Part 6: Learning the Snowboard Turn

Okay you've got the basics, you've been up and down the mountain. So let's turn up the heat a couple of notches. Are you ready for those turns? After all you can't keep going in a straight line forever. It won't be long before you find that tree right in the middle of your path.

Beginners often find turning tricky, especially if it's icy or if the snow is wet and slushy. Sorry I have no magic bullet for you other than to practice, practice, then practice some more. Eventually you will get the hang of it. Then you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Practice your turns in all types of conditions. The more conditions you practice in the more competent you will become. So how do you do a turn without landing on your butt?

First start by pointing your board straight down the mountain. Now to turn on your heel side you will need to shift your weight slightly on your heels placing more pressure on that side of the board. If you board with your left foot forward when you lean to the left you'll turn to the left, while if you lean to the right you'll turn to the right. Sounds pretty straight forward doesn't it? And really once you get the hang of it it's not that bad.

If you board with your right foot forward it will be opposite.

How far off the snow your heel should be for a toe side turn depends on the grade of the mountain and your speed. When you first start you'll find your heel hardly comes off the snow at all. If a beginner lifts their heel to high they'll usually land on their butt because they don't have enough speed.

However as you gain experience and gain speed you'll find your heel coming off the snow more because you'll be carving hard and deep.

When you are first starting to practice turns use your shoulder as your compass. Which ever way you point your shoulder will be the way you go. This trick is used often by instructors. You'll just need to be a little patient because it takes a little bit of time for you to notice your body start to turn.

Once you've got the shoulder turn mastered, start to focusing on your feet. This will help you make quicker sharper turns. So from your regular stance if you want to turn left flick your back heel forward to point your nose to the left and take the heelside. Of course to go right it's exactly the opposite.

Once again practice, practice, and practice some more. The more practice the sooner you'll get the hang of the toeside to heelside and heelside to toeside. These turns can be stressful for a beginner but that too shall pass.

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