Snowboard Club UK (SCUK)
Technique - Level 4 Problems
Mattybully - Mar 16, 2010 - 08:44 PM
Post subject: Level 4 Problems
Well took my level 4 lesson at cas on sunday. Was absolutly fine linking turns on the lower half could quite easily get from heel edge to toe edge.
Its just from the top on the steeper gradient i couldnt seem to get the confidence to commit to the full turn and end up on my arse or riding switch.
It didnt help that having now had 4 different instructors each one seems to have a different style. Cant be helped i suppose.
They reccomended i do a Main Slope lesson but i couldnt find it online. Any advice for a hooked newbie......?
mountainfan - Mar 16, 2010 - 08:58 PM
Post subject: RE: Level 4 Problems
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col.g - Mar 16, 2010 - 08:59 PM
Post subject: RE: Level 4 Problems
I had the same problem when I finnished my lessons. Best thing to do is not think about how much steeper the slope looks at the top, relax and try not to over think about what or how you are trying to turn ( always had that problem when I first started fine if I didn't try to think or force what I was doing as soon as I thought about it I'd fall ) But probably the best advice would be put more wieght on your front foot and commit yourself to the turn don't chicken out half way through. Hope this helps
philboarder - Mar 16, 2010 - 09:00 PM
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If you can do it on the lower slope you just need to practice. Keep nice and relaxed and keep the weight on the front foot
BillyBenbo - Mar 16, 2010 - 09:07 PM
Post subject: Re: Level 4 Problems
Mattybully wrote:
Well took my level 4 lesson at cas on sunday. Was absolutly fine linking turns on the lower half could quite easily get from heel edge to toe edge.
Its just from the top on the steeper gradient i couldnt seem to get the confidence to commit to the full turn and end up on my arse or riding switch.
It didnt help that having now had 4 different instructors each one seems to have a different style. Cant be helped i suppose.
They reccomended i do a Main Slope lesson but i couldnt find it online. Any advice for a hooked newbie......?
If you can link your turns like said above all you need is practice, Confidence is the biggest issue when learning, Just keep on at it and you will soon progress.
Mattybully - Mar 16, 2010 - 09:39 PM
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Thanks, I thought as much, just confidence. Definatly need to bend knees more and just go for it.
I tried riding both, switch in regular feels ok, but goofy feels better, especially when scooting and on the lift.
Was a bit disheartened when i didnt pass it as the hour just wasnt long enough. Ahh well straight to the top of the slop for the 'main slope lesson' I cant seem to find this online though
yellowlala - Mar 17, 2010 - 08:12 AM
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"Fast Track Advanced Intermediate Snowboard Ad 3hr"
This would be a 3 hour lesson for those that are nearly there and could do your confidence a lot of good, esp if you're a bit intimidated about started at the top. Those who have additional lessons/coaching at early stages often have a much more solid foundation.
"You have selected Intermediate Level 1 Snowboard 1hr
Prerequisites for this activity: Must be able to complete a turn from toe edge to heel edge - i.e completed our beginner level 3 or equivalent"
This would be if you're not happy to go from the top but, want to build on your skills without a full 3 hr lesson. Remember that the levels are only a guide and some people need additional lessons to get them where they want to be.
"Freshtrax Coaching - Available every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning from 9am - 12pm. Informal ski and snowboard coaching, hints and tips from our instructors to improve your skills."
This is a great way if you're happy to go from the top and you can get some week day mornings free.
"Intermediate 2
Who is it for? Anyone of recreational standard that can link turns from the top of our main slope – i.e. completed our level 4
Aim; To improve your skills, build confidence and ability and show you how to link your turns smoothly
What happens? Your qualified instructor will review progress and show you ways of improving your technique. You will work on linking your turns more smoothly, with more accuracy and building confidence along the way. Your instructor will help you correct any mistakes and work on your riding.
£27 Adults £23 Child"
This would be similar to the coaching rather then a formal lesson.
"SNO!academy - Fridays, 7-9pm
Weekly coaching academy for progressing riding techniques and all levels of freestyle from rookie to pro! (2 hours) £30 adults / £25 juniors"
If you get really stuck and can't make it to any of the above then there's always sno academy in the evening. Although it will be busy and there will be toys on the slope, so not ideal for learning normal riding. However if it's your only option the coaches should help.
