Learn to snowboard on your own. How to Learn to Snowboard: Essential Basics

Landscaping and planning 15.10.2019
Landscaping and planning

Once you have everything you need to snowboard and have learned every little detail on your board, boots and bindings, you are ready for your first attempt at snowboarding. Almost all winter resorts there is the so-called "Bunny Hill" (in Russian, "Frog") - a wide slope at an angle of 10-15 degrees with well-packed snow and a wide long track. Bunny Hill is built specifically for beginners so you don't have to worry about the downhill skiing of more advanced boarders and skiers. Usually Bunny Hills is equipped with ropes or T-bar lifts ("mops") to make it easier to get to the top. As soon as you are on Bunny Hill, immediately begin your exciting journey to the heights of snowboarding!

Before climbing Bunny Hill

Before you climb your first slope, there are a few things you can do while still at home. Take a good look at your equipment. Put on your boots, snap on your bindings, and step onto your board. Feel the tension in your toes, ankles, and calf muscles. Swing on the board while shifting your weight. Before you hit the slopes, check your gear carefully.

How to carry a snowboard

Now it's time to go snowboarding to Bunny Hill. There are many ways to carry a snowboard, but most people use one of two. The first way is to carry the snowboard, supporting it with your hand from the bottom in the middle for balance. In this case, the snowboard is pointing towards your gaze.

The second way - the snowboard is carried behind the back with both hands. This method is less tedious, because. you use both hands. But the first method is preferable on slopes and other busy areas, because. your snowboard is not protruding. If you use the second method, be more careful not to hit other people. When on the slopes, make sure your equipment is out of the way.

Warm up and warm up

Most likely, in the first days (and not only in the first) you will fall a lot. To reduce the chance of injury, it is good to warm up a little. Warming up will make the blood move faster, warm the muscles and joints. It is good to warm up the whole body, but, of course, you need to concentrate more on warming up those muscles that you will need most: thighs and lower legs, buttocks, back and neck. good exercise- jogging in circles, walking up and down the slope, climbing the "ladder" (steps to the side) and jumping. It won't take long, but your body will be ready to ride.

First snowboarding lessons - skiing/sliding

Climb Bunny Hill to the level of the start of the track. This area should be almost flat. Lay the snowboard on the snow and strap your front foot into the snowboard (regular stance - left foot forward, goofy stance - right) either in a standing position or first in a sitting position. When buckling up your front foot, make sure the surface is flat or the board will roll with your feet wide apart. It may be safer to fasten the bindings while seated. Stand with your front foot on the board and your back foot next to the snowboard by your toes. You will have an unfamiliar sensation that you will soon get used to: the feeling of a large board attached to one of your legs. Now lift your front leg with the board attached to it and move it a little. Try to feel the weight of the board and how easy it is for you to turn the board.

Next step: move with attached front leg and free back leg. Try to skate with your front foot and board in a straight line in front of you and use your back foot as a push. It's very similar to ice skating. Snowboarding/sliding with one leg attached is something you need to learn to get started and will often be used by you in snowboarding. Every time you use the lift or walk short distances to the level or slope you want, you will have to move that way.

Try to glide by taking small steps with your back foot; as you gain experience, you will learn to take longer steps and push off with your back foot. Keep your front leg slightly bent, shifting more weight onto it to help you maintain your balance. A little later you will be able to roll at some speed and bet back leg on the pad, if you have one, or on rear mount if it doesn't exist. Try to keep both feet on the board for as long as possible. Try to squat a little and get up on the board while sliding. Practice works wonders and you will soon notice that you are quite comfortable with a board attached to your front foot.

Driving up the slope

You may be able to climb the lift the first time, but it's better to climb the hill on foot first. If you are walking a short distance, you can leave one foot attached to the board; for longer distances it is better to carry the snowboard in your hands. Moving uphill with your front foot attached is easy as long as you keep the board across the slope line (skate line). Step up with your back foot while dragging your front foot with the board in front of you. Lay the board across the slope line and take another step. When you lay the board across the slope line, it should not slip and you should be able to climb up fairly easily. Now it is better to remove the board and go up the slope on foot.

