Ask your riding questions here!
It’s a bit hard to see with the shaky cam and the camera is a bit far from you. But from what I see, you need more edge angle. Angulation with the ankles and knees and Inclination by tipping over your board with your whole body. You can be a bit more dynamic as well (up or down unweighting). Jeremy and Andy can explain better than me.
Ok I stuck the GoPro on my little bloke’s head and finally got a bit of me riding. I’ve been trying to improve my general carving. Last year I took and lesson and was told I was riding with my front shoulder too high. I’ve been trying to really get on the front foot and drive my front shoulder down into the turn. I’m not sure I’ve got it quite right yet and would appreciate some pointers. Sorry about the shaky cam.
I agree with Skip. It’s a bit hard to see what’s going on. I’d like to see more video.
The first thing I thought from what I could see on the video is go faster. It’s going to help you sink your edges in more aggressively, which will give you a more stable platform to really explore carving. If you can’t get enough speed, try steeper terrain.
What you’ve been told is 100% correct also. Your upper body needs to be perpendicular to the slope; even weight on both feet — but driving/steering the turns from the front side of your body. “Dip” yourself into the slope to match the terrain. Even pretend you are bouncing a basketball with your front hand while you’re riding.
Thanks Jez and skip, will try to get some more video. Might get the wife to do the filming this time!
Hey Mud,
So the riding that I see you doing is looking good if u are trying to do what your instructor said. But what you instructor said is instructions for a steered and skidded turn. Not a carve turn. You now have a nice steered medium turn. But if you want to carve you have to start by locking the edge in.
Try traversing across the hill and making the board carve thin pencil lines in the snow. Then try and do your turns leaving the same thin track. Go faster, let your turn shape be as big as it wants to be and turn by tilting the board ONLY and not steering with your body at all.
Hope that helps, and if u want more help by all means come and shred with me at perisher 
Hey thanks, Andy. Yeah I’ve been experimenting with just laying the board over on its edge and just letting it do the turning. Probably didn’t show in that vid and I’m probably still not doing it right, but at least you’ve confirmed I’m heading in the right direction. Cheers.
PS: won’t be coming to Perisher anytime soon, are you coming to the Shred at Hoth?
Hey guys I’ll be heading down to perisher for my second weekend of snowboarding. I was doing some S turns on green runs in Thredbo two weeks ago and I’m just wondering what I should be focusing on next.
I figured going faster and trying out some blue runs might be the way to go but I want to maximise my time down there and progress as much as I can. Should I start trying to ride switch or learn a few jumps or is it too early to get into these things?
Hey Loopy,
Good to hear you’re heading to Perisher for round 2!
Keep working on those turns. Even after years of snowboarding, you can always improve your turns. Focus on turning with a higher level of performance; “steering” from your lower joints, and less “rotating” with your upper body. When we learn to turn it’s all about “rotate with the upper body and the lower body will follow.” As we improve, more focus should be put on “initiating with the upper body but actively steering with the lower body.”
In regards to switch, if you can turn in your normal stance, there’s no better time to learn switch. The sooner the better. Apply everything you’ve learnt already and do the exact same for switch. It will greatly help your overall riding (and especially freestyle) as you progress.
I wouldn’t start jumping yet… there’s important skills to learn first. “Flat basing” or going straight with your board flat is one of them. And I’m not suggesting you do this going fast; you shouldn’t. But slowly challenge yourself to let the board run flat and straight for a second here and there between turns, and also towards the bottom of runs. Pick a spot when you know you won’t pick up too much speed and where the terrain naturally flattens out, and just let the board run flat. Super important to stay balanced and aligned over your board, look and point in the direction of travel, with even weight on both feet, in the “balanced body position” (image below). Make a turn/stop to control your speed when required.
Keep practicing, keep having fun, and let us know how you go! Any questions, hit us up! 
Thanks for the advice rider! Before I left Thredbo, steering with my lower body was something I was working on. I’ll get right back on it in Perisher 
I also didn’t know ‘flat basing’ was a thing. I’m pretty sure I did that a few times on Friday Flats but I don’t think I tried them in between turns. I was more focused on slowing down before going into the next turn. I’ll try mixing some flat basing with my turns and see how that goes!
If I’m learning switch should I get my bindings set up with a duck stance when I rent out my board? Is there anything important I should keep in mind when transitioning from directional to duck stance (initiating turns feel a bit different, etc)?
Thanks again for the tips 
Let’s talk handrails!
Just started hopping onto downrails/handrails etc etc.
