Leveling Up

Each day out on the mountain is an opportunity to grow, to learn, to adapt... for me it often involves training on challenging terrain. I like to start out each snow season by progressing through the different milestones of the previous one... and by reflecting on some of the things I have learned or taken note of as well.

Beginner 🟩

I spent most of this time working on turns and controlling speed while on fairly steep and often mogul-filled slopes.

Speed Control

Baby Steps

When first learning how to ride, I found myself anxious to go go go!... but found that I learn best with small and very intentional steps. A ride down the hill can be segmented into a succession of turns; with each turn having a definitive start and end. Approaching each turn in isolation helped me progress from standing still and making a turn, into standing still and making two turns... without skipping steps, I found myself able to link four or even five turns before coming to a stop and recollecting my thoughts. It was easy to spend an entire afternoon on one or two runs while still getting an incredible workout.

Board Direction

The more the board faces down the mountain, the quicker the acceleration and the harder it is to stay in control. Simply standing on a steep slope can [by itself] be intimidating but I often found myself headed downhill while beginning to stand up... this left very little time to execute the plan before having to pump the brakes. I had a breakthrough moment one day when I realized this simple fact and started to become aware of just how much my board was facing down the hill. Pointing the board in the direction I want to go before standing up gave me the additional time needed to focus on the turn.

Turning

Picking Out a Spot

One of the most important focal points [for me] in turning was deciding exactly where to turn, attempting it, and measuring my success. Pick a spot, aim just to the outside of it, attempt the turn, and come to a stop. This process repeated over and over produced a feedback loop that educated me on body mechanics and timing. It also helped build up confidence as I began to pick spots further and further away, implying that I would reach them at higher speeds. I found it very important to stop as quickly and safely as I could after finishing the turn... so that I could take time to go over it in my head and determine if an adjustment was needed.

Flattening Out

My first turns started at a standstill; where I gained a little speed and then put down an edge. While this is helpful with balance and edge control, it didn't lend itself well to turning while already in motion; specifically when I was on the opposite edge that I needed to turn on. I found that flattening out my base for a short amount of time before initiating the turn was an important step that should not be skipped. As I progressed, I was able to shorten the amount of time spent with a flat base and the ride began to feel more fluid.

Reluctance and Committing

Heading down a slope with more steepness than I was used to felt quite terrifying. I found that the reluctance to commit to the slope resulted with a lot of weight in my back foot... leaning away from the scary slope with my foot braced on the brakes. The result, however, is that the board had a tendency to "run away" from me; heading down the mountain faster than my body as it slid out and sent me to the ground.  I found that my back leg was often fatigued and turning was increasingly strenuous... some turns were even "impossible". This is because turning with the back foot is much easier done with the weight on the front foot. As a beginner, I didn't have the skill to gauge this well but focused on idea of committing to the slope, which helped me keep more of my weight towards the center of the board.

Leg Fatigue and Stamina

The effort required to turn on steep slopes is heavily influenced by technique. As a beginner, technique is still in development so it is much easier to experience fatigue without covering much ground. I approached this hurdle with a solid month of legwork prior to the start of each season. Lunges, squats, and really any load bearing exercise on the legs helped prepare me for the additional fatigue I would incur as a beginner boarder.

Intermediate 🟦

There is no specific day where I woke up feeling Intermediate but I associate the beginnings of this stage with the ability to make a single turn [both heel side and toe side] on a black diamond run. I was still working on linking more than a handful of turns on the blue trails and typically barreling down any flat run at over 30 mph... obsessed with not losing speed (pro-tip: wax your board regularly).

Centering Weight

Getting ready to turn and finding myself stuck... unable to complete it because too much weight was on one foot or the other. This was becoming a theme for me as an Intermediate rider... and I found that continually bringing my weight back to center was a good way to maintain a balanced posture... it also helped me become more aware of my stance as it was beginning to lean too far towards instability. This then extended to becoming more aware of my center of gravity which helped me find adequate standing heights for entering and leaving turns.

Switch

Why Bother?

