Riding pow-front vs. back leg - Snowboarding Forum

chub11 · 04-12-2012, 09:35 PM

All my life I've been taught to use my front leg to turn, even in the deep stuff. So why do pro riders always seem to use their back leg to turn in pow? Am I doing something wrong? Hopefully someone can clear this up for me.

Sick-Pow · 04-12-2012, 09:43 PM

There are back leg riders, old school skateboarders like me who use more back leg. I can slash with the greats.

In deep pow, i actually need to use less rear leg, personally.

With a tapered and rockered board, I can basically relax and point it, under 3 feet of normal pow. any more than that, yeah, my back leg burns hard. ( get it, "burns hard")

ETM · 04-12-2012, 10:34 PM

1 word. Speed

chub11 · 04-12-2012, 10:52 PM

Ok, thanks for clearing that up. In the past, instructors I've had have made it seem like turning with the front leg was the "only" way to do it.

Sick-Pow · 04-13-2012, 12:57 AM

dude, Snowolf, you need to self publish some books. you could make some great flow, gravy.....

**HoboMaster** · 04-13-2012, 01:32 AM

For me it depends on the consistency and depth of the powder. If it's really deep, I ride in the back seat and sort of ride it like a surfboard, making initiations from putting pressure on my back foot. In less then a foot of powd or windblown, I ride it much more like you would a groomer, initiating turns with my front and generally leaning forward in an aggressive style. If you try to lean forward in deep powder, you start sinking and lose speed unless you find yourself on a very steep incline. Speed is almost everything in deep pow, you want to generally keep your speed as high as possible.

**killclimbz** · 04-13-2012, 08:58 AM

Sounds like to me that the OP needs to ride deep pow more often. Actually I recommend that for everyone...

Lamps · 04-13-2012, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoboMaster

For me it depends on the consistency and depth of the powder. If it's really deep, I ride in the back seat and sort of ride it like a surfboard, making initiations from putting pressure on my back foot. In less then a foot of powd or windblown, I ride it much more like you would a groomer, initiating turns with my front and generally leaning forward in an aggressive style. If you try to lean forward in deep powder, you start sinking and lose speed unless you find yourself on a very steep incline. Speed is almost everything in deep pow, you want to generally keep your speed as high as possible.

Deep powder riding on the tail like a surfboard, best days ever...

chub11 · 04-13-2012, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killclimbz

Sounds like to me that the OP needs to ride deep pow more often. Actually I recommend that for everyone...

It's not that I don't ride enough deep pow, it's just that I had always ridden with my back foot in it until I was told I should be riding more with my front foot.

wrathfuldeity · 04-13-2012, 10:35 AM

A designed big pow stick will allow you to be more centered and be on the nose more. My old option northshore...cambered shovel nose pintail (old school pow board), I was in the backseat and it was more difficult to get on the nose to try to get up some speed without subbing. Verse my charlie slasher, i ride pretty much centered (it planes much easier) and can get on the nose abit more for turn initiation and to accelerate with out the tendency to sub and having to pay close attention to fore/aft position.

04-12-2012, 09:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
chub11 Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 84	Riding pow-front vs. back leg All my life I've been taught to use my front leg to turn, even in the deep stuff. So why do pro riders always seem to use their back leg to turn in pow? Am I doing something wrong? Hopefully someone can clear this up for me.

04-12-2012, 10:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
ETM Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Hokkaido in my mind Posts: 1,392	1 word. Speed __________________

04-13-2012, 01:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
HoboMaster Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Sandpoint / Moscow, ID Posts: 2,301	For me it depends on the consistency and depth of the powder. If it's really deep, I ride in the back seat and sort of ride it like a surfboard, making initiations from putting pressure on my back foot. In less then a foot of powd or windblown, I ride it much more like you would a groomer, initiating turns with my front and generally leaning forward in an aggressive style. If you try to lean forward in deep powder, you start sinking and lose speed unless you find yourself on a very steep incline. Speed is almost everything in deep pow, you want to generally keep your speed as high as possible. __________________ PowderHound and TreeNinja

04-13-2012, 10:35 AM	#10 (permalink)
wrathfuldeity Resident poet Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bham Posts: 2,733	A designed big pow stick will allow you to be more centered and be on the nose more. My old option northshore...cambered shovel nose pintail (old school pow board), I was in the backseat and it was more difficult to get on the nose to try to get up some speed without subbing. Verse my charlie slasher, i ride pretty much centered (it planes much easier) and can get on the nose abit more for turn initiation and to accelerate with out the tendency to sub and having to pay close attention to fore/aft position. __________________

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04-12-2012, 09:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Sick-Pow Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,236	There are back leg riders, old school skateboarders like me who use more back leg. I can slash with the greats. In deep pow, i actually need to use less rear leg, personally. With a tapered and rockered board, I can basically relax and point it, under 3 feet of normal pow. any more than that, yeah, my back leg burns hard. ( get it, "burns hard")

04-12-2012, 10:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
chub11 Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 84	Ok, thanks for clearing that up. In the past, instructors I've had have made it seem like turning with the front leg was the "only" way to do it.

04-13-2012, 12:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
Sick-Pow Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,236	dude, Snowolf, you need to self publish some books. you could make some great flow, gravy.....

04-13-2012, 08:58 AM	#7 (permalink)
killclimbz Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Front Range Posts: 9,245	Sounds like to me that the OP needs to ride deep pow more often. Actually I recommend that for everyone...