If you are climbing on virgin snow or have a short distance to go, you can leave both feet strapped to the snowboard and climb in frog style. Hold the board across the slope line and lean on your hands. Jump up and move the board and both hands up the slope. This is tiring, so climbing in this way is only possible for short distances.

How to lay a board on a slope

Now that you're on the slope with your board in hand, it's time for the next step: putting the board on the slope. While on the slope, be very careful when placing your board. It can easily slip and roll, becoming a danger to others and forcing you to climb down to retrieve it again. If you are going to go down on a board, lay the board across the descent line. If you have spoilers (highbacks), bury them in the snow. This will hold the board in place.

Strapping on a snowboard on a slope

The next step: fastening the snowboard on the slope. Most safe method- turn to face the slope and attach the board to the back leg. With your snowboard strapped to your back leg, strap your front leg in as well. Either snap or tie your bindings. Your front leg is now in the mount. Your task is not to focus on the front foot and not slide down the slope.

Turn around and sit with your back to the slope with the board in front of you. Bury the back edge of the board in the snow. You can easily attach your rear leg by snapping or buckling it with straps. You are now sitting on the slope, fully equipped and ready to attempt your first snowboarding run.

The first movements down the slope - sliding in a straight line

You may feel uncomfortable taking this first step. You will need to stand up without tipping over and try not to move. If you're having trouble getting up on a gentle slope and shifting your weight onto your front foot, you can try using your hands to grab the front edge of the board and lunge forward. Once you get it right, try to keep your balance. Be careful not to tip over; it is better to fall back on the buttocks, and then tip over, landing face-first into the slope. When falling, try to fall on your forearms, not on your hands. The fingers and wrists are the easiest to hurt, so always try to land on your forearms, knees, elbows, and buttocks.

Sliding down a slope vertically

Once you get it right, try to stay on a short time in a straight, calm position. Try to find a balance point. Once you can sit down and stand up without slipping or falling, you can try your first descent. When standing, your rear edge is buried in the snow to prevent slipping. Tilt your fingers down and you will feel yourself starting to roll down. Ride a little and lift your toes again as you start to accelerate. You will now be able to move across the slope line, either by tilting your toes down to roll forward, or by lifting them up (while pressing your heels against the slope) to stop. In fact, this is your first snowboarding experience and it teaches you how to edge. With the help of the edge you will now be able to stop and control the descent. Try this exercise a few times: go up the hill, attach the board, stand up and slowly come down across the slope line, lifting your toes to stop and lowering to roll. After several attempts to descend, you will become more comfortable.

As soon as you feel more comfortable sliding down the slope with your back to the slope, it's time to learn how to do the same by turning to face the slope. Climb the slope as you did before and sit down. Now you need to turn around, turning over your left shoulder. If you did this correctly, you should lean on the slope with your knees, facing it. Bury the edge from the side of your toes into the slope so you don't fall on your stomach. Once you feel stable, you can try to stand up. Shift your weight back and use your hands to push off the slope. In the past, you did this: you tried to find a point of balance and used your feet to roll and stop. Now it's the other way around: tilt your toes down to stop and up (heels down) to roll down the slope.

Practice sliding down perpendicular to the slope line in any way and get better at it. As you gain skill, try accelerating your descents and stopping more abruptly. This will teach you more edge understanding and help you stop at high speeds.

Slope sliding horizontally (perpendicular to the slope)

Now that you know how to slide down the slope line perpendicularly, you need to learn how to move right and left across the slope line. This will teach you to slide down the slope. Moving across the slope is not so difficult: by practicing sliding down the slope, you have already done a lot. Do the same thing you did before: stand on the snowboard while keeping your balance. Now for a new one: put your weight on the front or back edge of the board and bend your knee on the side you want to slide. In the beginning, you can help yourself with your hands. Straighten your arms so that your upper body forms a T. Slide upper part bodies in the direction you want to slide. You will notice that you are sliding in the direction where you have shifted your weight. Try this: Stand up straight, shift your weight to the left, and bend your knees. As you improve, pick up speed. Slow down by shifting your weight back and try to finish by standing up straight again. Shift your weight to the right and slide to the right. Try sliding down the slope in a Z-shape, moving from left to right. Once you master this technique, you can assume that you have mastered for the most part snowboarding basics. Now you can move left, right, straight down and stop.

