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Forward Stance

13K views 40 replies 14 participants last post by  Outlander 
#1 ·
When I started board 22 or so years ago, I had a typical stance used at the time. Zero degree back foot, plus 25 or so on the front.

Over the years I've tweaked and tweaked to where I now like -9 rear, +12 on the front or so.

Yesterday I tried a full on forward stance: +9 rear, +27 front, leaving the stance width the same. Tried a few runs on medium to steep groomers, with variable terrain thrown in.

WHAT THE HELL MAN!?!

I really gave it a shot, tried many difference techniques, advanced sliders turns, low speed short radius, and high speed GS style carves. There may have been a SLIGHT advantage to the super high speed laid out carves, but it was not a confident feeling.

The biggest thing I took away from it was not being able to bend my legs nearly as much to absorb the variable terrain.

How does Terje do it?!? :dunno:
 
#2 ·
I ride about 30 front 23 back and that's what I am used to so it works for me. I haven't changed my stance in years- been riding just a few years longer than what you listed. I started back then with back foot flat across and have been dialing it forward ever since. I don't ride fakie, except when just screwing around and on very flat runs, don't do rails, but still occasionally hit a jump in the park (but I am getting old for that). Maybe it's just what you get used to? I don't think I would like riding negative stance at all.
 
#3 ·
Welcome in the club! Saturday I was experimenting with 35 - 21 ! Felt way weird for the first few runs... but after.. man you can lay some turns! I could have used a shorter stance ( I was at 22 ) but other than that felt awesome on hardpack.
 
#5 · (Edited)
funny you say that, I was goofing around on the last run of the day yesterday at marmot and flipped my bindings over to +30, +18. It felt really weird, this was my first try at laying down some carves. But when I got to mid mountain and some soft snow I was almost laying down nipple scratchers, my friends said I was cutting deep trench. Couldn't handle bumps or moguls at all but it's fun to lay out some carves on groomers.
 
#8 ·
The biggest thing I took away from it was not being able to bend my legs nearly as much to absorb the variable terrain
You definitely give up a lot of movement range - just try it at home without board.

IMO, most riders with a forward stance look very awkward during edge transitions, because they tend to bend at the hips when trying to unweight - presumably, because they don't have sufficient movement range.
 
#9 ·
Hummm I don't agree...maybe with a really narrow stance? Other than that you can bend your knees more than enough. Of course if you're carving over moguls it's not going to work either forward or duck... to unweight you extend at the end of a turn and load the front foot for the next.. leaning forward instead of sideways
 
#16 ·
Agree with you, riding or carving groomers is possible.. you just stay in the valleys between them, and agree again. Looking for the lift I see a lot of people trying to carve ending doing a long rudder skid instead.

I saw a guy ride powder with a PRIOR ATV board, 55-45 angles.
Chop is ok, but you can't hold an edge as well as in hard pack, maybe that's why they leave. Or like I do, after a whole day in good powder or compact, when it gets too choppy I call it a day?
 
#17 ·
That could be true. I used to have flatter angles many years ago, especially on the back foot. I rode more moguls back then. It may be a chicken or the egg question: don't like moguls due to forward stance angle? or don't like moguls anymore, so no reason to stick with flatter angles? As an aide, moguls don't seem to be as big or uniform as they used to be, a possible result of many more snowboarders with different turn patterns?
 
#26 ·
The biggest thing I took away from it was not being able to bend my legs nearly as much to absorb the variable terrain.
When I stand with my feet shoulder width apart, toes out about 10 deg, I can do full squats without any weird knee pain. Try the same thing in any sort of forward stance and the range of motion is severely limited.
...

I still feel like whatever benefit it gives for carving, it takes away from the chop... :dunno:
I've yet never felt a problem to bend my knees and cope with absorbing chop with my forward stances.

Comparing the difference at home, I only recognize a difference in the motion range of bending the knees when having the thigh lower than parallel to the ground, which may be useful if one has to absorb impacts from high jumps (which I don't) but for the bend range needed to absorb bumps, I feel no difference. Belly issue? :dunno: :D

On the other hand, I find it harder with duck angles and bent knees to shift the weight to the front foot than with forward stance.
 
#31 ·
Comparing the difference at home, I only recognize a difference in the motion range of bending the knees when having the thigh lower than parallel to the ground, which may be useful if one has to absorb impacts from high jumps (which I don't) but for the bend range needed to absorb bumps, I feel no difference. Belly issue? :dunno: :D
Maybe it's something I just need to play with more? Narrow the stance width and play with the angles a bit?

I think I'm going to play with the Burton T7 next time we get a good groomer day. With EST/ICS it's far easier to screw around with angles and widths without actually having to remove and reset the bindings all the time... :dizzy:
 
#28 ·
I'm going to post this elsewhere, but this video is sort of relevant to this threads :laugh:

Guy rides a Virus Avalanche FLP AFT w/ a forward stance while heli-boarding in AK... Get past the first shakey minute and then it's just a great unadulterated video.

 
#34 ·
Awww, heck, vid is "blocked due to music copyright in your country blabla"
 
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#36 ·
I have ridden a mellow forward stance since I started. F+18 R+3

I a couple weekends ago I did some kind of injury to my back foot ankle while boarding...pushed my toes up too far towards my shin...and now I have a limited range of movement in that direction before I get some sharp pains. Ever heard of snowboarder's ankle? I think I got close to that and bruised or strained something.

Anyways my meager point is, I moved my back binding to about a -3 angle and while I don't feel it affected my riding in any way, it actually did wonders to relieve stress on my ankle while on my toe edge.
 
#39 ·
yea, it's called a sprain. Ice that thing and stay off it for awhile.

Today at Jay peak had my Rossi 167 XV set up at +37 +27 only did 4 runs on groomers, will continue for the next 9 days. Last week on a 164 Krypto had a +27 +9. Krypto was no problem, like I never skipped a beat. Today was just a little unstable, especially on the heel side. Will be switching to a stiffer boot tomorrow which should help. Looking to develop a stance for GS racing in the next day or so, then practice, practice.
Sounds like fun on the krypto, I will have to try it although with the edges on that thing I know I will be taking chunks out of the groomers. Are you keeping the setback stance? Width?
 
#38 ·
Today at Jay peak had my Rossi 167 XV set up at +37 +27 only did 4 runs on groomers, will continue for the next 9 days. Last week on a 164 Krypto had a +27 +9. Krypto was no problem, like I never skipped a beat. Today was just a little unstable, especially on the heel side. Will be switching to a stiffer boot tomorrow which should help. Looking to develop a stance for GS racing in the next day or so, then practice, practice.
 
#40 ·
My normal stance is +15 -9 with a 24.5 inch width. On the XV I started with keeping the setback stance that was on the board. I'll give that stance one more day. Seeing that this is only the third day ever for a positive stance set-up. I plan on trying +45 - 35 tomorrow which Carver's Almanac gives as the norm for GS racing.
 
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