Luzz

I Have been Boarding for about 2 years (3 this year)

Last year i went out on my 2nd trip, and after a few succesful runs i decided to work on my toe side turns. Well i was going on a moderate speed and went for a turn and hit a patch of ice, and that was it, i went down like a sack of potatoes. during my crash i really messed up my rotator cuff. It shook me up pretty bad.

Well 2 months later I was back on the board and I was trying really hard to turn. But as hard as i tried i COULD NOT bring myself to turn right, so i would just come to a complete stop and then adjust myself to turn.

Can anyone give some tips to overcome my fears and get back on that horse? Because i really do love being up on the mountain. Would lessons help? thanks alot.

PaoloSmythe

lessons are nice, in that the instructor is all about the positive feed back. this is good to fortify you in times of doubt and fear.

failing that.... you could indulge in some introspection;
sit quietly, and tell yourself how easy it is for you to do what you want to do; imagine doing it; call yourself a pussy for not trying. have a cup or two of vodka / whisky / whatever for 'dutch courage' if need be and then tell yourself you will not leave the hill until you got that ambition of your's sorted once and for all!

fortune favours the brave.

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Snowolf

In a case like this I think taking a private lesson would do a lot to reinstill some confidence. If you get good solid feedback on your riding and an instructor can get you riding as effectively and efficiently as possible, it will boost your confidence.

Whether you elect to take a lesson or not, keep in mind that 99% of the problem right now is mental and that is quite normal after a bad injury. So, to help overcome this, start from the basics again, go back to the bunny hill and work on those fundamental riding skills. Concentrate on proper riding technique rather than speed or style. As you re-develope good riding habits, you will have solid board control and that will increase your confidence.

In your case I would spend some time traversing on your toe edge, using torsional flex to steer your way toward "aiming points" off the side of the run. Link the traverses in the falling leaf excercise all on your toe edge to gain the feel of good, precise edge control. When you are ready, push the envelope and do Garland or J turns all on your toe edge. When you are totally comfy on that edge and can consistently control the board`s direction very precisely, you will be back to comfortably linking your turns again without fear. The first step is to overcome the fear in logical and progressive manor for fear causes hessitation and hesitation will screw you every time in snowboarding. Anytime you are hesistant about a maneuver, you need to re evaluate why you are fearfull and deal with the issues that create the fear before trying the maneuver.

Good luck, be patient with yourself and pay attention to your riding form as you get back on the horse.

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Luzz

Thanks Alot For the help, really.

My first trip to the mountain will be about 2 weeks from now and I have looked into private lessons (so i can get that better connection) I'll probably take it pretty slow. And Also i figured that practicing on how to crash properly wouldn't hurt anything.

I can't wait :] lol

PaoloSmythe

rag doll rules!

gravity is your best friend and worst enemy....

when an edge gets caught or your thinking gets hazy, just roll with it! literally!

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swmike

You don't need to worry about taking it slow - just take the lesson. And it can be private or group. Not sure what country you are in. But see, especially if you pay for a private, that they give you an AASI (US) or CASI (CN) certified instructor. ASK FOR IT! Because at alot of resorts they'll give the high-paying private lessons to the full-timers and they are not necessarily the best. But the one thing you'll get from a lesson is that a tilt/tip turn is not intuitive. You are probably getting in the back seat and/or not shifting your weight over the board by putting your knees out. Anyway - it will all become clear with a good lesson.

boarder

My best advice is to just not think about the consequences or not to think about messing up, if you have a positive mindset your more likely to succeed, like when i go for something i basically think "i'm gonna do this and nail it perfectly" it doesn't always turn out that way. Also get comfortable on your toe edge even if it means going down the bunny hill a few times on it.

boarderaholic

If the OP wants to get hurt badly again, then yeah, by all means, go ahead and not think about the consequences. Getting over fears is about being able to feel in control of the situation at all times and there are certain situations when you can't just point it and go.

boarder

i guess i stated that wrong, when i say don't think about the consequences i meant it along the lines of doing a toeside turn or a small jump or something, not riding some backcountry mountain unprepared because you didn't think it through.

Snowolf

I got the jist of what you were trying to say there boarder ....Confidence is such a critical aspect to proficient riding and hesitation due to lack of it can really cause problems. Us experienced riders get exactly what you mean, just be carefull when giving adive like this to a new rider as they lack the riding experience we do and may not have developed the discernment that comes from experience and progression..

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