# tips for riding with one foot not strapped in?



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

It seems to be inevitable that every single time I get off the lift, I fall. And when I'm getting in line for the lift, I have a really hard time not looking like I'm about to fall... once I'm strapped in, I'm fine and feel awesome... but not so good with the one foot out and on the stomp pad... any tips to help me get better with that?


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

A little thing I like to do is ride with my unstrapped foot's heel dragging slightly so I can dig in for a little control and if I need to try and stop.


----------



## Phenom (Dec 15, 2007)

xevi89 said:


> A little thing I like to do is ride with my unstrapped foot's heel dragging slightly so I can dig in for a little control and if I need to try and stop.


+1

I like to hang either my toes or heel off the edge of the board. If you know you're going to be turning on your toe edge, keep your toes hanging off the edge. Heel edge turn, hang your heel off the edge. Helps make your loose foot a little more useful for directing the board. A good stomp pad also helps. I've looked like a complete n00b a few too many times on my board without a stomp pad. I don't care though, it looks to balla to put a stomp on :cheeky4:


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

Yep,I do the heel,toe drag thing too.It gives you alittle more contol,but I still end up on my ass or doing the one legged hop-hop-hop thing every now and then.Oh well,I just try to get the hell out of the way and hope that nobody noticed!!


----------



## Gnar_DUDE (Feb 18, 2008)

make sure you have a stomp pad that sticks to your boot, when i got my new board I wanted to ride it real bad so i didnt want to go get a stomp pad so my back foot was sliding around everywhere, my friends still tease me about that it was hilarious


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

not sure what you call it, but you could do the duck waddle thing and never have to worry about unstrapping either of your bindings all day.


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks for the fast responses!

My husband put a clear stomp pad on it and I try to remember it's there, but I think part of the problem is that my bindings may already be a little close together (my husband thinks they are but I think they are fine for now--when I'm strapped in I feel fine anyway), but as far as stepping on the stomp pad... yeah, a little awkward because then my feet are kinda close together... I wish I could just convert my bindings to a pad when I need it, lol... and my pad doesn't "stick" to my foot... I guess it acts like added gripping, but I honestly don't feel it. 

Another retarded question... when walking/gliding with one foot out, is there a right or wrong way as far as whether your foot is in front or back of your board? Either way I tend to like my foot behind my board... is that wrong?


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

make sure and keep most of your weight on your front foot, your back foot should be for stabilization only. that means steer with your front foot only if you can...

always just aim to go straight and most lifts will have a flat that will slow you down in enough time to stop before you hit any banks or something...


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

FrankDaTank089 said:


> not sure what you call it, but you could do the duck waddle thing and never have to worry about unstrapping either of your bindings all day.


Well, I can come to a stop, stay standing, and stay still long enough to bend down and unstrap myself... but I'm not sure I would be a very talented waddler, lol... I'll have to practice that.


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

bravogrl28 said:


> Well, I can come to a stop, stay standing, and stay still long enough to bend down and unstrap myself... but I'm not sure I would be a very talented waddler, lol... I'll have to practice that.


lol, i tried it out last time and was decent at it, but i am also fine with unstrapping so it was no big deal with me. ill probably try it some more next time, because anything to be more lazy is my way to go


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

Practice
Skate as far down a run as you can while still being in control. I usually go the entire length of what I call "the intro" - usually that 100-400m of gentle bunny slope that leads you into the real downhill. Do some turns on it as well, changing the position of your unstrapped foot slightly to drag your toe or heel to help you turn.
practice, practice, practice.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

^just practice one-footed on the bunny hill while eating pizza or drinking hot chocolate...its crazy but it works...and most will think...wtf she must be a pro. 

I'd recommend that you try and widen your stance to the widest possible (9-12 degrees duck)...many women have their stance too narrow and immediately have more control when its widened; this is due in part because it makes you bend your knees more, lower center of gravity and makes you shift your weight forward and aft more...give it a try for a few days and I doubt you will go back to your narrow stance.


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

Thanks everyone!


----------



## laz167 (Nov 27, 2007)

Just practice..My GF has the same problem last year she skated goofy,this year shes skating regular.As far as getting off the lift what i do is hold on to the chair as long as possible til I feel it leaving my hand and that helps my decend with ease.Dont lean forward or backwards balance over the center.Just ride it out you'll br fine.As far as riding with your loose foot behind or in front of the board I've heard that skating with your foot in front can actualy give you knee damgage cause of the odd movement.but i've never skated with my foot in the front so I cant really tell you what that feels like.


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

laz167 said:


> Just practice..My GF has the same problem last year she skated goofy,this year shes skating regular.As far as getting off the lift what i do is hold on to the chair as long as possible til I feel it leaving my hand and that helps my decend with ease.Dont lean forward or backwards balance over the center.Just ride it out you'll br fine.As far as riding with your loose foot behind or in front of the board I've heard that skating with your foot in front can actualy give you knee damgage cause of the odd movement.but i've never skated with my foot in the front so I cant really tell you what that feels like.


Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong, I was taught to get my board ready and lean forward...


----------



## Guest (Feb 18, 2008)

Snowolf said:


> It`s called Boardwalking...I find it kind of fun actually.
> 
> One caution though about riding the lift with both feet strapped in...some areas will yank your pass for it because it is considered unsafe. In the event that the rider does fall, it is a lot harder to get up and out of the way quickly and they have to stop the lift in many cases. I see this a lot and when someone does bail off the lift this way, it does cause problems...
> 
> ...




I prob won't try it then because the last time I went up the lift it was my friend's first time on the lift, and first time on ski's and the guy wasn't paying attention to me giving the signal to slow down... even when I was yelling for him to slow down... with my luck he wouldn't stop the lift if something like that happened (falling strapped in and not able to get out of the way)...


----------



## laz167 (Nov 27, 2007)

bravogrl28 said:


> Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong, I was taught to get my board ready and lean forward...


Also note that snow conditions change.In every diffrent mountain I've riden the chairlift comeoff is diffrent.some are almost flat,some are a little steep,and than you got the Holy S#@! thats steep!3 weeks ago we went to Pico in Vermont got on the lift as the decend came up the lift operator sped up the lift.my Gf couldnt react to it and it was super steep with about an inch of snow over plywood.Needless to say she couldnt get off the lift to fast and had to jump!Hurt her knee pretty bad and that was the end of the trip for her.


----------



## Guest (Feb 19, 2008)

Just wanted to say thanks! I did much better today. Not leaning over so far made a big difference... and so did practicing with one of my feet out of the straps for most of the afternoon... We had to squeeze 3 people to a chair and one of them was a kid who was new at skiing... but I actually stayed standing until he cut me off and fell in front of me, and then I kinda leaned over/went to my knees off to the side, but usually I just immediately fall so I guess that's progress.


----------



## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

a lot of it is psychological.

a board and all can be heavy and unweildy.... a tough thing to deal with thru one foot. and made worse by feeling unfamiliar and usually encountered when on the ice sheet of a off ramp, combined with a pile of crashed skiers in front and the pressure of another chair lift full of raging skiers behind you!

my advice in simplest terms..... RELAX. get a good push off the chair with your arms, with your board already aligned with you 'angle of ejection' put your weight on your front foot for a moment so you can lift you back foot and stomp it down onto your pad, with a bit of heel or toe drag, depending on your intended direction of turn and / or stop.

get this sussed and not before long, you'll be doing slide stops as if both hoofs were strapped in.

ohm!


----------



## ks5z (Dec 14, 2007)

when coming off the lifts, I've always found that if you just stand up at the top of the flat portion, put your back hand on the chair, and don't push off the chair, but let the chair push you off the flat part of the ramp onto the downhill slope, you'll come off of the lift nice and easy and very straight as well...


----------



## MODO (May 2, 2019)

I kind of do whatks5z does works better 4 me than pushing off the chair ????


----------



## buller_scott (Jun 10, 2018)

Relax, picture what you're about to do in your head, then commit. 

For skating, I would say, put aside half a day to practice on the bunny slope, next to the carpet -- front foot in, back foot loose, going straight, then toe side, then heel side. 

For getting off the chair lift, I find that being independent is a good thing - if the kid next to you looks like they're potentially gonna take you out, get lined up, ready, and the moment the chair allows you to touch down, stand up with your weight *on* (not* over*) your front foot, and ride it out. 

Another couple of things:
-- there are little Corona bugs under the ball and heel of your front foot. Want your board to go somewhere? Crush those bugs as required, to get you heading in that direction
-- Pretend everything is pitch black, and your front hand is the headlight that is providing the _only_ source of light and vision. Don't be afraid to _use_ your headlight, to help guide you. 

My mates have laughed at me when I'm teaching novices, saying the above sounds stupid. They see it work, then all of a sudden "oh hey man that works!". Whatever, I know it does.


----------



## Myoko (Dec 11, 2018)

Agree with ka5z, go last and let the chair push you off that way everyone is out of the way for a start. I don't like a stomp pad as I move my feet everywhere, even at times right at the front it can work better. One thing when you are not strapped in and just going along a flat section of a cat track slowly to get to a lift, just let the board go where it wants, don't try and turn it as it will just follow someone else's track all on its own.


----------



## NT.Thunder (Jan 4, 2020)

I find lowering my centre of gravity helps a lot for me, I wait until the end like @Myoko says above and also use my hands like @buller_scott suggests. I have my moments still usually bought on by some random strapping bindings on or adjusting skis right in the exit path.


----------



## MODO (May 2, 2019)

Good job Butler_Scott I like your approach to one foot. My MT. is closed so I have it all to practice one foot. With no crowd ????


----------



## MODO (May 2, 2019)

Good job Butler_Scott I like your approach to one foot. My MT. is closed so I have it all to practice one foot. With no crowd ????


----------

