# What's up with stomp pad in the middle of the board?



## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

First part no, second part yeah. I skate with no stomp pad, and boot in the middle for easier turning but if it's sketchy or I need to go far I put my back foot against the binding.


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

jdang307 said:


> First part no, second part yeah. I skate with no stomp pad, and boot in the middle for easier turning but if it's sketchy or I need to go far I put my back foot against the binding.


Do you keep a narrow stance for easier turning?

For me, boot in the middle doesn't make anything easier. I put my foot against the binding and carve like I would with my foot strapped in.


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## the grouch (Feb 18, 2014)

As a newb, I'd say it depends how you said it. If it was "it works better if you put your foot back against the binding" you weren't being a dick. If you said "put your foot back, dumbass" then you were being a dick. Trying to help others whem you see them doing something wrong isn't being a dick.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

speedjason said:


> Seriously, ...
> Was I being a dick?


Depends on how you told him I guess. I had to tell a guy who was skating around, trying to get on n off the lifts with his _free_ foot forward! :blink: :blink: :blink: (...strapped foot to the rear!) 

Now He was gonna kill himself or someone else tryin' to skate around like that, so dick or no, I tried to straighten him out! (....was funny watching him try to do that on the flats tho!)


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

the grouch said:


> As a newb, I'd say it depends how you said it. If it was "it works better if you put your foot back against the binding" you weren't being a dick. If you said "put your foot back, dumbass" then you were being a dick. Trying to help others whem you see them doing something wrong isn't being a dick.


well I wouldn't call someone dumbass even if they were my friends. I just feel like the "caring too much" guy when I try to tell someone they are doing wrong.:dunno:


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

chomps1211 said:


> Depends on how you told him I guess. I had to tell a guy who was skating around, trying to get on n off the lifts with his _free_ foot forward! :blink: :blink: :blink: (...strapped foot to the rear!)
> 
> Now He was gonna kill himself or someone else tryin' to skate around like that, so dick or no, I tried to straighten him out! (....was funny watching him try to do that on the flats tho!)


lol, now thats funny. I have a buddy who rides regular but skates goofy. whats up with that?


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## Booo! (Feb 14, 2014)

This weekend I noticed all the rental boards had the stomp pads in the middle. I found it weird at first but then I thought it's not such a bad idea if they have to switch the bindings from regular to goofy and back.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Booo! said:


> This weekend I noticed all the rental boards had the stomp pads in the middle. I found it weird at first but then I thought it's not such a bad idea if they have to switch the bindings from regular to goofy and back.


^this...and a lot of folks skate or glide 1 footy with their free foot right up against the front binding....and it works very well because you are steering with your front leg and this method weights the nose....you don't need your back foot up against the back binding...false security...instead of having skating skills


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

in this age when those who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground think they know all, there really is no point. and it's almost impossible to strike the right tone so that unsolicited advice does not sound like dick-ness from on high. people will figure things out for themselves....or not


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

tdn said:


> Do you keep a narrow stance for easier turning?
> 
> For me, boot in the middle doesn't make anything easier. I put my foot against the binding and carve like I would with my foot strapped in.


Isn't it pretty well known narrower stance easier turning? 

You carve with one foot not strapped in? Video or I call bullshit.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

don't carve but regularly practice linking slow turns (straight bombing is easier) going 50-150 yards 1 footy on a green...its a damm good skill to have....saves a ton of energy


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

jdang307 said:


> Isn't it pretty well known narrower stance easier turning?
> 
> You carve with one foot not strapped in? Video or I call bullshit.


How about you try it yourself?

Fyi, I'm not creating trenches. I get off a lift, front foot strapped in, back foot up against the inside of the back binding. A little more weight towards the front, then I go either on my heal edge or toe edge and I start going in either direction towards a trail or navigating through people.

If you still need a video to understand this, PM me. If you do understand it.. now try the same thing but with your foot in the middle. I'll be surprised if it's easier for you.. but hell, maybe it is. It's definitely not for me or anyone else I know. Do you notice more people with their back foot against the inside of their back binding or with their foot in the middle?


