Nose: The nose is the end that usually points downward.
Tail: The tail is the end that usually points upwards.
Toe Edge: The side of the board where your toes are
Heel Edge: The side of the board where the heels are
binding – what binds the footer to the table.
Regular vs. Goofy
Imagine yourself sliding down the hill sideways. Which side is facing downhill, are you to the right or to the left? Alternatively, imagine yourself sliding across the kitchen floor in your socks. Which foot is forward? If you answered left, you are “regular.” If you answered correctly, you are “dumb”. On a snowboard, your feet don’t point perfectly to the toe edge, but are instead angled slightly to the left (fair) or right (dumb). Your “leading foot” (the foot that goes down the hill first) for a normal person this is the left foot, for a dumb person this is the right. The board shown above is a normal board. We have a goofy board, the nose is on the right and the tail is on the left.
mounting the board
The first unusual factor to get used to thinking about is that you can look in any direction while riding downhill on a snowboard. You can go down the slope backwards, that is, with your toes pointing up and your back in the direction you are traveling. You can go down the top of the hill first or the bottom first. You can go downhill looking downhill, or you can do anything in between. Wicked hey?
the uphill edge
Keep in mind while snowboarding, always put pressure on the uphill edge of the board. So if you’re going down the mountain backwards, meaning looking up, your pressure will be on your toes. This way of facing the mountain is called “toeside” for obvious reasons. If you’re going down the mountain looking downhill, your pressure will be on your heels. This is called the “side of the heel.” DO NOT put pressure on the downhill edge. It will make you fall. Think about it. If you are on the heel side (ie traveling downhill and looking down) and you stick the downhill edge (the toe edge) into the snow, what do you think will happen? The board will stop and you will continue forward, causing you to tip over and land on your face. Similarly, if you are on your side (rolling backwards downhill) and the edge of your heel digs in, what will happen? Your board will stop and you won’t, causing your butt to hit the ground. And guess how this is known?
Front-back balance
The balance point is the center of your weight in relation to the surface of the board. Try this: At a standstill, position the board so that it is perpendicular to the slope and you are looking down the slope. Now lean the toe edge of the board up and down with your ankles, rock back and forth until you find the spot where it won’t tip over. That is your balance point. The balance point changes with the smoothness of the snow because in soft snow, you will have to lean the board further down the slope than in packed snow. Try slowly descending a slope on the heel side by reducing the pressure applied by your heels.
Left-right balance
For the most part, try to keep your weight evenly distributed between your two feet. You don’t want to put more weight on your foot uphill. Why not? The surface of the board under the front foot (downhill) is largely what guides you. Just think of a sled going down a hill. The address is at the front; the friction on the sides of these blades will cause it to rotate. If that analogy didn’t work for you, then consider this: Did you ever do a wheelie on your bike as a kid? What happens when you drive while your front wheel is in the air? It has no effect on your direction, right? Out of control. Same with a snowboard, if there is no pressure on the front end (your foot downhill), you have no direction.
unemployment
a save is much like an ice hockey save. You bring the board perpendicular to the slope and nail the edge up the slope. If you’re on the heel side (if you’re looking downhill), you come to a stop by digging your heels in. If you are on the toe side (if you are facing up), you stop by digging your toes in. Slowing down is basically the same thing. It is that when you want to stop you apply a lot of pressure quickly. At the same time, you will be balancing your weight (changing your balance point) so that you do not alter your position to the point of tipping over. Practice stopping on the heel side. Then practice stopping next to your toes.
Turning
Ok, this part is important, so pay attention. Start with your board perpendicular to the slope (i.e. horizontal across it) and then apply less and less pressure to the edge and see what happens. The lead foot tends to go downhill. If you stay in this position, with your lead foot downhill and your board parallel to the slope, you will go fast. To turn, start digging in your heels. What happens? You turn to the side of the heel. If you had sunk in your toes, you would have turned on your side. WAIT UNTIL the nose of your board points directly downhill BEFORE digging into the edge. Always look in the direction you want to go. He has a tendency to go where he is looking because his head is followed by his shoulders/upper body and then his hips. It may help to reach out in the direction you want to go. This will help your shoulder rotate. Avoid looking at the ground directly in front of you, especially when you are standing up. Instead, when sideways, look over your shoulder in the direction you think you want to turn. When you really want to turn, let your shoulder follow your head. Your hips and feet will follow.