 Poster: A snowHead
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Most commonly said to skiers, but IMHO equally applicable to 'improver' snowboarders.
having watched a number of seasonaires trying to learn/improve snowboarding this season then the one tip I've used many many times is bend ze knees....If you watch improvers they tend to be quite upright - then you watch a decent boarder and they are so much nearer the ground with their bums - a result of the bend ze knees..
Now I'm no snowboarding god for sure nor any kind of instructor - so what other mistakes do you see people (on beginner / blue slopes) making frequently and how can you help them correct it? (other than them paying for lessons which is something few seasonaires seem prepared to do!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another knee problem - not pushing the knees out so that they are over the feet.
My daughter had this problem - she was boarding with her knees pushed inwards. When she finally got used to outward pointing knees her boarding improved dramatically.
It's the one and only time I have/will ever tell her to errrmm, open her legs 
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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?
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bertie bassett, with skis it's not so much bend ze knees as bend ze ankles - there's a difference 
Bending the ankles will bring you into the front of your boots. Bending your knees just brings your centre of gravity down (which of course is a good start!)
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I see lots of people turning using their arms and shoulders rather than using their feet. They look horribly off balance and often fall down. And if you're not careful swipe you in the face if you run too close to them.
Lots of places teach you to use your shoulders to make turns, but if you believe BASI and Neil McNab you should be using edge pressure only via your feet.
One of the cleverer lessons I've seen to stop you using your arms and shoulders so much is to hold your hands behind your back. You are then forced to use your feet to turn the board as you've got nothing to throw about.
Another one is kicking the back of the board around to complete the turn rather than firm but gentle edge pressure. Admittedly when it gets steep all my nice form goes out the window and if I can get down in one piece I'll happily use any technique bad or good to ensure that happens.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ajl, or holding the zips on your trouser pockets (as opposed to hands behind back)
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Better than whole hand behind the back is finger tips behind hip: this keeps your shoulders in line with the board. This is something I've been working on a lot this season given my wandering hand.
Nothing wrong with jumping the board round when it gets really steep, especially if narrow too but it's better to jump the nose round more keeping the tail low as this keeps your weight forward.
Which brings me on to: as bertie bassett, says knees bent is the number one thing you see people doing wrong but a close second is having the weight back this is quite often the cause of excessive upper body movement through the turn. Try turning on piste with most of your weight on the back foot it's bloody hard.
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Top 5 basic errors IMO:
1 Rigid
2 Kicking back foot round
3 Wavey/swinging arms
4 Bum steerer/breaking at the waist
5 Crap stance - usually too close together or too close to zero.
Plus a bonus - not committing enough to the front foot
I'm guilty of most of these
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I spent quite a bit of time teaching a mate, last week. He had had a week of lessons last year but had forgotten all of it.
I started by getting to turn from toe to heel first as this is easiest. Then heel to toe, followed by riding a flat board on the flats. He got on well but the biggest problem was getting him to carry the speed to link turns and make t flow.
When he got tired, his turns would slow him right down meaning a bigger arc had to be achieved... meaning wipe outs.
With regard to balance to balls over your front foot until you are at cruising speed, then its edge to edge just to control speed.
Riding flats is the best discipline for beginners, Unless your knees are extra bent you are seconds away from an edge spitting you out.
I sometimes wonder if my legs are too bent when I board but it just adds so much control, especially at mega speeds.
Setting hi backs forward helps a lot. Only pro circuit park gods and knobs have them vertical.
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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.
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| bertie bassett wrote: |
| what other mistakes do you see people (on beginner / blue slopes) making frequently and how can you help them correct it? |
flow bindings.
+30 +15
using a leash.
wearing a helmet.
Wrist guards.
Tight trousers.
Using boarding as a joke day break activity from skiing a week, I dont care if you are tired of skiing, leave boarding alone you monkeys.
I'm a little tea pot stances.
