Hi peoples,

For my first post on the forums I thought I may as well get straight into it and wrack the boardworld collective brain!

Anyways, I have only just started snowboarding, been a few times to Ben Lomond in TAS. After having trouble with hiring gear and getting sick of the price I bought myself some gear off ebay second hand as there is no snow shops down here (Except the one up the mountain but its only seasonal and doesn't stock much). since buying the gear I have been twice and found that something doesn't feel right, so I went searching and there in found this site!! After reading the guides and looking over the wealth of info (bloody amazing stuff - big props to the authors!) I pulled out my gear and noticed it had pretty much the inverse of what is recommended. This is where the tools came out.

I have now adjusted the bindings to the narrowist (is that even a word?!) stance and have adopted a duck stance consisting of 18 deg front and 9 deg rear. This feels comfortable to me but seeing as I have the chance I thought I would throw up some pictures to get some feedback/advice. Hopefully we get the dump that the weather people say we are supposed to get so I can test the setup out!

Below are the pictures (I tried to make them as small as possible without losing to much clarity - hope they are ok)

Welcome bigfoot!
Out of curiosity, what size are your feet? It looks like you may be prone to some toe/heel drag. Judging from the photos it looks like you have centred the toe and heel pretty evenly over the board, which is good. You mention you have set up the board with the narrowest stance? to minimise drag you actually want to widen your stance as much as possible (while still being comfortable). I say this simply because the board gets wider the closer you get to the tail/nose. You may also want to get more of a duck stance on the rear foot (like -12 or -15), it might help a little bit also.
BTW - are they step in bindings? Ive never used them...

Hi Dan83,

I have size 13 feet but have managed to fit my flippers into the k2 size 12 boots in the picture. I haven't noticed drag alot to be honest, I did look around for a wider board but I couldn't justify the prices that were being asked for them as it was to be my first board. In regards to the width of the stance, seeing as I am still very much learning would I be better off with a narrow stance so I don't get so much speed?

Oh also they are step in bindings, brilliant things! Just jump off the lift and stomp in the foot (getting to the point where I can do it without stopping) then off you go!

I have heard a narrower stance is better for those starting out (to help initiate turns I think). If its more comfortable narrower and you don't get any toe/heal drag, then no worries, stick with that. My board is'nt a wide board either and I have 11.5 boots with no toe/heel drag, although my stance is wide though. Same degree front and rear as you too.

Hey Bigfoot, welcome to Boardworld!

Have a read of this article I wrote on stance if you have not already read it: http://www.boardworld.com.au/content/category/stance/

Having a narrow stance has nothing to do with how much speed you carry, but it makes it easier to pivot and therefor turn, which is why we encourage beginners to start with a narrower stance. What level of riding are you at? How many days have you been snowboarding? Remember your stance should always be comfortable.

If you have any further questions please let me know.

Hey rider26,

The article you linked is the one that I found when searching through google Its also the article I used to adjust my setup.

As far as my level of riding, I have had 4 days on the board, so basically I am still pretty much a beginner. I had a lesson at Ben Lomond a few days back, my abilities really only extend as far as side slipping, pendulum, going straight (always trying to go to fast and falling on my arse!), what could be called wash out carving and stopping by putting pressure on my back foot to end up in the side slip position (not sure what you call that?)

After reading Dan83's post I have been playing around with the stance width. Im not sure what it will feel like on the snow but the widest width seem to line up just a bit beyond my shoulder width and feels natural (kinda feels like riding a long board). I suppose I will have to wait and see how it impacts my ability to turn?

Hey Bigfoot- I know your pain, i reckon it comes down to comfort zone after you've tried a few stances over and over. I ride with 13 boots, mostly duck and as wide as possible (to accomodate my 6'3ness) less flex with the knees when i'm going slower. When you start going fast and making longer turns if you do notice some drag i've seen binding lifters (to avoid a wider board) I've never done step-ins as i've found I've always needed all the clearance i can get but am jealouse they are so easy- good luck!

Bigfoot - 16 September 2009 04:56 PM

Hey rider26,

The article you linked is the one that I found when searching through google Its also the article I used to adjust my setup.

As far as my level of riding, I have had 4 days on the board, so basically I am still pretty much a beginner. I had a lesson at Ben Lomond a few days back, my abilities really only extend as far as side slipping, pendulum, going straight (always trying to go to fast and falling on my arse!), what could be called wash out carving and stopping by putting pressure on my back foot to end up in the side slip position (not sure what you call that?)

After reading Dan83's post I have been playing around with the stance width. Im not sure what it will feel like on the snow but the widest width seem to line up just a bit beyond my shoulder width and feels natural (kinda feels like riding a long board). I suppose I will have to wait and see how it impacts my ability to turn?

The most important aspect of your stance is comfort. If you are comfortable and it feels natural, there is no reason why your stance would prevent you from turning. Shoulder width apart is usually a good place to start. If possible measure your current stance width and let me know. Measure from the centre of the baseplate of one binding, to the centre of the baseplate of the other binding.

Also have you read through the Rider Progression articles? There is a lesson on Isolated Turns and Basic Turns. If you aren't already turning I am sure they will help you progress past that point. By the sound of what you're describing, you really need to shift your hips forward, so you have even weight on both feet. It is very common for those learning to turn to lean backwards and place excessive weight on their back foot. If you are travelling down a slope, your body should be perpendicular to the slope. This is also covered in the 'Common Problems' section of the lessons.