# Overcoming the FEAR...



## iKimshi

I know this probably won't help, but for me I just went for it.


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## Guest

ive had this same problem too. ive tried to really ride down those steeper hills with confidence but its tough. scares me so much that im just gonna eat it. but i think we both just need to go for it and hope it works out for the best


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## twin89

if it is only your 6th time out overall, you are doing just fine, believe me i was in your position about a season ago, and it comes easily with time, you will get faster at transitioning heel to toe and toe to heel edges on steps which will mean less time going down strait on the mtn, and thus being more in control.

perfectly normal.


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## Guest

Yeah... thanks - I find that I am still really thinking about those trasitions, making sure my body is in the correct position, etc, etc... I guess it just becomes instinctual after a while... I find it easier to link turns on slightly steeper hills, but still revert to th falling leaf when it gets really steep....


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## Failed_God

i falling leafed for the longest time i had some mental block about heelside turns. it took a while but then it was kinda like one day it just came to me and i had it from then on just practice you will get it.


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## ebs675

This biggest thing that helped me was using the "hump and dump" technique , lots of torsional flex, and getting my weight forward, down the hill. I think snowolf explains it in some of his posts, but the "hump and dump" thing was night and day for me, it just made things click( I am in my second season). When going to your toe edge, you push your hips forward and arch your back, rather than trying to lean your whole head and body forward(e.g. a Humping motion). Reverse is true going heel edge(dump motion, butt out). For me, this made edge changes a lots quicker, which made the steeps more comfortable. But, everybody has different key thoughts that help them, and what works varies from one person to the next. What worked for me may just confuse you.

I wish I could explain better, but I will leave that to the "fessionals", like snowolf.

-eBs`


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## SnowProRick

With only 6 days under your belt, the simple answer is that you are on a run that is too steep. Do what you need to do to safely get down and then go to a less intimidating run. It takes quite a while to really get comfortable on your board and become a good rider. It doesn't happen right away. 

Patience and practice (on runs you are comfortable on).

--rick


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## maf05r6

The more you go for it and get more comfortable the better it will get. Just keep at it and you will be comfortable in no time.


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## lisevolution

SnowProRick said:


> With only 6 days under your belt, the simple answer is that you are on a run that is too steep. Do what you need to do to safely get down and then go to a less intimidating run. It takes quite a while to really get comfortable on your board and become a good rider. It doesn't happen right away.
> 
> Patience and practice (on runs you are comfortable on).
> 
> --rick



I don't agree with this 100%... I think part of progressing is putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. If you don't challenge yourself you'll never get better. You might get more comfortable on the easy runs but you'll still be uncomfortable on the difficult ones. I'm not saying you should go out and start riding double diamonds your first week on the hill but a little fear is a good thing.


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## alecdude88

lisevolution said:


> I don't agree with this 100%... I think part of progressing is putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. If you don't challenge yourself you'll never get better. You might get more comfortable on the easy runs but you'll still be uncomfortable on the difficult ones. I'm not saying you should go out and start riding double diamonds your first week on the hill but a little fear is a good thing.


i pretty much mastered riding on a hill that was about teh steepness of a green circle. but this hill has lots of rails and jumps and a tow rope.

then first time i went to a mountain i enjoyed just riding down the hill again and i did my first black diamond like it was nothing


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## linvillegorge

Go get a lesson. Seriously. I was in this same spot. I got a lesson and picked up some key points to keep in mind and from that point on I was able to progress much quicker. You're probably doing some key things wrong that you don't even realize. A good instructor will point these out and it'll just click. Once you really learn to link those turns, you'll be shocked how quickly you progress.


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## Guest

Like someone else said, and this probably wont help lol, you just gotta really committ and go for it. When I first started boarding I had the same issue...I just got fed up after an hour of not being able to do it and started whipping myself around to get from heel side to toe side, by any means I DO NOT mean to whip yourself around- I just did it out of frustration. But the point is, you just gotta get over the fear, embrace the speed a little and go for it. I truly find that its easier to control yourself and move from edge to edge when you gotta some speed. Its like this- would u rather make a sharp turn on a motorcycle going 5mph or 70 mph? 

I had the same issue wakeboarding, going back over the wake on my toe edge from my heel side edge would psych me out. One day I just went for it and it was fine.

It will just click for you trust me. One day you will do it and you will be like ohhhh I got it now.