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## the grouch (Feb 18, 2014)

speedjason said:


> well I wouldn't call someone dumbass even if they were my friends. I just feel like the "caring too much" guy when I try to tell someone they are doing wrong.:dunno:


Well, you got the idea. It sounds like you were trying to help. Trying to help, not a dick by definition.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

wrathfuldeity said:


> ^this...and a lot of folks skate or glide 1 footy with their free foot right up against the front binding....and it works very well because you are steering with your front leg and this method weights the nose....you don't need your back foot up against the back binding...false security...instead of having skating skills


See! Now I actually started doing better skating when I stopped putting so much weight towards the front of the board. I was constantly spinning front/backside around the nose of my board tring to "1footy" around the flats with my weight forward.


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

jdang307 said:


> Isn't it pretty well known narrower stance easier turning?
> 
> You carve with one foot not strapped in? Video or I call bullshit.


It's really not that hard to carve down a hill with only one foot strapped in. Like OP said, I'm not laying trenches or anything, but I can link turns down the mountain at a pretty quick pace with one foot if I need to.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

(turns and carves are not the same thing ffs, i know i'm swimmin against the river, but i'll just keep saying it)


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Semantics.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

It's not semantics. It means something else entirely.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

no it's not semantics...it's cop-out, delusion/fail

but nevermind, continue>>>>


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Carving and turning? Maybe for you.

Same difference to me? #shrug


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

Being able to do basics with only 1 foot seems to me to be something that everyone should know, even my kids snowboard school teaches this from the age of 8...!!!

Things happen, like bindings breaking, overcrowding getting off a lift etc that mean you need to be able to navigate straight off a lift of while on a slope, and while everyone differs, i still have a stomp pad on ALL my boards, well i have the "Crab Grab Scromper" placed in front of my rear binding, if icy i will use this for extra footing while coming of the lift, however, i am more comfortable with my foot to the front in everyday conditions... And there i have nothing...


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## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

Alkasquawlik said:


> Carving and turning? Maybe for you.
> 
> Same difference to me? #shrug


Then you've never seen someone carve.


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

BoardWalk said:


> Then you've never seen someone carve.


This might be true.


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

Jdang asked if I can carve with one foot out of my bindings, I'm assuming a carve to him is the same as it is to me, as it is to Alkasquawlik. A carve to me is being on an edge, and the tail of the board follows the same path as the tip. Jdang, assuming that is what you're calling BS on, then everything I said still stands.. otherwise please clarify. 

As Alkasquawlik has said, I can link turns with my back foot against the inside of my bindings. It's nothing great and no where near as effective as having my foot in my binding but it's a carve according to my definition above. The point I was making with Jdang, is that this is easier and more nimble than turning or carving with my foot on the center of the board, at least for me.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Somewhere an agel cries...


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

tdn said:


> A carve to me is being on an edge, and the tail of the board follows the same path as the tip.


For all you dense motherfuckers out there.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

but look! now theres something to work toward'


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## Alkasquawlik (Jul 13, 2010)

Is that Visconti?


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

neni said:


> Somewhere an agel cries...


I can only assume you're talking about bagels. Those poor, poor bagels.


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## Booo! (Feb 14, 2014)

tdn said:


> As Alkasquawlik has said, I can link turns with my back foot against the inside of my bindings. It's nothing great and no where near as effective as having my foot in my binding but it's a carve according to my definition above. The point I was making with Jdang, is that this is easier and more nimble than turning or carving with my foot on the center of the board, at least for me.


Obviously nobody's pulling 2 Gs with only one foot in, but you can definitely ride on either edge and put on proper brakes. Not sure how you could possibly do that with your back foot up front.


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

Booo! said:


> Obviously nobody's pulling 2 Gs with only one foot in, but you can definitely ride on either edge and put on proper brakes.


Yup. That's my point. I also really don't want to make a video for Jdang, but if it's needed I can just text him a video tomorrow while riding.