Making turns with side slip

If you are a regular, when you slide to the right, your face will be turned towards the slope, when you slide to the left, your back will be turned towards the slope. If you're a goofy, it's exactly the opposite. This means that at the end of each slide you will need to turn around. So far, you've done this while sitting, then turning and sliding the other way. Now you need to learn how to turn so that you roll in the other direction. The simplest and easiest thing to learn is the side slip turn. You already know that when sliding, you use either the leading edge or the trailing edge. When you turn, you also connect the edge.

To perform a side slip turn:

  • look in the direction you want to turn
  • shift your weight onto your front foot and push down on the snowboard
  • tilt the board to the edge you are turning on
While turning, use your feet for control. Use your back foot to steer and brake downhill. In the middle of a left or right turn, the board will point straight down and accelerate. Use your back foot to tilt the board and slow the board down. At first, it will be difficult to get the right slope when turning, and you will have to practice a lot. Many people learn toe edge turns faster because while more powerful calf muscles, ankles and fingers. Try to focus on mastering both turns.

As you gain the skill, pay attention to the sound the board makes and the footprints you leave on the slope. A standard smooth slip sound and a flat trail is what it should be. Turning is one of the most important parts of snowboarding and it's an adrenaline rush :-) Work on your turns harder!

Sourced from ABC-of-Snowboarding.com
Translation: Olga Chuklina

Flipping on a snowboard is a difficult trick that every rider has to deal with. For beginners, such maneuvers usually end in falls. Therefore, they must be performed correctly, taking into account all the recommendations.

Edge-to-edge transition is the transition from one edge to another. Kant - a sharpened metal strip along the edge of the snowboard, with which the board crashes into the snow. But first you need to learn how to control both edges. These are basic exercises, the study of which involves the first lessons of snowboarding.

Snowboard rear edge control?

Step-by-step instruction:

  1. The snowboarder sits facing the slope, placing the board perpendicular to its line.
  2. Rising, presses the back edge with the heels, keeps the shoulders straight, body weight over the center of the board.
  3. Lowering the socks, it starts moving, raising it - braking.

This is how they balance with the back edge. By pressing with the left or right foot, the direction of movement of the board is indicated. When the original stance is returned and the rear edge is pressed down, the projectile is leveled.

How to ride on the front edge of a snowboard?

Short description:

  1. The snowboarder sits in front of the slope.
  2. Rising, he presses the front edge with his toes, knees are slightly bent, look in the direction of movement, the body is above the center of the board.
  3. Lowering the heels makes the projectile move.
  4. By weighting the right or left foot, he sets the direction for him.
  5. The initial stance and pressing the leading edge provokes braking.

A rider who has mastered both ways of edge control is ready to learn how to edge.

Types of turns

To ride non-stop, it is not enough to be able to control the edges. You will need to master the technique of performing two types of turns:

  1. Back edge turn. The snowboarder, standing with his back to the slope, begins to move slightly diagonally down, using the front edge. Having slightly lowered the heels, it allows the board to lie down with the entire surface and gain speed. The heel load causes the projectile to turn using the back edge.
  2. Front edge turn. The rider uses a similar edge-to-edge pattern on a snowboard, but moves in the opposite direction. Standing facing the descent, begins to move, weighting the front leg. Loading the toes of the boots, he begins to unfold the board. The main thing, when he stands across the slope, is to distribute the weight evenly, otherwise you can lose balance.

Exercises are traumatic, so they should be performed under the supervision of an instructor.

  1. The rider takes the right position - the board puts a little diagonally, i.e. almost across the line of the slope, the weight of the body is shifted forward. The board will start moving and then turn.
  2. Distributes weight over the center of the board, causing it to come out of the turn. Gradually reduces the angle of the board relative to the slope line, repeating the exercise.
  3. Periodically changes edges. Works out from different positions - moves out first in front, then back.