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## Guest

I think confidence is key. Keep challenging yourself and take little sections at a time. Look at the next 100 feet, plan your route, then ride it. Rinse and repeat. If you mess up who cares, you're still having fun. Just don't get in over your head trying to push yourself too fast and end up doing something that makes you lose confidence and 2nd guess yourself. Knowing in your head that you can do something is the only way to progress...even if it's something you haven't done before.


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## Guest

Rocksvillebeer said:


> I think confidence is key. Keep challenging yourself and take little sections at a time. Look at the next 100 feet, plan your route, then ride it. Rinse and repeat. If you mess up who cares, you're still having fun. Just don't get in over your head trying to push yourself too fast and end up doing something that makes you lose confidence and 2nd guess yourself. Knowing in your head that you can do something is the only way to progress...even if it's something you haven't done before.


Very well put....your absolutely right


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## Guest

i just think of my moto and that is go big or go home


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## Deviant

Agreed^

It's one of those things that everyone faces at first. That's one of the best parts of snowboarding though is that there's always something new to learn. You'll find yourself gaining confidence quick, once the turns become more natural you'll feel better about everything. Every time you learn something new there's that self-confidence reward.

When you fall, don't be upset about, laugh it off  Every rider you see was a beginner at one point, and almost everything you see another rider doing is something you'll be doing in the future. Get a lesson if you can, be patient, and have fun.


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## dharmashred

I feel ya man, for sure. I am still struggling with being in my head. Shitty part about that is no lesson can change that for you. My first lift of the day, I meditate and I picture myself handling that shit. I also talk to myself in my head, "you got it", "don't bitch out" "no fear" "charge it", etc. Ya, I give myself cheeze pep talks . I think at every stage of progression there are certain fears and things to conquer, "_our work is never over!"_! Music makes a world of difference, pick some tunes that will get you pumped up and/or help you chillax a bit when you're sketch. There are steeps (real serious steep shit) that I still plow, but I make little goals for myself, each time I go back up, I start my turns a little bit early in the run than I did the first time. Rocksvillebeer is right on on this! :thumbsup:

It's totally okay to be afraid, just don't let it stop you!


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## Guest

dharmashred said:


> I feel ya man, for sure. I am still struggling with being in my head. Shitty part about that is no lesson can change that for you. My first lift of the day, I meditate and I picture myself handling that shit. I also talk to myself in my head, "you got it", "don't bitch out" "no fear" "charge it", etc. Ya, I give myself cheeze pep talks . I think at every stage of progression there are certain fears and things to conquer, "_our work is never over!"_! Music makes a world of difference, pick some tunes that will get you pumped up and/or help you chillax a bit when you're sketch. There are steeps (real serious steep shit) that I still plow, but I make little goals for myself, each time I go back up, I start my turns a little bit early in the run than I did the first time. Rocksvillebeer is right on on this! :thumbs
> It's totally okay to be afraid, just don't let it stop you!



I do the same thing. I broke my arm boarding 2 seasons ago and sometimes when Im riding it will fuck with me, like little flashbacks and shit u know, I will actually go down the mountain talking to myself like "come on girl shut up stop being a baby, your a boarder you got this" lol. And music too, I absolutely agree. It really helps put you into a zone and really charge hard. Its all about confidence. Get a few good runs in, get your confidence up and remember your there to shred


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## dharmashred

Shit NY - a broken arm and you're back charging it again, sweet!!! Ever since my concussion, I hesitate just a little bit - then I think to myself what if this were my last time I ever get to board...do I wanna go out like this? Hell no!


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## hellside

Can you make turn anytime you want on a lesser steep slope at hige speed? It has more to do with your skill if you can't.

Turn on the steep has high speed and many people will have problem release/engadage edges properly. You will skid a lot if you want to ride it slow. It is harder for me to control the board when I brake a lot and try to turn the same time so I just go fast and carve as much as I can


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## mikez

The fear is largely down to the speed you gain (or think you'll gain) while trying to initiate a turn. There are two things you can do to help (or at least they seemed to help me): (1) get the board to the fall line quicker, in order to initiate the turn quicker; and (2) look further down the slope and not at your feet!

To accomplish (1), bend your knees (more than you ordinarily would) before starting the turn, then extend them as you quickly get the board to the fall line. This action takes your weight off the board so you can bring it to the fall line quicker. As you turn (from the fall line onto the new edge), bend your knees--almost as if you're landing. I guess the result is a bit like aggressive j-turns. Then start linking them.