Booo! said:


> Not sure how you could possibly do that with your back foot up front.


What?


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## Booo! (Feb 14, 2014)

tdn said:


> What?


 Breaking I mean. Like, heel-edge-deep-in-the-snow breaking. Not sure how you would do that with your free foot right up against the front binding.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

tdn said:


> How about you try it yourself?
> 
> Fyi, I'm not creating trenches. I get off a lift, front foot strapped in, back foot up against the inside of the back binding. A little more weight towards the front, then I go either on my heal edge or toe edge and I start going in either direction towards a trail or navigating through people.
> 
> If you still need a video to understand this, PM me. If you do understand it.. now try the same thing but with your foot in the middle. I'll be surprised if it's easier for you.. but hell, maybe it is. It's definitely not for me or anyone else I know. Do you notice more people with their back foot against the inside of their back binding or with their foot in the middle?


Ok perhaps my original post was a bit too much, my apologies for that, I shouldn't have used "BS."

Carving is laying trenches to me. I can definitely turn with just one foot strapped in, and one only needs to watch Scott Stevens for a minute to know you can do a shitload of stuff with just one foot. Scotty Vine takes huge jumps with just one foot and he's probably carving the jump. But they're pros. 

Hell that's how I learned to ride properly. Strap in front foot. Leave back foot unstrapped and then go down an easy hill. It taught me to initiate turns with my front foot.

If there isn't enough traction than sticking it against the back binding in my opinion is better. Because you need that back foot stable. But all else being equal, I find my foot being near the middle is easier to navigate. That's just me. Everyone is different. On a Proto or Cobra where the whole top sheet provides pretty good traction, it's just easier to turn for me. I can go pretty frickin far. Maybe it's rockered middle vs camber boards who knows. In any event this is debating over peanuts, so ride what you're comfortable with. :thumbsup:


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

tdn said:


> I can only assume you're talking about bagels. Those poor, poor bagels.


Semantics
.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

LOL, well played


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

the turn vs carve thing is not a huge deal, just find it kinda sad...if someone knows the difference, but doesn't give a shit that's one thing, that's fine. but if the two are confounded and someone thinks they are the same or don't know better, then they might think skiddy turns is 'good enough'. they might not care, or know to care, that they can advance further and put a board to it's proper use and full potential. so, to me, the words do count, and it's not a matter of opinion or semantics, carving is carving, turning is not carving. 

but w/e! carry on >>>


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

jdang307 said:


> Ok perhaps my original post was a bit too much, my apologies for that, I shouldn't have used "BS."
> 
> Carving is laying trenches to me. I can definitely turn with just one foot strapped in, and one only needs to watch Scott Stevens for a minute to know you can do a shitload of stuff with just one foot. Scotty Vine takes huge jumps with just one foot and he's probably carving the jump. But they're pros.
> 
> ...


Sounds good to me!


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

CassMT said:


> the turn vs carve thing is not a huge deal, just find it kinda sad...if someone knows the difference, but doesn't give a shit that's one thing, that's fine. but if the two are confounded and someone thinks they are the same or don't know better, then they might think skiddy turns is 'good enough'. they might not care, or know to care, that they can advance further and put a board to it's proper use and full potential. so, to me, the words do count, and it's not a matter of opinion or semantics, carving is carving, turning is not carving.
> 
> but w/e! carry on >>>



Like when hubby excitedly claims he has _cooked_ dinner when all he did was fetching some burgers at the drive in 

Anyway!
Back to the stomp pad. Checked the old ladies from the noob days for the positioning of the pad. Voilà, in the middle. Thinking about it it makes sense... right at the rear binding the foot is stabilized anyway, riding a steep T-bar, rear foot is rather positioned in the middle than at the rear binding :dunno:


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## snowman55 (Feb 17, 2012)

This is why you get people claiming to have "carved" on their first day riding. 

