# Switch Riding



## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

skateboard switch. wake if u can.


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## ThredJack (Mar 18, 2014)

The best way to get more comfortable with anything is to do it.


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## thatkidwho (Feb 15, 2014)

Dedicate a whole day to it. Then take a couple of runs a day. Then switch it up on every run.


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## 24WERD (May 9, 2012)

on the flat cat tracks ride switch.

when going to the lift from a run 100 yards go switch.

one more thing, you don't have to have 15/-15 or symmetrical angles to ride switch or even a twin.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Like everyone else said, the more you ride switch, the better at it you will be.


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## Outlander (Nov 28, 2011)

The thing about learning to ride switch is to remember to step your terrain back a notch or two. When progressing on anything in riding, you have two factors to consider; terrain and task. Try not to step up task and terrain at the same time. If learning a new task, drop the terrain level. If stepping up the terrain, drop your task level. To improve your switch riding, do it more and on easier terrain then revert back to your standard stance when the terrain gets more challenging. Eventually if you do this, you will find that you can ride switch well on ever more challenging terrain and with more speed.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

Colorado-Copper-Woodward-Done


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

SnowDogWax said:


> Colorado-Copper-Woodward-Done


Man, I wish I could go to Woodward! It's SICK up there! 
Just that my parents think snowboarding has no future and I shouldn't waste my time. :/ They won't take me up to the slopes more than once or twice a year. >:O I hate living in ******* Georgia.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

First, your parents are right, second kick some butt in school. Then when you are paying the bills. Live near any mountain you want. Until then kick azz on your board twice a year…


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

SnowDogWax said:


> First, your parents are right, second kick some butt in school. Then when you are paying the bills. Live near any mountain you want. Until then kick azz on your board twice a year…


I already kick butt with my all A's in AP classes.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

AP=All Pro :eusa_clap:


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

How did you know!


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## thatkidwho (Feb 15, 2014)

Your parents are wrong. Drop out of school. Grab your backpack and board and hit the road. You won't need As or AP classes when you turn pro in six months. [emoji12]


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

thatkidwho said:


> Your parents are wrong. Drop out of school. Grab your backpack and board and hit the road. You won't need As or AP classes when you turn pro in six months. [emoji12]


*grabs backpack and board* How much does a taxi to Salt Lake City cost?


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

Eh, can't say I 100% agree with your parents. There may not be an immediate future in snowboarding (going 'pro' is one of the worst career paths possible for anyone who loves snowboarding), but some of the most fulfilling (and well paying) careers in the world come from being passionate about something, developing your skill in that area and finding a way where your passion and skills acquired along the way can be applied to earn money.

It may not even be in snowboarding, but in something related that came as a result of your time spent snowboarding.

For example, a friend of mine is a gym trainer and he's doing quite well for himself now as a result of the path he followed with his passion for snowboarding. Gym trainers don't typically earn much, but they do earn a good income when you happen to be one of the top trainers in an area with a lot of high income earners such as a ski resort. My friend would never have found that path if not for snowboarding and developing that passion in his life.

There's no reason you can't continue to follow that passion for snowboarding while also getting good grades etc. Never stop doing the things you're passionate about, you never know where they may lead you.

*Anyhow that's off topic...*

For your original question, in the off season your best bet is skateboarding switch since I assume you don't have access to any riding over the spring/summer months.


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Jed said:


> Eh, can't say I 100% agree with your parents. There may not be an immediate future in snowboarding (going 'pro' is one of the worst career paths possible for anyone who loves snowboarding), but some of the most fulfilling (and well paying) careers in the world come from being passionate about something, developing your skill in that area and finding a way where your passion and skills acquired along the way can be applied to earn money.
> 
> It may not even be in snowboarding, but in something related that came as a result of your time spent snowboarding.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the advice Jed(BTW I love your blog ). How I becoming pro a horrible career? Especially at a young age, you could earn some good income from contests. Ayumu Hirano for instance. He still has his skills in the sport so he can earn some money for contests and he has his parents to support him since he's still in highschool. Also, can't you create your own brand name in snowboarding? I'm no business man but I have had some experience in creating small little websites.  I'm only 13 anyway.
Anyway, I've been riding the small hills nearby switch on my skateboard. I'm kind of getting the hang of it... kind of. :icon_scratch:


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

minicrops1 said:


> Thanks for the advice Jed(BTW I love your blog ). How I becoming pro a horrible career? Especially at a young age, you could earn some good income from contests. Ayumu Hirano for instance. He still has his skills in the sport so he can earn some money for contests and he has his parents to support him since he's still in highschool.
> Anyway, I've been riding the small hills nearby switch on my skateboard. I'm kind of getting the hang of it... kind of. :icon_scratch:


Thanks, glad you enjoy my blog 

With Ayumu Hirano you're looking at the 1% of top snowboarders. The very top riders earn a good income, but everyone else earns jack all and works another job off the hill to earn enough to pay their rent each month. Visit any ski resort and half the people serving you at any restaurant are sponsored pro riders trying to earn $12 an hour to pay rent. And many of those guys have double/triple corks and still can't break into that 1%.

