If You Stand Like a Duck …

There are many ways to stand on a snowboard. Some people, mostly those in extreme carving, stand with both feet pointing nearly downhill. Many freestyle (trick) riders like having their feet pointing across the hill. That’s called a “zero-zero” stance, and it has the advantage of making it easier for either end of your snowboard to lead the way. That’s useful when you’re doing jumps and spins–something not suitable for many adults, especially novices and beginners.

Lately I’ve been going to parties, family gatherings and other events and looking at people’s feet. Well, not their feet as much as where place them in relationship to each other, and how they stand.

You know what “pigeon toed” means? As you stand, your big toes are pointing to each other.

What I’ve noticed, as I look at how people stand, is that most people use what snowboarding instructors call a “duck” stance.

Quack!

A duck stance is the opposite of a pigeon toed-stance. If you picture that you’re standing on a clock, your toes, in a duck stance, are standing on the numbers 10 and 2.

I don’t know enough about biomechanics to explain why we do this, but apparently it’s a very comfortable, stable stance to have.

Snowboarding is all about maintaining some stability (or balance) as the terrain changes and where you are on the hill changes.

If you’re just starting out snowboarding–or if you’ve been at it a while and a feeling a bit shaky–try standing like a duck. In technical terms, ride with an angle of +12 degrees in the front and -9 in the back. Maybe you’ll find that you’re a duck, too!