Last Updated1 June 2022

Learning Beginner Turns offers an example progression to help students make their first turns, building upon the skills in the First-Timer progression, and work towards linking turns. These activities should be carried out on a groomed beginner area or gentle green slope. Generic goals for any learn-to-turn lesson include safe stopping; moving across the slope on both edges; speed control; and turning.

Keeping the class safe is your responsibility, so stop them on the sides of the runs and in places that will not cause problems for other beginners. Keep referring back to previous exercises that you have already done with your class. There are only small changes from exercise to exercise, whether it be an added movement or a timing change.

Intro to Turn Size & Shape

What, Why, How

Learning to change the size (small, medium and large) and the shape (open and closed) of the turn.

Varying turn size and shape provides options for maintaining and controlling speed, as well as line choice to avoid obstacles and explore new terrain.

VIDEO: Intro to Turn Size & Shape with Jamie Middleton

Turn Size

Changing the size of turns relies on similar movements used in medium-sized beginner turns. While making a few turns review the movements of gently rising, moving your front knee and hip towards the new turn.

Once the board is flat, progressively flex over the new edge, turning the front knee and hip to steer the board across the hill.

Focus on how long it takes to make each turn, try to measure them by counting how many seconds each turn takes (typically three-four seconds).

For a smaller turn, simply make the same blend of movements a little quicker for a two second count. It may also help to turn the front knee and hip a little more, increasing the amount of movement.

Larger turns can be achieved by slowing down the same blend of movements or increasing the time taken (typically a five-six second count).

Next try to progressively change the size of your turn by starting with small turns and gradually making them bigger, increasing the timing or count as we ride (or vice versa depending on the terrain available).

Example

Using the same timing changes while focusing on the pressure under the soles of the feet: “See if you can notice the pressure changes under your feet when moving from the heel, to the centre of the foot, to the ball of the foot and back again. Then try it faster and slower.”

Turn Shape

Varying turn shape relies on similar movements used in the closed turn. The less the board travels across the hill at the completion of the turn the more open the turn becomes.

Speed generally increases with open turns. Focus on how long it takes to make a medium closed turn, when the board finishes across the hill (typically three-four seconds).

To make the turns more open, simply use the same blend of movements, but finish the steering movements earlier, before the board travels across the hill (after two-three seconds), still starting the new turn by gently rising and moving your front knee and hip towards the new turn.

The less time spent turning the board across the hill the more open the turn will become and potentially the faster the board will travel.

Next, start with open turns and progressively make them more closed or vice versa.

Example

An interesting activity is to imagine a clock face and your board is the hour hand: “If you finish the turn with the board pointing at three o’clock or nine o’clock the turns are closed. If you finish the turn with the board pointing at four o’clock or eight o’clock the turns are more open. For a really open turn try finishing the turns between five and seven o’clock.”

Movements & Board Performance

Vertical & Lateral with Edging & Pressure

Progressive extension and flexion is required through the lower body. Heel-to-toe, extend through the knee and hip to shift the COM over the board then flex through the ankles and knee to balance over the new edge. Toe-to-heel, extend through the knee and ankle to shift the COM over the board then flex through the knees and hips to balance over the new edge. Note that there will be some independence within the leading half of the body laterally to help with the initiation. The amount of vertical and lateral movement can remain similar for different size and shape turns, though the duration of the movement will need to vary.

Rotational with Steering

Movements should be focused in the front knee and hip, while allowing the shoulders to make a subtle movement in the same direction to aid in steering. Smaller turns will often require more rotational movement timed faster while larger turns require less rotational movement over a longer duration. Rotational movement should be progressively blended with vertical and lateral movements.

Longitudinal

Fore/aft movements should remain in a centred position to help maintain effective vertical, lateral and rotational movements.

Terrain & Group Management

Mileage with feedback on familiar green terrain is a key to creating the skills needed to progress onto new and more challenging terrain. Make students aware that larger turns will usually result in an increase in speed and use more of the slope. Smaller closed turns will be needed as we move onto steeper terrain to help control speed. Open turns will result in an increase in speed and will be useful for flatter terrain.

Students will need to be very conscious of other people on the mountain as they will potentially be travelling faster and using more width of the slope. Awareness of the pitch of the terrain and snow conditions is crucial to their success and development. The students will often be travelling for longer durations and be well spaced out so setting clear meeting points at the sides of the run will help keep the class together and safe from uphill traffic.

Spending time with students looking at different terrain and discussing the most appropriate turn to use and why will reinforce good independent decision making in the future as they begin to explore and navigate new terrain.

Example

When encouraging students to analyse the terrain and adapt their turn size and shape to suit: “Now that you are able to make different size and shaped turns it’s time to vary them to suit the terrain that we are riding. As you look at the slope in front of us, what would be the most appropriate turn to use?”

Corrective Teaching

Student falls inside the turn through the control or completion phases:

Have students stay laterally balanced over the board with the upper body at low speeds.

Encourage edging movements using flexion in the lower body for balance.

Ensure students have enough momentum to help them balance.

Student experiences instability or chatter during turn completion:

Encourage students to use a larger and more progressive range of flexion movement to aid stability through turn completion. For example, over-flexing at the hips on the toeside will move the upper body laterally out of balance. More flexion in the ankles and knees will complement hip flexion, resulting in a more laterally balanced riding position.

Student lacks speed control:

Review how to create a closed turn shape through effective steering using the knee, hip and shoulder.

Discuss and review with students if they are using an appropriate combination of turn size and shape for the terrain.

Encourage smooth progressive steering through the lower body for the appropriate duration for the size and shape of the turn.

Practice steered traverses with the focus on finishing across the hill.

Self Reflection

“Did I make my students aware of why we make different sized turns?”

“Do my students know how to control speed through the size and shape of their turns?”

“Are my students able to match the size and shape of their turns suitably to variations in terrain?”

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