Before you flip over on a snowboard or practice any exercise, you should study the advice of experts.

For the first lessons, a rental snowboard is suitable. The new boards glide well, but will seem too fast to the beginner.

Important! Those who decide to master the projectile without an instructor are recommended to first use a flat surface for skiing. The front leg is fastened with a mount, free repelled from the side of the rear edge. It is important to feel the board and feel the moment of sliding.

You should not start classes and think about how to edge without taking the right one - knees bent, back straight, look in the direction of movement, arms slightly raised to maintain balance.

Fear is the main enemy of beginner snowboarders who first got on the board. It forces you to shift your weight back when turning, which usually ends in a fall. Over time, the feeling of fear will disappear forever.

A beginner can't avoid falls when skiing. Therefore, you should think about safety - stock up on snowboarder body protection items. Experienced riders do not start without a helmet equipped with a balaclava, as well as elbow, knee, and coccyx protection elements.

Practicing the ride with the edge change, we must not forget about others. Collisions often end in injury. You should keep your distance so that you are ready for any maneuvers from other snowboarders.

Active recreation is a fairly popular destination and perfectly replaces days on end in front of the TV. It is especially common among young people, and more and more representatives of the younger generation are beginning to engage in various areas of such recreation - hiking, rollerblading, cycling and other equally interesting things. One of the most popular destinations is snowboarding. causes unique sensations, and mountain air is very useful for human body. However, this sport often becomes inaccessible for beginners, since a personal trainer is very expensive, and without the proper skills to climb a mountain with a board is very dangerous. So how to learn to snowboard for someone who first got on the board? Is it possible to learn how to ride correctly on your own? In this article, we will answer such questions.

snowboarding technique

So, you picked up a snowboard and decided to go to the mountains. In order to experience positive emotions, and not get injured, you need the right snowboarding technique. There are a few steps that will be very helpful for beginners:

  1. Right sideways. Therefore, first you need to decide which leg will be your supporting one. Your stance when riding depends on this, since the supporting leg will always be in front. Determining the front foot is pretty easy. Ask someone you know to push you from behind in the back. Do you remember which foot you stepped on? She will be the reference when snowboarding.
  2. Now it's time to try to stand on the board. Dress in uniform, fasten your shoes to the board and stand on it sideways, supporting foot forward. Be sure to look forward in the direction of the board, and not sideways, as your torso is standing. Try to just stand on the snowboard by yourself, balance with your arms, get used to the discomfort of the bulky equipment (it will pass pretty quickly). Do not rush to start moving, in this matter it is better not to rush to avoid injury.
  3. Once you have started to stand firmly on the board, you can try to move. Of course, first on a flat area. Secure the supporting leg on the snowboard, and leave the other free. Try to get used to this position. Then start moving slowly: push off with your free foot from the ground and move straight (like on a skateboard). Do not make amplitude movements, the steps should be short and frequent. Surely this exercise will seem very difficult to you, but before you experience the delights of snowboarding, you will have to sweat a lot. You don't want trouble, do you?
  4. Having adapted to the movement on the flat, you can slowly climb onto gentle slopes. Here also move very carefully, accuracy, in general, is the most basic rule for beginners. way, you can make longer swings with your legs and keep moving longer while standing on the board. Try to put your free foot next to the second binding, bounce your legs, roll from one side to the other.

If all of the above you began to get more or less confident, this does not mean that you can go to the steepest slope. The answer to the question: "How to learn to snowboard?" - not enough to ensure safety and comfort. The most important thing in this sport is not so much to master the technique of riding as to learn how to fall. You will fall very often, but you should not be afraid of this. At your travel speeds (you're not going to be fast on your first day, are you?) and the steepness of the slope, the fall is not terrible. Moreover, even in rather difficult areas, falling is quite safe if you follow safety precautions, put on a protective suit, do not forget about a helmet and be able to fall.