Re (2), it makes you realise you're really not going that fast. Try looking way down the slope as you do 'falling leaf' or j-turns (assuming the terrain is good). You'll be much more aggressive in terms of the speed and distance you cover with each 'fall'. Apply this same principal/technique to turns (assuming the terrain is good).


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## Guest

dharmashred said:


> Shit NY - a broken arm and you're back charging it again, sweet!!! Ever since my concussion, I hesitate just a little bit - then I think to myself what if this were my last time I ever get to board...do I wanna go out like this? Hell no!



Yea definitely, I couldnt not snowboard!! When I broke it, the first thing I thought was FUCK my season is about to end early!!! Granted I only missed 2 trips cause I broke it end of the season, I was still pissed I couldnt go!!

Dharmashred- How long have you been boarding for and where are you from?


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## Leo

SnowProRick said:


> With only 6 days under your belt, the simple answer is that you are on a run that is too steep. Do what you need to do to safely get down and then go to a less intimidating run. It takes quite a while to really get comfortable on your board and become a good rider. It doesn't happen right away.
> 
> Patience and practice (on runs you are comfortable on).
> 
> --rick


I have to give you a :thumbsdown: on this one bro. I was doing steeps on my 3rd day. Granted I didn't go bombing down it like a pro. Around my 5th time out, I saw my 14 years of experience friend charge down the same run rocking from toe to heel side like he was balancing an egg on the board. I said the hell with it and charged down and just did it like him. To my amazement, I did a damn good job of copying him.

About the fear thing, I will use a personal example. I was hitting jumps a couple of seasons ago and ended up biting it really hard one time. I hit the back of my head hard. Went to the doctor that day and luckily it was only a mild concussion. Needless to say, I didn't jump last season. I have since found a helmet that fits my oddly shaped big head and my confidence came back. I am back to hitting jumps without much problem.

What's my point? Fear can put a hamper on your progression, but it is also good for keeping you out of trouble. Get yourself protective gear and keep on practicing on that steep. Just make sure you stay mindful of other riders around you. Trust me, once you gain confidence, the rest will come easier.


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## stasis

that's normal I used to do it all the time. I'm still doing this on icy steep hill because the condition suck at east coast! :laugh:


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## SPAZ

i had the same problem going toe to heel when i started. i felt that when i did it that i would have resistance from my edge, but one time i just said the hell with it and quickly linked and it worked. after doing that a few times i lost my fear...


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## Leo

SnowboardSpaz said:


> i had the same problem going toe to heel when i started. i felt that when i did it that i would have resistance from my edge, but one time i just said the hell with it and quickly linked and it worked. after doing that a few times i lost my fear...


You and I agree... The Hell With It method is the way to go! Just get some protection especially a helmet and do it!


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## Guest

Haha..."The hell with it" method is definitely the way to go...

Thats exactly how I learned, I just got fed up with struggling to get from toe to heel and heel to toe and I was like I dont care Im just gonna do it!!! You gotta kind of let frustration take over fear and just say F- IT and go for it...


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## Mysticfalcon

Ive taught a few people to ride. I start by making them ride toeside across the trail then stop flip over and ride heelside across the mountain. stop, flip over and repeat. Usually by the 2nd run they are so sick of sitting down and fipping over that the turns come naturaly. Maybe sneak in some garlands in there to get used to pointing down the hill and They usually come pretty easy. Oh and the whole time they are riding their hands have to be holding onto the sides of their pants. No arm-flailing alowd


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## Guest

Mysticfalcon said:


> Ive taught a few people to ride. I start by making them ride toeside across the trail then stop flip over and ride heelside across the mountain. stop, flip over and repeat. Usually by the 2nd run they are so sick of sitting down and fipping over that the turns come naturaly. Maybe sneak in some garlands in there to get used to pointing down the hill and They usually come pretty easy. Oh and the whole time they are riding their hands have to be holding onto the sides of their pants. No arm-flailing alowd



I just did that this past weekend..I had this girl ride all the way across toe side then heel side. She never grasped the concept tho...

But that is a good way to do it, this way they get used to being on their toes. :thumbsup:


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## Mysticfalcon

Yup. Hopefully anyway. Im always disapointed when I tune my GFs board because every single mark is on the heel edge. her toe edge never really needs sharpening. She makes turns just fine but locks out and goes into heel edge mode for any obsticles. My board seems to always have a more beatup toe edge.


