What Is Snowboarding Fall Line? [Everything you need to know]

Snowboarding is rife with jargon and technical terms. As a beginner, this can be difficult to understand! Your instructor will mention "the fall line" once you've strapped in at the top of a mountain. It sounds terrifying, but it can be your friend. So, what is the snowboarding fall line?

The fall line in snowboarding is the path a snowball would take if rolled down the hill. This means that the fall line is an imaginary line that extends straight down the mountain from where you are.

You must understand how the fall line affects your riding as a snowboarder. Knowing this allows you to maintain control and accelerate when necessary. Let's get into the specifics!

Fall line in snowboarding

Crossing the Fall Line

Knowing the fall line, it should come as no surprise that pointing your snowboard straight down will cause you to accelerate... quickly!

Some of you may think this sounds like fun, and it is, but you must first know what you're doing.

You must first learn to ride across the fall line on your toe and heel edges. This isn't difficult; all you have to do is maintain your balance and know how to shift your weight. This allows you to ride in the desired direction.

Let's pretend you're standing on your toes and want to cross the fall line. To do so, shift your weight forward slightly, move your upper body in the desired direction, and bend your front knee slightly more.

This will cause your board to glide forward while going diagonally across the hill, resulting in some height loss as you traverse. Shift your weight back and stand up straight to slow down or stop.

Practice The Falling Leaf Maneuver

The "falling leaf" maneuver is an excellent way to learn how to ride across the.

The falling leaf expands on what we've already discussed. When you come to a stop, however, use the same technique to ride backwards and forwards on the same edge. Continue until you reach the bottom of the slope.

The motion is similar to that of a leaf falling from a tree (hence the name). Before you can turn, you must first master the falling leaf on both edges. Don't worry, most people get the hang of it after a couple of runs.

Going Down The Fall Line

A snowboard turn can be completed with a little bit of speed. To gather enough momentum, you must point your board down the fall line, which can be terrifying in the beginning!

But you just have to grit your teeth and embrace it until you can get the board's tail across the fall line to safety.

What is the snowboarding fall line?

When they gather speed and lean back, most beginners panic. This, however, only keeps you pointing down the fall line, causing you to go faster and out of control.

As you gain experience, you can use the fall line to gain as much speed as possible in order to have fun while also ensuring you're going fast enough to get over flat sections.

Carving With The Fall Line

You can learn to carve once you've mastered the use of the fall line. This is the next step in your riding development. Once again, the fall collection is your best friend!

Conclusion 

Hopefully, you now have a good understanding of what the fall line is... and how to use it!

Continue your snowboarding education by visiting our snowboarding advice page.

Enjoy your ride!