How to Snowboard 101: Heelside Sideslipping

Lesson 6/12
Sideslipping on your snowboard is a maneuver that involves sliding along the fall line of the slope (i.e. when your snowboard is perpendicular to the run/slope). You need to be able to sideslip in order to control your speed while snowboarding down the hill. This lesson specifically focuses on the heelside – when you’re back is facing the slope behind you and you’re weight is on your heel edge. Here are some instructions that you help you learn this slightly challenging maneuver.

Step 1
First, you need to find yourself a moderate slope to practice on. If it is too gentle, then you will not be able to use it… but if it is too steep, then you might have trouble at first. Both feet should be attached to your snowboard via the binding mechanisms when you get started. Next, you will need to face down the hill while sitting on the ground. Bend your legs at the knees so that your snowboard is on its heel edge. Make sure to sit so that you are balanced!

Step 2
Now, dig your heel edge into the snow a bit deeper. Doing this will give you a better hold and a more stable position while you attempt the maneuver. You should also plant your hands down into the snow so that you can support your upper body.

Step 3
Next, you will want to move your hands in toward your back. You will want to balance yourself as you begin lifting yourself gradually off of the snow. Evenly distributing the weight between your knees can help with this.

Step 4
Now, try to stand up. It might be difficult the first few times, but with practice you should be able to do it easily. Just remember to stay balanced and to keep your body upright as you keep the board standing on its heel edge.

Step 5
You can now control the speed of your snowboard by using more or less heel edge. As you reduce the amount of heel edge, more of your board will be on the snow, which means that your weight will be more evenly distributed, which means that you will move faster. However, you will also notice that as you pivot yourself to put more of an angle on the heelside of your board, you can decrease speed. If you put enough of an angle on it, you will come to a complete stop.

At this point, you can lean back, put your hands in the snow, and go back to a sitting position to keep from moving down the hill anymore. Heelside sideslipping might seem a bit in depth, but with careful practice you will be able to master it in no-time!

How to Snowboard 101: Toeside Sideslipping

Lesson 7/12
Sideslipping is a method by which you can control your descent while snowboarding. It is a fairly advanced technique, but one that you must know in order to safely and effectively traverse the slopes. Make sure you practice toeside sideslipping on your snowboard first! It involves making use of the toeside edge of the board to control the speed of your descent, even to the point where you can come to a complete stop if you want. Knowing how to sideslip can also really help you learn how to turn, which is something else that you will have to learn before really being able to hit the advanced level slopes.

Step 1
To begin learning to sideslip on your toeside, find a moderate slope to start out on. Both of your feet should be attached to your board as well. To get started, face uphill with your board stretched out across the fall line. You should bend your legs at the knees until they are touching the ground, and make sure to keep your balance!

Step 2
While you are on your knees, start by digging your toe edge deeper into the snow. By doing this, you will achieve a firmer hold on your position from which to continue. You should also plant your hands into the snow.

Step 3
Move your hands in toward your body, and slowly rise to a standing position. Holding your hands to your sides, try to balance yourself as you lift you knees from the ground. Try to stand up, but make sure to keep your board on it’s toe edge, or you will go flying down the slope!

Step 4
Once you have managed to stand up, it is time to learn how to control your descent using the toeside edge of your board. As you noticed earlier, enough of a toeside angle will keep you from moving. As you decrease this angle, your weight will distribute more evenly, and then your board will start moving. To gain more speed, lessen the angle. To slow down, increase the angle again.

Step 5
Practice this move enough to know exactly what your edge angle is all the time without having to watch your board. This is called edge awareness, and it is very important to successful snowboarding. You can come to a complete stop using the toe slide method by reversing the steps above, but remember that practice makes perfect, and that you should really work to perfect this method before taking on any serious slopes.

How to Snowboard 101: Heelside Traversing

Lesson 8/12
Traversing heelside while on a snowboard is a way of controlling your descent by riding diagonally back and forth across the fall line instead of directly down it. This works to help slow your descent down the slope, and is pretty easy to do once you get the hang of it. Here are some easy instructions so that you can get started.

Step 1
In order to traverse heelside down the slope, you will need to start by looking in the direction that you want to go. You should also spread your arms so that it gets easier to keep your balance.

Step 2
Now, you will turn your body and head toward the direction that you want to go. You will want to shift a lot more of your weight onto the foot you are leading with for this, and remember to move together with the other foot. Angle the board downhill, but since you are traveling diagonally, only angle it slightly.

Step 3
After traveling as you read in step 2, you can return your snowboard to the original position it was in on the fall line, and prepare to go back across. Look where you want to go, turn your head and body that way, and shift your weight to your leading foot to gain momentum. Remember, angle downhill but only a little bit! With a little bit of practice, you will be able to traverse heelside very easily. This can really help you on those slopes that you want to take it easy on.

How to Snowboard 101: Toeside Traversing

Lesson 9/12
You can use a toeside traverse on your snowboard to travel gradually down a slope by diagonally going back and forth. This is a pretty simple concept, but one that requires a bit of instruction and practice. Here are some instructions, and coupled with a bit of practice, you should be traversing in no time!

Step 1
When treversing with the toe edge of your snowboard, remember that the front of your body will be facing up the slope. Look in the direction you want to go, and spread your arms to help keep your body balanced.

Step 2
Turn your upper body in the direction that you want to go, and gently shift your weight to your front foot so that you can gain a bit of momentum. You should be angled downhill a bit, but only slightly! Traversing is a very subtle method of moving downhill, and it will take you down slowly by diagonally moving across the fall line.

Step 3
Once you reach the opposite side, turn your head and body back the other way, and shift your weight to go that way. By following this method, you can now traverse toeside down those slopes that you would rather take it easy on! It might take some practice, but it is a good skill to learn and a necessary one for the more advanced slopes.

How to Snowboard 101: Doing Garlands

Lesson 11/12
A garland is a fairly advanced snowboarding maneuver that can really help you to navigate difficult areas of the slope. It is best to know how to do the falling leaf before attempting the garland, as the two are quite similar. There are partial, or half turns in the garland that make it unnecessary to change edges and it is called the garland because it leaves tracks in the snow that resemble a garland on the Christmas tree. I found that it’s defintitely important to learn this before you learn and attempt to link turns. Just point in the direction you want to go with your full arm outstretched, and to pivot your shoulder too.

Step 1
The first thing you will need to do when trying to learn the garland is to find a pretty wide area in which to practice. You should go to the top of the hill, and should position yourself pretty well across the fall line. The heelside position is the position that you will want to start with, and you should be looking right where you want to go.

Step 2
Once you are ready to begin, you can lessen the angle of your snowboard and point your board in a general direction down the fall line. Shift your weight to pick up momentum, and head down the fall line.
Step 3
Once you have a straight glide going, pick up a bit of speed. Always remember to watch where you are going! Once you have gained a bit of speed, you will start to slow down by increasing the edge angle of your snowboard and by shifting the weight of your body backwards.

Step 4
Now, you will move the forward end of your snowboard gradually across the fall line to the opposite side. As you do this, you should be slowing down, so remember to maintain your balance!

Step 5
Keep going until you come to a complete stop by turning your board uphill. Once you do come to a complete stop, you should have your board turned horizontally across the fall line. From this position, you can simply push off again as you did earlier. Once you do this, you will have successfully completed your first garland! Complete the same steps, but with the other edge of the board for doing a garland with your toeside.