| Learning how to snowboard should be a building | | | | then lift that same toe to side slip, or in other words, |
| process. Each exercise will eventually be pieced | | | | control your speed. |
| together to give you your ultimate goal of linking | | | | So if you want to go across the hill to your right, |
| several C or S-turns in a row. You'll want to use a | | | | you're going to push down on your right toe slowly |
| toe side falling leaf on steeper terrain and a heel side | | | | until your board starts going in that direction. Once it |
| falling leaf on the less steep terrain. The reasoning | | | | does and you have a small amount of speed you're |
| behind this is because on steeper terrain your heel | | | | going to lift your right toe and slowly come back to a |
| edge will be farther away from "catching" than it is | | | | heel slip. Be sure when your board starts sliding in the |
| on flatter terrain. You would much rather catch your | | | | direction you want to go you don't keep pushing on |
| toe edge than your heel edge because it's a lot less | | | | your toe because you'll catch your toe edge and fall. |
| dangerous of a fall. | | | | When you come back to the heel slip, make sure |
| They call it a falling leaf because when you go down | | | | your knees are bent and your weight is even on |
| the hill it's supposed to look similar to a leaf falling out | | | | both feet. |
| of a tree. When you're learning how to do the falling | | | | A few other things you can do to help this process is |
| leaf you want to start out with your board traveling | | | | to first make sure your weight is always more on |
| across the hill, never straight down the hill as this will | | | | your downhill foot, this is more important when |
| give you a lot of speed. To achieve this, subtle | | | | you're learning or when you up the skill level of the |
| movements are crucial. | | | | terrain. Don't look down at your snowboard, one of |
| To start the heel side falling leaf you're going to be | | | | the cardinal rules of snowboarding for beginners is |
| facing down hill doing a heel slip. Continue doing a heel | | | | you're going to go wherever you look. So also don't |
| slip until you feel in control enough to change | | | | look at trees, rocks, cliffs, people in the run below |
| directions and gain a little speed. Once you feel | | | | you, or bears because you're more likely to run into |
| confident enough you're going to softly and slowly | | | | them. It's a weird phenomena but it almost never |
| push on your toe in the direction you want to go, | | | | fails. |