Four Movement Options

Snowboarding is an active sport that requires constant movement to control the board and maintain balance. To understand this further, the movements are broken down into the four directions that we are physically able to move in, in relation to the board.

We will very seldom use only one movement on its own. Instead, there are usually several or all the movements happening in unison.

Vertical Movement

Vertical movement, i.e. flexing and extending, happens any time a rider moves part of their body up or down. This is achieved through flexion or extension movements in one or more joints within the body.

The main joints that are used in these flexing and extending movements are the ankles, knees, hips and spine. Efficient vertical movement is needed to maintain balance on a moving board. It is also used in everything from turning to jumping.

Vertical movements are used to help manage the amount of pressure in or under the snowboard. Flexing and extending movements work similar to shock absorbers on a mountain bike for a smoother ride. Lack of efficient vertical movement can result in the board chattering or bouncing (inefficient pressure management).

Lateral Movement

Lateral movement happens any time a rider moves part of their body across the board. These movements can come from the whole body or just a specific part of the body. For a lateral movement to be efficient the rider will need to blend in vertical and, often, rotational movements. Efficient lateral movement is needed to balance and move from edge to edge. Snowboarders use lateral movement to help tilt and torsionally twist the board.

Tilt of the snowboard refers to edging or the degree of edge angle being created. This is described in more detail in the Board Performance topic.

Torsional twist of the snowboard is used to help initiate a turn. One side of the body is moved independently from the other (sometimes referred to as independent lateral movement). This is most efficient when it is created through the front ankle, knee and hip. It is used to help start the turn by releasing edge grip at the nose of the board. For it to work well, the rider should move the lead knee and hip across the board, whilst moving vertically.

Rotational Movement

Rotational movement happens any time a rider moves part of their body by turning it toward the toe or heel edge, around an axis. There are two main areas of the body that we can rotate or turn:

The Lower Body

This is essentially the legs, through the ankles, knees and hip joints. It includes the front leg/knee, back leg/knee, or both legs/knees, rotating around the ankles and hip joints.

The Upper Body

This includes the hips, spine, shoulders and head. Upper body rotation is when one or all of these joints turn around the spine.

The image above shows a larger upper body rotation, with a smaller amount of lower body rotation.

Encourage beginner snowboarders to use smaller movements from the lower body when learning to make their first turns. This is complemented with gentle and smooth movements of the upper body to maintain rotational alignment to the direction they are travelling in.

Note that hips are the point where the upper and lower body are technically divided and can be included as either upper or lower body. This is depending on whether they’re referring to the movement out of the hip joint, or the hips themselves rotating around the spine.

Rotational movement is needed to pivot and steer the snowboard throughout a turn. It is also used in a lot of freestyle manoeuvres. Most rotational movements need to be blended with vertical movement, or at least come from a comfortably flexed position, for them to work effectively. Rotational movement is also influenced by lateral and longitudinal movements. A board that is flatter to the snow will pivot more easily and if weight is shifted toward the nose or tail the pivot point will move along the length of the board.

Longitudinal Movement

Longitudinal movement, or fore-aft, happens any time a rider moves a part of their body along the length of the board. This is achieved by using flexion and extension movements in one side of their body. There may also be a rotational movement added depending on the task the rider is attempting. Fore and aft movement is required to maintain balance on a moving board. It is also used in everything from turning to jumping.

First-time snowboarders should be encouraged to keep equal weight over both feet, to maintain longitudinal alignment. This will keep the managed pressure in the centre of the board. By moving towards the nose or tail the rider will change where the pressure is being applied. This movement will be needed for tasks like tail presses and ollies.