# Still can't stand up heelside



## wrathfuldeity

lots of folks in the beginning can't stand up from heel side...I still have trouble...too much lead in my arse.

so a thing is folks tend to have their butt in the air...bending over and then try to stand up....does not work. Instead bring your butt DOWN and close to the board and then push up or spring up using your legs...like doing a squat lift with your back straight

additionally if rolling over to your knees....
first roll back on to your back
secondly lift the board above you in the air
third, twist your hips to roll over and bring the board down...you are rolling over from the hips not your shoulders...the weight of the board (in the air) will help the momentium of rolling over and additionally with the board in the air...it will clear/not hit or get stuck in the snow and prevent the roll-over
Lastly, bring your butt down near the board, straighten up your back and then push up/pop up with your legs...(do not raise your butt in the air and then try to straighten up...like bending over to pick up something from the ground)...you want to be in a crouch position...not bent over.

Imho this stuff should be taught as one of the first things in lessons...but are not


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## Varza

Oooohh, good stuff, @wrathfuldeity, I'm going to practice that at the next opportunity. I usually don't get up toeside, but when I do, I do it wrong (butt up, come up straight-legged, yuck!).

For heelside, I:

bring butt up close to the heel edge of my board
tighten my core
with knees bent (obviously), I push up with my arms and stabilize/help using quads

I kind of favor pushing up with my right hand. But you get the idea... I hope?

This is probably a more correct way: <video is gone > Looks like I need some practice here too :grin:


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## Fire Rose

Thanks guys.

I think my issue is I'm sticking my butt out as I'm trying to stand up and keeping my weight too far back over the edge. So I guess I will have to give the tips a try. Sometimes its hard to picture what I'm actually doing vs what I think I'm doing vs what I should be doing, so hopefully it works out.


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## wkd

i have the same problem because my belly is too fat. too many beers.

if you dig your toes into the snow then rock forward it helps a lot. kinda like your trying to stand up on your tippy toes.


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## Snow Hound

It's certainly difficult, especially when on a flat. I grab the board between my feet with one hand and use the other to push myself up. It takes a fair bit of effort though. I wouldn't worry much if getting over on your front is the only way for you to get up.


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## dave785

i think a lot of it is flexibility. When i have a wide stance on my board i can't stand up heel side because my hips aren't super flexible. When i have a normal stance i can stand up heelside, but only because I've been practicing a lot... it took quite a few weeks to do it. but the more you board, the more flexible your hips will become.


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## jae

I get up both from heel side and toe side. it doesn't matter which side I get up from, I do w/e uses the least amount of effort and energy. today I kept eating it in powder and I was getting up toeside all day. 

things that will help you would be some basic yoga, crunches, and planks. while crunches and planks you need some sort of space, you can do yoga at work between breaks or lulls. you don't have to go full fucking namaste, just do ragdoll pose and forward bend. don't lock your knees while doing them. coincidentally it'll help you strap up fast as hell too so you don't have to even sit on your ass to strap up.

I was out of shape last season, lost some weight, now I'm riding a lot harder than I did before.


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## neni

It's a stength n flexibility thing. 
I stand up heelside w/o having to push with arms. IMO, pushing with arms just makes it more difficult as it moves the body weight off the center.

You can exercise at home infront of the tv. Sit down on the carpet, feet flat on ground ~ in your stance n angles. Butt close to heels. Now rotate one of the knees towards the other foot, shift your body weight to the center (between feet over the imaginary board) - you may stretch out your arms to get bit swing - and push up with quads; if done in a smoothe flow, this knee rotation + arms moving fwd + body shift to center give you enough momentum to get your body nicely over the center of the board and then all you have to do is push with the quads to stand up.

Do it 100 times at home and I'm sure that it will be a no-issue next time on the slopes . Just make sure that the toeside edge is not slipping away. On flats, make the toeside edge grip. On angled slope, push the heelside edge into the slope.


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## Fire Rose

Thanks guys. I'll give the exercises a try.