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## Guest

Mysticfalcon said:


> Yup. Hopefully anyway. Im always disapointed when I tune my GFs board because every single mark is on the heel edge. her toe edge never really needs sharpening. She makes turns just fine but locks out and goes into heel edge mode for any obsticles. My board seems to always have a more beatup toe edge.



Does she just swing her board around and constantly stay on her heels? I always see when I see girls learning they just go regular then goofy and they never actually go to their toes. Its kind of hard to explain, but if she does that you would know what I mean. This is what this girl was doing, its so frustrating!!! I did that for a little bit too when I started learning...I give my boyfriend a :thumbsup: for sticking with me...now that I see it from a teachers point of view it is extremely frustrating!!!


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## Leo

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> Does she just swing her board around and constantly stay on her heels? I always see when I see girls learning they just go regular then goofy and they never actually go to their toes. Its kind of hard to explain, but if she does that you would know what I mean. This is what this girl was doing, its so frustrating!!! I did that for a little bit too when I started learning...I give my boyfriend a :thumbsup: for sticking with me...now that I see it from a teachers point of view it is extremely frustrating!!!


It's called the "falling leaf" and is very common to beginners.


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## Mysticfalcon

no she does just fine. no falling leaf for her, she just makes sure to set her self up on her heel edge for rough spots. The tight spots in the woods and thin cover, stuff like that.


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## dirtygerman

my GF has a hard time with this as well, its our third time going snow boarding. (well becuase we live in FL.) she does the falling leaf on packed snow on powder she is just fine, so I think this year we might ride the CAT. but we will see.


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## SnowProRick

dirtygerman said:


> my GF has a hard time with this as well, its our third time going snow boarding. (well becuase we live in FL.) she does the falling leaf on packed snow on powder she is just fine, so I think this year we might ride the CAT. but we will see.


That would be a REALLY BAD IDEA. If she can't turn on groomed runs, there is NO WAY she can handle the terrain and variable snow conditions at a cat boarding place. Not only that, you will piss off all the other guests that are forced to sit around wait for her. 

I'm not trying to be a dink, but this could be a big issue if you do it.

--rick


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## david_z

totally normal. good advice above. A lot of beginners try to use their back leg as a "rudder", but your board is _not_ a boat, and hence your tail is _not_ a rudder for that un-boat  I'm not sure if this is your problem specifically, but a lot of people have toruble linking turns at first.

you're on heel edge and you need to turn toe-side. most of all, don't worry about making perfect "S" carves. 

make sure you're weight is forward (i.e., not back on the tail of the board). roll like you're going to start standing on your toes, or doing calf-raises. Get used to that sort of transition, rolling over ball of your foot to toes, and rolling _back_ on to your heels. 

you might have to start making jist small cuts to the toe-side before having to fall back on your heelside. this is hard to explain verbally, but I remember being like overwhelmed by the idea of turning _all the way back to toeside_. You don't have to turn _all the way _across the fall line. Just get used to turning a little bit to toe-side without biting an edge. work on it from there.


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## scottland

What really helps is: Becoming more comfortable with going fast on runs with less slope. Pick an easy green or blue, get going fast, and get comfortable making turns going faster. 

The reason your afraid on the steeper hill is because you're afraid of picking up more speed than you can control. Get used to the feeling of being in control while going fast on a more manageable slope.

Also work on transitioning quicking from heelside to toeside on the easy slope. If you can get that down, you'll be able to spend less time with your board pointed down the hill on the steeper slope.

Beyond that, it's just practice. The more time you spend on the snow, the more comfortable you'll be. It's kind of like riding a bike. Remember how shakey you were at 4 or 5 when you first learned. Then remember how comfortable you were by age 10?


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## stillz

Funny you should say that scottland, because that's exactly what I did today. I worked my carved turns a lot on easy slopes. When I took it to the steeper slopes, it worked the same, except that I would allow myself to skid just enough to keep from gaining scary, out of control speed. I can tell I'm nervous on a slope because my back hand will start flailing a bit when changing edges, so that's my cue to take it back a little and work speed on slopes I'm already comfortable with.


