# Riding Switch



## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

(1) How many of you _ride_ switch on a regular basis (i.e. will do a whole run switch, not just landing/setting up for something in switch)?

(2) What % is your switch riding ability compared to normal riding? 

I just started doing entire runs in switch (greens and blues), but am no where *near* as good as I am when riding normal.


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## alaric (Aug 28, 2007)

I'm on the same level you are. I can get down greens comfortably switch and some blues. I'm not great switch, but I'm not horrible


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

mpdsnowman said:


> Ive gotten better at it. Today I practiced. It was hard in the powder but still did fine.


I spent about 1/2 of today riding switch. however, we did not have this "powder" you speak off.


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

"Felt more comfortable in the *powder*."

Considering I live on the east coast, comments like these sound like a prostitute talking about her "fully intact" hymen.

The biggest problem I have with riding switch is trying to remind myself that I can't ride the same way I do when I ride normally. Instead of doing short, tight turns that are basically down the fall-line, I have to carve back and forth across the trail to keep my speed down, and my control in a manageable arena. But then there are those time's when I forget to do this. Like today. When I sorta, kinda went off the trail a little bit. And hit that tree. The worst part was my friend, who was riding normally, had already gone down in front of me. Hence, no one got to see me "comunion with nature." 
*
Moral of the Story*: if your going to crash, don't be selfish and do it where no one can see you; do it where other people get to watch and you can make then laugh. Anything less is being FAR too selfish.


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## PaoloSmythe (Aug 19, 2007)

i try to ride switch as much as i do regular

my last trip to the hills i managed to do a soft (not quite knee deep powder) black run entirely switch, which was nice.

i would say my switch is about 75% of regular in performance. its not like i am a fast rider anyways (as i prefer to _savour the flavour_) but due entirely to familiarity (i suspect) i am still more comfortable with regular than switch.

but i am working on getting them equalled up.

to me the true indicator of a good snowboarder is one who, when you watch them, you cannot tell if they are regular or goofy.


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2007)

i ride about a 70/30 split with regular and switch... if i'm riding withing people that are just learning or slower i tend to always ride switch just to make sure that i don't take off on them


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

intake said:


> If i'm riding withing people that are just learning or slower i tend to always ride switch just to make sure that i don't take off on them


Duh. Like that one wasn't too obvious to think of on my own. hah. Thanks for the idea.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

sedition said:


> (1) How many of you _ride_ switch on a regular basis (i.e. will do a whole run switch, not just landing/setting up for something in switch)?
> 
> (2) What % is your switch riding ability compared to normal riding?
> 
> I just started doing entire runs in switch (greens and blues), but am no where *near* as good as I am when riding normal.


I'm 35, I'm goofy footed and I ride switch regularly and that works out to be about a 70%/30% split, much like intake stated. Riding switch is a recently new thing for me. Last year I had a ski buddy that wanted to snowboard so I said to him if you learn to snowboard I will ride switch with you all day. So that is how I forced myself to learn. I'm of course still much better at my goofy footed stance but just this past weekend I turned my back foot out to -15 (instead of 0) degrees and my right foot stayed at +15 degrees so it is a duck footed stance which makes riding switch easier. My biggest challenge now is how to make a smooth transition between switch and regular. I see these young guys and they do it so smooth it looks so cool. I think now days riding switch is mandatory. If you are stuck riding in one direction, please change to a duck footed stance (front foot +15, back foot -15) and force yourself to learn, it is worth it. It will allow you to add more style to your riding. Then soon, you can hit a jump, do a 180 while grabbing your board and then switch your riding direction before landing. Have a good one!


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

Being a park rat, I spend about an equal time riding both ways. Landings really helped me learn how to ride switch. The other thing I did was start skateboarding again and did a lot of switch riding while cruising around the streets, this helped the most. I would say my switch riding is about 85% of my normal riding. Every once in a while, I will snag an edge and eat it and look like a complete noob. Random side note, the prostitute comment was hilarious. I ride east coast so it was definately harder to learn switch on the ice.


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## max_tm (Dec 7, 2008)

Do you guys ever do full days of switch? By that I mean strapping in switch, skating switch, going on the lift switch, riding switch all day? Please tell me I'm not alone?


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

max_tm said:


> Do you guys ever do full days of switch? By that I mean strapping in switch, skating switch, going on the lift switch, riding switch all day? Please tell me I'm not alone?


I will try and do it at least once a week. I did it a lot more when I was teaching my girl last year because it showed her I was human and could fall still and it allowed me to relearn everything the opposite way while teaching her. So, no, your not alone. The lift is the best when you got a few people on the same chair trying it.


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## Guest (Dec 8, 2008)

max_tm said:


> Do you guys ever do full days of switch? By that I mean strapping in switch, skating switch, going on the lift switch, riding switch all day? Please tell me I'm not alone?


Well I only get out about 5 times a year here where I board (Michigan). So only going a few times means I want to actually go down the hill fast sometimes and my skill level is just not there yet to do that in switch mode. I'm going to Whislter/Blackcomb in January 2009 and I will be boarding 5 days so I'm going to pick a day to hit greens and/or blues there ane stay switch all day so that I can really get in the switch grove. I would rather fall on nice groomed POW hills then to try to master switch here on the rock hard ice hills of Michigan. It is just to hard on my body.


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## Cros1489 (Dec 13, 2008)

i never full on ride switch for the whole run. alot of times if i feel like it i will switch around and ride like half the run switch. i do that quite frequently though. this season im gonna alternate when im freeriding though, like do one run regular, then the next run do switch and so on, all day....


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