What are some general tips for solid progression that ya’ll can send my way?
I have no problem is popping high enough etc… Sometimes I find myself popping over the other side of the rails when I am misjudging my hop.
I’ve been told looking at the end of the rail once locked on it a major player?
Also what are some good progressive tricks. EG 50, 50 to front 1. etc?
Chuuuuuuuur!
I love rails - the sound is so cool!
It’s good that you are sometimes jumping over the rail - this means you are fully committed. I find most people have trouble centering themselves because they never really want it, and don’t position themselves across the rail enough, i.e. commit.
My tip is to keep at the 50-50s until you’ve got them dialled. The consequences are pretty mild; if you don’t get them right - you just slip off onto your feet again.
As for progression, IMO, you’re not really riding a rail until you’ve got it boardslide. So that’s what I would aim for. But you’ve got to have 50-50s down before you can step up to that. Again, commitment is the key in my opinion. If you don’t land smack bang center boardslide it’s very difficult to manoeuvre to centered. Knowing where center is from 50-50s will help here.
The biggest thing to overcome is the fear most people have that they will somehow smack their teeth on the rail or something. This is not the case, and by the sounds of it this isn’t a problem for you anyways. Good luck!
Thanks for the advice rider! Before I left Thredbo, steering with my lower body was something I was working on. I’ll get right back on it in Perisher
I also didn’t know ‘flat basing’ was a thing. I’m pretty sure I did that a few times on Friday Flats but I don’t think I tried them in between turns. I was more focused on slowing down before going into the next turn. I’ll try mixing some flat basing with my turns and see how that goes!
If I’m learning switch should I get my bindings set up with a duck stance when I rent out my board? Is there anything important I should keep in mind when transitioning from directional to duck stance (initiating turns feel a bit different, etc)?
Thanks again for the tips
It’s a pleasure, mate. We’re here to help.
Yeah, if you’re going to make an effort to ride switch, it would be a good idea to get them to set you up with a more centred and duck stance. It will definitely make it easier. It might feel a bit different but it shouldn’t take too long to adjust to the feeling. Centred and duck is actually more or a natural stance. You don’t walk lopsided, do you? 
Work on flat basing… just a little bit at a time. The best spot is at the bottom of a run where it’s going to flatten out. Pick a spot towards the bottom and just let the board run. Do this more and more. Being able to keep the board flat and straight is such a key skill for so many different aspects of snowboarding.
Have fun and keep us posted on your progression!
As Jez told me (on flatbasing) “Imagine you’re an arrow, bend your knee, and just point straight”
As Jez told me (on flatbasing) “Imagine you’re an arrow, bend your knee, and just point straight”
That’s right! Straight like an arrow!
From this thread:
STRAIGHT RUNS
Straight runs are a lot of fun and a crucial skill to learn before you can ride in the terrain park. You can travel at extremely high speeds while maintaining a very stable body position. Regardless of how fast or slow you are riding, all the same principles apply. Start slow on easy terrain or towards the bottom of a run. As you become more comfortable you can gradually try steeper and longer terrain.
KEY POINTS:
Maintain a balanced body position.
Keep the base of your snowboard flat on the snow at all times.
Stay perfectly aligned over your snowboard.
Always have your ankles and knees slightly flexed (bent).
Look and point straight down the fall line, like an arrow. Focus on the terrain ahead.
Relax your ankle and knee joints. This enables your lower body to work like suspension; riding over bumps becomes very easy.
Always stay in control. Know your limits.
Flat basing - is the key to EVERYTHING!
This is something you guys taught me mid last season I think it is the single most important
pointer in riding and progression on boxes etc.
Even now, when I am carving in for a spin on, or just a simple flat trick, I am always thinking about my board being flat, even if it be with a 180 or 270 on. I barely ever fall hopping onto boxes anymore because of me being contious of my flat base!
Good luck man!!
Also re committing on rails - cheers man you are so correct….. I had my first real “run in” with a rail yesterday when my body and mind just didn’t speak to one another.
Meant that I didn’t pop over, just ran into.
As far as the mental game I think I am ok- now it’s just being quick enough to switch from spotting my pop landing to looking down the rail…..
They have been locking more and more so I cannot complain! Cheers for the advice :D
Props to everyone who can attack rails, can’t make myself do it, just to many reasons in my mind not to.
Like the carving Mud, probably my favourite part of riding at the moment. Coming in hot and swooping across a steep section with your toe side edge locked feels so good and feels like u come out even faster at the end.