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| bar shaker wrote: |
| ISetting hi backs forward helps a lot. Only pro circuit park gods and knobs have them vertical. |
I hate high backs set forward - had some hire ones set up this way at L2A Mondial for a few rides and they were most uncomfortable for me, if anything mine are set back a bit 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Jonny luv plums, I hate to say this in case I start a row but I beg to differ on the helmet, I may look like a complete retard but my bonce appreciates not seeing stars anymore
The one and only time I set the high back forwards I ended up with such severe cramp I couldn't board. Lasted about 30 mins before I set them back. I am constantly telling myself to bend my knees, in my head of course not out loud cos then I really would look like care in the community ! 
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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.
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Oooh, I hope I haven't offended those that like their hi back upright and who are not pro circuit park gods.
Personally I get real shin pain on heel side traverses if mine are vertical. OK, the answer is to ride them in switch but it just seems easier to crank them forward.
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You know it makes sense.
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rayscoops, indeed, my CO2s are cranked to the max on the lean, and I am a pro circuit park god
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| DebbiDoesSnow wrote: |
Jonny luv plums, I hate to say this in case I start a row but I beg to differ on the helmet, I may look like a complete retard but my bonce appreciates not seeing stars anymore
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People don't look stupid in helmets nowadays (unless they're wearing really crap ones).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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........oh yes they do.
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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?
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| Quote: |
if you believe BASI and Neil McNab you should be using edge pressure only via your feet.
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I am a really fairly useless snowboarder (easy runs only, and when the snow is nice and soft - like now - and just a few days a season). However, having watched and read the McNab and Basi videos I find I can use foot steering to turn the board quite successfully, and certainly don't wave my arms around. Whenever the board is a bit reluctant to turn I can immediately recognise what I am doing wrong - and try to correct it. I did have one lesson here from a French instructor but really didn't like the "steering arms" approach they use. My son spent half a day once giving me some tips and his main one was to get my front knee much further over my foot - he kept yelling at me "knee" every time I lapsed, and now I mentally yell this to myself.
So the moral of my experience is that even occasional, elderly, not strong and not brave snowboarders really need to get the hang of the foot steering. I find it pays to "envisage" it whilst, for example, having a root canal filling done at the dentist. You can mentally foot steer and it really helps when you come to put it into practice.
I commit all the other crimes. I wear a helmet, and wrist guards, I have Flow bindings and, to add a new one, have been known to listen to Bach whilst snowboarding. But I reckon if you're old enough you can get away with anything and you certainly don't care what some whippersnapper young enough to my your grandson thinks of your setup. 
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you tell 'em pam w
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Bend the fecking ankles please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, actually I do believe Neil McNab. I have also watched the vids and read the book. All very good and very effective.
Not sure about the jump/cross-under turns on the steep though - they look like far too much effort for a lazy fat person like me. I wonder how they would work on icy steeps? I think I would end up on my backside more often than not.
Also, I tried his powder technique recently and ended up boarding like an unguided missile. Thankfully, there were no fatalities
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| SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote: |
| Bend the fecking ankles please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
bending at the knees results is just that when riding on an edge - effectively you are standing on your toes or heels with a flexed ankle 
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Some very irresponsible advice here regarding protection. You can never have too much protection as long as its not a hinderance. In the 3 years I've boarded I've seen 4 severe incidents: 2 broken wrists (no wrist guards) concussion and head wounds (no helmets) and heard of 2 fatalities in 1 season. Its not a joke! Dont be a dummy, wear a helmet!!
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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.
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Helmets are for wimps
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| Gainz wrote: |
| Some very irresponsible advice here regarding protection. You can never have too much protection as long as its not a hinderance. In the 3 years I've boarded I've seen 4 severe incidents: 2 broken wrists (no wrist guards) concussion and head wounds (no helmets) and heard of 2 fatalities in 1 season. Its not a joke! Dont be a dummy, wear a helmet!! |
Yeah, you'll find that a lot of people on here have quite a (IMO) stupidly ignorant attitude to protection when boarding.
Each to their own I guess..... history shows that debating the subject will only go round in circles with no real conclusion.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Wrists guards are for the limp wristed 
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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.
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| Jonny luv plums wrote: |
Using boarding as a joke day break activity from skiing a week, I dont care if you are tired of skiing, leave boarding alone you monkeys.
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How about as a joke activity to try and get a CASI1 in a week as a total beginner?
(This one really wound up the snowboarders I worked with )
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