bigbadwanger

I'm a beginner snowboarder and am trying to work on my form while doing skidded turns, I noticed snowolf mentioned the hump and dump form, is it more for steeper hills and for carving or equally as applicable for skidded turns, it seems to me that when i'm trying to follow more that technique i'm losing balance on the board down the greens

Nefarious

Steeper hills will be more ideal for hump'n'dumpin'. The speed and velocity help hold you on the edge of your board while carving.

At slower speeds, I would recommend a more finessed version of the same. The concept is similar, but without nearly the follow through. Calculated and cautionary shifts of your weight. Dropping your front shoulder in the direction of the turn may also help you feel the proper momentum.

As you get more comfortable and start going faster, you just up the amount of follow through.

I'm no Snowolf but that's my 2 cents.

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bigbadwanger

so is hump/dump more suited for carving as opposed to skidded turns?

wrathfuldeity

no...hump and dump...big hump and dumps...needs speed or some steepness of a black or double black. On greens ya probably not getting enough speed unless you point it for 50-100 yards...bombing and then turn.

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Nefarious

Yes. H&D utilizes the board's side cut. You're basically throwing your body around to make your edge to edge more efficient and allows your board cut deeper without having to lean as far.

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designfemme

Beginner here too. I think this is what I have been doing, what Nefarious just described here. I found that it automatically helps me flex my ankles more.

Nefarious

The one thing I will caution is to not "open up" your stance. In other words, ensure that your shoulders are parallel to the board. It will feel unnatural at first, but it's proper form and allows for more concise control and a better ability to shift your weight.

With an open stance, toe side turns can be a nightmare. You'll end up rotating your upper body 180 degrees to look downhill, and by doing it will make it harder to center your balance and keep a firm edge hold on your turns.

What I used to explain to my wife was this, I also, throughout the day, say "3C" to her. Cool, calm, and collected. Keep your muscles loose and absorb impact. If you tighten up when things don't' go as expected, it often makes the situation worse and turns a minor setback into a full yard sale. Look ahead of you, not down. I often scan the terrain at about the 10 foot mark when possible (when there isn't a roller ahead of me).

It's even more important for bean stalks like myself to stay low. The taller you are, the harder it is to compact your center of gravity. I've grown enough comfort that I don't have to bend nearly as much...but it's better to start lower, in any case.

Best of luck to both of you. Snowboarding has a bit of a learning curve, but the payoff is incredible.

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bigbadwanger

i find myself having my shoulders more squared toward downhill, and i assume that is what you mean by being opened up. it seems unnatural to not have my shoulders pointed to the direction i'm heading to, but i will try to have my shoulders being parallel to the board and only have my leader shoulder be the steer rather than both my shoulders at a slant.

i'm still a little bit confused at the bend, during a heel side my butt should be doing a barbell squat or sitting type motion, while in a toe side it's a pelvic thrust right with a small bow or arch of my back?

wrathfuldeity

For shoulders, think of your snowboard being the bottom of a cereal box you generally want to keep your body parts inside of the box...even when you tilt the board/cereal box on edge...your body will also be leaning. As for pelvic thrust..."small bow or arch of my back?" is too high of center of gravity and on the backside of your body, you want the hump on the frontside. For humping...pelvic thrust also involves a pelvic tilt; isolate these muscles and do them at the same time...sink in your knees, tighten your butt cheeks and tighten you lower abs...your pelvis should then hump....got it...now stand up from the computer and give it a try.

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bigbadwanger

got it thanks,

couple other questions: i read that my toe and heel turns should be initiated and done with a twist like a swivel of the knee and and foot-so heel it would be twist out, toe i assume it's a twist inward, rather than simply rocking from heel to toe, is that correct?

secondly, should i be extending my legs to pop out of turns to relieve the pressure on the board during the middle and end of my turn? before initiating the next turn, i think i do it anyway, but i never really consciously thought about it.

much appreciated guys