Snowboarding Tips: How To Snowboard In Powder

How to snowbard in powder

Snowboarding in powder can be a thrilling experience. So we'd like to provide you some tips and tricks to assist you (and us) enjoy those unending days of lovely powder...

Tip 1: Maintain Your Stance - Get Back on the Board

If it's one of those days that we all want for, it's worth taking the time to adjust your stance back an inch or two on your board before heading to the hill.

By shifting your weight to the back of the board and assisting its nose to rise out of the powder, you will normally get a longer nose and a shorter tail (we're talking about the board here).

Tip 2: Turns - Open rather than Close

Powder tends to slow down a snowboarder, so a simple approach for maintaining speed is to modify the geometry of your turns.

An open turn (where the board does not get completely over the fall line) is faster than a closed turn (where the board crosses completely across the fall line in each turn and slows you down).

Tip 3: Change your weight distribution by shifting your hips.

Shifting the hips towards the tail of the board to put extra weight on the back foot - this helps to elevate the nose of the board out of the snow - is a common technique that has been around for years.

This really works, but keep in mind that shifting back might cause the rear leg to fatigue rapidly (the burn), so you may not be able to ride all day - and it can impair your ability to react to the constantly changing terrain.

That is an excellent suggestion, but it should not be utilized excessively.

Tip 4: Selecting a Board - Specialist Setups

There have been several advancements in board shapes and cambers throughout the years, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

If you are going on a vacation where you are 'assured' some powder days, a powder board or one with a rising nose and tail is worth considering (this could be a full rocker or a hybrid). Again, this keeps the nose of the board from sinking into the snow and slowing you down.

Tip 5: Edging - Snowboard Like a Surfer!

We can use our edges to assist regulate our speed, but utilizing a too aggressive edge-angle in powder might cause the board's nose to dive, losing speed and perhaps sending your own nose into the delightful powder.

When riding powder, attempt to ride with a flatter base and less edge angle to help maintain the board on top of the snow. This method and experience have been compared to surfing by some.

Conclusion

Now that the technicalities are out of the way, the greatest advice is to get out there EARLY... Powder riding is the finest; wake up early, get the first lift, and ride all day.

Hopefully, you'll be able to employ these techniques on a powder day like this: