Balance Board Training - Part 2

A few months ago I did a post on using a homemade balance board to fiddle around with rail tricks or just master the finer points of balance.  With any homemade creation, and especially with training exercises, a visual demonstration is always much more valuable.

Braving the 110ºF heat, I managed to get a couple of minutes of footage showing both my homemade balance board setup and how I use it to practice tricks.  It isn't pretty, but training and learning new things rarely is:

So you can see what I mean when I said to try jumping right into tricks.  I also tried a variety of tricks, including 50-50s, boardslides, 270s, switch-ups, nollie on, and a few switch tricks.  My biggest focus with each one is keeping the board nice and flat.  Especially with boardslides, spins and switch-ups, I pay special attention to where I turn my head, and how I manipulate my arms, hips, and shoulders.

You can also see my homemade setup. The deck I have is old, beat up, and practically snapped; if you have friends that skate, or especially if you skate yourself, chances are you have one of these lying around.  The tube is just a 4' long, 4" diameter black PVC pipe I bought at Home Depot--I don't recall there being a choice, but make sure you buy thick so it doesn't buckle when you jump on it.

As mentioned in the first post, balancing these tricks is actually much easier at speed, and I can honestly say I owe a lot of my confidence and the successful outcome of many on-snow attempts this season to the time I put in with my balance board.

Hopefully having this visual example clears up any confusion about balance board training...at least my homemade version of it.  So go find $10 and give yourself something to do while you wait for next season.

Skateboarding

One thing all snowboarders have to realize is that the sport as we know it would not exist if it weren't for skateboarding.  All of the tricks, all of the features, all of the style--it was all pioneered from skate influences; so, returning to our roots makes perfect sense once the snow melts.  Take a look at the most obvious off-season activity a snowboarder can partake in: skateboarding.
Skateboarding itself has many different variations depending on your skill level and what you are looking to get out of it going into the season.  You get to choose between shortboards, longboards, and a more recent snowboard-inspired alternative called the Freebord.

Shortboarding is by far the most accessible option for most.  Complete decks are relatively affordable, and with several options for deck width and wheel size you can customize your shortboard for just about any riding style be it cruising around town, ripping up transition, or technical rail and flatland tricks.

Shortboards serve as great off-season trainers due the technical movements required to land tricks.   Mastering even basic tricks with a shortboard will have a dramatic impact on your overall balance, timing, and help make control of your lower body (hips, knees and ankles) more precise.

If where you live summer temperatures average 115ºF--like say, the desert--grab your shortboard and look for an indoor skatepark nearby... just pray that their AC is working.

Remember that shortboards aren't very stable when you start going fast, and while some of the more talented skaters can take on the steepest hills of San Francisco at full speed, the rest of us will more then likely be paying a visit to the hospital or at the very least the local drugstore to buy up their stock of band-aids and Neosporin.

If you love to point it down double diamonds and high speed snowboarding is your thing, consider a longboard instead.

Longboards are much wider, much longer, and therefore much more stable than their shortboard counterparts.  Turn any local hill into a full speed snowboard run with a longboard so you can experience the wind in your hair and the thrill of carving with every turn.  They also work for cruising.

The downside to longboarding is usually the cost.  Most run at over $100.  Also keep in mind that since these boards let you get going pretty darn fast, which can turn into something really painful if you aren't experienced.

A few years ago some engineers got together and incorporated the lateral slide (sliding sideways) that makes snowboarding so unique into longboarding to create the Freebord.

The motions of Freebording are by far the closest you can get to snowboarding on pavement, which is why they have been slowly but surely catching on in the industry.

Freebord Team Highlight Reel from Freebord Mfg. on Vimeo.
  

Three things that are holding the invention back: first, the start up cost is close to and in many cases over $200; second, friction from sliding sideways wreaks havoc on urethane wheels and you will likely need to replace them often; third, controlling a Freebord is not anything like controlling a snowboard where you manipulate edge pressure to create turns and can teach some bad habits.

Even so, there is no denying that Freebording is a fun new alternative to ease that snowboard craving during the summer months.

Well, what are you waiting for?  We've still got a few months of summer ahead of us; head to your local skate shop and get at it!

Balance Board Training

 

Pushing further into spring, we have ushered in the era of slush; with the size of jumps shrinking in proportion to the amount of speed you can't get to clear them, springtime works great for getting reacquainted with the various jibs our resorts offer... Take advantage of these sunny skies and all of that soft slush by using a balance board to really step up your rail game.

