Tips for avoiding snowboarders

[rhymeandreason]

Not trying to be funny.....my question is: how do you know (spot) which one is goofy and which one is regular?

It’s which foot they have forward. Snowboarders have their dominant foot in back because the back foot does more of the steering. So regular is left foot in front and goofy is right foot in front. When they get to the lift, their front foot will be strapped in. Snowboarders, correct me if I’m wrong!

 

[Susan L]

Not trying to be funny.....my question is: how do you know (spot) which one is goofy and which one is regular?

Goofy=right foot forward=faces left.
Regular=left foot forward=faces right.

 

[Cantabrigienne]

It’s which foot they have forward. Snowboarders have their dominant foot in back because the back foot does more of the steering. So regular is left foot in front and goofy is right foot in front. When they get to the lift, their front foot will be strapped in. Snowboarders, correct me if I’m wrong!

Other way around - you want the dominant foot downhill because you want weight forward, just like we want on skis. That was my problem learning to snowboard, turns out I'm goofy, so when I was strapped in regular I had no control - like you I thought the stronger leg should be behind, thinking it steers and provided the main propulsion on the flats. But you will automatically put more weight on your dominant leg, so if that's the back of the board, it's just as problematic as sitting back on your skis. It was the worst of both worlds, my dumb left foot couldn't steer and all my weight was at the back of the board (right foot) so I kept shooting out of control.

 

[jenniferm]

My experience is that California/Nevada are snowboarders States. It seems that most people there think it is more hip to snowboard and skiing is for older people. I also find most snowboarders there have no idea what they are doing but think they are all Shawn White.

That’s exactly what I think too. When I was at Heavenly there were almost no skiers.

 

[Susan L]

You also have to see if they are on heel side (facing downhill) or toe side (facing uphill). That affects how much space they need to stop. I find heel side takes more space (plus cannot see who is behind) v. toe side usually drop on their knees.

 

[tinymoose]

Were you already a skier before you tried snowboarding?

Yes, I'm a skier. I only tried snowboarding once. I intend to try it again but not without butt, knee, and wrist guards.

 

[alison wong]

Back to the question: better for goofy one to be on which side of the chair, and regular to be on what side? If they end up on the wrong side of the chair, is it more likely to fall (for newbies)?

 

[tinymoose]

Maybe b/c I run into a lot of boarders around here, but I don't give them much thought. It's awkward, for sure, but goofy or not, just offload and keep clear of your seat-mates.

 

[MissySki]

IMO it doesn’t matter whether people are on one board or two, the thing that matters is the person. I’ve personally had more skiers try and zoom by too tight of spaces close to me than snowboarders. My plan is to ski defensively like when driving. I watch for the straight lining, out of control looking people and try to avoid them. If I find myself in a crowd I let them go and then I continue on. I try to ski in a consistent fashion so people can easily get by if they choose to, and I also tend to ski the edges of trails in New England because the majority stick to the center. I’m really careful to observe how someone is skiing/boarding ahead of me if I want to pass, and only try to if I’m really sure I can get by with a large enough radius. I call out or bang my poles when passing, and avoid passing on a snowboarder’s blindside, etc. Sticking to ungroomed runs seems to really cut down on traffic as well.

 

[Susan L]

Back to the question: better for goofy one to be on which side of the chair, and regular to be on what side? If they end up on the wrong side of the chair, is it more likely to fall (for newbies)?

It is not as simple as which side they are facing. There is also a personal preference to get off using heel or toe. Ideally you’d put your weight forward and go straight and use the heel or toe of your unstrapped boots to brake. Newbies usually do not put weight forward have no idea how to brake with their boots. They try to use the edge of the board, and if your weight is not forward, the board will run forward causing them to fall.
I personally “prefer” to sit “behind” a snowboarder on a chair. Rule of thumb with snowboarding is “you go where you look”. If a snowboarder next to me is facing me, he/she will very likely be looking at me/my skis = higher chance in following me and clipping my skis.

 

[Jilly]

Yes, weight on the forward foot for SB. Tried it once and can appreciate watching a really good snowboarder. Problem is there are not enough of them. I've also had SB'ers ask to move to one side or the other. Fine with me, if it helps you get off the lift.

I find that the SB'ers tend to scrape more, so the sound is louder. Since I don't where earphones, I hear them or any other sounds around me. I was hit from behind once and now I keep my spidey-sense active.

Years ago at WB, I was skiing down with our Roxy group on one of the cat tracks. There were skiers and SB'ers all over the place. It was a cat track. One SB'er in particular was trying to gain speed buy shooting up the side and coming back down. Scottishgirlie was just ahead of me and would flinch every time he came back on the track. I skied up beside her and said....that's why we have the pointy thingey's!!

I agree its not the method of riding, it's the driver. 4:00 on Nansen is not a safe place to be. Most dangerous run on the mountain. (It's a 3mi long green run)

 

[tinymoose]

Yes, weight on the forward foot for SB. Tried it once and can appreciate watching a really good snowboarder. Problem is there are not enough of them. I've also had SB'ers ask to move to one side or the other. Fine with me, if it helps you get off the lift.

I find that the SB'ers tend to scrape more, so the sound is louder. Since I don't where earphones, I hear them or any other sounds around me. I was hit from behind once and now I keep my spidey-sense active.

