Euan Fox

I went snowboarding for the first time in my life last weekend after being a lifelong (20 years old) skier, and I couldn't get the hang of any kind of toeside turns. I spent about 4 hours on the same slope and got heelside 'falling leaf' (?) and I could get down without falling, all on the heelside. I had my right foot at the front but I wasn't sure if that was right? I am right footed, I slide on my right foot forward, I kick a ball with my right foot, and when someone pushed me, I landed on my right foot first, so I'm sure the board was right, I just wanted to know if I just turned around and put my left foot forwards, is that the other way just to test it? Or do adjustments need to be made to change to regular?

Sorry for the long post, any help is awesome.

ETM

Go and do it again, try leaning a bit further forward as you try to start your toe side turn. The most common thing new snowboarders do is not lean forward enough

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edlo

Try doing a complete forward roll , like a kid, see which shoulder hits the ground first, that will be your down hill foot.

Toe side, keep your body on top of your board and don't lean over, just like skiing you keep your weight over your skis, you don't learn far to the left or right, you'd tip over. Keeping your weight over the board, squat, bend over and feel the weight on the balls of your feet, if your heels lift, that is okay for now. Try to feel your shin push into the front tongue of your boots. Do not lean to get weight on the edge, but rather create an angle by pushing your shins forward and lifting the heel side. Try to not let the board go flat on the snow. It is harder to do on a flat green, try on blue since you have the falling leaf idea already. Going from back side to front side on a slow flat green run is actually pretty hard, since like a boat, the board only turns when you have speed. There are some good videos on this site.

Donutz

All of the foot tests are just probabilistic. They don't guarantee correctness. In the end you just have to point it with each foot leading and see how it feels.

BTW, I find that skating (one foot out) is even more directional. Try that each way and see what you come up with.

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Illegitimi non carborundum

Mountain Days: 30

tj_ras

Im right side dominant and i ride right foot outback. Known as "regular" stance. Riding with your left foot in back is known as "goofy". I knew i was regular from years of skateboarding. The push method doesnt always work from my experience, ive met lots of skateboarders who would seem right side dominant when pushed but would ride goofy. I personaly think its all in wich direction comes easier to you/feels more natural, thats what i did with skateboarding, also a big plus is you adapt to switch riding faster by trying to ride switch at the same time as regular(worked for me at least).

edlo

My little niece is just learning, she skates regular but rides goofy, getting on the lift is fine but getting off is a problem, the weight keeps going to her unstrapped foot, and kids know everything so she doesn't want to learn to skate the other way, I'll give her a season or two to figure it out.

Euan Fox

This is all great! When I skate, I'm goofy, didn't know it translated across. A quick question. If my board is set up for goofy, does that mean anything? Or can I just turn around and ride regular, if I feel more comfortable that way? Or do the bindings need to be re set up differently?

crash77

If your board is a true twin shape you can ride in either direction. If it is a directional twin, than you should switch the bindings, however you can still ride switch. A true twin has the same characteristics when turning from either direction of the board, a directional twin does not.