Balance boards provide a safe, controlled way to practice all of the precise movements needed for today's standard rail tricks.  Being able to try these tricks mere inches from the ground takes the pain out of getting things wrong; play with and perfect your body position and weight displacement with very little consequence when things go bad.

Now, owning a Vew-Do or an Indo balance board would be nice, but that's a lot of cash money for what is essentially a skateboard deck and pipe.  Speaking of, find yourself an old skateboard deck and buy a 4"+ diameter PVC pipe at your local hardware shop. Add straps to the deck for that snowboard type feel.

OK, it's trick learnin' time!

If this is your first time on a balance board, or you are not comfortable ollieing into boardslides on a box or rail, you may want to start by setting the board on the pipe and rocking into things; this is a mellow way to get familiar with how a balance board moves while improving your balance. From there you can even add an extra progression by hopping onto the board while it is placed in position.

For those riders comfortable with most spins and slides, try jumping right into tricks.  Visualize the PVC pipe as a rail and set your approach accordingly.  Build your confidence to try any number of tricks; boardslides, 50-50s, spins on, spins off, and don't forget nollies and switch.

Pay attention to your shoulders, where you turn your head, the placement of your arms, hips, and your overall weight distribution (more on your toes or heels, etc).  Most important play with these things to see how they help or hinder your tricks.

Finally, take it on the hill.

First things first, if you are new to sliding then you want to start with wide ride-on boxes.  Take the time to get used to the sensation of sliding so you will be able to adjust your balance accordingly when try more advanced tricks and features later on.

With that out of the way you can trust yourself to slide; all you need to focus on is manipulating your head, shoulders, hips, and arms the way you practiced on your balance board.

Any trick you land on a balance board can be done on the hill.  Just like a bicycle, it's easier to balance in motion than standing still, so if you can land 270s on a stationary balance board then you'll have the upper hand when you take it to a real feature.  That PVC is also round if you haven't noticed; flat boxes and rails are a way more stable sliding surface.

As always, make sure you pick the appropriate feature and trick to your ability. Balance boards are a tool to aid progression; they won't help you skip steps.

Otherwise, get creative! Really, anything you do on a balance board will translate into more control and stability the next time you strap in.

Video Post 2010 #2

Time for another video post already!? Well, when your morning routine consists of sorting through 10+ fresh-out-the-oven shred videos, all of which happen to be bangers, the footage starts piling up. Gotta post the new stuff while it's still hot or some sick videos end up getting lost in the woodwork; so without further ado, video post 2010 numba' two...

TWSNOW has run this Sunday in the Park series out of Bear Mountain for several years now.  What keeps it alive are two things: the Bear Mountain terrain park--always changing, never the same--and the Bear Mountain team riders with their insane style and creativity.  Lately, Bear has been capitalizing on a long string of bluebird days (likely to last through the season) to film for their next annual promo video. This clip is worth watching for the tandem tail tap alone.

Andy and Miller Switch play around day from andreas gidlund on Vimeo.

When the season makes it this far and things start getting stale, that is when you've got to throw in some switch-only days and put some spice back into life.  This video is inspiration for the switch rider in all of us...

Windells Trick Tip, with Pat Milbery from Windells on Vimeo.

We all hate hearing but it's the damn truth! Summer will be here soon and it's never too early to start planning your summer snowboarding trip.  Here's a preview of the breathtaking views, stellar terrain parks and excellent coaching found at Windell's up in Mt. Hood, Oregon.  Milbery spends the better part of his year passing on knowledge hungry shredders, and I'm sure he's got a few tips to help you out as well.

Meanwhile, somewhere else on the very same mountain.  Jed Anderson films an entire part using High Cascade Snowboard Camp's main park.  Jed loves rails, which there is no shortage of at camp, but did you see the minipipe, jumps, and skate park?  This all took place in only half of High Cascade's facilities! Visit HighCascade.com to find out more.

Whistler Lap from Family Tree on Vimeo.

Last but not least, another location soon to be summer snowboarding headquarters, Whistler, Canada.  Take a look at what our neighbors to the North finally get to enjoy now that the games have cleared out.  Snow pack actually looks pretty good out there, so if you won't get your chance to shred Whistler during winter season Camp of Champions is sure to be poppin' off this summer.