How to fall correctly

There are falls three types- forward, backward and sideways. The most dangerous, perhaps, is a fall face forward. In this case, it is best to try to turn around and fall sideways or lift your legs up and fall on your back. If you feel that this cannot be done, then try to follow a few rules:

  • Do not lean on straight arms when falling. Of course, it is necessary to put your hands on the place of the fall, otherwise there is a high probability of injuring your head, neck or “decorating” your face, which is also not very pleasant. Try to absorb the fall with your arms bent at the elbows to minimize the chance of injury. Even bent arms forward - not The best way falls, so if possible, better turn to the side and fall on your shoulder, pressing your arm to your body.
  • Don't spread your fingers. This is very dangerous and can lead to dislocation of the hand and injury to the fingers. Therefore, if you fall - collect the brush into a fist, this is the most in a safe way save your hands from unpleasant consequences.

Falling on your back is risky because you can't see where you land. In this case, the main thing is not to try to fall straight. Falling flat is fraught with injury support system and discomfort in breathing. If you fall on your back, try to group yourself: bend your back with a “wheel”, press your arms and legs to the body, rest your chin on the body to avoid injuries to the limbs and head. Falling on your back can soften the backpack if you were wearing it at the time. Try to keep spare clothes in your backpack, they are not only softer, but can also come in handy if some element of the uniform becomes unusable.

How to turn

After all the previous exercises are mastered, you can move on to the next level, replenish your skills and expand your skills. It's time to learn how to turn on a snowboard and put that knowledge into practice. It's not that simple here. To master turns, you need to learn some basic exercises.

slipping

The purpose of this step is to learn to slide down the slope on each edge. In the process of learning, it is necessary to learn to feel well the dependence of the angle of inclination of the board and the speed of movement. First you need to buckle up and stand facing in the direction of the descent. This position will be the starting point for further learning to slip. Next, you need to lower the toes of the boots, which will set the board in motion, and you will begin to slide off the slope. At this stage, you need to learn how to control the speed of movement by lowering / raising the toes of your shoes. The board should not go into longitudinal traverse sliding, which is carried out at an angle relative to the slope. Training should begin with small sections of the slope and only after successful workouts you can increase the speed and conquer longer sections.

A similar exercise should be performed on both edges, which will allow you to confidently master the slip turn, while the snowboard must be well felt. You should not strain your legs, because otherwise it will be difficult to navigate the situation and react to the behavior of the board. And also do not make sudden movements.

"Falling Leaf"

The essence of this exercise is already clear from the name. The descent will have a zigzag shape, changing the edge is not allowed. First you need to take the position from which the previous exercise began. The movement of the board should be traverse (across the slope), and for this, the weight of the body must be transferred forward, onto the front foot. With a strong leg load, the board will move faster. The movement on the edge will be carried out on a very flat plane, while slipping is unacceptable.

Decreasing the speed of movement is achieved by transferring body weight to the back leg. In this case, the tail of the board must make a slight slip, which in professional circles is called a reset. After stopping, the board will move in reverse direction with your back foot pointing forward. This movement is called fakie, or switch. This will be followed by a traverse in a normal stance, which will alternate with a switch. This will continue until the descent is completed.

By mastering this exercise, you can learn to control the edge well, feel the board and control the transfer of weight. To attain good level, you need to train on both edges, combine short traverses and long arcs. When dropping speed, you can not just lean back. Almost all beginners perform such a movement, which is why they suffer a lot. In fact, you need to stay on the front leg and not fall on the tail.

J-turns

To learn snowboarding turns for beginners using the edge , need to learn it basic exercise. This time we will need to choose a higher height and move a little faster. We start the movement in flat snowboarding. The legs are fastened, we keep our back straight, we see our hands, but we do not look at them, just like at our feet. Always look in the direction the board is moving.

As the slope flattens, you need to prepare yourself for the turn. Initially, it will be directed towards the toes of the shoe. On the board you need to press the front foot with the toe of the boot. In this case, the weight will be transferred forward to the edge. The stance in this case plays a big role, there should not be any deviations back. Along with pressure on the edge, it is necessary to look in the direction in which it is planned to make a turn. Such simple manipulations will make the board turn around. At this point, it is necessary to smoothly and evenly load the toes of both legs. Hands should not be lowered, shoulders should not be turned in the direction of making a turn.

