We have put together a list of Trip-Tips while away skiing/snowboarding!
1st Run – Warm Up.
On your first lap in the morning, try doing multiple squats as you ride on your heel and toe edge.
This is great to:
1️⃣ Get you and your legs warmed up and ready to Snowboard/Ski.
2️⃣ Find and test your range of motion in the lower body – flex and extend.
3️⃣ Improve balance and coordination.
4️⃣ Develop positional awareness on the Snowboard or Ski.
Be mindful to maintain good posture in the upper body and bend through the knees and ankles rather than breaking at the waist.
Easily feel the 4 main ways you can move on a snowboard
Try moving in the 4 main ways at home without your Snowboard on or out on the slopes on flat ground while you’re strapped in.
The 4 main ways to move are:
1️⃣ Nose to tail / tail to nose ↔️
2️⃣ Edge to edge
3️⃣ Up and down ↕️
4️⃣ Rotational 🔄
When you are in a centred and aligned stance you will be mobile and able to freely move in the 4 main ways above.
How to stand to easily move in the 4 main ways:
1️⃣ Equal weight on both feet.
2️⃣ Equal bend in the key lower joints – ankles, knees, hips. (Back Straight)
3️⃣ Shoulders in line with your hips and the Snowboard with eyes looking in the direction of travel.
4️⃣Try to maintain that fluid and centred position as you ride down the mountain to feel stable, balanced and in control.
Sore and tight after Snowboarding?
Massage balls might just be the wonder-worker you’ve been looking for.
Especially if you are snowboarding for multiple days in a row, it’s crucial to take care of your body.
Massage balls are one of the easiest, quickest, and cheapest ways:
Snowboarding & Yoga = The Ultimate Union ☯️🙏
If you are dominant with your lead leg and don’t ride switch often, it can create some imbalances in the body. Ride Switch for the first hour of the day, every day. This will 100% improve riding ready for those sweet pops to 180, 360 spins etc
Yoga can heal and restore symmetry in the body to give you super snowboard skills on snow.
What we are trying:
Sliding 360s to teach a stable, strong position on the snowboard.
Why we practice them
To develop:
1️⃣Equal weight on both feet.
2️⃣Equal bend in the key lower joints – hips, knees, ankles.
3️⃣Alignment with the upper and lower body.
How to be successful
1️⃣ Look through the spin – where your eyes look your body will be allowed to follow
2️⃣ Centred position on the board.
3️⃣ Shoulder hips knees feet move and rotate together.
4️⃣ Maintain alignment & equal weight on both feet.
Instructor Pro Tip:
Try to have soft, relaxed ankles so that there is MINIMAL edge and the Snowboard can easily spin on a flat base.
If you are hard on edge, you will start to jar through the spin and it won’t be fluid or smooth.
Practice the 360s All ways ↔️
The penguin walk/run is a great way to move on flat ground without having to unstrap
It’s best and easiest to break it down into 2 parts:
1️⃣Shift your hips and feet underneath you to make an X in the snow.
2️⃣Bounce on the nose and tail.
Combine them together to move forward just like you walk/jog
Instructor Pro Tip:
Be really comfortable with the bounce on the nose and tail and the rebound you get from it. This is what helps propel you forward and takes less effort.
In bad visibility head for the trees
Socked-in conditions and low lying cloud make it difficult to see changes in the terrain and snow.
Everything just looks white and there is no definition in the snow. You can get easily caught out and bucked around.
Ride in the trees if you can or just by the tree line.
This will give you some more definition with your vision and you will be able to see changes in the terrain more easily.
Instructor Pro Tip:
If freezing rain or ice accumulates on your goggles DO NOT scratch it off with your glove. This can take off the coating or scratch the lens. Take your hand out the glove and place it over your goggle lens so the ice melts with your body heat. We highly recommend purchasing Muc-Off Anti fog spray.
Be soft and relaxed in your lower body so you can react and adapt to the terrain below.
If you are stiff and tense, you will easily lose balance if anything unexpected comes along, especially in the bad visibility.
Hope you have enjoyed my Tips for your trip planned and hope you have a blast in the Pow!!! Be safe and HAPPY SHREDDING!!!
David
pulmansskiandsnowboardservices.com 