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## dirtygerman

SnowProRick said:


> That would be a REALLY BAD IDEA. If she can't turn on groomed runs, there is NO WAY she can handle the terrain and variable snow conditions at a cat boarding place. Not only that, you will piss off all the other guests that are forced to sit around wait for her.
> 
> I'm not trying to be a dink, but this could be a big issue if you do it.
> 
> --rick


No worries man she kills the powder it's weird!! But thanks for looking out!


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## david_z

dirtygerman said:


> No worries man she kills the powder it's weird!! But thanks for looking out!


also not trying to be a dink so forgive me in advance... I appreciate your enthusiasm & trying to push limits with your girl, that's cool & all, but if she can only do the falling leaf she is not "killing" anything. powder or no powder.


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## dirtygerman

thanks for not being a dink I dislike getting flamed on forums not fun at all!

Sorry my fault for not giving all the details! She can switch back when riding powder and does falling lead on packed snow. She isn't a pro by any means! it caught me off gaurd the last day we where there at Granby last year we got fresh snow last day we where there and she was doing good, by no means is she a pro!!! It was a shock to me she was riding good and switching heel to toe, and she was having a good time! but I was impressed!

Don't get me wrong, day 1 a easy blue/green! we have only been snow boarding two time this year will make it three, I picked it up fast but I skate surf wakeboard a good bit so I had ideas on what to do and what not to do! We will be at keystone 15-22


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## Guest

lisevolution said:


> I don't agree with this 100%... I think part of progressing is putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. If you don't challenge yourself you'll never get better. You might get more comfortable on the easy runs but you'll still be uncomfortable on the difficult ones. I'm not saying you should go out and start riding double diamonds your first week on the hill but a little fear is a good thing.


I don't know, I think you should stay on the easy trails at least until you learn to transition turns. I have a buddy who moved on too fast, now he rides black diamonds and he still cant transition turns. It's been two years and he just doesn't feel like going back to the easy runs and spending a day learning to turn. Idk why, I keep telling him that he has to learn to transition, after two years to still be doing the falling leaf is ridiculous. Even though I learned to transition turns on my first day, I spent almost my whole first season on greens, and only a few blues, just getting my riding technique down. Im sure it's different for individual people though. What worked for me may not be whats right for everyone.


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## david_z

dirtygerman said:


> thanks for not being a dink I dislike getting flamed on forums not fun at all!


Me too. If I wanted that I'd go to some political blog or forum 



dirtygerman said:


> Sorry my fault for not giving all the details! She can switch back when riding powder and does falling lead on packed snow. She isn't a pro by any means! it caught me off gaurd the last day we where there at Granby last year we got fresh snow last day we where there and she was doing good, by no means is she a pro!!! It was a shock to me she was riding good and switching heel to toe, and she was having a good time! but I was impressed!


That's bizarre! I know a lot of people who _can_ link turns but are totally out of their element in powder, hence my apprehension.

My advice, lame as it might be, is to get her a lesson. I tried to "teach myself" how to snowboard when I was a kid, and spent the better part of 4 hours doing the falling leaf, but mostly falling on my ass. The next day I rented again and took a lesson. Spent 2 hours with the instructor and he fixed everything I was doing wrong - one of the best investments I've ever made!

Other than that, man, I think it's pretty hard to teach people how to snowboard. A lot of us _know_ how to do it, and have the muscle memory down pat and all, but the problem is conveying all of that in a manner which other people can translate into action; describing exactly what you're doing in a way that they'll be able to replicate. 

A few seasons ago I "re-learned" how to snowboard by teaching myself how to ride goofy, it really forced me to think about _what am I doing, how am I doing it?_ that came in really handy when I had to teach my wife how to ride last winter.


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## dirtygerman

Well the first year we went we both took classes togeather! We rent our boards and when we rented the guy asked me goofy or reg. I knew right away what he was talking about I said goofy I can ride switch only becuase of wake boarding! Now sence she has never been on any type of moving board we didn't know what stance she was!?!? So the young kid working at the counter pushed her forward and said when u start to fall forward which foot goes out first is your stance! I think that method is odd and not quite correct! But anyhow she was reg. According to the guy working the rental stuff. She had the hardest time the entire day I felt bad for her she was he only one in our class that was having a hard time!! 

So that night I did some googleing and was reading that the slide
acrossed the kitchen floor method works good so come to see she was goofy footed according to this so that night I switched her bindings to goofy in the morning she did a lot better and started to catch on. But she still has that mental block on switching to toe side unless she is riding on the soft stuff!

To me riding on powder is just like wakeboarding more weight on ur back leg!