Sym0n - Mar 17, 2010 - 08:32 AM
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"Main slope lesson" is probably Intermediate 1, so they're possibly saying you should retake it. Did they sign off the blue book?
When I tried to book on for Intermediate 2 they told me that the instructors preferred for people to have some experience of the slope before they took that lesson, so I'd doubt they'd be telling you to go for that.
Like above, just keep trying and build up your experience and confidence. Committing to the front foot, especially when picking up speed, is something I struggle with. If you have been signed off as being rec standard then try getting a two hour main slope session and keep trying, after a bit you'll have it nailed and you can then build and progress from there.
Mattybully - Mar 17, 2010 - 09:05 AM
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They signed off all but the last box on intermediate level 1. Im gonna have to go in and ask about "main slope lessons" Just hope there isnt a took long a wait.
SnowAndrew - Mar 17, 2010 - 10:27 AM
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Just relax and visualize.
If you hesitate thinking you will fall then you probably will. It's all about having confidence in yourself and knowing you can do it. just relax and enjoy it will happen.
mini. - Mar 17, 2010 - 10:38 AM
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come along to sheffield ski village Matty.
ask for Mini and book onto a level 5 here.
we will help you out, no problems at all.
Sym0n - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:16 AM
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Mattybully wrote:
They signed off all but the last box on intermediate level 1. Im gonna have to go in and ask about "main slope lessons" Just hope there isnt a took long a wait.
Sadly mate I'd guess then that they want you to retake Intermediate 1. But give them a ring and see what they say, ideally they should have worked to your level though to help you suceed. Although it can be difficult when theres a large group.
mini.mansell wrote:
come along to sheffield ski village Matty.
ask for Mini and book onto a level 5 here.
we will help you out, no problems at all.
How much different is it riding dry compared to indoor snow?
mini. - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:18 AM
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its a lot different Sym0n.
on dry your technique needs to be a little better than on snow. so if you can learn on a dry slope you will find snow just so easy.
yellowlala - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:22 AM
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Basically to be signed off you need to be seen to go from the top to the bottom of the slope whilst linking turns. The instructor was right not to check the last box if you didn't do it. Is no problem just book either the 1 or 3 hour lesson. 3 hours will give you an excellent grounding.
Sym0n - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:22 AM
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Nice one, I'll give it a whirl at some point and no doubt spend the day on my arse lol.
siany - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:24 AM
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i spend days on mine all the time 
i was terrified of the main slope- so much so that i got put back down to level 3
yellowlala - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:38 AM
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Sym0n wrote:
Nice one, I'll give it a whirl at some point and no doubt spend the day on my arse lol.
Dude if you're not spending at least 50% of your time on your butt you're just not trying hard enough. Whether you're doing your first lesson or you're a freestyle warrior.... 
Mattybully - Mar 17, 2010 - 11:52 AM
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Sym0n wrote:
Mattybully wrote:
They signed off all but the last box on intermediate level 1. Im gonna have to go in and ask about "main slope lessons" Just hope there isnt a took long a wait.
Sadly mate I'd guess then that they want you to retake Intermediate 1. But give them a ring and see what they say, ideally they should have worked to your level though to help you suceed. Although it can be difficult when theres a large group.
mini.mansell wrote:
come along to sheffield ski village Matty.
ask for Mini and book onto a level 5 here.
we will help you out, no problems at all.
How much different is it riding dry compared to indoor snow?
I asked this and the instructor said no we just do a "main slope session" never mind I need to call into xscape on Friday anyways to sort some things with the bars for work. I'll ask at the sales desk then.
Cheers mini. I may just do that if the waits too long. Dry slopes scare me a little though. Seems like it's a lot more painful when you fall. Which is a definate if Sunday is anything to go by. The village is starting to take shape again though. I was up there talkin to vicky a few week ago about sponsoring some events etc. Especially now you have the airbag.
wickychoo - Mar 17, 2010 - 01:37 PM
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I had quite a few level 4 lessons at MK for a similar reason. I'd done fast track 1&2 then 3&4 and though I was passed I'd not been taught to use the poma and I was not confident *at all*. I then had a 1 hour L4 where I realised I was actually regular and not goofy (spending most of the hour on my ass after trying to work it out and falling all the time). Then I did another hour L4 which saw me doing linked turns on the shallower gradient but still bottling it from the top. *Then* I did another 3&4 and *click* it seemed to finally go in! That was far too many lessons really but I am a total spaz though, don't *do* sports and am totally uncoordinated!
