Proper way to teach snowboarders?

"Baka Dasai" wrote in message
...

If I had to teach a beginner I'd do something like this:

1. Scooting around the flat with one foot out.

2. Strap the other foot in, and do some crazy exercises to loosen 'em up
and find their limits - make 'em jump up and down, make 'em shift their
weight forward and back trying to flex the board.

3. Heelside sideslip

4. Toeside sideslip

5. Sideslip with a bit of diagonal movement thrown in. This could lead
to falling leaves.

6. Time for the turning! With their board pointing down hill, and held
in place by my foot, release my foot, and get them to do a heelside turn
to a stop.

7. Same again for a toeside turn.

8. Then it's time to link those turns together. That's it!

I'd be inclined to skip the sideslip and falling leaf. They'll figure those
out by themselves too soon. They become a crutch to avoid learning to turn
on both heel and toe. Teach the basic turns at the bottom run out. Then get
them doing garlands across the slope. They traverse the slope, turning
downhill and back up as they cross the slope. They never cross the fall line
in this exercise. They can sit down and turn around at the slope edge if
they need to, then go back the other way on the other edge. As they get
better, have them turn further and further downhill each garland. Once they
get pointed down the fall line, they can just as well continue the turn as
turn back - and they will be doing full turns.

Basic turn - twist the front of the board in the direction of the turn, so
that the front downhill edge drops and starts sliding downhill. This means
pushing their front foot toes down to start a toe turn, lifting the toes to
start a heel turn. Twist the front foot/knee lightly in the direction of the
turn. As the board stops sideslipping, follow with similar movements of the
rear foot, putting board onto the new edge. For the garlands, the front foot
will be doing most of the work, as they won't be getting onto the other edge
very much.

Bob