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## Guest

So today was my fourth time out ever, second this year and I decided to tackle linking turns. Once I committed to it it was a lot easier than I thought and really built my confidence. My only problem is switching from heel to toe because i brake to practically a standstill and then switch edges from there. Also, when I was in the middle of one of my turns I caught something and went down hard and twisted my knee. Should that have happened? From what I have read knee injuries aren't that common. Do I have to adjust my bindings or something?


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## Guest

*A suggestion*

Maybe some other people care to comment on my suggestion as well. I think it helps to learn switch riding as soon as possible after learning to link turns so that a rider starts out comfortable riding both ways. I did the whole - I am going to ride switch for 3 days last season and wish I had doen it earlier. I am now a much more confident rider.

The OP should link turns on green/blue runs regular, get that down and then try doing some switch riding and linking turns that way. In the long run this will allow you to have a lot more confidence to get out of sketchy situatiosn knowing you can ride either way.

Also I feel learning switch gives a rider a better grasp of the fundamentals in wieght shifting during turns..

my own opinion though, I would like to hear what others think...


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## david_z

FindingAlpha said:


> Also I feel learning switch gives a rider a better grasp of the fundamentals in wieght shifting during turns..
> 
> my own opinion though, I would like to hear what others think...


For true! I rode for _years_ before I ever really gave switch a thought (other than the occasional riding out a 180). I still don't tackle jumps riding switch, but I'm planning on working on that this week.

Fundamentals, for sure. It _really_ forced me to _think_ about how everything works, in order to try and translate that to switch.


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## eat_n_it

I agree that just about every noob has this fear... I did a few weeks ago when i went for the first time. I had an all day lesson the first day and picked it up pretty quick thanks to my experience with wakeboarding... but the second day i went out and just nailed greens and double greens so i decided i'd try a blue and once i got to the steep parts I went into puss mode and did the leaf fall... It wasn't fun goin down like that so i went back to a double green that had a good slope to pick up speed, i worked on my toe to heel transitions for about 3 runs then i felt really really good about it. Tried the same blue and i actually did it without being scared, then i was going a little to fast out of my comfort zone, lost thought, i was completely on my toes and just wasnt thinking then my heels bit the sh!t out of snow. I should have been wearing a helmet! I kid you not, I did like a backflip and a half and landed so hard on the back of my head that i blacked out for about 5 seconds... my beanie and googles were a good 50ft away from me... it scared the crap out of me and totaly ruined the day for me, but i shook it off the rest of the day and thankfully i wasn't seriously hurt... but just have fun and get comfortable, pay good attention to your body movement while on the easy stuff and really enforce it on the harder stuff... don't be afraid of pushing yourself either, just know your limits 

I went 5 days straight, and I was keeping up with my GF's brother, who's been shreddin for a good 5 seasons, down a double blue on my last day


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## thugit

eat_n_it said:


> I agree that just about every noob has this fear... I did a few weeks ago when i went for the first time. I had an all day lesson the first day and picked it up pretty quick thanks to my experience with wakeboarding... but the second day i went out and just nailed greens and double greens so i decided i'd try a blue and once i got to the steep parts I went into puss mode and did the leaf fall... It wasn't fun goin down like that so i went back to a double green that had a good slope to pick up speed, i worked on my toe to heel transitions for about 3 runs then i felt really really good about it. Tried the same blue and i actually did it without being scared, then i was going a little to fast out of my comfort zone, lost thought, i was completely on my toes and just wasnt thinking then my heels bit the sh!t out of snow. I should have been wearing a helmet! I kid you not, I did like a backflip and a half and landed so hard on the back of my head that i blacked out for about 5 seconds... my beanie and googles were a good 50ft away from me... it scared the crap out of me and totaly ruined the day for me, but i shook it off the rest of the day and thankfully i wasn't seriously hurt... but just have fun and get comfortable, pay good attention to your body movement while on the easy stuff and really enforce it on the harder stuff... don't be afraid of pushing yourself either, just know your limits
> 
> I went 5 days straight, and I was keeping up with my GF's brother, who's been shreddin for a good 5 seasons, down a double blue on my last day


maybe it's different where you ride, but i've never heard of double greens or double blues. congratulations anyways.


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## eat_n_it

thugit said:


> maybe it's different where you ride, but i've never heard of double greens or double blues. congratulations anyways.


