Snowboarding Techniques that Improve your Riding Style!

snowboarding techniques for beginners

If you want to pick up snowboarding quickly and efficiently, it ultimately comes down to what snowboarding techniques you can implement to effectively progress through snowboarding progression fast.

Being able to adapt and learn new snowboarding techniques quickly is the key to a smooth progression,

whether it is a beginner or advanced snowboarding technique doesn’t matter

As long as you have a great basic snowboard stance and understand how to isolate certain body parts, you will progress with confidence.

Warning: Trying to learn different snowboarding techniques by yourself is great but you also have to be extremely careful not to create bad habits that will hinder your success when you are trying to improve your snowboarding style!

These bad habits can obviously be fixed but it all depends on your awareness and your ability to commit to a stronger snowboarding technique!

That’s why it is so important for you to follow proven snowboarding formulas that not only work but also help you become more consciously aware of your snowboarding environment.

More on that later…

Today’s first topic is going to be geared towards the beginner snowboarding techniques, some of these exercises can place a lot of strain on various muscle groups so if you want to avoid muscle fatigue (Burnout) then I suggest you pay attention.

Beginner Snowboarding Techniques

So what are beginner snowboarding techniques designed for?

beginner snowboard techniques

Although some of these beginner techniques might look pointless, and sometimes you may even feel like you’re just wasting time when you could be up there on the hill trying your own stuff out!

But trust me when I say, if you can learn to take the time and master each snowboard technique with balance and precision, you will progress through the beginner snowboarding techniques progression very quickly.

Here’s what the beginner snowboarder progression looks like:

  • Intro into snowboard
  • Basic mobility
  • Skate/Glide
  • Climb
  • Straight run
  • J-turn
  • Sideslip
  • Floating leaf
  • Traverse
  • Garlands
  • C Turns
  • S linked Turns

Each one of these exercises is designed for you to build onto the next step of your progression.

You might find some these snowboarding techniques easy and some difficult but always try to remember you snowboard stance, this will always help you fast track your success.

With that being said, I will now outline some MUST DO beginner habits will instantly improve your beginner snowboarding technique!

Improve your Beginner snowboarding Technique

If you follow these 3 basic techniques when trying to implement any of the beginner exercises in your progression, you will find the snowboarding movements a lot easier to perform.

Snowboard stance to go faste

1) Basic stance

  • Feet and knees relaxed and slightly flexed
  • Hips in alignment with your snowboard
  • Straight back
  • Arm out to the side and relaxed
  • Head looking in the direction of travel

Try to make a conscious effort to always perform this stance when you are riding on your snowboard.

2) Weight forward not your hips Exercise

weight forward snowboarding

When you are learning, we encourage you to keep your weight forward over the nose of your snowboard…This helps initiate the nose of the snowboard.

Instead of shifting your hips forward, try and get comfortable with the idea of having your hips centered over the snowboard and pressuring the nose of the snowboard through your front knee and foot.

Will J basic stance snowboarding

You might have to bend the knees a little more to help you create the same pressure.

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AVOID Painful slams and Learn all the correct fundamentals that keep you balanced, controlled and safe when learning how to link turns in only 6 hours!  Click here for your Tutorials!

beginner snowboarding tutorials

This will help you in the later stages of intermediate and advanced snowboarding, if your stance is correct and in alignment, you will create a strong foundation to build from.

 3) Beginner Visualisation technique

visualization snowboarding technique

Learning to Visualise yourself performing tricks or certain movements is key to all aspects of snowboarding.

This is also such a massive advantage to anyone who wants to succeed in anything they do in life as well!

If you can create the habit of seeing yourself performing each movement of the snowboard exercise in your head before you actually do it

Then more than likely you will succeed faster than most in the game of learning how to snowboard.

Here a tip: Just before you attempt to try any of the snowboarding techniques we have in outlined in any of our execution plans, stop and see yourself doing it in your head (mind’s eye) first.

Even if you have to close your eyes to see it.

If you can install this Habit into every aspect of your life, you will quickly progress and be onto advanced snowboarding techniques before you know it!

Intermediate Snowboarding techniques:

Intermediate snowboarding will probably be the most challenging aspect of the entire Beginner to advanced progression.

