Tag Archives: bank slalom

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How To Actively Snowboard Bumpy Terrain & Moguls

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There are perfect conditions for snowboarding and wakeboarding. Lakes are glass when there aren’t many boats out and there’s no wind to make the water choppy. In snowboarding we get fresh powder or the snow gets groomed but can get bumpy when folks turn and push the snow around. We need to be able to Absorb & Ride Bumpy Terrain. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snake Course, Snowboarding Chutes, Building A Race Course, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

We learn how to snowboard on flat groomed terrain with a gradual slope. After you get comfortable with this terrain step up to steeper slopes. When there is more of an incline you gain more speed. This steeper terrain requires you to turn more to keep your speed in control. On powder days snow is pushed around much more and easy blue slopes that were groomed in the morning might have moguls to start forming in a very short time. You will have to be able to navigate this bumpy terrain to get down. If you use some basic movements and can survey the terrain you’ll do fine.

When I’m teaching students how to ride moguls I choose good terrain. I like to start on blue groomers and get them to start developing rhythm. There are different types of movement patterns and some are better than others in certain situations. Check out Dynamic Flex & Extend Movements For Snowboarding to get a better idea about what I’m referring to. After students are moving their bodies dynamically I can get them off piste. I choose blue terrain that has moguls on one side and is groomed on the other. This way they can try to ride bumps and if they’re not getting it they can jump back onto the groomed terrain.

I like to use Active Absorption Versus Passive Absorption. I will actively lift my front leg up as I approach a bump and then push it down as I go over it and do the same with my back foot. You really want to use independent foot steering, flexing and extending your legs. One might be extended while the other is flexed. It is a good workout to ride moguls. If I only have a short time to ride and want to burn the most calories I ride the moguls. Moving more creates more energy. If you want to be cruisy stay on the groomers and if you’re looking to be more aggressive get off piste and into the bumps. 

Look down the hill and try to plan your line at least 5 turns in advance. I like to just follow the fall line or gravity and choose the path of water or the least amount of resistance. I will change edges across the fall line and will turn uphill to bleed off speed. Snowboarders and skiers both make moguls but because they are faced downhill with narrow skis and boarders are sideways with wider boards we ride the bumps a bit differently. I turn on the bump using it as a berm. I can ride moguls like a skier or a zipper line but my upper body gets out of alignment on my toeside edge and this can cause injury. I prefer to stay stacked over my board finishing my turns in alignment. I plan ahead and if they are obstacles I have no problem avoiding them and keeping my flow.

You should work on being consistent in your turn shape staying on your toeside as long as you stay on your heelside. It will take some practice to get these movements fine tuned. You might get it right away or it might take you a long time but keep with it. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Improve Your Snowboard Skills By Riding The Snake Course

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One of the best ways to improve your race skills is to Build & Ride The Snake Course. Turning over and over in the same spot pushes the snow and creates a berm or banked slalom course. This is a great way to improve your skills! Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Building A Race Course, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

I have a video that gives some Tips On Building A Race Course that is similar to a snake course. The big difference is that a snake course requires several riders to turn in the same place to move the snow. This is what happens on steeper slopes. This is how we create moguls or bumps. Peeps turn in the same place pushing the snow into mounds. Skiers and snowboarders have a slightly different timing when turning. The ski is much more narrow than a snowboard is. It takes a ski less time to go from edge to edge. A snowboard is wider so we ride moguls a wee bit different. We turn on the bump and avoid the trench. Turning in the same place will create a trench and that’s way in races they have folks slip the course to fill in those trenches so it stays smooth.

The snake course is for someone that is more of an advanced rider. Start by riding a race course and once you feel good doing that then we can step it up by riding a snake course. It’s easy to create a snake course when the snow is softer. I see these courses pop up when the weather warms up. It will only take a couple runs if you have a larger crew helping to shape it. It’s great to go out with other riders that are at your level or better than you so that they push your limits. If you like to snowboard, find a crew that will go out and rip with you. You’ll get better when you are riding with advanced riders on steeper terrain.

Get dynamic when you snowboard the snake course. I talk about this in Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend if you are wondering what I’m talking about. The snake will really get you to vary your Timing, Intensity and Duration. TID will create a different rhythm when you snowboard. Try to turn every 3 or 4 seconds so that your turn shape is the same on both edges. This will create symmetrical turns and people behind you can predict when you turn. After you can make turns in rhythm, get more dynamic and you’ll be more of an efficient snowboarder. Get low and extend through your turn. This will let you flow and ride the bump or berm. 