Not to mention if you're a pro and get injured, you can easily go from earning a good income to being dropped by most of your sponsors and earning basically nothing. Not great job security, especially since you're now both injured and broke.

Plus don't forget being a pro means you get to ride a lot less than you think. There's a lot of travelling and downtime as a pro snowboarder, the average ski bum working night shift at resorts will get more days riding in than a lot of pros.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of other careers where you earn a good high 5 to 6 figure income that allows you to both live the lifestyle you want and snowboard and have better job security and income potential than the 'pro' path.

You could start your own business (not just some clothing snowboard brand - which is insanely over done by every snowboard bum and usually ends up failing). You could work in one of many online/remote based jobs. Heck, even my friend who works as a mining engineer has more snowboard time than most people I know since he works 1 week on and 1 week off, so he can do whatever the heck he wants in his off week while earning 6 figures a year.


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Jed said:


> Thanks, glad you enjoy my blog
> 
> With Ayumu Hirano you're looking at the 1% of top snowboarders. The very top riders earn a good income, but everyone else earns jack all and works another job off the hill to earn enough to pay their rent each month. Visit any ski resort and half the people serving you at any restaurant are sponsored pro riders trying to earn $12 an hour to pay rent. And many of those guys have double/triple corks and still can't break into that 1%.
> 
> ...


Wow...just wow. I never knew that there were so many pros living like that. It's very eye opening to learn that type of information.
I admit, I have had *multiple* thoughts of going pro. I can learn new things within hours of trying, like when could go down the Blue runs on my first 2 hours on the slopes(and not crash/fall). I thought I could push snowboarding further and become a pro, Olympian, top 1% and such. I even knew which discipline I wanted to compete in, half-pipe, because I had experience in airing out on a skateboard half-pipe/bowl. Heck, I even created my own grab which I named 'the Crab'.
I know, what a dreamer I was . 
However, now that I think about it, I have no hope of becoming pro just because of the fact that the nearest ski resort is 5 hours away and that's not even decent. So technically, the most decent ski resort near me is 8 hours away. :/ I really do love snowboarding but I seems that becoming a professional isn't really attainable. All the professionals out there were born and raised in the wintry atmosphere, surrounded by skiing parents and resorts. I don't think that there are any pros from the state of Georgia. 
Now, I think it's more or less a game of luck instead of skill(which is still needed). Some are there at the right place, at the right time.

Thanks Jed! 
I'll still try and progress my riding though


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## Jason913 (Jan 12, 2014)

minicrops1 said:


> All the professionals out there were born and raised in the wintry atmosphere, surrounded by skiing parents and resorts. I don't think that there are any pros from the state of Georgia.
> Now, I think it's more or less a game of luck instead of skill(which is still needed). Some are there at the right place, at the right time.
> 
> Thanks Jed!
> I'll still try and progress my riding though


Thats definitely inaccurate. Mark McMorris comes to mind... came from a place with 0 snowboarding.

What Jed said though... stay in school and get a job that let's you snowboard. Rather than snowboarding and hoping it turns into a job.


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Well, he still had snow, didn't he? Here in Georgia, it's already 80 degrees! We get *flurries* twice a year.


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

minicrops1 said:


> Wow...just wow. I never knew that there were so many pros living like that. It's very eye opening to learn that type of information.
> I admit, I have had *multiple* thoughts of going pro. I can learn new things within hours of trying like when could go down the Blue's on my first day(and not crash/fall). I thought I could push snowboarding further and become a pro, Olympian, top 1% and such(I know, what a dreamer ). However, now that I think about it, I have no hope of becoming pro just because of the fact that the nearest ski resort is 5 hours away and that's not even decent. So technically, the most decent ski resort near me is 8 hours away. :/ I really do love snowboarding but I seems that becoming a professional isn't really attainable. All the professionals out there were born and raised in the wintry atmosphere, surrounded by skiing parents and resorts. I don't think that there are any pros from the state of Georgia.
> Now, I think it's more or less a game of luck instead of skill(which is still needed). Some are there at the right place, at the right time.
> 
> ...


