Best Way To Pressure A Snowboard Edge?

Pressure snowboard edges

About ten years ago, when we first started snowboarding, we really didn't know much about technique. Our knowledge of technique was derived from that of other sports, specifically skiing. For many of the best riders, it didn't seem to matter; they just rode. They rode together and pushed one another to their physical and mental limits. Seasonal changes in both equipment and technique were common.

It was very challenging for a technician to comprehend what was happening because even the best riders sometimes did not know what they were doing. Just like that. The way they expressed their feelings did not always match what we saw on camera. When analyzing snowboard technique, the models we developed for comprehending ski technique did not always hold true. Nearly every day, new theories were developed by technicians to explain technique.

The theory of applying pressure to or managing pressure along an edge was perhaps the most important of these theories. This concept serves as the basis for contemporary snowboard technique in addition to explaining one of the key distinctions between skiing and snowboarding.

Using the standard edge and pressure control movements, a snowboarder can edge and pressure a snowboard, but they can also control the pressure and edge along the length of the board. They accomplish this by acting separately on their feet, ankles, and knees. Changes in pressure, edge changes, and edge angle adjustments do not need to be made simultaneously with both feet. Let's examine how we can apply this to various circumstances and riding levels.

Start by performing a simple heel side side-slip. The board will fall directly down the fall line if edge and pressure are maintained equally with both feet. Things change if we adjust the amount of edge with one of our feet. The board's nose will seek the fall line and begin to move down the hill if we edge less with the front foot. It's like pressing the gas pedal when doing a heel side slip.

The end of the board that seeks out the fall line will be whichever foot you use to press the gas pedal. This is important because it enables us to control the board and begin turns without making significant movements of our center of mass. On both feet, we can maintain our balance. Back then, we believed that shifting weight from foot to foot was the only way to accomplish this.

Edge movements during linking turns are started with the front foot and finished with the back foot. As a result, we can begin the turn by applying more pressure to the board's front edge and finish it by applying more pressure to the board's tail edge without losing our balance. If we went all the way, we could even start a new turn on the front and finish the turn on the back of the board. The best part is that we do not need to alter our center of gravity in order to control the pressure along the edge thanks to the board's ability to be turned.

Further investigation reveals that the back foot need not even correspond to the front foot's movements. Each foot can edge in opposition to the other. When turning with a very small turning radius, such as in bumps or on steep terrain, this can be useful. While the back foot aids in turning the board, the front foot can hold an edge.

Most elite riders employ this method. It is applied in a wide range of circumstances, with the timing and level of edging varying only slightly. Although it is not really necessary for powder, it also doesn't really hurt. Because edge movements are more lateral, it does not work for alpine racers with narrow boards and extreme stance angles, but for the majority of us, this is how to ride.