight is _less_ forward on the board.


I think you solved your problem right there...

if its of any help, I also skate about in a relaxed stance...

I think your trying to skate about the same way you ride strapped in. Slower speeds dont need those exaggerated body movements all you need is a bit of toe or heel pressure followed by a bit of lean....


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

ItchEtrigR said:


> I think you solved your problem right there...
> 
> if its of any help, I also skate about in a relaxed stance...
> 
> I think your trying to skate about the same way you ride strapped in. Slower speeds dont need those exaggerated body movements all you need is a bit of toe or heel pressure followed by a bit of lean....


Yup. You're proly right about that. 

I started this thread, not to get approval or even "attaboy's." Essentially I wanted to double check my reasoning on how n why this works for me. Although I figure it's plenty good enough just to _know_ it works. I also think in the long run, knowing _why_ it works, knowing if my reasoning is sound involving my fix will help me in the future in situations when I inevitably run into another "sticking point" in my riding progression. 

Despite all my joking around, So many of the members here have such an immense amount of knowledge and ability when it comes to many of the finer subtleties of riding and developing skills & technique. I want to learn all that I'm capable of in those areas to help me progress. 

I am still plenty new enough at this that there is a lot that I am confused and quite frankly ignorant about when it comes to tech, technique and developing various skills. This skating thing was just one of those persistent and frustrating issues that I found somewhat embarrassing considering how far my board control has progressed while actually strapped in and riding Lol!

I'm frankly thrilled to have seen improvement in this and to realize some level of confidence in finding my fix for it. This has helped me to believe I will only continue to get _better_ at it!!! :thumbsup:

Thanks everyone for all the input and also the small validation of my methods. :bowdown:


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## dukeno1 (Jan 22, 2012)

Thanks for posting this chomps...I am having the exact same problems. I am a beginner...have been boarding for about 2 years and still struggling with skating. It's very aggravating to say the least. I only get to go 3-5 times a year unfortunately and have not wanted to spend much of my precious slope time working on skating down the bunny slopes,lol. Maybe I need to, as suggested by another poster in your thread. I too can not seem to skate very far without the ass end slipping out, and it doesn't seem to matter much what I have done with my back foot. I will try your suggestion next time out to see if it works for me. I'm tired of looking like a newbie and more importantly, feeling like one.


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## dukeno1 (Jan 22, 2012)

Had another chance to go boarding yesterday and had a much better day with my skating. I made a conscious effort to make sure my back foot was firmly against the rear boot and not just on the stomp pad. I knew I was supposed to already be doing that but apparently had not been lately, causing my problems. I didn't have a single issue yesterday so that made for a much more enjoyable day!


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

dukeno1 said:


> Had another chance to go boarding yesterday and had a much better day with my skating. I made a conscious effort to make sure my back foot was firmly against the rear boot and not just on the stomp pad. I knew I was supposed to already be doing that but apparently had not been lately, causing my problems. I didn't have a single issue yesterday so that made for a much more enjoyable day!


on a second thought, Ive been thinking of removing my stomp pad. it seems like I am not getting the edge control I wanted standing on the stomp pad.


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## kenshapiro2002 (Feb 1, 2011)

Been doing this ten years and still can't find the right way to skate without washing out...very frustrating. Once I'm in, double blacks are fine but traveling over a flat to start...AHHHHHHHHH !!! Tried getting my rear foot against the binding, getting more weight forward...


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## basser (Sep 18, 2015)

Yesterday I was having an awesome day on the slopes and I decided to dedicate the last few runs to switch. I went all in tho, so I even swapped my lead foot. All I can say is that skating switch is absolutely terrible. I literally felt like a 'jerry' which was actually quite fun. Needless to say, my switch riding is already a lot better!


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

kenshapiro2002 said:


> Been doing this ten years and still can't find the right way to skate without washing out...very frustrating. Once I'm in, double blacks are fine but traveling over a flat to start...AHHHHHHHHH !!! Tried getting my rear foot against the binding, getting more weight forward...


I struggled with this also. It seems body position is very important when riding one footed. If you find yourself slowly turning in one direction try twisting your upper body in the opposite direction. You'll soon figure out your neutral position and be able to ride perfectly straight.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

Front foot steering is key.


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