Snowboarding on the decline in Japan?

[Ezorisu 0]

I found the heel easier from the standpoint of being able to see where I was going, but it was definitely easier to modulate the control on the toe edge.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

I'm with you Ez.

 

I still favour the toe edge in a sticky situation - came in handy today when I cut across too early to a traverse and came down a wall that was a bit too steep for me....on the heel I would have slipped and ended up on my butt, but on the toe I was all good.

 

I still struggle to get up on my heel on a flat, and did so worse in the beginning, so my toe to heel turns I perfected early on - if I stack it now, it is usually on the heel to toe turn.

[Jynxx 4]

Me too Ez

standing was not the problem for me but the heel to toe turn was. My wife says it was the other way around for her.

Now, I like to be on my heel edge when I am at a very steep situation because I can see, side slide and drop my tip into the fall line easier.

I also find my directional 157 Salomon burner a lot more stable with edge grip, faster base. When on flats and slow I have to jump to turn but i got used to that. On the other hand my 151 SantaCruz fusion TT is soo loose. I think the word buttery describes it. But when it gets steep, crud, fast, it just doesn't hold like the Salomon. The SantaCruz have this biometric cut where the heel side has more side curve to make the toe-to-heelside turn easier with less radius but when it gets icy, it can really slip out under you. Really a fun board, treating the mountain like a park like natural quarter pipes, easy to do switch, but not for bombing and I wouldn't call it a freeride board.

We have another board 151 Rome Vinyl. My wife rides it all the time now (we swap them) and I think it's better than the SantaCruz. It's before the girly designs (I don't know why people want to put shitty girly designs on a board) and was voted "transworld best wood' and it soaks up a lot of wax, fast and poppy and nothing bad to say.

 

I am thinking maybe the board one rides have a "feel effect" on standing on the heel side.

maybe short freestyle boards with big side curve is harder to stand on the heel side on steeps. In general, when you are a beginner, longer boards will be more stable but harder to turn, so you learn on shorter boards, no?

[SantaCruz 0]

My experience as a beginner, and I've heard this from a few other people, is that starting off heel side seems to be more natural. Especially in the beginning you're mostly perpendicular to the fall line and you fall a lot, so I think it's natural to want to see where you're going. And peeps would instinctively rather fall on their butt instead of their face.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Originally Posted By: SantaCruz

My experience as a beginner, and I've heard this from a few other people, is that starting off heel side seems to be more natural. Especially in the beginning you're mostly perpendicular to the fall line and you fall a lot, so I think it's natural to want to see where you're going. And peeps would instinctively rather fall on their butt instead of their face.

I was definitely the other way around, I found it more comforting to be able to put my hands out (not good for my wrists) and fall that way. On my heel edge I felt my balance was all out of whack and took me ages to become comfortable on that side.

[hellyer 216]

Hi guys & gals

I am a skier not a snowboarder but I have a snowboard question that follows on from previous posts.

I have been a surfer for over 30 years, if I jumped on a snowboard would I initially favour front or heel side depending on whether I was a natural or goofyfoot surfer?

[HelperElfMissy 42]

hmmm..not sure.

 

I am natural footed and better controlled on my toeside. But as a beginner I did prefer to ride heelside even though I was always in more control toeside - just because of the 'can see where you are going' thing.

[Jynxx 4]

Snowjunky, surprised to hear that you are a skier....

when I started on a surfboard, I was up regular and goofy and I picked regular and practiced. Last year I started skating longboards (my wife bought one) and I am on goofy.

Snoboarding, I can go both but regular is better.

Regular or fakie, swich, goofy, I think you might find it not much of a issue standing heel or toe. Initially you might favor turning heel-to-toe or the other way but no big deal, it's how jelly your knees are..

With snowboards I get caught (edge) when I am flat running. That doesn't happen when skiing. How it happens is: I want to go faster so I go flat, my body is not aligned or I turn my head and usually the toe edge catches, and splat on my front.

 

[Ezorisu 0]

Snowjunky, I surf, skateboard, and snowboard goofy. I think the toeside control comes more naturally to people who have done other "sideways" boardsports because the movements and modulation of control are familiar. The heelside will be different because of the binding highback - you're using more the back-of-the-leg muscles to control the edge rather than the heel itself.

 

TB, falling (or setting down under control) on the toeside is definitely a shorter distance to fall, since we naturally fold the knees and reach toward the ground. When falling off the helside, there is the natural tendancy to reach and bend away from the fall, increasing the arse-impact and neck jolt.

 

MamaB, getting up from the heelside is definitely more difficult on the flat - especially with a pack on. One of my mates absolutely cannot get up and has to roll over to the toeside. I found that pulling one leg in and extending the other and getting up over either the nose or tail makes it much easier - sort of like the body posture of doing a nosepress. Age and excessive weight "out back" has definitely also made this more difficult for me!

[Jynxx 4]

I forgot some people cannot squat.

I'm gonna start a new thread on that.

[RobBright 35]

In regards to standing up heelside, I find that if I get my knees over the toeside, my centre of gravity allows me to push myself up and standing straight.

[@tokyo 14]

Same here.

 

As for on the decline, as a % I'd say it was keeping it's side up.