# Help me please- problems with boarding



## d2cycles (Feb 24, 2013)

Both of my sons should be riding regular (based on the test) but one of them chose to learn to ride goofy. He didn't have any harder of a time picking up snowboarding than my other son (they were both 9 at the time and took lessons together). If you learned goofy, I would stick with goofy. Switching now will make going back seem like starting all over again.


----------



## Help me please! (Feb 10, 2014)

Thanks for the reply,
I understand the logic of not wanting to start again, but I am right footed and have completely lost confidence in my snowboarding goofy abilities. I was jut awful last year, couldn't ride, kept falling over etc. I felt awful. Ineptly be prepared to start again learning to ride regular if I was less likely to be such a failure. Will changing help me if I get lessons and stop
Me riding so poorly? 
Thanks buddy!


----------



## d2cycles (Feb 24, 2013)

If you do decide to switch, I would highly recommend getting a lesson. You will have to relearn everything...it is the same as learning it for the first time.


----------



## JibWood (Feb 10, 2014)

Help me please! said:


> Hello all,
> I've been snowboarding twice before, first time with lessons, the second without and I was riding goofy, which I only realised was odd after I gave up the second time I went. My instructor commented that I should be riding regular and now, after I've done the "are you regular or goofy" test I realise that I actually should be riding regular. However, the second time I went boarding completely recked my confidence as I was awful and went back to skiing (I am a good skier). We're going to Austria next week and I'm not sure if I should stay safe and stick with skiing or try regular on the snowboard? Was the fact that I shouldn't have been riding goofy the reason I was rubbish? Has anyone got any tips for changing from goofy to regular?
> Any help would be really appreciated, my confidence is in taters after I failed riding goofy last year, I'd be prepared to recommend abysmal who can help!
> Thanks in advance lads!
> Alex (someone who needs help)


Alex, this is an all too common issue.

The best way to let your body find it's natural direction is to do the following:

1. Mount a twin-shaped board with the bindings at positive fifteen degrees and negative fifteen degrees.

2. Go ride, your brain will tell your body which way to naturally lead itself. 

3. Once you "feel it" adjust your back binding to suite your natural stance. 

This has worked with both my kids at the ages of 1.5 and 3. It'll work for you. Enjoy Austria (Mayerhoffen is fun).


----------



## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Is your question really: "Should I stick to skiing in Austria so I have a good time, or stick to learning to board?"

If so, only you can answer that:

- Sticking to the board is the only way to learn. Sell the skis and you'll learn to board fast! 

- On the other hand, if you've paid a lot for the trip and it'll piss you off if everyone's riding crazy terrain while you're spending time learning the basics, then ski? :dunno:


----------



## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

Why not devote some time to each sport on that trip?

The hardest part about learning to snowboard is learning to snowboard. Those first few days can be a real bitch. Stick with it. You can thank us later.


----------



## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

Help me please! said:


> We're going to Austria next week and I'm not sure if I should stay safe and stick with skiing or try regular on the snowboard?


How often do you get to the mountains? You absolutely can learn to snowboard (regular, goofy doesn't matter for that proposition) so only you can decide whether it is worth it on this trip. If this is your one chance to learn then go for it - otherwise you never will. If you have plenty of other time and you will have more fun with your mates skiing on this trip then do that!

P.s. If it worked with the group I was with, I would definitely set aside some specific time to work on snowboarding!


----------



## Logan14 (Oct 18, 2013)

Every time I've had lessons in Austria, I've really enjoyed them. So much so that I went to France and wouldn't have lessons, but if I go to Austria, I will have lessons. I wouldn't be worried about whether you'll enjoy it or not - I'm sure you will.


----------



## Help me please! (Feb 10, 2014)

JibWood said:


> Alex, this is an all too common issue.
> 
> The best way to let your body find it's natural direction is to do the following:
> 
> ...


Thanks buddy,what is a twin shaped board by the way? I live in the UK do have
No idea! Are you sure it will work? How long will I have to board like a duck to find out which is my natural way?
One more thing, which I ask to everyone and everyone, has anybody ever been in my situation before and found it easier and better when changing to regular after failing at goofy? Will it help and improve my performance and the rate I will learn and improve? Thanks lads!


----------



## Help me please! (Feb 10, 2014)

poutanen said:


> Is your question really: "Should I stick to skiing in Austria so I have a good time, or stick to learning to board?"
> 
> If so, only you can answer that:
> 
> ...


Hello! Have you ever been to Banff, AB? Learned to ski there and had my first boarding lesson. Really recommend it even though I'm in this dillmea where I dot know which foot I should be boarding with first! Thanks for the help, has anybody been in a precarious situation as this?


----------



## JamesX (Feb 26, 2012)

The easiest way to recover confidence is just to try again and do it slowly. Snowboarding is not that difficult to pick up. 1 Day should see you doing basic J, C, turns. Especially if you already had some training in the correct technique.

Give it a day  and just try to stay on the bunny slopes till you are comfortable. Don't rush since you want to build confidence. I have had friend that were dragged to the top of the Green Run on their first trip and broke bones on the way down. They just kept trying and are better than me now.


----------



## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Help me please! said:


> Hello! Have you ever been to Banff, AB? Learned to ski there and had my first boarding lesson. Really recommend it even though I'm in this dillmea where I dot know which foot I should be boarding with first! Thanks for the help, has anybody been in a precarious situation as this?


Yup! We board at Lake Louise, Fernie and Nakiska most of the time, occasionally Sunshine, Kicking Horse, Kimberley, etc.! Love it here!!! :yahoo:

I would say every boarder that didn't do another board sport first has trouble figuring out which foot is forward. A twin (symmetrical) board setup with the bindings in symmetrical duck will help. You can work on a lot of things before worrying about which foot is your natural forward. You can work on edge control, weighting, etc.

When practicing weight shifting and edge control, one direction of travel should start feeling more natural. If it doesn't you may just end up being an ambidextrous boarder. Nothing wrong with that either, as the mechanics of riding switch are identical to the mechanics of riding forward!


----------



## Blazin' Raisin (Feb 27, 2013)

By all testing that I've read about I should be riding regular, but I have a torn acl in my left knee and didn't want to put the extra pressure of being a front foot on the left knee. So I learned goofy. It took what it took to learn, and as people learn at different speeds I can't say of it was slow or long. Now I'm learning switch so I can ride both ways. Feel like a newb again doing that. My standard set up is 15, -15 so I ride duck. 

I refused to go back to skiing until I learned how to board, and now that I learned to board I don't want to go back. 

My advice for this trip - if your friends are all going to be learning to board too, then board. If they're going to be tearing up the mountain, go ski with them. If you can't stand your friends. Go board.


----------



## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

just run on slippery floor with socks and then try slide sideways to stop yourself. which foot you put out in the front is your front foot. it has nothing to do with right footed or left footed at all.


----------

