How to Heel Edge Side Slip on a Snowboard
When learning to heel edge side slip on your snowboard, a reasonably short slope that is of a shallow gradient would be an ideal location for practicing.
You will need to start by strapping on to your snowboard at the top of the hill while sitting facing down the slope with your snowboard positioned horizontally across the slope in front of you.
Once you are strapped on to your snowboard you will probably need a mate to give you a hand getting up on to your feet. As your mate pulls you up, get them to rest their foot underneath the front of your snowboard near to your toe edge. As long as you mate’s wearing snowboard boots too, it won’t hurt them a bit. Once you are up and resting on your mates snowboard boot, it is at this point that you can begin to concentrate on standing in your basic snowboard stance.
Now you’re standing in the correct position, your aim is to keep your toe edge raised off of the floor at all times and keep your heel edge dug into the slop as you travel at a slow but steady speed down the slope in front of you. Ask your mate to remove their foot from under the toe edge of your snowboard. Once the foot is removed, try to keep your toe edge raised off of the floor nice and high, you should find that you stay in the same position and don’t move anywhere.
By lowering your toe edge slightly, you should find that your start to “slip” down the slope. The higher you raise your toe edge, the slower your heel edge side slip will be, the more you lower the toe edge of your snowboard, the faster you will go. Be warned, if you lower your toe edge too much, it will catch the slope in front of you and throw you forward. The aim of a heel edge side slip is to travel and a slow and steady speed down the slope at about walking pace.
The first few times you try this, get your mate to guide you down the slope by holding onto your hands while your arms are right out in front of you. As you become more confident, try it from the top of the same slope again but get your mate to only hold on to one of your hands. When you think you are ready, try giving it a go on your own from the top and keep practicing until you are happy that you can now perform a heel edge side slip on a snowboard every time.
Things to remember when heel edge side slipping on a snowboard…
- Stand in your basic snowboard stance
- Keep your arms as still as possible (moving your arms around will make this even more difficult, try to stand as still as you can on your snowboard)
- Make sure you keep your head up (it is very tempting and very easy to get into the habit of looking at your feet)
- Maintain an even pressure over both feet (try not to lean over the nose or tail of your snowboard)
- Try to travel at a constant walking speed down the slope
If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment.
Tags: basic snowboard stance, beginner, heel edge, side slip, snowboard lessons
