Part 4: How To Stop The Snowboard

Imagine driving your car with no breaks and the only way to stop is to find a flat spot or run into something. That's pretty much how a new boarder feels about stopping. If you want to send a new boarder into a complete panic tell him or her to stop when they have no idea how to.

Don't laugh it's the thing most forgotten when someone is teaching another how to snowboard. It just somehow doesn't come to mind. And once you're on that slope and needing to make a quick stop, it's too late.

Basically boarding down the mountain works pretty much like letting a snowball go at the top. As it moves down the hill it gains speed because gravity takes over. The board works the same.

If you horizontal or perpendicular to the fall slope then you'll slow down and gradually come to a stop. Okay lets start all over. Take yourself to the top of the small slope we previously used. Now make sure your board is horizontal and that the steel edge is just digging into the snow slightly.

Stand up and start down the hill, tilt your toes down to gain some speed. Now turn the nose of your board so it's pointing directly down the trail. Can you feel the increase in speed? Now turn your board to the horizontal. Can you feel yourself starting to slow down?

That's it in a nutshell. Now all you can do is practice your stops until you feel comfortable you can stop. Once you're relaxed enough with your take off and stop on the bunny hill, it's time to climb a mountain.

Next: > Page 5: Getting Up The Mountain

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