BODY POSITION ON THE BOARD
A good Body position on the board is essential for effective and efficient riding. Through out this blog we will lay out the ingredients to stand properly on your board.
- Stance
This starts with the board set up. Our bindings should be a comfortable distance apart. An arms length, so scrunched up fist to elbow along the heel edge of the board between the back binding. Don't go too wide as this can add stress to the body and may result in injury.
Set the bindings up so you’ve got a positive angle on the front foot and a negative on the back. +15 and -15 is a good start. The importance of riding duck is that it allows our body to move freely. When moving the body up and down the hips, knees and ankles will move freely and in unison. Duck stance will also help make switch riding easier. It is always fun to play around with different angles to find something that really works.
- Body Position
LOWER BODY
From the board upwards we start with having the ankles, knees and hips soft and flexed. Stand slightly on the outside of the feet where these can rest and push against the bindings. The knees should be flexed out over the feet and the hips stacked over the knees. A house like shape or triangle shape should be created beneath the waist line. Keep the hips in the middle of the board.
UPPER BODY
Above the waist line it’s essential to engage the core. Stomach, abdominal muscles and lower back must remain strong. The shoulders should be aligned and the arms relaxed. Your arms are your balancing tool, if you get knocked off balance from anything on the mountain the arms will help rebalance you, while keeping you riding in a strong and confident style.
The head position is very important. This should always be in the direction of travel. If you are a regular rider for example this should be always looking over the left shoulder. Too many riders look down the mountain rather than looking through the turn.
The final ingredient is to stay relaxed. If the body becomes tight and tense then the whole of the riding will have that look and feel. Breath, focus and enjoy
Check out our Youtube to edit to get a full video experience.Body position on the board LINK
Trick tip : frontside 540
Trick tip : frontside 540
Come up your freestyle game with Vivid Snowboarding FREESTYLE
Frontside 540. The rider will be taking off in their regular direction and landing the trick switch. A solid foundation for the trick would be having both your frontside 360 and frontside 180's on lock.
Find yourself a nice park kicker where your feeling comfortable and confident with the feel of the run in , take-off and landing. Ride the kicker enough times so everything is working in unison, you feel at one with your board ready for your trick tip : frontside 540
On the run into the kicker remain relaxed, centred and focused. Keep looking ahead to your take off and control your speed. The key here is to not scrub off too much speed. Keep it constant and take the same amount of speed that you've been using in your warm up runs. Remember we are looking to send the trick into the sweet spot of the landing.
Here we are looking at the heel edge take the off and therefore we are rolling onto our heel edge for take off. Lightly pressure the edge to create that solid platform. Pop off the kicker and into the trick. The clean and accurate pop will create balance and control through out the rotation. We need more energy than the 360 so throw a little harder. It is almost impossible to add momentum in the air so this needs to be sourced in the pop and take off section.
Here a Melon grab is added to stabilise the frontside 540 and aid with the rotation. Keep looking over your leading shoulder and begin to spot your landing. Here you want to keep looking onto your landing, stay focused and try land on those bolts with the weight centred.
Check out more tricks and tips on our social media channels TRICKS
THE FRONTSIDE 360
The FRONTSIDE 360 is one of the most feel good tricks out there and is a must in any rider’s arsenal.
The Movements
The MOVEMENTS for this trick can be learnt on a slope or small side hits and then taken to the park or backcountry. The trick can be performed off the toe and heel edge. Here we are going to be focusing on the HEEL EDGE version off a PARK KICKER.
Find a kicker that you feel comfortable hitting. By this I mean you have a good measure of the speed needed to hit the sweet spot of the landing and you’ve gauged the shape of the take off. On the run in try and feel yourself relaxed, centred and focused on the approaching take off. Keep the ankles , knees and hips slightly flexed and upper body aligned. The run in wants to be timed so you have rolled your board onto the heel edge for take off.
The HEEL EDGE will be your platform to pop from. Here we are looking to pop off the heel edge. By POPPING OFF the kicker this will add BALANCE and CONTROL to your trick in the air. If you just ride off the kicker the trick will not be solid or balanced. POP!
