What’s the best way to improve snowboarding speed?

Ride with Faster Snowboarders

Find a Group or Partner

One of the best ways to boost your snowboarding speed is to ride with faster snowboarders. When we ride with others who are quicker, it pushes us to keep up and improve. Here are some tips:

• Join local snowboarding groups on social media. There are always people looking for riding buddies.
• Ask friends or family members who are experienced snowboarders to ride with you.
• Consider hiring a coach for a day to learn new techniques.

Focus on Keeping Up

When riding with faster snowboarders, the main goal is to keep up. This can be challenging but also very rewarding. Here’s how to do it:

• Stay close behind the faster rider and try to match their movements.
• Focus on their line and try to follow it as closely as possible.
• Don’t be afraid to push your limits, but always stay in control.

Learn by Observation

Observing faster snowboarders can teach us a lot. By watching their techniques and movements, we can pick up valuable tips. Here’s what to look for:

• Notice how they position their body and shift their weight.
• Pay attention to their turns and how they control their speed.
• Watch how they handle different terrains and conditions.

Riding with faster snowboarders not only helps us improve our speed but also enhances our overall skills and confidence on the slopes.

Master Your Turns

Practice Carving Techniques

Carving is all about control and speed. To start, we need to rock onto our edges. Begin on a gentle slope and shift your weight onto your toe or heel edge. This will let the sidecut of the board guide you naturally. You'll notice you pick up speed as you cut across the slope. It's all about letting the board do the work.

Next up, the low squat technique. Get into a low squat to really transfer energy into the edges. On your toeside, push your knees over the edge and almost grip the snow with your toes. For heelside, it's like you're starting to sit down. You should be low enough to almost touch the toe edge, but don't actually grab it!

Finally, let's talk about transferring energy into the edges. This is key to maintaining speed while carving. Focus on pressing down on the edges as you turn. This will help you convert speed to control speed by cleanly carving the end of your turns across the slope. The more energy you transfer, the faster and smoother your ride will be.

Carving is all about control and speed. Mastering these techniques will make you feel like you're flying down the mountain with ease.

Use Both Feet for Steering

Many riders subconsciously put too much weight on their back foot as they turn. If you do, you probably skid out a bit when you turn. It's a common habit with beginners, but you can correct these “windshield wiper turns” by steering with both feet.

Once you're at speed, start the turn with your front foot. You'll have more weight on your front foot at this point. Then make sure your back foot follows the same path that your front foot took. As you do, shift your weight so it's distributed evenly between both feet by the end of your turn.

Control Speed with Turn Shape

Varying the shape of your turns will help you control your speed. Wide turns, sometimes called closed turns, will help you slow down. Tighter turns, called open turns, will help you speed up.

Spraying snow is another way to control speed when you're turning. This technique helps snowboarders slow down or stop in spectacular fashion. To try it yourself, start turning in a low stance, with your knees bent. In the middle of your turn, push both feet out and away from your body. Dig in with your back foot and engage your heel edge to keep the ride smooth. Snow should spray out as you slow down. If you want to stop completely, stand tall as you start spraying snow. Practice spraying both sides.

Optimize Your Stance and Balance

To get faster on our snowboards, we need to optimize our stance and balance. This means making sure our body is in the right position and moving the right way. Let's break it down.

Align Your Upper and Lower Body

Keeping our upper and lower body aligned is key. Our hips should be in line with our snowboard, and our shoulders shouldn't be twisted. This helps us keep our board straight and makes it easier to control. If our stance is twisted, it will be hard to keep the snowboard going straight. We need to make our body work as one unit!

Shift Weight Forward

Shifting our weight forward can help us go faster. Try moving from a centered stance to a more forward stance, with about 65% of our weight on the front foot and 35% on the back. This makes it easier to make small adjustments with the front foot and knee. Also, try to keep a smaller edge angle and stay in a taller position.

Maintain a Strong Basic Stance

A strong basic stance is the foundation of good snowboarding. We should keep our knees bent and our body relaxed. Think of our legs like shock absorbers, helping us stay smooth on rough terrain. Keeping our head up and looking ahead will also help us stay balanced and ready for anything.

Choose the Right Gear

When it comes to snowboarding, having the right gear can make all the difference. Let's dive into the essentials.