Years ago at WB, I was skiing down with our Roxy group on one of the cat tracks. There were skiers and SB'ers all over the place. It was a cat track. One SB'er in particular was trying to gain speed buy shooting up the side and coming back down. Scottishgirlie was just ahead of me and would flinch every time he came back on the track. I skied up beside her and said....that's why we have the pointy thingey's!!

I agree its not the method of riding, it's the driver. 4:00 on Nansen is not a safe place to be. Most dangerous run on the mountain. (It's a 3mi long green run)

What do you mean weight on the forward foot? The one lesson I took they were trying to get me to weight the back of the board (which was really counterintuitve as a skier).

After being hit once (never heard it b/c the snowboarder was sliding on his back so no noise), I tend to tense up anyways when I hear a snowboarder or skier scraping behind me. It's why I hang back and bring up the rear or stop and let traffic clear before I'll continue on.

 

[rhymeandreason]

Thanks—very helpful as I m planning a trip to Park City in two weeks. Except you ve just convinced me to do The Canyons instead!

The only caveat for Canyons is that their lifts tend to be more prone to wind hold than Park City. So if it’s windy, check Twitter for updates. Parking at both Park City and Canyons is free, but I find parking easier at Canyons.

 

[Susan L]

To determine which foot is dominant. Try running with socks on smooth floor and then try to brake. Whichever foot you use in the front is your dominant foot.
I am normally a regular but can also ride switch (meaning I can also ride goofy).
I don’t use front or back foot to steer. My weight is pretty centered (maybe slightly forward) and it is more about using lower body to control the edges of the board, just like skiing. Difference is instead of left/right motion, it is forward(toe)/backward(heel).

 

[HikenSki]

That’s exactly what I think too. When I was at Heavenly there were almost no skiers.

Hmm...that is good to know. We want to one of these days to visit Heavenly but if it is full of boarders, maybe we will check out some of the other resorts around the lake...

 

[HikenSki]

Yes, weight on the forward foot for SB. Tried it once and can appreciate watching a really good snowboarder. Problem is there are not enough of them. I've also had SB'ers ask to move to one side or the other. Fine with me, if it helps you get off the lift.

I try to avoid riding with boarders if I can, but when I end up being paired with them on lifts, I always let them choose which side and in which order they want to get on the lift. I then always ask them which way they plan on going. Majority of the time they choose the side they are on and it is all good. If they want to go the other direction, we all plan on going straight ahead and then sorting things out after. I have been tangled up a few times with some novice ones but managed not to fall. Did put some nice gouges in one of my skis though from one of their stomp pads. Ugh. Nothing like getting on a lift and the kids are laughing on whose gonna fall when they get up there, with one saying he is terrible and to watch out. Yeah...that's just what I want to hear. I hugged the side of that chair as long as I could to get out of the way. And of course, all three fell.

 

[Susan L]

What do you mean weight on the forward foot? The one lesson I took they were trying to get me to weight the back of the board (which was really counterintuitve as a skier).

Putting weight on your back = your heels of both feet. Not the tail of the board (as in the back of the skis).

 

[tinymoose]

Putting weight on your back = your heels of both feet. Not the tail of the board (as in the back of the skis).

I'm not sure what this means. Maybe they explained it poorly and I only have ever had one boarding lesson, but the gist I got was to weight the back of the board vs. the front. They could tell I was a skier b/c they kept trying to fix where I was putting my weight (I was chronically, always, too far forward). Maybe they explained it poorly, heels vs tail of board, but they just kept saying I needed to weight the back of the board more. disclaimer: i'm not a snowboarder. 1 lesson. lol

 

[Susan L]

Yes, I'm a skier. I only tried snowboarding once. I intend to try it again but not without butt, knee, and wrist guards.

You already know how it feels to face forward, that’s why you can get off the lift with weight forward.

I'm not sure what this means. Maybe they explained it poorly and I only have ever had one boarding lesson, but the gist I got was to weight the back of the board vs. the front. They could tell I was a skier b/c they kept trying to fix where I was putting my weight (I was chronically, always, too far forward). Maybe they explained it poorly, heels vs tail of board, but they just kept saying I needed to weight the back of the board more. disclaimer: i'm not a snowboarder. 1 lesson. lol

LOL it can be confusing. I am glad I learned to snowboard first, so skiing made sense afterwards!
In skis, front is where your toes point at (tip of skis), back is heels (tail of skis). Similar for snowboard, except now you are facing sideways, so front is whichever edge of the board that your toes are on, and back is the edge your heels are on.
When you use the edge where your heels are on, it is called heel-side. Using the edge where your toes are is called toe-side. I think all snowboarding lessons start with heel-side so that’s why you need to put your weight on the back=heels.
If you take lessons again, ask them to point out where exactly they want your weight to be.

 

[tinymoose]

You already know how it feels to face forward, that’s why you can get off the lift with weight forward.


LOL it can be confusing. I am glad I learned to snowboard first, so skiing made sense afterwards!
In skis, front is where your toes point at (tip of skis), back is heels (tail of skis). Similar for snowboard, except now you are facing sideways, so front is whichever edge of the board that your toes are on, and back is the edge your heels are on.

My issue with boarding was that I have very good balance, former gymnast, but my edge control was ####. Pitch forward (how I broke my wrist), pitch back. I'm glad if boarding to skiing makes sense, but I can tell you skiing to boarding is not logical at all, at least for me.