# Beginning snowboarder looking for some tips



## Flick Montana (Jul 9, 2007)

Your fear is probably the most common thing new snowboarders face. It is unnatural to face backwards down the hill. It makes you feel very vulnerable because you can't stop yourself from falling with your hands (which is instinct, but is a habit you should break when boarding). Snowwolf put up some great beginner vids just above these posts. Check them out.

The only way I got over it was to just face the little hesitation I was having when going toe side. I actually crashed very little and usually it was falling forward because I was leaning so hard.

Eventually, you just get the practice in and you start to do it with no problem. Practice is the best thing to cure your problem.

Also, I just recently learned it, but I believe the way you are boarding is actually recommended for starters and is called leafing.


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## WhistlerBound (Aug 24, 2008)

Flick Montana said:


> The only way I got over it was to just face the little hesitation I was having when going toe side. I actually crashed very little and usually it was falling forward because I was leaning so hard.


That's the way I remember it too. The point where the board is pointing directly down hill and you are thinking "OMG am I going to turn" was the worst hurdle for me, so much so that I overcompensated and leaned into the turn so much I fell forwards when I completed the turn and was on the toe-side edge. It doesn't take long to push through it though. The turning point, no pun intended, was taking a lesson and not wanting to look like a chicken in front of the hot looking female instructor. By the end of the lesson the fear had gone and I could move on.


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## Flick Montana (Jul 9, 2007)

I also found linking from toe to heel side much harder than the other way around. I think getting the end of the board to go up the hill and the nose to go down without crashing is harder. Even after boarding for a year I wasn't great at it. I took a little mocking when my wife went in to warm up and I spent about an hour on the bunny hill with the kids, just practicing linking my turns really slow. It helps to just do it and not think about it.

Most of your problems are mental. I don't know if you ever played football, but my coach always yelled at the receivers for crocodile arms. They were expecting to get hit so they curled up and didn't reach out for the pass. If you keep thinking about crashing and hesitating, you won't get over it. Forget the crash, don't think about it. Just focus and go for the turn. It's a heck of a hurdle to get over, but you have to take it head on to get over it. Don't psych yourself out.


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2008)

Flick Montana said:


> Forget the crash, don't think about it. Just focus and go for the turn. It's a heck of a hurdle to get over, but you have to take it head on to get over it. Don't psych yourself out.


I have no problem doing this on my first couple runs, but when I take a big fall it's almost like the end of the day for me, I am too afraid to really try anything. Granted, this is only my second time up this year (and I haven't been for five years before this year) but, as I said, I just have a hard time trying things after I take a fall. Today I fell on my a$$ and my tail bone is really starting to hurt!


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## WhistlerBound (Aug 24, 2008)

Just to clarify, is it feeling comfortable holding a toe-side traverse that's causing the problem, or the toe-side turn itself? I didn't quite understand the "riding fakie and then turning heel-side" bit. Does this mean you are zig-zagging down the hill always on your heel-side or you feel more comfortable traversing fakie toe-side and then completing a toe-side to heel-side turn?


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2008)

WhistlerBound said:


> you are zig-zagging down the hill always on your heel-side


THIS is what I do. I do not feel comfortable doing anything toe-side.


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## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

Have you considered taking lessons and having someone guide you along and teach you how to overcome your fears?


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## Flick Montana (Jul 9, 2007)

If you're afraid to fall or you bruise easily, you might have a tough learning curve. Keep things slow. You can learn to turn just as well on the bunny hill as you can blasting down a blue trail. If you get hurt falling on the bunny slope, you may want to consider lessons...


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## WhistlerBound (Aug 24, 2008)

Taking a lesson is good advice, as is sticking to the bunny slopes and taking it slowly until you are more confident.

If possible a lesson would be of great benefit at this stage. It probably wouldn't take more than one lesson to get over this hump, and in doing so I think you would enjoy things a lot more, and it would allow you to progress to the next level. Until then your progress will be limited. Sometimes, just having someone with experience there can be enough to make you more confident.