Telluride, CO


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## thugit

that's weird, i just checked out their website and they do use "double blues" and "double greens"
never seen or heard that anywhere else.


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## david_z

think i've seen double-blues here in MI. never heard of double-greens tho.


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## Tarzanman

lynnyj said:


> So today was my fourth time out ever, second this year and I decided to tackle linking turns. Once I committed to it it was a lot easier than I thought and really built my confidence. My only problem is switching from heel to toe because i brake to practically a standstill and then switch edges from there. Also, when I was in the middle of one of my turns I caught something and went down hard and twisted my knee. Should that have happened? From what I have read knee injuries aren't that common. Do I have to adjust my bindings or something?



I AM A NOOB. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in but:

It sounds like you need to either get more comfortable with having the board pointed straight down the hill while you transfer from edge to edge -or-
learn to unweight the board as you switch edges and move the fulcrum of your twist/lean/roll farther up your body.

My guess is that you're catching an edge because you're putting your weight on the downhill edge of the board before you have adjusted the orientation of the board into your direction of travel.

It happens to everyone...it happens to me on greens ALL the time (man, i hate greens), and everywhere else when I get tired and my form goes out the window!


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## david_z

Tarzanman said:


> It sounds like you need to either get more comfortable with having the board pointed straight down the hill while you transfer from edge to edge -or- learn to unweight the board as you switch edges and move the fulcrum of your twist/lean/roll farther up your body.


This is a good point, but the word "straight" I think is where people have a problem. 

Newbies get caught up in the idea of turning all the way across the fall line - for instance, your toeside facing downhill and completing a full turn to place your heelside towards the downhill. Most people can initiate slight turns to toeside, so just start small. 

Forget about "straight down the hill". _Straight_ is whatever direction your board happens to be pointing at any particular moment. 

You don't need to begin by making these big sweeping carves all the way across the face of the mountain. Start small and work your way into bigger and faster carves. As you work, you'll develop the balance, confidence and muscle memory.


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## david_z

the bunny hills here in MI are ridiculously un-steep  but yeah your advice is better for most situations for sure.What worked when I taught my wife & her friend was to overcome that mental block of the wide-C - and that's what I was trying to describe above but maybe I didn't do the best job at describing it. It's kind of like: don't think about the entire wide-C all at once. Initiate it. Continue it. Then complete it.


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## Guest

You know what will ease your mind... sing a song on the way down... it works... you know some G UNIT WOAH ... WE IN HERE WOAH....WE GON GET THE BOTTLES POPPIN LIKE.... WOAH WOAH WO!!! lol try it before you deni it.


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## arsenic0

Slightly more serious than Jwoods, but on the same note...its why i now use a helmet with audio(although its low so i can hear, not cranked up to 11 like some people)...Having a good beat/song really helps me not overthink everything and just let it happen


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## dharmashred

Keep at it, I _know_ how frustrating this is and I am still working on my toeside turn. Check out the links Snowolf posted, there is sooo much advice that will really help you, the advice on these posts has been invaluable to me. :thumbsup:

I took a lesson last Sunday and the instructor told me the toeside turn is "the patience turn". You have to just wait for it and it will happen.

On the steeper terrain, making those wide Cs on each edge and following them through really helped me understand how to control my speed, without losing it all and just skidding out. It's hard to feel confident to make a turn that's already difficult if you feel like you're out of control (I know!).

Stick with it, keep practicing. Have a safety meeting , relax, and trusting yourself and confidence will follow! Woooosaaaaa.


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## Guest

ebs675 said:


> This biggest thing that helped me was using the "hump and dump" technique , lots of torsional flex, and getting my weight forward, down the hill. I think snowolf explains it in some of his posts, but the "hump and dump" thing was night and day for me, it just made things click( I am in my second season). When going to your toe edge, you push your hips forward and arch your back, rather than trying to lean your whole head and body forward(e.g. a Humping motion). Reverse is true going heel edge(dump motion, butt out). For me, this made edge changes a lots quicker, which made the steeps more comfortable. But, everybody has different key thoughts that help them, and what works varies from one person to the next. What worked for me may just confuse you.
> 
> I wish I could explain better, but I will leave that to the "fessionals", like snowolf.
> 
> -eBs`


lots of torsitional flex is extreamly important i thought


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## Guest

Thanks everyone for the advice, I'm going out tomorrow so I'm going to try my best to take some of it to heart! I listened to music last time I was out and that seemed to help some. Snowolf, thanks so much lots of that seems to make a lot of sense. Again thanks everyone, wish me luck!