A combination of movements has to happen at this point , this is where your set up will be important. When you are popping into the trick HOLD YOUR LINE and you will want to throw your head, shoulders, arms front side and release the spin.The trick itself will need more energy than a front side 180 but don’t throw too hard.
AIRBORNE
Once AIRBORNE you will want to stay as compact as possible. Think about bringing your knees to nipples and holding yourself in a relaxed position, knees out over your feet. Always looking to make smooth effortless movements as this will bring your style points up. Grabs can add stability into the trick.
Think about a basic grab like the indy or melon. Keep looking over your leading shoulder, don’t open the head up too much. Now the all important LANDING. Here you want to be blocking the trick with your eyeline. It is a trick that you will be looking back up the landing .
You can almost look through your legs to spot touch down. Bring the landing gear down beneath you and LAND ON THOSE BOLTS.
Come join us for a freestyle session and get your frontside 360 dialled today VIVID
Please check out our social media channels for more tricks and tips VIVID
Five tips for riding the mountains on bad weather days:
Five tips for riding the mountains on bad weather days:
1.Their are dangers attached with being a fair weather rider. Flat light days can be some of the most rewarding days on the mountain and can be hugely beneficial for your overall technical game. As your main sense of vision is reduced your other senses will play more of a key role. You will ride more through touch and feel. This is great for overall board control and to up your skill level.
2.Correct eyewear is essential on flat light days. Here at Vivid Snowboarding we use Spektrum goggles which produce the very best goggles in the world. Check out their range SPEKTRUM GOGGLES . We would suggest a yellow, orange or pink lens which will help enhance your visibility.
3.Terrain choice is vital. Don't head for the highest peaks in the resort. Stay low and in the forests. The trees will help with definition of the mountain on a flat light day.
4.Local knowledge is everything so it is worth taking an instructor, guide or coach to take you to the best spots on the mountain. If you are looking to specifically work on an area of your own performance. It might be worth a few hours with an instructor slowing you're riding down and learning a new skill. Check out our lesson optionsVivid Snowboard Sessions
5.Always keep one eye on the weather forecast. A day that might start with howling winds and snow might well clear up and be fine for the last few hours of the day. Sometimes the weather can clear during the afternoon leaving empty slopes and amazing snow conditions. Too many people are guilty of staying in the resort when the weather is bad. Get yourself on the mountain and enjoy being out in the elements.
POSTURE - Our body position is the most important ingredient.
STANCE
BODY POSITION
VIVID SNOWBOARDING TRICK TIP : FRONTSIDE 180
Vivid Snowboarding trick tip : frontside 180 - Verbier Snowboard School.
One of the most underrated tricks in Snowboarding. A simple trick, done well it can show the true sign of a stylish, accomplished rider.
The basics of the trick are taking off regular and then landing switch. It will be one of the first rotations learnt but will take time, energy and love to perfect.
Once mastered , it’s is great for testing that first rotation of a slightly bigger kicker or trying a spin in the backcountry. The trick can be performed off the toe or heel edge.
THE TIMING
On the run into the kicker you want to keep that central feel on your board. Don’t allow the weight to be too over the front foot or be sitting back over the tail. Think a nice 50% on the front and 50% on the back foot.
Keep the upper body relaxed , aligned , strong core and the eyes focusing on the kicker.
We want to be timing our run in so we have rolled onto the heel edge at point of take off .
Hold the line off the kicker and pop , don’t be too hasty and rotate too early. A frontside 180 is a small rotation so you don’t need to throw the trick too hard on takeoff. Remember to throw the head , shoulders, core at the same time , these movements want to blend together
THE TRICK
Stay relaxed and compact in the air . Push your knees out over your boots to create that all important triangle shape or house with the lower half of the body. Try and make movements that are smooth and stylish.
Grabs can add stability into any trick . The picture below shows the rider grabbing melon which helps with the rotation.
Keep your eye line watching the spot you want to land on. If you open the head up and keep looking around with the rotation then you will over rotate the trick. By locking the eye line on the spot you want to land then you will block the rotation and land on this spot.