I found that things like getting the proper stance, balance and movements sorted on the snowboard did wonders for increasing my stability, which allowed me to be more confident when it came to turns. If you are not confident (i.e. nervous) you will generally stiffen up, or even freeze, which makes things worse (particularly if you freeze with the board pointing down the slope). You also need to be able to execute the turn without thinking about bailing out, which makes you do things like reach forward and/or crouch down (to ease the fall), which in turn puts you off balance.

Also, Snowolf wrote a good description of the mechanics of a turn here and this thread is worth reading all the way through. I know it sounds weird, but visualize it before you head back up the mountain. It really does help if you're stuck on something.

I don't think what you describe is anything new or unusual, in fact I think most people had similar concerns at some stage while learning, but once you have it sorted a whole new (and less painful) world will open up.


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## NYCboarder (Jan 26, 2008)

i had the same problem when i first began.. i messed around with the foward lean on my highbacks to encourage using my toeside..


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

Thanks for all the great advice everyone, I will take it up with me tomorrow when I head up!

I kind of figured the way to get better on the toe-side would be to do the falling leaf just as I always do on my heel side. Sounds like I am going to have some sore calves tomorrow!


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

cheesedinverts said:


> Today I fell on my a$$ and my tail bone is really starting to hurt!


As for technique advice, I can't add anything else to what has been said. I mean Snowolf *has* spoken.  Not much to say after he posts. That said, you might also want to consider getting some tailbone pads (among other protective gear).


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

NYCboarder said:


> i had the same problem when i first began.. i messed around with the foward lean on my highbacks to encourage using my toeside..


This is good advice I think. I hit a stage where I started hitting blacks, and having to turn so aggressively, I lost my ability to carve smoothly on blues and greens, and the problem was with my toeside. What helped me out was moving my highbacks forward up so it forced me into the toeside. That and just slowing the whole motion down, and trying to make the toeside into a nice J, instead of trying to slash it.

And with anything that you're scared and uncomfortable doing, the best advice is to not think about it. Just say screw it and do it,like ripping off a bandaid. You hardly ever hurt yourself when you commit to something, its when you sketch out and try to stop yourself as you're doing it that you mess yourself up. You'll fall a few times, realize that it barely hurts, and you can start practicing instead of trying to get up the nerve.


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

cheesedinverts said:


> Thanks for all the great advice everyone, I will take it up with me tomorrow when I head up!
> 
> I kind of figured the way to get better on the toe-side would be to do the falling leaf just as I always do on my heel side. Sounds like I am going to have some sore calves tomorrow!


I'm just learning myself and been on the board for one day. I actually have the opposite issue. I can toeside, carve the toeside, do the falling leaf as long as I'm toeside and do straight down the bunny hill and stop well....as long as its toeside. I was riding 18+, -9 on the bindings and going to try +15,0 for my next time out. From most of what I have read this is a pretty standard beginner stance.


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

A bit of different advice for you guys. 

If you know a gymnastics or Martial Arts school near you, I would suggest going in and asking for them to help you learn to take a fall. 
I know all the experienced riders reading this are either laughing or asking wtf at this point but let me explain.
Quick story - When I was about 11, I fell of the back of a pickup truck going down the road (about 15mph) and fractured my skull. Cost me the hearing in my right ear and totally destroyed my sense of balance since it's linked to the fluid in your inner ear. Naturally I developed a deep fear of falling backward.
My father was a Martial Arts instructor and I ended up becoming one for several years and between that and 3 years of gymnastics training I can tell you that the fear of falling backwards is easy to handle once you know how.

It's not hard and it doesn't take a lot of time to learn, it just takes practice. 
The goal is to learn how to control your natural reflex when falling and dissipate the build up of kenetic energy safely instead of using your hands thrust out or your tail bone. 
The basic principle is this:
The natural reaction when falling is to either fold in an attempt to maintain your balance and thus hit your butt or to throw your hands out to catch yourself. What you need to learn how to do is to roll with it or dissipate the force through slapping your hands out away from your body. 