Committing to riding switch was one of the biggest stepping stones on this journey... it sent me right back to day one. I spent several seasons not really focused on riding switch and mostly only used it when I was feeling exhausted on my dominant side. I eventually bought a twin shaped board [2014/2015 Burton Custom Flying V Twin] that is much better suited to ride in both directions [without changing setup] and got to training. I find a lot of value in this skill and encourage any reader at any skill level to work on their switch riding... it has significantly elevated my riding and allowed me to safely explore much more difficult terrain.

Gear

If you are like me and started riding with a stiff flexing board or perhaps a directional board, then you may want to consider using a twin shaped board that has a soft-medium or medium flex. Twin shaped boards make it much easier to ride switch which will allow you to choose where on the mountain to practice and ride comfortably over to areas that make you feel safe to learn. Softer flexing boards are more forgiving and will provide more margin for error in your movements as you are exploring this new skillset.

Patience

I liked to regularly take short moments to stop and reflect on the fact that I am in the process of learning how to ride... I'm training my body and mind to perform a new task... and I focus on my desire to stay patient with myself as I come across frustrating obstacles in my developmental path. A clear mind helps me focus on my mistakes and often observe them just as they are happening... providing the space I need to learn how to adapt.

Experience

After only a few days on the mountain, my predominant [regular, not goofy] stance was notably more experienced than switch. I like to use this experiential imbalance as an enriching perspective on stance, body position, coordination, and many other important observations that can be made. The more I learn on one side, the more opportunity there is to learn on the other and [believe it or not] vise-versa. I have discovered new ideas while riding switch that I was able to apply to when riding regular which has helped me balance out my riding over time as well as boost my confidence when I'm having a bad day in the switch stance.

When learning a new skill; I find it extremely helpful to research it as much as possible by reading literature [books, articles, blogs], watching instructional videos, watching other people ride, and self-observing [with video if possible]. As part of an always learning mentality, I like to bring my inner instructor to the slopes and observe aspects of my riding that may be causing me to lose balance or control over the board's direction, tilt, pressure-distribution, speed, etc. I patiently slowed down my riding and developed a routine: planning short simple and deliberate routes; having full visibility over the start and finish of the route; stopping immediately afterwards to reflect on anything that stood out; identifying something to repeat or something new to try; considering the possible consequences of the modifications [if there are any].

Consistency

Repeat, repeat, repeat... reflect, repeat. While dedicating long stretches of time to switch seems ideal, I initially found it valuable to consistently train... steadily progressing. It started with skating switch more often and riding the easier chair lifts switch... it progressed into [increasing] patterns of riding the lift and the trails switch, spread evenly throughout a typical day of riding; every fifth lap, fourth, third, alternating laps.... where each step was part of this multi-week progression. I found myself increasing in confidence in certain terrain [moderately steep] while anxious in others [long flat stretches, very steep terrain]... and then began to focus on addressing those gaps so that I could complete a full lap riding switch. Over the following season, I started moving to steeper and steeper terrain with the confidence that I could use my regular riding to coach myself along the way.

Steering

While learning to ride switch, I came up with a mental framing that helped me avoid getting stuck in my stance. I began to visualize riding like steering a ship, with the back foot being the rudder. I then personified my back foot and gave it the job of steering... occasionally checking in to ask, who is steering right now? I found that focusing on 'who' is doing the steering really helped me focus on the motions needed to control the board, as if they were combined into a single [complex] action. I view it similar to how we breathe without putting much thought into the muscles at work and the expansion/contraction going on in the chest and abdomen.

More specifically, the steering foot is responsible for engaging the heel or the toe side of the board into the snow. This requires the back foot to not have too much weight on it as it becomes increasingly difficult to steer with heavy forces coming up through the board into the leg. Steering became simplified into two actions: 1. pushing from the heel and 2. scraping with the toes... it reminds me of stopping or taking off in sand on a [South Florida] beach while doing sprints.