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## BliND KiNK

Lol.. still my first season.. linking consistent turns on blues.. I do sideslip sometime when I get uncomfortable.. spring slush's steeper grades.. sometimes when I can feel myself engaging the wrong edge.. I'll throw my back foot up and over and then sideslip until I recover..

I'm pretty sure that is terrible posture.. I've been looking for different types of turns..

Flexing the board, is what I'm normally doing.. I was wondering though because I've done this a few times, I just sort of rock the board onto the other edge? It's kind of how I've produced the more carving turns.. and I was wondering if that's a legitimate way to turn or if I'm just making shit up?:dunno:


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## Guest

*Pushing progression*

Pushing it is the best way to progress. For example this past season was the first time I charged twenty plus foot cliffs and it was scary was hell, but I got four or five of the best cliff drops of my life first tracks on a powder day. If you push it, you will get better, if you dont you will plateau.


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## bigwhiffa

Confidence, Confidence, Confidence!

Build yourself up on the smaller stuff until you have it down.
Not saying you shouldn't challenge yourself but, be sure that you don't bite off more than you can chew...
Not everyone learns at the same pace or rides the same, so don't feel like you have to keep up to anybody.
Your real friends will understand this and won't push you (too hard) if you aren't landing everything just yet.

How much confidence will you have after trying to launch off the biggest hit in the park and bailing hard??
Instead, pretend your skill progression is like a staircase and take a step each day.
Just food for thought.

Have fun out there


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## Donutz

Yeah, pain can be the great demotivator. My first season had great snow, but this last season it was white concrete for most of it. I did a couple of spectacular fails and realized that I don't like pain much. Unfortunately it made me more cautious for the rest of the season and I didn't make much progress on my jumps, for instance.
This season should be better (hard to see it being worse) for snow, plus I'm going to buy some armour. That should help my attitude.


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## Guest

Donutz said:


> Yeah, pain can be the great demotivator. My first season had great snow, but this last season it was white concrete for most of it. I did a couple of spectacular fails and realized that I don't like pain much. Unfortunately it made me more cautious for the rest of the season and I didn't make much progress on my jumps, for instance.
> This season should be better (hard to see it being worse) for snow, plus I'm going to buy some armour. That should help my attitude.




Wrist guards....helmet.....crash (butt) pads....knee pads....the necessities


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## JeffreyCH

Snowolf said:


> Don`t beat yourself up over this. With 6 days of riding, it is absolutely "normal" to struggle with things. As an instructor teaching for 5 years I can assure that the single most common problem people have is going from heel to toe. So, your are very "normal" and you don`t need a shrink.....
> 
> To this day, on really steep back country chutes and pitches over 45 degrees, I still turn way better going from toe to heel than I do going from heel to toe. I will say that I can guarantee you that with time, you will become comfortable on increasingly steeper terrain. In my own dilemma dealing with this on super steep runs, I am finding that if there is one "secret" it has to be forcing yourself to shift your weight down the hill to keep in centered and even a bit forward over that front foot. When I do this, I can feel things change for the better. The hardest part is dealing with this feeling of "leaning downhill" but it`s the only thing that works and makes any other tips work......:thumbsup:


I read this post last season, and watched Wolfs video regarding this, it helped a ton. I had my break through season, and actually rode for real last year. I do have a couple questions though. Does the lean down the hill not apply in deep powder? We went sled necking around vail pass last spring, and the powder was knee deep. My first run down in it, I tried to apply this and the nose of my board would sink? I ride a K2 Brigade 163 wide and I'm 6' 230lbs. do I need a longer board for deep powder. I actually found that if I weight it more like I ride wake, 60/40 towards the back foot, I could carve down easy. I was sticking to fairly light slopes, nothing REAL steep, was this an issue? Once I got going I would try to lean down hill, and it felt like it was slowing me down, and I could clearly see the nose sinking. That was my one and only pow day, but not my last by far, I don't want to get into bad habits that will screw me up as I get steeper.


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## JeffreyCH

Thanks man, I was hoping that was the right way to do it, it felt right. The run I was taking was a short steep drop, then mellowed out, I found it a bit easier on the steep. A few pics for reference. You can see where I started to wash out on my first run, second one was way cleaner. Can't wait for the video's.


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