Learning how to snowboard is a lot like learning to walk – you need to practice how to balance, move, and navigate to keep yourself upright. At the beginning, you’re probably going to spend a lot of time falling in the snow, but that’s just how learning goes! To help you get up off the ground and become a snowboarding pro, check out our tips on how to turn while snowboarding. For an overview of the snowboard courses we offer, including our snowboard instructor courses, see here.
Your Head
Whether you’re learning how to do advanced snowboard turns or are just starting out, focusing on the position of your head is vital. It can be so tempting to look down at your feet and the ground, but don’t! Keep looking in the direction you’re going and check out the turns you’re going to take before they arrive; this will leave you plenty of time to prepare and turn. When you’re going to turn, always start by moving your head and looking in the direction you’re aiming for.
Use Your Shoulders
Your shoulders are going to work with your head as you learn how to do turns when snowboarding, effectively becoming your steering wheel. Where your head and shoulders turn, your board will follow! So you should be starting your manoeuvre by turning both in the right direction before using your core muscles to direct the snowboard. You can also control the speed of the turns by turning your shoulders slower or faster, giving you more control when learning how to turn on a snowboard goofy or toeside.
Focus on Your Feet
Another area to focus when learning to move on your snowboard are your feet – surprise, surprise! As your feet are in direct contact with the board, they can have a big impact on the direction you’re heading. Here’s what to remember for how to toe turn a snowboard:
- If you’re learning how to turn toeside on a snowboard, put the pressure on the toes of your front foot first, and end with it on the toes of your back foot.
- For turning heelside, start by putting pressure on the heel of your front foot and end with the pressure on the heel of your backfoot.
How to Link Turns on a Snowboard
If you really want to master turns on a snowboard, it’s time to move onto link turns. Here’s what to do:
- Start by turning normally, shifting your head and shoulders in the direction you want to go.
- Now it’s time to turn. Shift your body so your weight moves forward and your board points downhill.
- Once your board is pointing straight down, shift from heelside to toeside, before twisting your foot to turn the board and pushing it through with your rear foot.
- Switch from heelside to toeside quickly, and remember to shift your body weight to stop your from falling down.
- Finish the turn by pushing your board away from the fall line with your back foot, and twisting your front further. Turn your body head, shoulders, and torso in the direction of the turn and you should now be facing a different direction!
With these snowboarding turning tips, you should be carving up the snow in no time! If you want even more help, you can get in touch with our team with anything from how to do snowboarding pivot turns to keeping your balance on the board.