Henrik Windstedt

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How Can You Change Direction During Snowboarding?

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Snowboarding is fun but demanding. It will excite you but unless if have the proper skills, you may not have as much fun as you would have liked. At the worst, you may get injured. But don’t worry! In snowboarding, you may fall down quite a few times but there is less chance of getting injured. As always, we are here to bring you the latest tips to ensure you can enjoy to the fullest.

Getting on a board and strapping yourself in is something which even beginners can do, literally. But you if you wish to move like the wind, to take a sharp turn and amaze your pals; you need to notch up another level of snowboarding! So today, you’ll see how to use your body’s natural alignment to change directions at will.

This is not rocket science! It is pretty easy. So easy in fact, that once you get the hang of it, it will become a second nature. This sport is something which anyone can enjoy: from kids to adults. And with the requisite skills with you, you can enjoy as much as everyone. So, without further ado, here is what you need to know:

What is body alignment and what does it have to do with snowboarding?

Your body’s proper alignment is very important, including to your physical health. You may have heard the common advice that you need to stand tall while walking and not bend down. A poor posture over time has the power to misalign your bones, which causes a lot of pain over long periods of time. Poor posture also causes muscle cramps, muscle pain, and such other problems. Therefore, just like conducting any form for movement, or even while remaining stationary such as sitting, proper posture is a must.

For snowboarding, the same is true. Not only because of physical reasons but also due to the practical reasons. You see, your body’s alignment is what gives you direction which you are on a board. It tells the board where to go, and how fast to go. Proper posture can also make a difference between an injury and be saved from it.

Remember, during skiing or snowboarding, your motion needs to be smooth. In these sports, you may need to keep the same posture for an extended period of time. Therefore, a proper posture is extremely essential. Having this in your repertoire helps you to change directions fluidly instead of moving individual body parts. Sure, that partially works as well, but then you may be going off in a wrong direction!

Putting theory into practice

First of all, let us see the different parts of the body which you can use to gain speed, movement, and acceleration. These parts are heads, shoulders, torso, hips, knees and ankles. For practical purposes, you need to start from the top down. This means that if you need to move or curve in a new direction, start with your head first. Doing so gives you increased speed as well, which is important for acceleration.

Let us break it down a little bit! Do you know the formula for acceleration?

Acceleration= Mass*Speed.

In snowboarding and skiing, your body, of course, is the Mass. But what is the speed? How do you get it?

The way you move your body! For instance, you already know that leaning forward gives you more speed. Similarly, to move in any direction, simply move your head in the direction, and continue to execute that same movement fluidly throughout your body, all the way down to your ankles.

Here are the exact steps for doing it!

First of all, turn your head in the direction you want to go. You don’t have to lean forward too much. After all, it is snowboarding, not skiing.

Secondly, turn your shoulders away from the body. One thing you have to remember is that the movement from head to shoulders should be fluid and not staggered.

Thirdly, slowly but deliberately turn your hips in the direction. The human body’s hips are powerful. They, along with the core muscles give us the force to move, along with the shoulders.

Fourthly, move your knees.

Fifthly, end by turning or moving your ankles.

As said above, your entire movement for changing direction, from head to ankle needs to be fluid. There must be no pause. All the movements have to be one after the other, connected and continuous.

Your body’s movements must be like a ripple of water, fluid and graceful. A half-hearted movement may take you somewhere you don’t want to go.

Remember; do not start on the large or steep slopes at first. Practice on the moderately level ground and work your skills up from there. Take baby steps. You may fall down or crash into a snow dune which practicing, or even into a cute chick and earns a slap, but practicing thus will prepare you for all eventualities. It’ll give you the skills you need to know for snowboarding down the steeper slopes!

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