December 5, 2009

How to Snowboard 101: Gliding on Your Board

Posted in Beginner Lessons, Beginner's Guide by Rami | Tags: Gliding, How to snowboard

Lesson 4/12
Gliding is a maneuver that is very important on the snowboard. It is the maneuver that will allow you to use your weight to shift forward and gain momentum. This is also a move that is necessary for getting of a chair-lift. Once you are able to glide while standing tall with confidence, you are ready for the chairlift, and one step closer to actually snowboarding!

Step 1
First, you will need to find a slope that is gentle enough to practice on. Choose an area that is pretty much devoid of any other snowboarding traffic (your best bet will be the bunny hills where anyone finds your grandmother a speed challenge). This will cut down on risk of accident, and will also help you not to be distracted. You will need to practice maintaining your balance, so spread your arms a bit if you have to. Once you feel comfortable balancing and have a clear shot, you are ready to begin your first glide.

Step 2
Place your rear foot just in front of the back snowboard binding, while your front foot is strapped into the front binding. Now, lean forward a bit so that you can start gaining momentum to move downhill. Your will want to point your toes down to move forward faster, but you can shift your weight toward the back to slow down or stop. Remember to keep your eyes where you are going, and not on your snowboard!

Step 3
Practice, practice, practice! Remember, that this is a move you have to have down perfectly, so practice it a lot before hitting the slopes. It may seem exhausting at first, but it can be very useful for moving around the slopes.