two_ravens Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 ...and probably the last! So my boyfriend wants to learn to snowboard, and we did one day last spring just skating around on the flats, getting some basics down. Saturday was his first day lift served and we both got tickets for the beginner lift at JHMR (Snow King has no beginner terrain) and I figured it would be best if I had some way to entertain myself, so I set my bindings up regular (usually goofy.) I did back the angles off a bit to 55/50. The good part: me trying to ride switch totally kept me out of his hair while he learned, and he got to be better than me for the day! Bad part: I totally suck. I thought maybe some of what I know about snowboarding goofy would help, but apparently I have a really hard time overcoming muscle memory. I was never really able to link up turns going forward. I did however find it pretty easy to ride fakie - so anytime I needed more control I just flipped it around and rode backward (which generated plenty of confused comments from the peanut gallery!) Seems odd to me that having the right leg forward was more important than having my feet facing forward..... Anyway - my sweetie had a great time and can't wait to go again, and I feel beat all to heck like it was my first day snowboarding. Don't know if I'll do that again, although anyone who knows me knows that I have no athletic talent - just persistence. So maybe a few more days set up regular is all I need... Anyone else ever try this? I do recommend it as an effective relationship preservation device, if nothing else. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 ...and probably the last! So my boyfriend wants to learn to snowboard, and we did one day last spring just skating around on the flats, getting some basics down. Saturday was his first day lift served and we both got tickets for the beginner lift at JHMR (Snow King has no beginner terrain) and I figured it would be best if I had some way to entertain myself, so I set my bindings up regular (usually goofy.) I did back the angles off a bit to 55/50. The good part: me trying to ride switch totally kept me out of his hair while he learned, and he got to be better than me for the day! Bad part: I totally suck. I thought maybe some of what I know about snowboarding goofy would help, but apparently I have a really hard time overcoming muscle memory. I was never really able to link up turns going forward. I did however find it pretty easy to ride fakie - so anytime I needed more control I just flipped it around and rode backward (which generated plenty of confused comments from the peanut gallery!) Seems odd to me that having the right leg forward was more important than having my feet facing forward..... Anyway - my sweetie had a great time and can't wait to go again, and I feel beat all to heck like it was my first day snowboarding. Don't know if I'll do that again, although anyone who knows me knows that I have no athletic talent - just persistence. So maybe a few more days set up regular is all I need... Anyone else ever try this? I do recommend it as an effective relationship preservation device, if nothing else. :D I had a similar experience, however I can ride (that's skid turn not yet carve) switch in my usual 65/60 or 50/45 goofy stance. But I couldn't even ride a buddies regular board at approximately 65/60 with my feet set-up facing regular when he and I switched boards for sh*ts and giggles. As a side note we made alpine look extremely lame when we tried this. Try riding switch with your feet set-up goofy it still feels different but is easier than riding regular. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I can't ride switch to save myself. TBH, I don't really see the point ... although I find it useful to be able to falling leaf/ride backwards down through moguls. Especially like the car-sized ones my friend Michelle likes to find for me when we ride together. I'd like to try on a freestlye board and softies, but that's a totally different kettle of fish - different stance, different mechanics, different purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 It's been 20yrs since I tried to ride regular so I had no fakie skills at the time. Wanted to try out a friends board(pre-insert) on my 1st trip to Mt.Hood. Didn't think it would be too tough. It blew my mind how impossible it was for me to even link a turn. Had to ride it down fakie struggling all the way with old skool setback(twice as much nose as tail). Now that my switch skills are there I should try it a gain just for giggles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I had considered trying to ride goofy instead of regular, when I was working on my toe side angulation. I figured if could recreate the hip down sensation of a heel side, while doing a toe side, it would help. As it was, I figured it out without resorting to such measures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 I can't ride switch to save myself. TBH, I don't really see the point ... It's just fun? For me it's a great way to make a green run more interesting, I'm not good enough at it to go fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kieran Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 i did it for a laugh at the indoor slope one night. it wasn't too difficult, but then i suck in my normal stance (goofy). what interested me is that turning left was still easiest. riding goofy, i love my toeside. riding regular, it was heelside that made me grin. must be some geomagnetic phenomenon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted December 13, 2010 Report Share Posted December 13, 2010 Nah, stick to your normal stance and ride true switch. It's fun. If nothing else then for the confused faces of the observers. Then, one day you might be able to do "Casper"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted December 14, 2010 Report Share Posted December 14, 2010 I agree with Puddy tat and Blueb - stick to your regular stance and just ride switch although it is much more difficult on hard boots with the angles so far forward than it is on soft boots. What a great girlfriend you are! I did this a month or so ago also with a friend that was learning. It definitely gives you a sense of sympathy for what they are going through, and helps you to know what to tell them (toes up, weight forward, don't drop your heels, etc) and not "STOP FALLING" or "TUUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNN" like I hear so many people yelling across the beginner slopes. You get brownie points, as does he for humbling himself in front of you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
two_ravens Posted December 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2010 It blew my mind how impossible it was for me to even link a turn. Had to ride it down fakie struggling all the way with old skool setback(twice as much nose as tail). Thank you, thank you! It's not just me!!! :o what interested me is that turning left was still easiest. riding goofy, i love my toeside. riding regular, it was heelside that made me grin. must be some geomagnetic phenomenon. Same for me - wonder if it's opposite down under??? :rolleyes: Nah, stick to your normal stance and ride true switch. Then, one day you might be able to do "Casper"! Well, I have tried a bit of fakie in my usual goofy stance - not able to link turns yet that way either, though I'm better at that than going forward switch... Don't think you'll see me doing "the Casper" anytime soon though - that guy is a total animal. I've seen the degree of raw athleticism, training (summer & winter) and focus it takes. I'll just be watching and cheering from the sidelines... :biggthump:lurk: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
two_ravens Posted December 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2010 TBH, I don't really see the point ... although I find it useful to be able to falling leaf/ride backwards down through moguls. True love , entertainment, better understanding of mechanics involved.... So much of what I do on a snowboard is unconscious now, it's very eye-opening to get a more conscious experience of the movements involved. Oh - and I didn't have enough pain in my life. I'm STILL sore!!! I did this a month or so ago also with a friend that was learning. It definitely gives you a sense of sympathy for what they are going through, and helps you to know what to tell them (toes up, weight forward, don't drop your heels, etc) and not "STOP FALLING" or "TUUUUUUURRRRRRNNNNN" like I hear so many people yelling across the beginner slopes. You get brownie points, as does he for humbling himself in front of you Cool you did that too! Yup, I thought I would be able to give him some better advice. As it was, he was quickly better than me - and just his second day on softies. :rolleyes: The only instruction I gave him all day was to shift his weight farther forward, which he did perfectly. Yeah, not many guys are willing to be a beginner in front of their girlfriends. I think this one is a keeper! Only bad thing is, after seeing how difficult it was for me to 'relearn' on hardboots, he's kind of spooked about getting out on his hardboot set up. Soon, though - very soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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