It could be my flexibility. I've noticed having a bit of a stretch to get that last rachet on my back toe strap standing up now that it's going almost to the end of the ladder.


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## speedjason

Dig the board into snow if on slope.
Bend your legs to lower the center of gravity.
Push yourself up with one arm behind you while trying to grab the toe edge of the board with the other.


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## sabatoa

Dude just get up from your toes, it's not a big deal. I've been riding for 6 years and still get up from my toes 90% of the time.


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## snowangel99

You can do it! It's mind over matter!!! Watch youtube videos. I find them very helpful. I remember when I first started I just kept saying in my head that I am going to get up properly today. And I did it. For me it wasn't flexibility it was a weight distribution thing/a technique...once you do it once then it's done and you do it forever. 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk


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## OU812

I would practice things like strapping in standing up and skating really well before worrying about getting up heel side. I have problems heel side it feel awkward, unless its on a steep run, because I have a wide stance and long legs (I'm 6'3in).


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## Funks

I believe it has something to do with one's build

I ride regular - for shallow slopes, I get up toe side, for steeper one's - heel side. One thing I did notice that it's much easier for me to get up heel side when I have duck stance (instead of forward). I basically stick my left hand forward (pointing down the fall line - helps me with balance as soon as I get off the ground), then I push off with my right hand and at the same time use my right leg to lift the body up. If I do it in one smooth motion, I get up no problem..


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## SnowMoose

I've determined that getting up heelside is impossible and 'anyone' that does it, is actually an alien from some other planet secretly enjoying our snow!


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## Nocturnal7x

Do you have forward lean set as far as it can go? I did this to try it out and had a really hard time standing up heelside.


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## speedjason

SnowMoose said:


> I've determined that getting up heelside is impossible and 'anyone' that does it, is actually an alien from some other planet secretly enjoying our snow!


Gotta put your knees close to the chest.


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## Argo

Unless I am on steep terrain I always get up on my toe edge.


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## f00bar

For me the easiest way to get up heel side is shift my weight over the tail like in a tail press and then just power up with my legs. The board just pops me right up. I started doing this from day one when my 42 year old arms and abs didn't like the crab position much.

This is how I always get up, though my technique has improved quite a bit so I typically pop up and just ride as opposed to a standing position. I almost never do toe side.


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## WasabiCanuck

wrathfuldeity said:


> lots of folks in the beginning can't stand up from heel side...I still have trouble...too much lead in my arse.


Same here.



wkd said:


> i have the same problem because my belly is too fat. too many beers.


Yup



speedjason said:


> Dig the board into snow if on slope.
> Bend your legs to lower the center of gravity.
> Push yourself up with one arm behind you while trying to grab the toe edge of the board with the other.


This how I do it too.



sabatoa said:


> Dude just get up from your toes, it's not a big deal. I've been riding for 6 years and still get up from my toes 90% of the time.


Yup. Getting up on heels should not be huge goal for you. It don't mean shit. For me, it takes a huge effort to do it on a flat run. I can do it, but why bother so much easier just to roll over and get up on toes. It is much easier to do it on a steep run, like getting out of a chair. If you are determined to figure this out, do what speedjason says. Kick heels into snow, push off left hand while grabbing board between feet with right hand.

But if you learn to strap-in standing and rarely wipeout you won't need to get up on heelside. This is where I'm at now.

I don't think it is a fitness thing. I think it is something that is easy for small people and harder for big people. Also harder for older people, I'm both big and old so fuck that shit.


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## neni

Lol, guess I'm back in the "struggle to get up heelside" boat :laugh:. I _really_ had hard times to get up out of pow on a flat spot with the new AT boots (and backpack). Those hard shells don't allow any rotate-knee inward to produce momentum to get up. Had to roll over on the belly to get up as well... :embarrased1:


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## Fire Rose

Something finally clicked awhile ago when we had a powder day. I still can't get up heelside if it's flat or icy but it's nice not to have to roll over all the time when I fall. I've noticed if I put more of my weight over my right leg I can usually get up a little easier.


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