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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

Hi,
I’m goofy freerider and my feet position in the board, points my right foot toes slightly forward (40º) and my back foot a bit less. I’m interested to progress my ride by learning how to switch to regular position, if needed, and feel comfortable as well. My question is, which orientation (degrees) should I have to fix my bindings on the board, to be able to progress in this skill? Any suggestion around this topic?

Many thanks in advance!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person

It's easiest to ride switch if you have a duck stance - both feet pointing out - but there are lots of opinions about this - some people say it's bad for the knees. I have duck foot stance on my small park board and directional on my bigger all-mountain board - it's daown to what works best for you.

Here's a very good article about the pros and cons:
"To duck or not to duck?"
http://www.cs.uu.nl/~daan/snow/stance.html

Hope this helps Very Happy
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

i ride + 26 - 21 but thats pretty ducked, try +15 - 15 and go from there, its what feels right for you

do forget to commit to ya turns, once you have one in the bag its easy from there

KP
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.

kitingplasterer, Quack Shocked
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I switched (no pun) to duck stance about 4 years ago & it made loads of difference to my riding.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.

quack back Toofy Grin
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Couldn't ride switch properly for ages but i went and had a couple of private lessons with a great guy in the States last year(i also ride goofy..although regular on a skateboard..how strange).

Don't have any more problems as he helped me set up my board after watching me ride. Toofy Grin

If you can play back a video of your stance/technique, this can also help

firebug,
Quote:

I have duck foot stance on my small park board and directional on my bigger all-mountain board

About right for me too although i mostly freeride.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!

Sorry to be stupid, I'm extremely goofy and can barely stand in switch, apart from doing tricks and stuff, is there any practical benefit from being able to ride switch when you only freeride
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.

Many thanks to all you guys!
firebug great link, very interesting for my question wink

paulm, I think it's a good advice, I'll sure ask to a teacher if could suggest my "best" angles, after see my ride.

Nick'n'Kim, personally I believe would feel more comfortable, even freeriding, if I don't need to take much care about my edge position and feel natural whatever regular or goofy, I'm pointing down the slope...but it's just my opinion wink
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads

Well I think it is down to personal difference based on your physiology but if you duck your stance too much you will compromise the strength of your stance. Try to think of yourself as a kung fu master and adopt the stance that you feel will give you the most power. As more of a freestyler I have opened my stance up slightly wider than this and opened my stance out to +12 - 12, although I used to ride slightly narrower at +9 -9. The few days after I changed I actually felt that small difference in my legs, thats how used to your stance your muscles get Shocked

Basically it is all about having core strength and as you can imagine standing like Charlie Chaplin isn't going to help that much. So imagine yourslef as a kung-fu master, squat slightly and try to make yourself feel as powerful as possible, even pretend you are holding a large ball against your chest with your arms and imagine you have something really heavy on your shouders, imagine how you would stand comfortably to hold that weight for a long time. The stance you adopt doing this should give you your best natural position for riding, once you get used to it your technique should improve quickly and you will be slightly less likely to injure yourself if you fall.

Riding switch in powder is fun and allows you to incorporate more freestyle stuff into your freeriding Smile
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

floquet de neu, Smile

Nick'n'Kim, it's really useful to be able to ride switch when you end up on a steep ridge, or in rocks or trees, or in any kind of bother and you're facing the wrong way. It makes a big difference if you end up in a situation where you can't turn (or it's very hard to turn) - you can just ride out of it.

Off-piste, it's a really useful skill to have, because if you have to stop to turn around in deep powder, it can mean a lot of digging.

We often ride in a group of mixed abilities, and practising switch is a really good way to ride with people who otherwise you might be impatient with - means you can ride as a group a bit more. Very Happy
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.

i can ride switch straight, i used to be able to link turns switch but for some reson last year i managed to nearly knock myself out 2 or 3 times practising it so gave up!

I kind of figure that cos i can ride straight switch which does and has got me out of trouble in trees etc i'm not bothered if i cant link turns with it. I can do the one turn to get to or out of swtich. who knows maybe this season i'll get my switch back!!


the way to pick it up is to spend a whole day doing it (something i hate doing) or at least didicate an hour per day to it.

practise practise practise!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much

The best time to practice switch is the afternon of a day after it has just snowed. Go get the freshies in the morning and ride around switch on the soft pistes in the afternoon, if you fall it wont hurt much and you shouldn't really be off-piste in the afternoon anyway. Once you get used to it then it isn't a chore to ride around switch on any day you happen to be piste riding. Learning switch in powder is another lesson after you are used to switch on piste. I mainly avoid switch off piste but I end up using it sometimes and the added versatility is great fun. On piste I am switch about half the time because I never stop changing with little tricks and stuff.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.

Nick'n'Kim
Quote:

apart from doing tricks and stuff, is there any practical benefit from being able to ride switch when you only freeride


Can give ya legs a rest Toofy Grin For me it is mainly diversity of tricks incorperated in the whole freeride experience.

Quote:

Riding switch in powder is fun and allows you to incorporate more freestyle stuff into your freeriding


mista,

Could not have put it better.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

r.e. practicality I just rmembered that riding switch can be important for long traverses where you cant lose any height because it allows you to traverse both ways around the hill on your toe edge (toe edge traverse is easier than heel edge).
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead

i reckon you should just go uptp the top and then practice switch all the way down to the bottom, by the time you get there you'll have it sussed
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