"It was my first day and after an hour, I was carving on a black diamond trail"


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

...or claiming to carve one-footed, but don't get mad, get educated

as for stomps, i like to keep mine in front of my front foot, where i can see it


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## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

neni said:


> Like when hubby excitedly claims he has _cooked_ dinner when all he did was fetching some burgers at the drive in
> 
> Anyway!
> Back to the stomp pad. Checked the old ladies from the noob days for the positioning of the pad. Voilà, in the middle. Thinking about it it makes sense... right at the rear binding the foot is stabilized anyway, riding a steep T-bar, rear foot is rather positioned in the middle than at the rear binding :dunno:


Kelly Air...sweet


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

snowman55 said:


> This is why you get people claiming to have "carved" on their first day riding.
> 
> "It was my first day and after an hour, I was carving on a black diamond trail"


Yeah, carving butt-shaped trenches in the snow :laugh:


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## tdn (Dec 30, 2010)

CassMT said:


> ...or claiming to carve one-footed, but don't get mad, get educated


Who claimed that?


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## stan_darsh (Mar 10, 2013)

i don't ride with a stomp pad, i think they are weird. but in an attempt to answer why skating with back foot in the middle of the board:

i have a deck that is rocker in the middle, and it's much easier to skate on the front half of it and not entertain the reverse camber aspect of the board. perhaps this is why the kid had it in the middle, or he has aspirations of going switch a lot.

why do you care so much?


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

stan_darsh said:


> i don't ride with a stomp pad, i think they are weird. but in an attempt to answer why skating with back foot in the middle of the board:
> 
> i have a deck that is rocker in the middle, and it's much easier to skate on the front half of it and not entertain the reverse camber aspect of the board. perhaps this is why the kid had it in the middle, or he has aspirations of going switch a lot.
> 
> why do you care so much?


because he fell instantly getting off the chairlift.


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## Justman1020 (Nov 21, 2011)

Booo! said:


> This weekend I noticed all the rental boards had the stomp pads in the middle. I found it weird at first but then I thought it's not such a bad idea if they have to switch the bindings from regular to goofy and back.


funny, a friend of mine rented a snowboard (his first time out) this past weekend, and the stomp pads were all in the middle,
then again, the place rented boards that were step in bindings and i had never seen that before, wtf?

:icon_scratch:


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

speedjason said:


> because he fell instantly getting off the chairlift.


Well Hell,... If _that's_ the issue? You'd a been ALL over my ass the first year and a half I was riding! LOL! I was dismounting the lift on all fours for the longest time! Then I had to make sure I got on the lift so I could go heel side to get out of the way when getting off. If in the middle on a short off load or on the R side of the chair? I was Fuk'd! (...along with anyone unfortunate enough to still be near me when I started off the lift!) LOL! At least I had the courtesy to warn everybody ahead of time so they could bail quickly at the top!   :eusa_clap:

Worst, most painful & embarrassing injuries I've had, were getting off the lifts that first year n half! ...and don't *even* get me started about the fucking skiers standing on my board or jamming their poles into my board or bindings and pushing off when getting off the lift! 
Stupid Fuckers!!!


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

chomps1211 said:


> Well Hell,... If _that's_ the issue? You'd a been ALL over my ass the first year and a half I was riding! LOL! I was dismounting the lift on all fours for the longest time! Then I had to make sure I got on the lift so I could go heel side to get out of the way when getting off. If in the middle on a short off load or on the R side of the chair? I was Fuk'd! (...along with anyone unfortunate enough to still be near me when I started off the lift!) LOL! At least I had the courtesy to warn everybody ahead of time so they could bail quickly at the top!   :eusa_clap:
> 
> Worst, most painful & embarrassing injuries I've had, were getting off the lifts that first year n half! ...and don't *even* get me started about the fucking skiers standing on my board or jamming their poles into my board or bindings and pushing off when getting off the lift!
> Stupid Fuckers!!!


there is learning the right way and there is learning the wrong way. When I was learning I simply skipped the whole falling leaf part. My buddy still can't get out of it.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

On my Proto and my Heritage, I find it a little easier to have my back foot a little more toward the center while skating. On my other boards that are traditional camber, I keep it pressed to the back binding.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

NWBoarder said:


> On my Proto and my Heritage, I find it a little easier to have my back foot a little more toward the center while skating. On my other boards that are traditional camber, I keep it pressed to the back binding.