Select the Appropriate Board

Picking the right snowboard is crucial. Different boards are designed for different styles of riding. For example, a freestyle board is softer and more flexible, perfect for park riding and tricks. On the other hand, a backcountry board is longer and wider, ideal for plowing through ungroomed powder. Finding the perfect gear might take some trial and error, so don't hesitate to demo different boards until you find the one that feels just right.

Test Different Equipment

Bindings are the connection between you and your snowboard. They need to be snug but comfortable. Make sure they match your riding style and the type of board you have. Bindings that are too loose or too tight can mess up your control and make your ride less enjoyable.

Invest in Quality Gear

Boots are another key piece of equipment. They should fit well and provide good support. Remember, your boots will affect your comfort and performance on the slopes. Try on several pairs to find the ones that fit best. Don't skimp on boots; a good pair can make a huge difference in your snowboarding experience.

The right equipment can turn a good day on the slopes into a great one. Take the time to find gear that fits well and suits your style. You'll thank yourself later.

Train Off the Mountain

Strengthen Your Core

To get better at snowboarding, we need to strengthen our core. A strong core helps us maintain balance and control on the slopes. Here are some exercises to focus on:

• Planks: Hold for as long as you can, aiming to increase your time gradually.
• Russian Twists: Use a weight or just your body weight to twist from side to side.
• Leg Raises: Lie on your back and lift your legs without letting them touch the ground.

Improve Balance and Flexibility

Balance and flexibility are key to snowboarding. We can work on these even when we're not on the mountain. Try these activities:

• Yoga: Great for flexibility and balance.
• Balance Board: Practice standing and moving on a balance board to mimic snowboarding movements.
• Stretching: Focus on your legs, back, and shoulders to keep them flexible.

Focus on Leg Strength

Strong legs are crucial for snowboarding. They help us stay stable and absorb shocks. Here are some exercises to build leg strength:

• Squats: Do them with or without weights.
• Lunges: Forward, backward, and side lunges all help.
• Calf Raises: Stand on your toes and lift your heels off the ground.

Remember, training off the mountain is just as important as practicing on it. By focusing on our core, balance, and leg strength, we'll be ready to hit the slopes with confidence.

Learn Speed Control Techniques

Use the Hockey Stop

Alright, let's talk about the hockey stop. This technique is a game-changer for controlling speed. To do it:

• Start by riding across the slope.
• Shift your weight to your back foot.
• Twist your hips and shoulders to face downhill.
• Dig your edges into the snow to come to a quick stop.

This move is super handy when you need to slow down fast.

Practice Slashing and Spraying Snow

Next up, let's practice slashing and spraying snow. This is not only fun but also helps in controlling speed. Here's how:

• As you turn, push down hard on your edges.
• This will cause a spray of snow, slowing you down.
• Try this on both toe and heel edges to get comfortable.

Adjust Turn Shape for Speed Control

Finally, adjusting your turn shape can make a big difference. Wider turns will naturally slow you down, while tighter turns can help you pick up speed. Focus on making smooth, controlled turns to manage your speed effectively.

Mastering these speed control techniques will make you feel more confident and in control on the slopes.

Understand the Terrain

Knowing the terrain is key to improving our snowboarding speed. Let's break it down.

Identify the Fall Line

The fall line is the path a ball would take rolling down the slope. It's the steepest way down. Knowing where the fall line is helps us plan our turns better, especially on steeper terrain. When we start our turn across the fall line, continue through it, and finish across it, we control our speed and spend less time in the steepest part of the slope.

Navigate Cat Tracks

Cat tracks are narrow, flat trails that connect different parts of the mountain. They can be tricky, but here are some tips:

• Stay centered on your board to maintain balance.
• Keep your speed up to avoid getting stuck.
• Use small, quick turns to navigate.

Handle Steeper Slopes

Steeper slopes can be intimidating, but with the right technique, we can handle them like pros:

• Bend your knees to lower your center of gravity. This gives us more stability and helps us apply pressure to the board edge.
• Shift weight to the front foot to initiate turns. This might feel weird at first, but it makes turning easier.
• Over-exaggerate the lean the first few times. It might feel awkward, but it's probably the right amount.
• Pay attention to where the fall line is pulling us. At the end of every turn, get the board all the way across the fall line.

Remember, the mountain isn’t our enemy; it’s our playground! With the right technique, we can conquer any slope.

Understanding the terrain is key to any adventure. Whether you're hiking, snowboarding, or just exploring, knowing the lay of the land can make all the difference. Want to learn more tips and tricks? Check out our blog for the latest insights and guides.