And Cheers for the Pyramid Andy!!!!! (Lucky ya weren't an Egyptian hey!!!!!)

Mizu Kuma - 25 May 2011 09:06 PM

And Cheers for the Pyramid Andy!!!!! (Lucky ya weren't an Egyptian hey!!!!!)

I think learning to ride switch when ur a beginner is so much better as you are having to think bout what you are doing with your board anyway to ride regular. So you can directly across to your switch learning. Learning to ride switch isn't a special trick, it's just really learning to board from scratch, just the other side. For someone has been riding longer but never rides switch then decides to try I Think might find it harder cos they don't think about there riding as much, and it's hard to learn from scratch again.
But as Aidy says, jus think about your riding and what you focus on to make your turns and apPly it to your switch riding.

prob wasn't too helpful, just felt like discussing it!

Hope the switch practice goes well for you!

You really are a "Teacher Boy"!!!!!!

for improving your carves... look to the pyramid. Anything about your stance that can be changed or improved upon?
Most boards are not twin shape and flex with a centered stance. so a board often feels different switch. What changes can you make to help you out? Center your stance along the length of the board would be a good start. what angles are your bindings at? your new front foot (when switch) should copy that of what you are used to when going your normal stance. - so starting with the base of the pyramid is a great place to begin. then... what part of the turn do you normally begin to pivot and steer the board through the turn? again try to copy this when learning switch..

I tend to take a very different route, and it's worth suggesting.
I take the approach of an exercise to get you rotating in the directions necessary to make switch turns.
I encourage a newer rider to spin on the snow. just spin a bunch in one direction... say 20 times. and then change the direction you are spinning and do it the other way.... essentially what you are doing here is linking a regular turn with a switch turn, back to back. pay close attention to the turn you make when switch...


For example spinning in one direction you may link a left foot forward heel edge turn into a right foot forward toe edge turn... one of those is switch for you. either the right foot in front, or the left. when you spin the opposite direction again, you're doing one sw turn and one reg turn.
pay more and more attention to the switch parts, think about the body mechanics YOU are using (dont worry about what is right here at first - just do it) then go back out to link some switch turns and create those same body mechanics you are using when spinning.

@snowslider: The spinning exercise definitely helped with my switch riding. Even though I can only do switch on green runs, the spinning exercise really helps to learn how to link the turns.

Andy Aitken - 20 May 2011 01:22 PM

Good tips, I really like the edging part. I've been working on improving my toe edge carve cause it's a little sloppy sometimes right at the start. I'm thinking this could really help. I'll try it tomorrow.

Also my evil side wants to say "What? No Timing and Coordination?"

Yes, great job on the pyramid.
I find it helpful myself, as our organization AASI doesnt use that, but I like it.

I'd suggest with the edging that you may be working on with your toe edge. a video could help you. or a friend that can really analyze your movements when riding.
I'd suggest that your goals should be to create the same height of edge angle on the snow on your toe, that you also use when on the heel.
If the difficult area is in the beginning of the turn. perhaps you are not going at a high enough edge angle soon enough on the toe?
Hard to tell without seeing what you are doing.

I'd be interested to see what body movement you make to initiate and create the heel edge turn, and see what the opposite could be for that on your toe edge.

But you say it is the beginning of the turn... this really makes me think you could benefit by getting to a higher edge angle sooner in the toe edge turn.

So, using AASI terms.
We say T.I.D. for Timing Intensity and Duration.
I think this would relate to the TIMING of the movement (the movement of getting the board onto it's edge) and suggest that you make the timing of that movement sooner.... and also increase the INTENSITY of that movement. by getting a higher edge angle. I dont think the DURATION would apply here, as that would effect the end of the turn more than the beginning.

Hope that helps some.

There is some very solid information in this thread and thought I could add some more.

Why is having your legs straight bad when riding? Because you've got no more push to give. You are at your limit and to compensate, people buckle at the waist to get their balance back ... and then fall over. Having your knees locked also means you need to put extra effort into unlocking them because they go slightly back on themselves. You can kind of think of your muscles as rubber bands and when stretched out, they hold a lot of power but stretch it too far and they will get stuck stuck when your knees get locked. Your legs also have a lot of strength when flexed too.

I like snowslider's idea of spinning on the snow to improve your switch riding. This gets you used to all your edges - edges that you feel really awkward using. If you find that you are getting out of control, point the nose of the board (which changes depending if you are in a normal or switch stance) up hill to control your speed. So you start by pointing your board down the hill a bit, then across the hill and then up the hill. Looking at where you are going the whole time. Once you stop, turn your head the other way as you start riding the other way. You want to practice spinning to your left and to your right (front side and back side) across the hill in both directions (to your left and to your right). You will soon feel that one way feels better than the other. The uncomfortable turn is probably the turn that you are getting stuck on when riding switch.

The pyramid idea is great and it gives people something to think about. It is really important that they need their stance sorted out. With a bad stance, anybody is a bad rider. The same with pressure control - you cannot get good pressure control if you edging and steering are out the window. The same with timing and coordination - you cannot gain this skill without the other four skills.

Edging is used throughout every turn and by tipping the board onto its edge, you are using the side cut (hour glass figure) of the snowboard to help complete your turn. This is one of the reasons why snowboarding and skiing has become easier - by introducing the side cut to your board.

I don't think people need to aim at having pressure on the snow at all times either. If I ride down the hill and make my board pressure the snow all the way down the hill through my turns, then turning is going to be difficult. People need to control their pressure better. You want maximum pressure while executing your turns but less pressure when initiating your turn. By unweighting your board before you start turning, it becomes light on the snow and enabling you to start your turn. Only the slightest movement is required to start a turn - as long it's the right movement. But think about this next time you are riding across the hill and you see a mate below, how much effort does it take to start your turn to head towards your mate who is down the hill? By standing up, the board becomes lighter and you use your ankles (start edging) and your rotating your hips (steering) in the direction you want to go. Your board should now be unweighted and turn easier for you. Back to the thought of learning to ride switch, does this happen in your turns when riding switch?

If you are throwing your arms around when riding down the hill, chances are that there is a deeper problem that needs to be fixed other than being told to stop flapping your wings.

I would like to introduce a new skill (or this could be merged with time and coordination), is the blending of all the skills. When all your skills are solid, you can start focusing on blending them together to create a smooth ride. I'd love to have a nice blending, timing + coordination every day that I ride but if I'm not edging right or pressuring my board correctly, I can't feel the blend and I feel really bad ... I either go home or think about what I am doing and work out what skills ain't working!