The Value of Riding Switch (3)

Riding switch can be an awkward–but it can also be a valuable reminder of the fundamentals of snowboarding. (See also here and here.)

I’ve dialed back my binding angles (from 24 degrees in front to 15, a one-third reduction), so I have had to get a feel for the new setup.

Riding switch the other day reminded me of a common problem: leaning towards the tail of the board. It’s a natural tendency, but it is also a self-defeating one. While it comes about from fear, it’s the wrong response. If you fall, you fall; it doesn’t matter if you were first leaning towards the tip, towards the tail, or were somewhere in between. A fall means you’re going to hit the ground and have to get back up, regardless of where you started from.

Leaning back is harmful because it increases the likelihood that you will, in fact, fall. Turns will be more difficult, because you’re going to be trying to overcome some extra inertia. You may be tempted to not wait or the natural curvature of the board have its effect. Instead, you may be tempted to push out the tail of the board to work the turn. At best, that leads to a skidded turn; at worst, a fall.

So whether you are riding in your usual stance or riding switch, don’t lean back.