I still have confidence issues that I'm only just getting over, but its the commitment to the front leg and trusting your ability and the board to turn. It feel so unnatural but you do seriously just have to bite the bullet, relax and let the board to the work. If you think you're bending your front leg enough, chances are you're not. If they can do you a main slope lesson, go for it, if not get another L4 asap, while you still have your confidence from your last lesson.
BillyBenbo - Mar 21, 2010 - 05:28 PM
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Mattybully wrote:
Sym0n wrote:
Mattybully wrote:
They signed off all but the last box on intermediate level 1. Im gonna have to go in and ask about "main slope lessons" Just hope there isnt a took long a wait.
Sadly mate I'd guess then that they want you to retake Intermediate 1. But give them a ring and see what they say, ideally they should have worked to your level though to help you suceed. Although it can be difficult when theres a large group.
mini.mansell wrote:
come along to sheffield ski village Matty.
ask for Mini and book onto a level 5 here.
we will help you out, no problems at all.
How much different is it riding dry compared to indoor snow?
I asked this and the instructor said no we just do a "main slope session" never mind I need to call into xscape on Friday anyways to sort some things with the bars for work. I'll ask at the sales desk then.
Cheers mini. I may just do that if the waits too long. Dry slopes scare me a little though. Seems like it's a lot more painful when you fall. Which is a definate if Sunday is anything to go by. The village is starting to take shape again though. I was up there talkin to vicky a few week ago about sponsoring some events etc. Especially now you have the airbag.
Matty, CAS do practice sessions in which you can go back on to the learner slope to practice your turns. All in all if you can do it on the learner slope you CAN do it on the main slope. In my opionion this is all confience related and you can do it.....
If you can control your speed and link your turns from the halfway point at cas then why dont you purchase an hour and do a full hours ging up and down half way? This way you will build your confidence for the top.
I remember me and my partner learning at cas we never went to the top for a good 2 hours in a 4 hour ticket, when we felt ready we went up and did it,
Take the fear part of doing it, pack it away and forget about it......... if you can do what you say you can do you have the principles,You will get through this im telling you its all confidence related
Mattybully - Mar 22, 2010 - 08:22 AM
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Well im booked in for a main slope lesson on 29th. Just going to build by confidence on this then just go for it.
siany - Mar 22, 2010 - 08:28 AM
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prectice makes perfect. If you find your struggling at any point, just do falling leaf down the main slope- i went with my other half when i had passed my level 4 (and could link turn according to their staff but really couldnt properly yet) and spent the top half of the slope falling leaf then once it got to the bottom half i could practice my turns. Means i got the feel of the top half without killing myself on it.
adverse - Mar 22, 2010 - 08:55 PM
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As a (relative) beginner myself it seems like only yesterday that the top of slope felt a bit daunting, but it is just about confidence. One of the problems I had when I first went from the top is worrying about turning too quickly, because I was worried about building up too much speed. Therefore I was rushing things and getting it wrong, rather than taking my time and letting it flow. As long as you feel confident to stop yourself then don't worry so much about the speed and trying to turn your way out of it as quickly as possible....do it when it feels right, take it easy and do it smoothly, and if you feel you're going too fast just slam the breaks on and start over from where you are. Wait for a nice bit of snow where you know you can turn smoothly....if you feel like turning is going to throw you off just straighten up, reassess, and go again. Once you get past the initial feeling of the additional speed your whole instinct readjusts to it, your mind kinda processes everything more quickly and you feel less panic, and you realise everything else applies exactly the same as lower down the slope.
It's like owning a fast car - at first it's a bit 'woah this is quick', then it's 'yeah this is quick, woooo, floor it' then it's 'I want a faster car'...
Sym0n - Mar 23, 2010 - 07:35 AM
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adverse wrote:
It's like owning a fast car - at first it's a bit 'woah this is quick', then it's 'yeah this is quick, woooo, floor it' then it's 'I want a faster car'...
LOL Awesome analogy mate. Some really good advice too.