Well no reason you still can't get sponsored and enjoy competition etc. etc. You can still do all that and enjoy it, just that I wouldn't be putting that as a main plan for a career.


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

I agree, however, I'm just not *able* to reach the slopes frequently enough(1-2 days a year), let alone a halfpipe. You live near Whistler so I assume you go to the slope much more frequently. Also, you travel to New Zealand!

I'd kill to go to Whistler!(Don't take it literally)


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

minicrops1 said:


> I agree, however, I'm just not *able* to reach the slopes frequently enough(1-2 days a year), let alone a halfpipe. You live near Whistler so I assume you go to the slope much more frequently.


Well you're young now, but once you're a little older you can move wherever you want. There's no reason why where you live now has to be where you live when you're older, especially if you happen to end up in one of those careers that lets you work from home.

I live in Whistler because I moved here at 18. I actually grew up in places that never even see snow or flurries and until I moved in Whistler I had 2 days of snowboarding under my belt, so anything is possible.


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## -jeff- (Mar 4, 2014)

I guess you can practice switch on a skateboard but skating and snowboarding are different... Your gunna have to practice it on a snowboard. I learned to ride switch not too long ago and basically i dedicated a whole day to it, then after that I would go on a couple switch runs everyday. It's very uncomfortable at first and you tend to automatically turn to your comfortable stance. Another thing I had trouble with was looking in the right direction


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## mosf88 (Mar 1, 2013)

Jason913 said:


> What Jed said though... stay in school and get a job that let's you snowboard. Rather than snowboarding and hoping it turns into a job.


I would agree with that. Study accounting. No joke. It pays well, and you can work anywhere in the world. The work can be boring but oddly enough you would be surprised how many accounting students are really outgoing fun loving people....and they figured out that accounting is a reliable way to fund the lifestyle they wanted. And many of these people move on to more interesting careers, which became open to them -because- of their accounting background. 

As for riding switch, I really just started this season (this was my third season snowboarding, and I started at age 44). My advice - just keep trying it. If its not connecting, then take a couple of lessons.

For me, oddly enough, I snowboard goofy but ride a ripstick regular. So I to prepare for this past season, I spent a lot of time over the summer on the driveway on my son's ripstick. 

Good luck to you!


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## pennyring (Mar 18, 2014)

It's true. Just get a good job and you can snowboard frequently. I've been with my company 5 years and have enough vacation that I've taken every single Monday off to snowboard since February... and I'll continue doing that through the end of this month. Then I'll follow it up with a trip to Vegas. You just need a good job with adequite vacation time.


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## minicrops1 (Feb 17, 2014)

Do you guys know of a good half-pipe near the Georgia/North Carolina area?


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## kwillo (Jan 11, 2013)

As it's been said, time. But we do a little game which improved my switch riding alot. While riding in a group at any time one person can call 'switch it up' everyone starts riding switch and first person to eat shit buys a jug of beer.
I love free beer, so it's a great incentive.


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

Jason913 said:


> Thats definitely inaccurate. Mark McMorris comes to mind... came from a place with 0 snowboarding.
> 
> 
> 
> What Jed said though... stay in school and get a job that let's you snowboard. Rather than snowboarding and hoping it turns into a job.



Orrrrr do what I did and go to a school that puts you in a place where you can snowboard. 8 resorts within 3 hours. 3 within a half hour.


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## Jason913 (Jan 12, 2014)

same thing lol. At least you didn't drop out and move to the resorts to snowboard full time


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

Jason913 said:


> same thing lol. At least you didn't drop out and move to the resorts to snowboard full time



This is true, but I can't say my decision to come to school here wasn't influenced heavily by the fact that snowboarding almost everyday was a possibility. I could have gone to much better schools. And I can't say that after I graduate I won't be a snowboard bum for a winter or two.


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## Jason913 (Jan 12, 2014)

Life goals/Money come first. Nothing wrong with pursuing a sport/hobby while going to school. After I graduated from college, I moved to Colorado from FL. Gave up one sport while pursuing another.


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

This is true no way was I not going to go to college.


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## tradnwaves4snow (Nov 19, 2013)

andrewdod said:


> This is true no way was I not going to go to college.


yep, and pass up on the best opportunity of your life to slay as many hot chicks as possible...


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

tradnwaves4snow said:


> yep, and pass up on the best opportunity of your life to slay as many hot chicks as possible...



Lol, never in my life would I miss that opportunity


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