I like to turn in the same place to make a snake course but I can also create jumps by doing this. I teach on the beginner slope and it’s nice to create some features that I can jump and spin off of. Making the lips, berm and bumps can turn plain terrain into more advanced terrain. This will help to take your riding to the next level. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! Online snowboard resources like videos on our YouTube Channel and articles like these can help you a ton. Professional snowboard lessons help even more. My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.

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Learn How To Develop Rhythm By Setting Up A Race Course

Blake Tholen Clark Certified Snowboard Instructor, Flowing Freeride Online Snowboard School, Free Snowboarding Lessons, From Your Snowboard Coach, Snowboarding Tips, , , , , , , , , , ,

Snowboarding is an action sport that relies on timing so Develop Rhythm With A Race Course. This will help you to snowboard moguls with flow and to rip through glades with confidence. Follow us by subscribing on YouTube to get all our new videos & tips. Flowing Freeride will teach how to pick the right snowboard gear best for you and drills to improve your skills. You’ll have access to all our snowboard tutorials when you sign up that cover every step and feedback from your coach. We also have some free snowboard videos to prepare for snowboard safety on our YouTube Page. I recommend watching these snowboard videos; Building Rhythm, Advanced Snowboarding Getting Air, Snowboard Bumpy Terrain, Snake Course, Snowboard Dynamic Flex & Extend, Advance Snowboard Lesson: Dropping Cliffs, Snowboarding Off Piste, Snowboarding Chutes, Snowboard Lesson Navigating Trees & Obstacles, Active Passive Absorption, Funnel Turns For Navigating Obstacles & Snowboarding Moguls.

Grab dead tree branches and I place them in the snow placing them in the snow staggering left and right to make an “S” turn shape. I don’t want to go straight down the fall line. The more you turn in the same spot you create an actual berm the snow gets pushed up and you create a bank slalom! We’re going to turn in the same spot and we’re going to create a bank slalom, a snake course or a bobsled course. This helps improve your snowboarding because when we’re riding in trees, off piste and in moguls there’s a pattern or a rhythm where people turn in the same spot. This is going to help you to develop rhythm. It’s going to help you become a faster, better rider in glades, bumps and off piste conditions. Depending on what you want to practice, place the sticks farther apart and it becomes a giant slalom the closer together it’s more of a slalom course. You want to have a pitch that’s pretty steep. You don’t want your course to be too flat because we’re really practicing on gaining speed and turning quickly. 

I’ve talked about turning above the gate or obstacle in other articles and videos. I want my turn to start early. As I’m coming across the fall line is when I’m going across the gate. That’s what you want to do. You want to turn it eight to ten feet early in front of the gate. We’ll be turning in the same spot and you’re going to start banking up to the snow creating berms. It’s really great to go out and do these courses with a lot of people. This way the course is formed a lot quicker and you’re creating your own freestyle terrain park, banks slaloms, bobsled courses. The berms are great ramps and you can actually start jumping off of those doing your tricks. You can ride them as a bank slalom or a berm and that becomes a nice way to turn. This is going to help you into the bumps too because if you go into the bumps that’s what a bump is. It’s snow being pushed up peeps turning in the same spot. That’s pretty much what bumps are is a bank slalom people turning in the same spot. Skiers turn differently than a snowboarder. 

Sometimes the bumps form differently for a skier than a snowboarder and this drill is great for a skier too if you’re a skier you want to get out here and start doing the same thing because you want to be able to turn quickly as well as a skier. Skiers can practice turning on one ski helping them carve. It also makes them ready to balance on one board or becoming a snowboarder. 

Plan your line by looking ahead. This will help you to predict what the best gravity fall line is. This will make you a more advanced snowboarder. Get Hooked On Snowboarding with Snowboardclass/Flowing Freeride’s techniques by going back to other snowboard videos that teach how to improve your skills, improve your knowledge on equipment, safety, terrain and weather. You can sign up for the full course to gain access to all of our snowboard lessons, study guides, textbooks, glossary, tests and direct feedback from your coach. Learn to snowboard online with flowingfreeride.com and take a look at our YouTube Page for more free content and learn to snowboard right! My name is Blake Tholen Clark Contact Me if you want to book a lesson or have any questions about Snowboarding.