JLee1987 - Mar 23, 2010 - 01:11 PM
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Hey,
This is my first post I'm in the same situation. Just the last box to get ticked. I was fine from halfway up the main slope and then the steeper top half freaked me out. I would get myself all psyched up for it then chicken out, it felt as though I was just gonna head straight down the slope at top speed :S
Anyways, I'v booked onto "Practise Snowboard Intermediate 1, 2 & 3 45min" which will hopefully fix my problems. The whole 45 mins is on the main slope so you won't have to mess about on the practice one like on the intermediate 1 lesson.
Can't wait to get out there on my own 
Martin_4 - Mar 25, 2010 - 04:03 PM
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At that stage, I found it really useful to just go away, practise it until my head hurt, and until my body had the chance to form the muscle memory to do it properly.
The one-hour lessons do put a bit of pressure on with people thinking they should be perfect when it's over. Reality is, you need to practise as much as possible, and as a few people have said, if it takes extra tuition to get you there then don't look on it as a failure, look on it as an investment.
I know at the SnoZones they do a coaching hour where you can get help practising anything you have particular issues with before returning to one of the graded lessons. My partner did that after failing level four and it made the world of difference to her in the long run. Instructor was brilliant and said he'd much rather be proud watching her do it properly than cringing and embarrassed that he had passed her without training her properly.
JLee - that bit where you point the board downhill for the first few times and feel the utter fear is one of the big hurdles to beat. The irony is that the best way to slow down is to keep on turning. Fight the temptation to stop and you'll find it a million times easier.
Also, if there's any chance you can get a practise session with Keith at SnoZone he's excellent and makes a real difference to tightening up technique properly. He'd have no idea who I am but I feel I owe him a lot - excellent teacher with a real focus on quality.
Martin_4 - Mar 25, 2010 - 04:12 PM
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yellowlala wrote:
Dude if you're not spending at least 50% of your time on your butt you're just not trying hard enough. Whether you're doing your first lesson or you're a freestyle warrior....
That was also one of the best bits of advice I ever got. Remember doing my lessons and thinking everyone would be laughing every time I fell, and I was getting a bit pissed off that I wasn't suddenly amazing.
Instructor spotted my frustration at the time, looked me in the eye and said: "If you're not falling, you're not trying hard enough."
To be honest, the main person who laughs when I fall now is me - I then pick myself back up and get on with it. The best snowboarders in the world fall, so why the hell should beginners expect to be any different? We're all just at different stages.
Couldn't praise the guys at Xscape in Glasgow enough. Taught me enough that I've been absolutely loving it indoors, all over Scotland, and Canada for the last few years. Seriously thinking of going back now to do something more advanced and knock out all the bad habits and move onto something more advanced.
Other thing I keep telling myself is: "What's the worst that could happen?"
JLee1987 - Mar 26, 2010 - 06:19 PM
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Thanks for the advice, just back from my practice session and still didn't pass 
The snow was bad and I got a free practice session coz of of it!
Think bout goin up to the Nevis range next Friday for the whole day. Maybe just gettin stuck in will be better than goin to Snozone for 45 mins and havin to leave just as i'm gettin warmed up.
I'v had 2 diff instructors. I like Kerry, she's nice an relaxed and doesn't make me feel under pressure. She even had me try regular riding today incase that was the problem but, i'm deffo goofy
Mattybully - Mar 29, 2010 - 11:11 PM
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Just an update, Nailed it, managed to get top to bottom, no bails, controlled speed and went exactly where i wanted to.
Need to work on my heel edge a bit more, then on building speed and confidence but passed all the same.
Gonna hit it again thursday morning now for fresh traxs, hopefully get a bit of additional tuition if needed but least i know they are there for the confidence........
BillyBenbo - Mar 30, 2010 - 07:31 AM
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Mattybully wrote:
Just an update, Nailed it, managed to get top to bottom, no bails, controlled speed and went exactly where i wanted to.
Need to work on my heel edge a bit more, then on building speed and confidence but passed all the same.
Gonna hit it again thursday morning now for fresh traxs, hopefully get a bit of additional tuition if needed but least i know they are there for the confidence........
Nice to see everything worked out for you, Me and a friend who live in doncaster ride every thursday, your more than welcome to join us when your feeling confident enough