Last Updated2 May 2023

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.

Skidded Traverses

What, Why, How

Travelling across the full width of the slope in a forward direction from one point to another, balancing over the uphill edge.

This introduces balance while moving across the fall line and reintroduces riding in a forwards direction, while gaining the skills needed at the start and end of a turn.

Begin the traverse by twisting the board using the leading ankle, knee and hip similar to the floating leaf. This will guide the nose slightly into the fall line.

Once moving, focus on balancing evenly on both feet and looking across the slope, maintaining a stable and aligned stance.

To stop at the other side, steer the snowboard gently back into a sideslip by slightly turning the lead knee and hip. It may help to flex a little too.

Repeat in the other direction by rolling over and starting on the new edge, and continue doing so until comfortable.

Example

A useful analogy here is: “Imagine you are a marble on an old zig zag marble run. You roll from one side of the run to the other, pause at the side, then drop through the hole to the next level and roll back across the run, continuing until you get to the bottom.”

Movements & Board Performance

Vertical & Lateral with Edging

Movements within the vertical and lateral directions have the same focus as the floating leaf when starting or stopping. However, during the middle of the traverse we must maintain an even tilt/edging of the board under both feet.

Rotational

Slight rotational movement is required to align the stance to the end point of the traverse. Rotational movement back up the fall line is required to pivot and steer the snowboard to a stop at the end of the traverse.

Longitudinal

A slight fore movement at the initiation can help but we must be centred throughout the traverse to ensure grip is maintained over the entire edge.

Terrain & Group Management

A traverse is simply an extended version of a floating leaf but is always nose first. Always remind your students to check up the hill before crossing the slope, especially in busier areas. Terrain similar to what was used during the floating leaf is suitable; however, a wider run is ideal and flatter slopes can be utilised.

Begin by encouraging the student to let the board slide as they move across the slope, but ensure that the board does not travel directly down the fall line. The first traverses should be slow and controlled. You can then change the focal points so speed is increased as confidence is gained. Looking in the direction of travel is an important skill to develop here, so encourage your students to pick a point with their eyes across the hill during each traverse. With slower snow conditions, a slightly steeper angle down the hill will be necessary to maintain momentum. In faster, icy snow conditions, be sure to take very slight angles across the hill.

Reinforce the direction and edge for regular and goofy footers and have everyone head the same direction. It is more desirable to demonstrate both traverses toe and heel, showing the stop, drop and roll in between. Then have students try both as well, ending on the same side of the run that they started.

Hot Tip

You may find your students naturally want to turn at the end of a traverse, because they have watched other snowboarders do this. Go with it. Don’t hold your students back if they are ready to progress into C-turns; however, encourage them to sit down and roll over if they are showing signs of caution. Hands-on assistance is generally not required during traverses unless the snow is particularly icy, as your students should have established enough independence during the floating leaf.

Corrective Teaching

Student slides more downhill than across the hill (usually seen on heelside):

Check the lateral alignment of their mounted binding position. For example, if the bindings sit closer to the heel edge this is counterproductive for a toeside traverse. In this example, the student’s COM is favouring the heelside and will make it harder to create tilt over the toe edge.

Over either edge, encourage students to allow the nose of their board to point further downhill than the tail.

On the heel edge, check for sufficient highback forward lean, have students look across the slope and encourage them to create more tilt by flexing their knees and hips more.

On the toe edge, encourage students to maintain some edge by flexing both ankles and knees.

Student creates too much edge angle, speeds up and falls or loses balance to the uphill side of the board when attempting to slow down from their traverse (usually seen on the toeside):

Review which body parts to move and how to come back to a sideslip at the end of the traverse.

Ensure that the COM is over the board during the traverse to keep it flatter. This will make it easier to steer the board back to the sideslip.

Self Reflection

“Are my students able to carry momentum across the hill on both edges, whilst looking where they want to go?”

“Am I allowing them to continue to practise independently, by setting a stopping point further down the run?”

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