Diligence

Continually revisiting switch training and building it into a habit while riding has contributed greatly to my confidence as a rider and helped me to progress to a level where I tend to favor riding one way or another based on comfort, the fall line, or an upcoming turn... -as the situation calls for. The repetitious approach I took helped me hold onto many of the valuable lessons that I encountered along the way... and as they continually reframe my thoughts as I ride, I find myself able to better adapt to my environment quickly. A full season of devotion to training may be all that is necessary to have a solid foundation of switch riding, so that it becomes more experiential than experimental... leading to a much more enjoyable ride around the mountain. I bought my twin board in Spring 2015 and used it a few times the following season but didn't really commit to a consistent practice until 2017/2018... having a season pass definitely helped! By middle of the 2019/2020 season I was able to realize how much progress I had made... when I was able to ride goofy through dense woods next to a closed off and fairly steep [black diamond] trail full of exposed rocks. I later went back to ride that dangerously exposed trail [Overbite]... be sure to turn on captioning as I tend to caption my videos with audio in them.

Confidence

Losing

It can take a while to build up confidence but simple setbacks only need an instant to rattle a rider to the core. I first lost my confidence on flat terrain approaching a chair lift too relaxed... I got off balance and I caught an edge... in trying to recover I caught another edge and fell quickly to the ground on my stomach. After I fell, my legs came up behind me and hit me in the spine.... My vertebrae was sore for several weeks and I became habitually mindful and alert whenever riding across flat terrain... I also started examining my riding for any habits that encourage an undesirable edge engagement... is my base flat? do I want it to be flat? what is the safest edge to engage in an emergency? what edge do I want to engage next?... a barrage of questioning.

A Major Loss

I suffered a major loss of confidence at Keystone Resort while learning to ride switch on the aforementioned twin board. I had just finished training for the day and was headed back to the condo as fast as I could... feeling accomplished. The board was a bit washy and its grip on ice was pretty poor... I rounded a corner and was leaned over too much on a steep [intermediate], shaved-smooth slope... then washed out heel side x_x ... I slammed down on the ground making first contact on my hip bone... adrenaline got me to the parking lot and into the condo but I had trouble walking for the next few days. I had to psyche myself back into getting on a board and convince myself that I wouldn't take another fall like that while recovering. I took it easy for the rest of that trip and was very nervous on hard-packed trails for quite some time after. I would find myself daydreaming about the fall and reliving the experience over and over. It seemed unavoidable... Once lost, regaining confidence can feel like an intense uphill battle and may require extensive coaching, patience, or even change of strategy depending on the severity.

Maintaining

"Do not lose your confidence...". I like to tell myself, regardless of my fears... find a way to progress with lowered consequences... smaller steps. Often times when my confidence is shaken it is because I am operating outside of my recoverable zone... a space where I can make mistakes but still minimize the consequences. I enjoy learning what are the safe tolerances of my equipment over variable terrain and conditions... unfortunately, some of these lessons have come through moments of high consequence. On the journey to becoming a better rider I have found it best to avoid a high consequence set back at all cost. Pushing too hard too fast can lead to injury and discouragement... I like to remember this while striving to progress: keep a steady pace of progression through often uncomfortable challenges with safety as a priority... because I want to continue riding for many many more years.

Advanced ⯁ & Expert ⯁⯁

The terrain available to Advanced and Expert riders is challenging and often dangerous. I like that it usually has less traffic and offers a solid workout. 

Warmup

Getting through a good warmup on the first or second lap helps to set the tone for the day....usually in ungroomed Intermediate terrain. I like to take mental notes during this time... looking for any movements to avoid or areas to warm up further. I'll play a little with heel and toe edge stability to get comfortable with my setup and going edge to edge. A good warm up gets me alert and attentive, feeling ready to ride into difficult terrain.

Goofy

Last season [2019/2020] I got the LibTech Orca which is an absolute joy to ride but is also directional. After riding it regular, I wanted to see what riding it goofy was like so I started one day and have since been setting aside "Goofy" days to practice committing to one direction. I found these some of the most rewarding days that season because I got to think my way out of situations where I would have normally just ridden regular to get through... which lets me explore even steeper terrain!

Board Selection

After some experience in Advanced and Expert terrain I started to look deeper into the shapes, sizes, and technologies built into various boards. My style of riding had been leaning pretty heavily in one direction and I needed a change for my daily driver... quick turn initiation, a wide enough waist to avoid toe drag... and [among others] easy to ride switch... I may never find the ideal board but it's at least pretty clear what I'm looking for. Each rider will of course have different requirements but the terrain I seek out and the way I like to navigate them has helped define what type of boards will work best.