How to Carve a Turn on a Snowboard

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Rate: (42 Ratings)

Carving'linking a toe-side turn with a heel-side turn'is one of the most basic maneuvers in snowboarding and one of the most pleasant experiences on earth.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

  • Helmets
  • Snowboard Bag
  • Snowboard Bindings
  • Snowboard Boots
  • Snowboard Clothing
  • Snowboard Goggles
  • Snowboard Hats
  • Snowboard Leash
  • Snowboards

Step1
Start by making a toe-side turn. Do this by leaning forward slightly, lifting your heels, and turning your shoulders to the right. (Reverse these directions if you ride goofy foot; see 'Determine if You're a Regular or Goofy Foot.')
Step2
Straighten up as you come to the end of your toe turn; face your shoulders straight ahead and arch your back slightly. In this position, your board should be flat on the snow, with neither edge engaged.
Step3
Lean forward with your knees bent, keeping your body low and flexible.
Step4
Make a heel-side turn: Rotate your shoulders to the left while lifting your toes and leaning back slightly.
Step5
Straighten up as you come to the end of your heel-side turn, and face your shoulders downhill.
Step6
Start your second toe-side turn. Lean forward, keep your body low and flexible (with your knees bent), and rotate your shoulders to the toe side while lifting your heels slightly.

Tips & Warnings

  • Combining toe-side and heel-side turns is the key to carving (see related eHows).
  • As you get more advanced, you can stay lower, face your shoulders downhill more and go faster. You also won't need to consciously go flat in between edges'you'll make a smooth transition.
  • The transition between the heel turn and the toe turn is where people often catch an edge and fall. It helps to have your weight low and slightly forward on the board.
  • Snowboarding is an inherently dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. We recommend that you seek proper training and equipment before attempting this activity.

Comments

| View All Comments
Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 1/9/2008 The step-by-step mentioned above is a sound way to learn basic carving.
I'd like to think of linking turns like a basketball player's feet pivoting. Imagine when a basketball player stops his dibble, one foot is now planted on the ground as a pivot, and the other is free to move around.

Think of your downhill foot as your planted/pivot foot, and you back foot as the one that is doing the movement.

In regular foot, when doing your toe edge turn, imagine using your front foot as a pivot, and your back foot in a swinging motion.

Picture a grandfather clock. Like an old grandfather clock that has a large pendulum swinging back and fourth. This is a similar movement when linking turns.

As you raise your heels and dig your toe edge into the snow. Imagine (like a clock pendulum) swinging your right shoulder and right foot behind you. This will have you on your toe edge turning right.

Conversely, raise your toes and dig your heal edge into the now. Imagine (like a clock pendulum) swinging your right shoulder and right foot in front of you. This will have you on your heel edge turning left.

Notice how, in regular foot, the right shoulder and right foot do most of the swinging, while the lead left foot only is used to lift the toe or raise the heel.

Picture a pivot!

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 During the transition between edges, I've found it helps to insert your backmost leg-knee into the back of your forward leg-knee. Doing this will help bend your board resulting in a curvier carve.

View All

Post a Comment

POST A COMMENT

Request a New How-To Article

Looking for more How To information? Chances are there’s an eHow member who knows how to do what you’re looking to do. Submit an article request now!

eHow Article:  How to Carve a Turn on a Snowboard

eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

Related Ads

Sports & Fitness

JoeRivera
Meet Joe Rivera eHow’s Sports & Fitness Expert.