Pivot/steering Flashcards
Sideslipping 180 jumps
Sideslip on moderate terrain on the heel edge. With weight over both feet flex lower joints and extend to hop.during hop body should rotate as one, turning the board 180 degrees. Students should land on toe edge facing up hill with their weight evenly over both feet.
Repeat to return to heel edge.
Riders should feel the importance of alignment and balanced body position.
Flatland manoeuvres/ butters
On flat groomed terrain
Balance over nose or tail of the snowboard.
Add rotation or edging to challenge.
Sliding 360s on snow
On mellow terrain, centred body position. By turning head shoulders and hips have them begin to turn.
Continue past 180 degrees, keep balanced body position and look through the rotation with their eyes.
Can be performed in both directions.
Switch riding
On terrain suitable to ability have students link turns in opposite direction to their natural stance.
Toe to toe/heel to heel
To enhance balance have students ride and complete only toe side turns.
Begin with regular toe side turn, in natural direction. In the traverse, before edge change, have students complete a sliding frontside 180 ( rotating nose of board downhill) then complete a switch traverse on toe followed by a frontside 180.
For heel side, heel side traverse followed by a backside 180.
To extend exercise use hop or Ollie 180 instead of sliding 180.
Garland / chicken out turns / fall-line pivot exercise
Side slide on either edge, shift pressure slightly over lead foot to establish slight change in direction. To intimate pivot turn head shoulders and hips down hill - board will move down fall line. Then rotate away from the fall line and back to starting position.
No edge change. Practice multiple times on both edges
Fish turns / roller coaster turns
Analogy - a fish tail follows the head as a fish swims or roller coaster car the last follows the path of the first.
Get students to recreate this feeling by progressively steering with the front foot, followed by the back foot , in a variety of turns.
Head lights on knees
Promote the use of knees - have students imagine that they are riding in the dark with spot lights attached to each knee. As they ride they have to shine the light in the direction of travel. Helping to steer the snowboard with the lower body.
Motor boat
Imagine they have an on board motor on the tail of their snow board. They must hold onto the throttle of the motor, ensuring that they maintain alignment.
To turn the boat to heel side the throttle needs to be pushed towards the toe edge thus rotating shoulders and hips. On toe side toward the heel edge.
Complete a series of turns using this analogy ensuring alignment and rotation are maintained.
Rail to rail (carving)
On mellow terrain, begin to straight run. Roll on to toe edge, establishing a carved turn and roll onto heel edge, carving again.
Terrain should be flat enough that speed control isn’t difficult. Not completing full turns - just rolling or steering onto edge for a brief period.
Challenge students to feel knees and feet directing the snowboard onto edge or increase pace of edge changes.
Static steering exercise/ mason jar
On flat area, both feet attached to snowboard, isolate the knees and feet and envision a turning motion. Direct knees towards by rotating and driving them towards nose of snowboard and back opposite way.
An analogy - imagine they have a large jar between their legs with the lid between their knees. They are loosening and tightening the jar with the steering motion.
Static rotation exercise
On flat terrain, un strapped, have students feel total body rotation to create first turns. Beginning with their head and shoulders, progressing to hips and finally continuing to the knees and feet. Try rotation in both directions.
Twist the disks
Practice the static rotation off the snowboard focusing on the rotation of the feet. Imagine the bindings are the disks and they loosened.
At higher levels have the riders envision this while they are riding.
X-turns
On flat terrain with both feet attached have students perform as all hop with a slight rotation of the body towards the toe or heel edge. Once completed a few times should make an X shape.
To progress have students just use upper body and then incorporate lower body. This allows students to feel the effects of a centre poi to point in short radius turns as well as the use of rotation with lower body steering.
Ensure alignment is maintained throughout.
Speed checks
Ride relatively flat base allowing speed to increase. Quickly turn the board across the fall line and apply maximum edge to briefly slow the snowboard and return to the starting position.
Safety is the largest consideration.
