The falling leaf technique is a fundamental skill for snowboarders of all levels. It allows you to control your speed and direction, especially on steep or icy terrain. This guide will provide you with a detailed understanding of how to execute this move effectively.
It's an exercise in realizing and releasing the edges on your skis. Check out "falling leaf" tutorials on YouTube as well. Practice when the hill is quiet, not on a crazy weekend afternoon.
Understanding the Basics
The falling leaf technique involves side-slipping down the slope in a controlled manner, alternating the direction of your snowboard tip to create a back-and-forth motion resembling a falling leaf.
Steps to Perform the Falling Leaf
- Stand the heel side edge up while facing downhill, and direct the left side of the snowboard tip downhill.
- Once you start moving, adjust your speed with the edge.
- Once you have progressed some distance, slow down and put your hands forward to stop.
- Next, direct the right side of the snowboard tip downhill to move forward.
- Then, slow down and stretch your hands out forward to stop.
While side-slipping, pointing the tip slightly downhill in the direction you want to go makes you move in that direction. Use the edge to control your speed, and stop before facing the snowboard tip downhill on the opposite side, and move forward in that direction.
Rather than swinging your feet and body about, you should be able to smoothly control the snowboard with some small adjustments. It's important to be aware of the direction in which you want to go. Face your arms in the direction that you want to go and put your weight on the foot in the direction that you want to go in order to snowboard smoothly. If your body's movement is too slow, the snowboard tip might not point downhill, making control difficult.
Read also: In-Depth Sundance Snowboarding
Benefits of Mastering the Falling Leaf
- Control on Steep Terrain: It is especially useful on steep or icy slopes where making regular turns might be challenging.
- Beginner-Friendly: Yes, beginners can learn this.
- Fundamental Skill: Yes, and it’s a great skill to have!
- Technique Development: Later, this same instructor used side-slipping to help us build technique and skills, ie practicing releasing our edges. It was definitely an "aha" moment realizing that getting good at this skill is a stepping stone to better technique and control.
Practical Applications
Depending on the region and the type of terrain someone skis most often, they may have more or less experience side slipping on a regular basis. For those reading who are new to Diva threads, note that liquidfeet, SkiBam, Skier31, volklgirl, Jilly, and SkiSailor are instructors who ski in different regions.
Note that doing Falling Leaf as a survival skill on steep terrain would look different.
Side-Slipping Falling Leaf / Zig Zag || Beginner Snowboarding Session
Tips for Improvement
Even if they know how to side slip, it's unlikely that they are as good on one side as on the other. The only way to deal with that reality is to practice deliberately.
This season is my 6th season on skis. I'm evenly good on both sides now, I've figured out the alignment issue mentioned earlier. It took maybe another season or two for it to become as automatic as walking. Since I like freestyle, I'm always playing around and doing silly things.
Example
Can you give an example of how you used this setting race courses? I was taught how to ski by a friend who was a race coach, so I'd hang out with him on practice nights on my first year of skiing. I learned side slipping by following him down the hill with the bag of gates. (which was super hard as as a beginner) I'd stop at each spot while he was drilling the hole and hand him one. Also he'd send me through to side slip the course sometimes when it got rutted up.
Read also: Types of Snowboarding Jumps
Read also: In-Depth Review: Demon Snowboard Protection
tags: #falling #leaf #snowboarding