I know it sounds a little weird but it's true and it works. I've had a decade of experience and training and it's the only reason I can go heelside at all. If I get time I'll try to take a video with my phone for you guys and link it up here. This is just something else to consider and not meant to counter anyone's advice on how to handle this problem while snowboarding. Snowolf :thumbsup: has probably taught more people to over come this than I have taught people how to throw themselves around lol

And for those of you who have stuck through all of this post I leave you with a funny mental image. I'm 6'1" 215lbs and to this day when I fall backward while riding I still end up curling into a ball and rolling with it like I was trained...snowboard and all...rolling/bouncing to a stop... lol I call it my snowball impression


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## sedition (Feb 8, 2007)

Fallen Saint said:


> A bit of different advice for you guys.
> 
> If you know a gymnastics or Martial Arts school near you, I would suggest going in and asking for them to help you learn to take a fall.


I dissent. I'm a brown-belt in shotokan, took gymnastics for a few years, and have been skateboarding for...well, a very long time. I know how to fall. That said, I don't think "proper" falling technique effectively transfers to snowboard for one reason; your strapped in. That throws a huge wrench in the problem...

what style of martial art do you do?


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## Snowjoe (Jul 3, 2007)

Its all good knowing how to fall but when you catch your downhill edge at 40mph theres only one place your going, and thats to the floor really hard!

I just bring my arms in and let the body take the fall if I can react quick enough.


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

azzpads!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

The most common injuries that noob and experienced riders encounter are broken wrists, dislocations, collarbones, shoulders and or sprains.. The advice given is all good but no one has mentioned making fists as you fall.. Doing this keeps you from falling and having your wrists take alll the force and weight of your body on that joint. When you make fists you will have tendency to fall on your forearms and avoid all the sprained, broken wrists and dis located shoulders.. that seem to happen. I really like the martial arts advice....good stuff, and food for thought..


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

cheesedinverts said:


> THIS is what I do. I do not feel comfortable doing anything toe-side.



This is common in beginning schraplers and we instructirs see it all day, everyday. The heel side turn seems to come along easier partially due the security and leverage provided by the highback.

the toeside turn requires a more ankle, kneee, and hip flexion to really put you over that toeside edge. I also would suggest a lesson as there are many ways to get you making the proper movements..especially your HIPS!! ie snowolfs hump and dump technique for one.

Proper turning technique invloves movements that start from the bottom up, not the top down.

flexion, extension, and rotation are the three movements the body makes when snowboarding.


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

Judo teaches a lot of break falling techniques. Judo is all throws so knowing how to fall correctly and getting comfortable with falling is essential.


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## Guest (Nov 25, 2008)

Dashooter said:


> Judo teaches a lot of break falling techniques. Judo is all throws so knowing how to fall correctly and getting comfortable with falling is essential.


i used to do judo, never thought of it to use it in snowboarding...
i have only one techniek if i fall hard = protect the but!!! i once landed on it and i couldn't sit
for a week... so i always try to land and roll, kinda go with the flow ( kinda rappin today)


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## Guest (Nov 26, 2008)

We all dread the the butt shot we call the "spincter stretcher" where the old brown eye gets stretched out of shape temporarily and it feels like you ripped something down there.. NOt a good feeling until u come to the conclusion that you are not bleeding and everything seems to be intact down unda... Its always seems to take a few minutes of uncomfortably sitting there to determine if you are alright....another good reason to invest in some good tailbone/ass protectors..


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## Guest (Nov 26, 2008)

oneplankawanka said:


> We all dread the the butt shot we call the "*spincter stretcher*" where the old brown eye gets stretched out of shape temporarily and it feels like you ripped something down there.. NOt a good feeling until u come to the conclusion that you are not bleeding and everything seems to be intact down unda... Its always seems to take a few minutes of uncomfortably sitting there to determine if you are alright....another good reason to invest in some good tailbone/ass protectors..



never had that , never want it. iw as talking about bruises.
you are talking about being barebacked by the mountain


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## mag⋅net⋅ism (Oct 26, 2008)

Chiming in a little late, but when I was learning how to ride I was majorly afraid of toeside. I could do the falling leaf thing heel side no problem, just not toeside! A good friend of mine is an instructor and he took me down a black groomer fully backwards! I rode my toe the whole way down, he rode his heel and held my hands. And we went fast!! He just kept reassuring me I wasn't going to fall, and told me to bend my knees and tuck my butt in. It worked great and because of that I ended up being far more comfortable on my toe than my heel. I guess the moral of the story is that instructors are there for a reason (and they are golden gods and goddesses.)


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