Intermediate snowboarding techniques

During these stages of development, you will have to use a lot of visualisation techniques in your snowboarding and a lot of body isolation techniques as well!

Some of these techniques during this progression will take time to master but as long as you try to control your speed and learn these fundamental intermediate snowboarding techniques on the right terrain, your progression should be fairly safe and controlled.

What does the intermediate snowboard progression look like?

  • Basic stance correction
  • Bad habit elimination
  • Stronger steering habits
  • Better edge control techniques
  • Better timing techniques
  • Better exaggeration of movements techniques
  • Better absorption techniques
  • Greater control and adaptation of terrain awareness
  • More speed etc.

We are essentially fine tuning your riding style to set you up for the advanced progression of the snowboarding journey.

RELATED: More Intermediate snowboarding techniques

This stage of intermediate snowboarding can take months to master but once you get it, your ability and skill set will take you down a path of snowboarding only few get to experience.

Your snowboarding ability will be technically sound and you’ll finally have the confidence and control to ride any terrain the mountain has to offer.

Get the best out of your snowboarding by watching these Proven intermediate Snowboarding tutorials…’Master the Turn’ Snowboard Execution Plan

Transform yourself into an advanced snowboarder who has complete control and the confidence to ride any terrain feature on mountain!

Click the Image below or this link to get instant access!

intermediate snowboarding tutorials

Here’s a Tip: When learning any of these snowboarding techniques, try to ride them in the switch position as well!

Most people ignore this side of the progression because they don’t feel comfortable and in control when riding switch.

Don’t be that person!

By practicing this in your switch riding technique, you will be running through the progression in your head and this will ultimately reinforce and help you in your natural stance.

You should be riding switch on poor visibility days, nice and slow!

 

One BIG Intermediate snowboarding Bad Habit:

A big mistake intermediate snowboarder’s make is having Straight legs when they are learning new techniques.

It is very important you learn quickly what your range of movement is, this will help you tremendously when trying to implement the exercises.

Once you know what your full range of movement is, it’s time to start thinking about how flexed your knees are and how much more board performance/edge pressure you truly can create!

TIP: If you are struggling with straight legs, try and think about being a cowboy when you are snowboarding around…

Cowboy snowboard stance intermediate snowboarding technique

We call this the cowboy stance and if forces you to keep your knees out so you have no option but bend those knees more.

What is Your Range of movement?

Like I mentioned above, it is important for us to know what our range of movement is when snowboarding, only then can we get maximum edge pressure and balance with the least amount of resistance.

By understanding this concept, it will give you the tools to finally start riding your snowboard with a more dynamic snowboarding technique.

range of movement Intermediate carving technique

Here’s how you do it:

Standing in a stationary position, I want you to flex down into your heel edge without any momentum. (It might help if you have something to hold onto)

Only flex down until you start to lose balance of your basic stance (keep your back straight).

It is important you use your full skeletal range and not compensate by bending your lower back!

This is your full heelside edge range of movement.

Now it’s time to try it on your toe edge…

Remember to only flex down in your lower body, do not break at the waist to compensate for flexion.

Your toe side edge range will be shorter than your heel side edge range so remember that as well!

Now that you know your full range of movement, you must also adjust your timing techniques as well.

Get the best out of your snowboarding by watching these Proven intermediate Snowboarding tutorials…’Master the Turn’ Snowboard Execution Plan

Transform yourself into an advanced snowboarder who has complete control and the confidence to ride any terrain feature on mountain!

Click the Image below or this link to get instant access!

intermediate snowboarding tutorials

Timing is everything when it comes to intermediate and advanced snowboarding techniques so make sure you implement the techniques and exercises we have in our master the turn’s execution plan.

This is our cornerstone training plan and will serve you well into the advanced stages of snowboarding!

Advanced Snowboard Techniques can be Difficult to Master by Yourself.

advanced snowboarding techniques

So what does it take to become an advanced snowboarder?

And what does advanced snowboarding look like?

To answer the first question, you can expect to be consistently practicing different snowboarding techniques for at least 2 yrs.

Unless you’ve had 100 days under your belt and have been practising advanced snowboard techniques with consistent effort, chances are high that you are still classed as an intermediate snowboarder.

And for question two:

Advanced snowboarding is a complete adaptation of snow conditions and terrain.

