mastershake

One of the biggest things I am working on with my own riding is to get rid of backseat steering or ruddering. So lately I've been putting a lot more weight on the front foot as I go down the hill, I have noticed that this allows me to steer without ruddering and keep my speed at whatever I want, only ruddering when I need to avoid an obstacles. Let me first say that after a day of doing just that I've found myself a lot more comfortable and confident on my board. I am steering by doing more "S" turns rather than rudding around people (either by stick my hips out or pushing my backleg out)

I am trying to instill this new habit onto my gf who is a beginner rider, when she gets speed she tends to lean back which then causes her to either pop her back leg out to come to a complete stop. I don't want her to learn a bad habit as she'll have to then do twice the work to get a good habit going.

First question am I on the right track?
Second question, what are some good exercises can i make her do so that she naturally leans a little bit more forward when going down a hill. I truly feel this is the only thing that's keeping her from progressing further in her riding (and mine too actually)

BigmountainVMD

First, if she is already a beginner, and only riding beginner trails, it may be hard to get her to do this since there is no "easier" trail to have her attempt it on.

I usually have people strap in on the flats, and say "put 50% of your weight on each foot... okay now put 75% on the back and 25% on the front... now put 75% on the front and 25% on the back." Then I take them on to the hill and I'll unstrap, have them point their board downhill and hold their board still. I go through the same process, because it feels way different to shift the weight forward on a hill. When you think you are 50/50, you are actually in the backseat. What FEELS like 75% on the front foot, is actually 50/50. This feeling is increased on the steeps. Even today, when I'm riding the steeps, I have to keep telling myself that even though I feel centered, I'm probably in the backseat. Once I shift I can usually hold an edge better.

As for your first question, yes, you have the right idea, however if you are carving at high speeds, especially on steeper trails, you will notice that if you have too much weight on your front foot, your tail will wash out a bit and your carve will turn into a skid. It is important to change your weight balance a bit as you go through the turn. So to initiate the turn, you have more weight on the front foot w/ your knees bent, as you get through the halfway point of the turn (the apex) you want to be more centered w/ your knees extended, and as you exit the turn, you want to have a little more weight on the back foot (knees bent again) to really dig that edge in. This keeps you carving while traversing instead of skidding. I'm not talking about being all the way in the back seat, but a little more weight in the back foot will help. If you keep all your weight forward, you will notice that as you complete your turns, you will skid a little bit as said previously.

slyder

video tape her to show her that she is actually leaning back. Visual proof is worth more than your words.
also is she trying to get better or are you trying to make her better. I only ask cuz if she isn't into it as much as you she may not care to get better.
as for exercises/advice I will let the more advanced chime in.

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Thanks
-Slyder

LuckyRVA

Someone here posted a good trick a few years ago that has stuck in my head. Have her ride while holding her lead pant leg right above her knee. This will cause her to lean forward and put more weight on the front foot.

edit: it also has the added benefit of keeping your upper body quiet (ie not swinging arms, etc)

david_z

Get her a lesson. It wouldn't hurt to get one yourself, too.

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Kauila

Are you teaching her to snowboard? Is she asking you for advice about her riding?

You could always point out your "discovery" that has made a difference in improving your own riding and see if she applies it to her own situation, but a bf giving his gf unsolicited advice about her riding rarely ends well...

As david_z said, better for her to take lessons, or for the two of you to take a lesson together.

mastershake

thanks for all the responses.

to make something clear. my gf REALLY wanted to learn, she asked me to teach her last year. this season she is having a lot of fun because she is falling less and hence enjoying riding a lot more.

she constantly asks me for advice on how to improve, every time we go she wants to get better. i just tell her "its all about practice" and to just keep riding and having fun and not to worry about it too much. on the other hand one obvious advice i can give her (since she asks) is to lean forward more, i don't force her, i remind her when we strap in and then we go riding. usually she ends up falling atleast once every few runs because the board flies out from under her and i tell her to just keep practicing leaning forward and she'll have more control of the board.

i was just simply wondering if there are some simple exercises one can do to get your body used to doing that, because we naturally tend to lean back when we go fast. that's all. i'm not forcing her to do anything she isn't comfortable doing and I spend the whole day on the greens with her if i have to, all of the riding slowly with her has helped me get better at my own riding, sometimes i ride the whole trail in switch to remind myself how she must be feeling just learning haha

Soggysnow

I have been thinking ALOT lately as everyone progresses around me and I still ride slower.

I don't so much have a busy back hand but maybe I drop my back shoulder leaving my hand sometimes close to the ground (trying to bend knees, stay low).
I know I have my weight on front foot (can feel it) this would likely counter affect my balance, weight on front of board??

A little bumps, or fog and others seem to do ok, I seem to somehow always bail, usually in a turn, not if I ride flat.

I will add I am in the 4th season, intermediate rider so I can go relatively fast, just not as fast as others who zoom. I think I am doing something which is holding me back.

zeeden

What helps me to lean forward is twisting my upper body so that I'm facing downhill. Picture a skier going down.

This gives me better vision, control and speed.

slyder

your not serious are you

if you are that is probably the worse advice you could put out there

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Thanks
-Slyder