The Value of Riding Switch (1)

If you’re going to play in the halfpipe or do jumps in the terrain park, you definitely need to learn switch. But what if you’re a cruiser and not interested in leaving the ground? Riding switch is still your friend.

For one thing, riding switch on occasion can help you avoid fatigue. There have been times on the hill when I have been using my leading leg so much that it starts to ache. You know it; it’s he quad burn that you get from over-use. I had this problem in the West, and had to take the last run of the day slowly, with frequent stops for rests.

Now, some of this problem comes from an incorrect technique–riding too far towards the tip of the board, rather than being more centered from stem to stern–that over-stresses the front leg. And some of it comes from a fear of riding toeside while making tight turns.

So the best way to minimize a quad cramp is simply to improve one’s riding technique. But I also found that riding switch–putting the other leg in front and letting that leg take the weight for a while–helps as well.

I started my riding career in a regular stance, but have moved to a goofy one this year. I have something of a head start in “switch”ing my ride, though that advantage has been somewhat diminished by going from a 0/0 setting on my bindings to a 20/0 one. (Translation: I changed the placement of my bindings to make it easier to ride in my preferred direction, and more difficult to ride switch.)

Where have I found riding switch to be the most useful? On the relatively flat run-outs of a trail, as it approaches the lift.