You would have the knowledge and skillset to adjust your snowboarding technique to any and all circumstances you encounter!

It is also having the courage within yourself that you can snowboard any terrain with control and balance, trusting your skillset and letting your expression blossom.

Snowboarding is an Art form and having the ability and skill set to actually ride the mountain without restriction is limited to the few….

Welcome to advance snowboarding!

This is what the progression looks like:

  1. Fine tuning the basic stance
  2. Fine tuning the Intermediate Snowboarding techniques
  3. More exaggerated movements
  4. Deeper Exploration of edge pressure control
  5. Different pressure release/apply techniques
  6. Full terrain and Snow adaption
  7. Absorption techniques

And this is only part of the progression, I haven’t even mentioned freestyle and carving style yet.

The truth is, that advanced snowboarding techniques take a lot of time to master, I did 22 back to back winters in a row so I was fortunate enough to aspire and reach this level in my Riding. (11yrs without a summer)

A key component to a strong Advanced Snowboarding technique:

Exaggeration in your snowboarding movements?

riding straight and fast on a snowboard

One technique you need to master when becoming an advanced snowboarder is exaggeration of movements.

I want you to imagine yourself making simple intermediate snowboard turns down the hill but this time you will exaggerate every single movement you make.

Coming from the ground up, it would look something like this:

Instead of just using your feet, you would be focusing on really pushing down on your toe edge when making the toe turn,

same as when you are on your heel edge, thinking about lifting your toes up to the sky.

You front knee would be working in overdrive and in complete control of steering that front knee through the turn.

Your legs would be reaching their full range of movement in both directions, your back would be relaxed and slightly flexed and your arms would be leading your shoulders into each and every turn.

Your head would be looking exactly where you want to go. (Not down at the snow)

This is what exaggerated movements looks like!

Other Helpful Snowboarding Techniques:

Watch snowboarding videos

Another helpful tip for learning freestyle tricks is to watch professional snowboarding videos to help your mind connect the dots of each trick you wish to perform.

You can slow down some of the videos and analyze each and every movement the rider is doing!

One video I personally like is called: ‘that’s it that’s all’

Powder day snowboarding.

snowboard freeride tutorial

One great tip to try on a powder days is to always push yourself when you have a soft cushion of snow to protect yourself if you fall.

Keep in mind, this does not mean just go nuts and do whatever you want, what I mean is , try and go a little faster through the turns, try and slash that bank a little harder.

Powder days are a great way to help yourself develop, not only better snowboarding techniques but to help you bring your confidence levels up and into the next stage of the progression.

Another great exercise is too practise switch riding techniques on powder days. (Only after conditions get tracked out)

This is a very useful technique to practice simply because when you fall, it doesn’t hurt as much!

It will also help teach you about better absorption within the legs.

Powder days are great for trying out new tricks, new exercises and techniques that would otherwise scare you on a normal day.

Keep that in mind and have fun while you’re doing it.

Full visualisation when snowboarding.

visualization snowboarding technique

My biggest advice I can give you for learning snowboarding techniques is to start learning how to visualise in your mind’s eye to create what you want in reality.

Not only should you use this technique in snowboarding but also in your day to day life.

So how do you learn how to visualize with precision and accuracy?

Here is a great blog post I found, and it will help you develop this technique.

Snowboarding visualisation technique

By learning how to use these techniques, you can expect to fly through each snowboarding progression online snowboard coach has to offer.

NOTE: I highly recommend learning how make this leap into a Better snowboarder and a stronger Person who can influence positive change.

INTERMEDIATE Snowboarders:

Want to learn how to stay balanced and controlled when Riding steeps on a snowboard? Simply download this bad habits cheat sheet to gain an unfair advantage on the hill.

Learn what bad habits snowboarders make so you can AVOID them to progress faster and maintain balance and control easier…check it out now!

Intermediate Snowboarding techniques

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Logan
Logan

Logan is the founder of Online Snowboard coach and has been coaching people how to snowboard for over 12 years...

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    1 Response to "Snowboarding Techniques"

    • Tony

      Thx Logan.
      Some really good info. I have been snowboarding for many seasons and just learning how to do some things correctly. This site is one reason and I can see now it will help me enjoy the mountains more.
      Be well.

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