Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • W I N T E R 2 0 1 9 14 Start your snowboarding career with a few simple moves. Skat- ing is a great way to get used to being on a board, and it's essential if you want to ride a ski lift on a board (you load and unload the lift with your rear foot out of the binding). Clip in your front bind- ing only. Now stand and push yourself along with your free foot, like a skateboarder. You can push from either side of the board. Clip into one or both bindings and stand on the board on a flat spot. Line your body up sideways with the board. Extend your arms along the board. Resist the urge to twist your torso around to face the front. Turn only your head. Keep your knees flexed; don't lock 'em or you will tip right over. is is your basic riding position. With both bindings clipped on, try jumping the board in the air, and rocking your weight back and forth on either end of the board. Once you are comfortable skating, find a small hill with a flat or uphill runout. Get a friend to help steady you. Point the board downhill, step your loose foot onto the board in front of the rear binding and try your first straight glide. Once you slow down or stop you can step that foot off to catch yourself. Now try it with both feet locked in. Next you can try an actual hill (start small!). Heelside sliding is easiest. Get a little speed, then lift your front toe. is twists the board and puts pressure on your heelside edge. Try turning to a stop. Now link several of these semi-turns across and down a slope, to make a "garland." Next try that on your toeside edge. is is harder and more intimidating because you have your back facing downhill. It may seem like the board just wants to take off. Your job is to control it. Using tilting movements, pivots, twists and pressure distribution, you become master of this slippery thing attached to your feet. Another control technique is a traverse. Slide across the slope on one edge and come to a stop. Now slide back across on the same edge. You are now riding "switch" (backwards). Eventually you want to link up those heelside and toeside turns—this is a tough progression but essential. Don't be that gaper that sideslips all the way down the hill, scraping the snow off. When linking turns keep your upper body still and in line with the board (sideways). Don't crank your upper body around as this will make you turn when you don't want to. Try not to flail your arms—keep them in line also. Make a snowball and hold it out in front of you, keep it as still as possible. Or try it with a plastic cup of water without spilling. FIRST TRICKS TO LEARN You've got the basics down and can link turns down a blue run. Time to get steazy. Start by learning how to "press" or weight the nose or tail. is will help you figure out how to flex your board and distribute your weight. Next work on your Ollies—press your weight on the tail and spring into the air. Spinning aerial 180s should come next. Work it Keep your knees flexed; don't lock 'em or you will tip right over. KENE SPERRY TRICK ? WHAT'S THE A ROTATING BACKFLIP IS A CLASSIC SNOW- BOARDING MOVE.

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