Turns "garland"

Such turns are similar to the previous ones only in form. On the slope, you will have to draw zigzags, which will consist of J-turns. We start from the starting position, which we already know well from the previous exercises. In this case, it is necessary to load the front foot, turn over and put the snowboard in a practically flat position. The board will be deployed on the initial stage and as it moves, it will pick up speed, which can be reduced due to J-turns.

Short turns

Such a technique is useful during the passage of bumpy slopes, which require the athlete to have high concentration, maximum attentiveness and excellent maneuverability. To master short turns on a snowboard, you need to concentrate your body weight on your front foot and start moving by loading the board with flexion. When the legs straighten out and the board unloads, the back leg becomes so that the snowboard becomes across the slope. During a straight slide, you need to squat, thus preparing for another turn. For each subsequent turn, you must repeat the same movements, but change sides.

Carved turns

This technique embodies the three elements that have already been described above. The J-turn captures the essence of carved turns, while the snowboard moves in the same way as described above. This is followed by a J-turn from traverse acceleration, in this case you need to be able to overturn. Completes all this third exercise, which can be called the "question mark". It is a combination of the first two exercises, and its essence lies in linking turns. If at least one of these exercises is given insufficient attention, then carved turns will not work.

unloading

Turns with unloading down are also called down-unweighting. And you can also meet the concept of cross-under, or cross-under. This exercise involves unloading the used edge by quickly pulling the knees to the body. At the moment of pulling up the knees, the snowboarder should sit down. Performing turns with unloading, the snowboard, as it were, walks under the rider.

Even after following all these tips, do not immediately try to climb on steep mountain. In any case, to snowboard, you need a good mentor. Let it not be a personal trainer, but at least your friend who has already reached a certain level in skating and in which case he can help you with advice or correct your technique.

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Snowboarding tutorial. Techniques and skills of correct skating. (10+)

Learn to snowboard the right way

In recent years, snowboarding has become increasingly popular. People are literally obsessed with this sport, "boards" are sold out, and equipment rentals, as well as instructors, are becoming more and more. So why do people prefer snowboarding? Is it difficult to ride it? Let's try to answer in this article questions related to learning to skate.

The most important advantage of snowboarding is that if you approach training correctly, you will learn how to ride in a relatively short period of time. And not just ride, but also enjoy this hobby. Only with the right approach can you avoid an unpleasant period in which constant bruises and falls can make you give up this sport. The training method below is designed for only 3 days, after which you will be relatively confident on the board, but only if you perform all the required exercises, not paying attention to those who are already skating a long period time, and will not try to repeat what the "professionals" do. Sometimes this is the most wrong thing a newbie does. Of course, everyone wants to immediately do unusual tricks, ride like an ace, learn all the delights of snowboarding ... But remember that nothing and no one succeeds right away, for this you should train and train again. Only trained people come to all competitions, it is unlikely that they just got on the board and began to perform all the difficult tricks. Remember that the first days of training will seem difficult for you, but if you go through them, following all the instructions, then you will ride on the slope much better than all other beginners. Never forget the advice given above. And it is best to take additional knee pads and waterproof pants, a jacket and gloves. Believe me, they will definitely come in handy for you. So, let's start learning.

First day or frog waltz

It has already been said above that when you learn to ride, you should not pay attention to the snowboarders passing by you, and also forget about the indescribable feeling of riding that the board can give you (at least for today for sure). We hasten to immediately note that this is the most difficult day, but if you achieve a result, then it will be easier to "step" further, and the ranks of snowboarders will be replenished with your modest candidacy.

On this day, it is best to choose a slope section with a width of 2 meters and a length of 4, the snow on it should be relatively hard, but the slope of the slope should be approximately 20-25 degrees. It is best to choose a place that will be located away from the slopes so that you will not be distracted, this is where you will learn the basics of edging.

