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Don’t slip and slide get grip and drive from your snowboard
by James Streater @maverixsnow
Ahh…those steep icy runs or the hellishly choppy pistes. Like most riders I don’t go chasing them, but when I encounter them I use some simple techniques to give me loads more control, and if you can apply them you’ll be less likely to avoid those runs and be up for a fresh challenge on your holiday.
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A lot of boarders tuck their back knee inwards due to having a slightly open posture (facing downhill). This can unevenly distribute weight and pressure through the length of the board, meaning as they gather speed it can be difficult to feel fully in control, especially as the piste gets more choppy. You might have experienced the effects of this. You get bounced around and end up spending too long on your heel edge and commonly standing up tall to try and brake.
One way to alleviate this is to try and feel the outside of your feet in your boots. Think about pulling your bindings apart and pushing your knees outwards. This will make you bend your knees, getting you closer to the board. As you pull against the boots and bindings you’ll be tensing your legs placing you in a much stronger more reactive stance. What you’re doing is placing more deliberate pressure along the length of the board. This will have…