^True for rocker and hybrid


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## ItchEtrigR (Jan 1, 2012)

Ride long enough and you fuck about with everything. I've seen kids weave in and out of traffic with both feet together. I've tried mucking about with my back leg pressed up against the front binding, very squirrely, tail just want to swing right over when initiating a turn, going straight not so much a problem, fun just to change things up and shit one tries/does when you have done the chair/drag lift enough times. Once you got your shit together you can ride anyway you please, all it takes is some time a bit of practice and some trial and error...


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

^ + 1

When you first learn, you have no idea how subtle you need to be with your board in terms of how it will "skate" The more experience you have, the more you will play with your foot position and how you really don't need a stomp pad at all after a certain point. None of my boards have one now.


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## East§ide (Mar 14, 2011)

Oldman said:


> ^ + 1
> 
> When you first learn, you have no idea how subtle you need to be with your board in terms of how it will "skate" The more experience you have, the more you will play with your foot position and how you really don't need a stomp pad at all after a certain point. N*one of my boards have one now*.


definitely with you on that one. i dont begrudge anyone using one, but i went out the beginning on this season on a new deck and didnt have time to put those little volcom stone stomp pad things on .. after 2 runs, I realized I'd probably never put any kind of stomp pad on my board again.

oh yea and just to harp on whats already been said, I happen to agree with CassMT that turning and carving are absolutely not the same. Its like squares and rectangles .. carving is turning, but turning is not necessarily carving.


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## BoardWalk (Mar 22, 2011)

East§ide said:


> Its like squares and rectangles .. carving is turning, but turning is not necessarily carving.



Mezcal can be Tequila but Tequila can't be Mezcal.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Oldman said:


> ^ + 1
> 
> None of my boards have one now.


Truthfully, I didn't think they were still around. I thought they were more of a 90's thing

Maybe I should get one for my wife who often struggles skating off the lift


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

speedjason said:


> there is learning the right way and there is learning the wrong way. When I was learning I simply skipped the whole falling leaf part. My buddy still can't get out of it.


Same here. Self-taught, with nobody in my ear about how to ride. My first full day I learned to go down the mountain and link shitty turns before learning to brake/stop, at the top of Keystone on the green run. I got to the point I could get to the bottom of the run, and then it kind of turns to the lift line. I would just take myself down at that point :laugh: At the end of the day I just took the Gondola down like a bitch (noway I could make it down at the end of my first day I was out of breath at that elevation and almost passed out)

Second full day on, I learned to toe side and that was it, off and running. I learned to leaf when I accidentally got on a black run my 3rd day. But I didn't use it as a crutch so I was good to go.


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## Booo! (Feb 14, 2014)

jdang307 said:


> Same here. Self-taught, with nobody in my ear about how to ride. My first full day I learned to go down the mountain and link shitty turns before learning to brake/stop, at the top of Keystone on the green run. I got to the point I could get to the bottom of the run, and then it kind of turns to the lift line. I would just take myself down at that point :laugh: At the end of the day I just took the Gondola down like a bitch (noway I could make it down at the end of my first day I was out of breath at that elevation and almost passed out)
> 
> Second full day on, I learned to toe side and that was it, off and running. I learned to leaf when I accidentally got on a black run my 3rd day. But I didn't use it as a crutch so I was good to go.


Except trying to link turns without knowing how to break can be very dangerous. At least doing falling leaf you can control your speed. Safer for everyone.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

True. Never said it was the right way for everyone else.

But right from the beginning I was able to point the board where I needed it to go. It was a closed off green run, literally all newbies. We were all placed there to kill each other apparently.

Took about 4 runs before I learned to brake.


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