So, you have found a similar place and are ready to start training. Sit on the snow (that's why you need waterproof pants!) and fasten the board to your feet: first the front leg, then the back. The legs should sit tightly in the boots, and the boots in the bindings, in no case should they "dangle"! Carefully roll over on the snow and stand facing the slope, leaning on your hands. A similar position is called "front side" or front side, edging, the emphasis will be on the toes, and the board will rest on the side under the toes of your boots. So, we make an attempt to straighten up and maintain balance. In this case, the plane of the board should be horizontal, but the front edge should edge or crash into the snow, bend your knees. After you succeed, try to jump a little in one place, using the muscles of the ankle. Initially, balance can be maintained by leaning on the slope with your hands (that's why waterproof gloves came in handy), but then you need to do without their help. After you are steady in this position, change position and stand with your back to the slope (back side, edge, or back side). To do this, you can sit on the snow, and then roll over on your back. But, as always, there is another way, better and more difficult, which in the future will be useful for you to learn the technique of turns. What follows is its description. You must take a stable position (slightly trample the snow in front of you), move your arms to the left and right - twisting the torso relative to the legs, and bend them at the knees. After that, unwind the body with a sharp movement, try to straighten your legs. Calculate the movement in such a way that when you jump, the board under you turns 180 degrees. After a while you will find yourself with your back to the elephant. Don't stop exercising, try to remember the basics of the back edge. We hasten to draw your attention to the fact that this is a little more difficult than the previous exercise, because you will not be able to spring the muscles of the ankle. By the way, you will not be able to protect yourself from falls here with the help of your hands. Through the jump, change stance and return to the front edge, repeat all over again. The exercises in question should be completed only when you feel free to turn around and in both stances.

After that, you can move on to the next task, which is a direct slip. Try again to start from the front edge. Slowly straighten your knees, and when the edge disengages from the snow, the board will start to go down. Try to keep the board perpendicular to the slope, this is necessary so that it does not roll along its own axis. Bend your knees, edge the board, and slide back down. You should leave a washboard trail, and the smaller the comb, the better. Similarly, go down to the lower border of the fenced (mentally) area, and then try to jump up to its upper edge, do not help yourself with your hands. As soon as you get tired of jumping, change your stance. But remember that it is almost impossible to jump uphill with your back, which is why alternate 2 exercises in any order, but do not forget about the turn in the jump. By the way, do not limit yourself to 180 degrees - you can turn around 360 degrees - the more, the steeper.

After intense training, you will feel that you can calmly stay on your feet, turn around, jump, and do not help yourself with your hands. After this day, you will be very tired. Do not overexert yourself under any circumstances. Should be taken in the evening hot bath and massage, because when snowboarding, other muscle groups are involved that are not accustomed to this kind of load, most likely some parts of the body will ache. Rest, after which you can continue training further.

The second day or Turtle race: "Slower you go, you will continue"

If your whole body hurts after yesterday's workout, then the previous day was not in vain. The most important thing is that all the difficult things are left behind. Remember that many have overcome difficulties that have made them better. The previous day helped you learn how to stand on a snowboard and join the number of "doskers". What's next? You need to learn how to ride it. Take about 5 minutes to test your snowboarding confidence (compared to the previous day). Get into a front size stance and shift your weight onto your front foot as you release from the edge. The traverse board (almost perpendicular to the slope) will begin to move along the slope. Bend your knees - the board stops. So we learned how to side slip, but in no case turn around too much, otherwise the board will go quickly, and you still don’t know how to make quick stops.

There are several rules to follow:

  • Never have the board carry you down a slope. If this happens, bring your hands to either side by turning the torso (an exercise performed on the first day), and when moving back, place the board across the slope. Remember that the center of this rotation will be closer to the front leg, because it is a jerk, and therefore the main load comes to it. If you carry the board, you will lose control, after which you will unconsciously try to sit on your back leg - it will load and prevent movement, which will allow you to turn the board across the slope and turn off the speed.
  • If you suddenly pick up speed, then do not let the edge opposite the one on which you slide touch the slope. Because of this, it will crash into the snow, cutting will occur - and you, at best, "plow" the slope with your hands.

