Get your snowboard stance correct.
Balancing on a snowboard is easy with the correct stance. What is the stance you may ask? The stance is how you stand and balance yourself whether it is on a snowboard, a skateboard, surfboard or any other apparatus which requires correct balance. But our interest is how we stand on a snowboard.
There are two types of stance a "regular" stance is when the rider places his left foot at the front of the snowboard. The opposite stance direction is when you place the right foot at the front of the snowboard this is known as “Goofy” foot. A snowboard beginner should work out which stance is most comfortable and natural to them and this is the style to adopt.
More experienced snowboard riders can switch from one stance to the other and a snowboarder with a regular stance can switch to a “Goofy2 stance at will. This is called”switch” or riding “fakie”.
Usually a rider who has done other sports like surfing will naturally take the same position they are used too and place there preferred foot to the front of the board. If you are not sure there are a couple of things you can try. One way is to see which foot you place first when climbing up stairs. Another is to slide on a slippery surface like ice and see which foot you lead with, this will probably be the foot you would naturally place to the front of your snowboard.
The next thing you need to know is your stance width. This will generally determine your balance on the board and is usually just a little bit wider than your shoulder width. It could vary slightly depending on your leg length however your personal preference and should be determined on how balanced and comfortable you feel.
For freestyle riders usually a wider stance is preferred which gives more stability on landing after a jump. On the other hand when turning on the piste a narrow stance will give more control but less stability when free styling.
The next thing to think about is what angle your feet should be angled at in relation to the board. Again it will vary from person to person but for a beginner you could start at an angle of about 20° for the front foot as this is suitable for most purposes but it will generally depend on what style of snowboarding you are planning on doing. And you can adjust it slightly for your own preferences but generally the front binding should be between 15° to 25°.
The back binding should be straight across the board to start with at 0° but some have it angles slightly forward to about 5 to 10° while others actually have the binding angled at a negative angle and facing toward the back of the board. Again it is what is most comfortable for but for the beginner a little trial and error should be employed to see what suits them best.
For anyone who has tried martial arts the stance is not too dissimilar to the one taken up for stability in these disciplines but everyone’s stance is unique and should be what makes you most comfortable and balanced. You should practice a little on your snowboard before going on the slopes and with a little adjustment and tweaking here and there you should be ready in no time. |