Third day or artistic snow cutting

Today you should become an aesthete. Before skiing - you should warm up and repeat the previous workouts. The first task will be to increase the net traverses with each new descent. When it becomes constant, and the track is smooth and thin, then you will feel the true pleasure of a snowboarder. The next step you will need to learn how to turn around. In principle, you already know how to do this, but not high speed, try to do this exercise every time at an increasing speed, after which you will automatically perform this movement, not being afraid that at high speed you will not succeed, the main thing is to believe in yourself and do everything right.

Basically, everything else is up to you. You know the basic skills, you have learned how to turn over and turn around. What's next? You will need to choose the direction in which you will join, maybe you will jump, or maybe ride at speed .... Soft snow for you and good luck!

Having mastered the skills of becoming a rider from the previous two lessons front and rear edge of the snowboard, it remains to learn high-quality edge-cutting on it. The third snowboard lesson will be short enough - after all, all that is needed to change the edge on a snowboard is knowledge of the physics of the process itself. To get off the edge, it must first be unloaded.

There are three main ways to do this. In practice, most often only the first two are used. The true sense in this technique is known only to experienced carvers - lovers of hard snowboarding. They have a lot to learn here.

The first way to unload the edge is called unloading up.

This way of unloading the edge is often accidentally studied by beginner snowboarders, only then they stop using it - in vain. Let's imagine a situation, a snowboarder scrapes on the slope with the rear edge, gradually, he begins to turn the snowboard with his nose to the bottom of the slope. At a certain point, the snowboarder reaches a point where he rides relative to the slope in an almost perfectly flat vector. A further turn on the back edge is not possible, because then the back edge will be ahead of the beginner, which threatens him with a 100% fall. In order to continue the turn, the snowboarder needs to turn over, start a new arc. For this, the knees bent all the time must be straightened as we usually do when trying to jump - at the moment when the legs are almost straightened, the back edge is completely unloaded - there is no more load on it. Now the snowboarder can safely press on the board with his toes. When the momentum of the light jump finishes pulling the body of the athlete up, the edge will load again, but since the snowboarder has changed the points of support, it is now the front edge that will load. At further development this technique of edge-over on a snowboard, it will become indispensable when skiing in powder. Indeed, sometimes, in order to change the pressure on the board in very snowy conditions, it is not enough just to press on the edge, you need a strong jump, a push that will throw the snowboarder out of the snow, at least for a second.

The second way of edge-over, which a snowboarder must master perfectly, is unloading down.

From a technical point of view, this method is somewhat more complicated, although the actions will have to be performed 2 times less. So, the situation again - the snowboarder is scraping along the slope on the front edge (or back, it doesn't matter at all), the snowboard gradually begins to take a perfectly even direction vector towards the bottom of the slope. At the moment when an urgent change of edge is required, the snowboarder must bend his legs and at the same time put pressure on the new edge. At the moment of preload, the load on the snowboard decreases. If, in the case of the first method, the snowboarder, whatever one may say, needs a large arc, then in the second case, experienced athletes achieve
that the trace from the board begins to look like a thin, almost perfectly even straight line.

The third, combined method, is a mixed edge-over technique, which is required on high-speed sections of especially steep slopes.

After all, it is not always possible, when the slope is more than 60 degrees, it is possible to tighten up from the front edge - there is only one way out - to unclench your knees and reach up, only the use of this method can deprive the snowboarder of board control for a long time. You can make the application of this method quick - during the unclenching, the snowboarder should not strive to jump. At a certain moment, he simply tucks his knees under him, and pulling the snowboard under him, stands on the back edge. The combined method is called so because during its application both upper and lower unloading is used. As a rule, the combined edging method is used by experienced carvers, or freeriders who have found a really difficult track - there are few such places in Russia, therefore the use of the combined edging method is rarely required.

Below is a video with edge-to-edge transitions on hard snowboards. It is on such snowboards that the above technique is best seen and understood for further study. Good luck on the slopes.

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