Come join us for a freestyle session and master your frontside 180 FREESTYLE SESSION
SEASON OPENING CAMP DECEMBER
SEASON OPENING CAMP DECEMBER
Vivid snowboarding is kicking off winter with a season opening camp December. Our five day course or skills camp will be focused around building confidence and feeling at ease on your board as well as beginning to fine tune and progress with your technical riding in different areas on the mountain. We will be touching on the basics and building skills up around how you stand and steer your snowboard on the hill.
We will ride different types of snow and terrain. If the mountain has powder then powder we ride. The Season Opening Camp December will be awesome.
The slopes above Verbier are usually guaranteed snow at this time of yearend therefore its a great choice for an early season ride.
Check out the conditions here WEATHER
We will look at and build upon some of the very basics from how we stand and steer to different lines and how to adapt and adjust in different snow conditions. This camp will be the perfect start to your winter. The course will run from 9am until 4pm daily. The course will cost 790CHF and this be for all coaching on the mountain. We work with different hotels, chalets so don't hesitate to call for different options.
Please get in contact for more details.
We have an awesome selection of camps that run through out the year. You can see all our camp options on our site. These range from freeride weeks to freestyle camps and much more.
Check out all camps here OPTIONS
NOLLIE BACKSIDE 180
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Here we are using a mellow piece of terrain keeping our speed fairly moderate for the Nollie backside 180
The trick will be initiated with the head and shoulders combined with a smoothly timed nollie.
A Nollie is popping off the nose of the board rather than the Ollie which is off the tail.
The body and board will rotate backside 180 degrees and then will be put down as gently as possible
Think about landing right in the middle of the bolts of your board.
Keep riding away switch and get prepared for your next trick.
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You can check out more footage from Vivid Snowboarding on our social media channels VIVID
If you are wanting to raise your overall freestyle skills then why not join a camp FREESTYLE
Vivid Snowboarding camps are an awesome way to raise your overall riding and get more tricks in bag. The camps take place during the holiday season and you will meet other who are wanting to progress.
If you are looking for more of a private session then why not take on of our specialist freestyle coaches for a morning, afternoon or full day session
END OF WINTER 2014
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Some spring snowboarding action from the end of winter 2014 to get you pumped and excited for the ensuing season. Snow has arrived in Verbier and it looks like the mountain will be opening this coming Saturday for business. Here at Vivid HQ we are getting everything ready and new uniforms are dew any day now. If you are looking for tuition, coaching or guiding please get in touch to chat about options. We offer everything from making your first turns, to perfecting your 360 and smashing those endless powder fields. Vivid Snowboarding is the Very best snowboard school in Verbier and beyond. The team is extremely passionate about delivering the very best sessions and lessons on the mountain.
WINTER IS HERE!! Check out the website for all your riding needs VIVID
Its well worth having a flick through our site to get a feel for the product we offer. Vivid Snowboarding is not just another snowboard school banging out hourly lessons we are offer you the very best snowboard experience out there
As we are moving close to the opening dates its worth keeping an eye on the weather conditions on the mountain. Verbier has awesome Webcams CAMS
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SUBJEKT HAAKONSEN - Vivid Snowboarding Verbier
SUBJEKT HAAKONSEN - Vivid Snowboarding Verbier
http://www.snowboardermag.com/videos/volcom-presents-subjekt-haakonsen-full-movie/
All time classic snowboard film about Mr Haakonsen , one of the true greats of our sport. The film showcases some the riding of one our true legends. Terje hails from Norway and has been one of the best all round snowboarders out th.
His career started with riding pipe competitions. Terje has almost been untouchable for much of his completion riding. He has one pretty much everything there is to win. He has always strongly been against the Olympics. Terje is a snowboarders snowboarder!
Terje has won all the big snowboarding events from the US open to the Air and style in Innsbruck. You can check out all the action on Subjekt Haakonsen
Check out his Burton snowboards profile here TERJE
If your looking to get into some of the backcountry in Verbier then have a look at all Vivid Snowboarding options VIVID
All our off-piste guides are extremely experienced riders and know the mountain extremely well. Local knowledge is Key!
Keep a look out for everything snowboarding on our blog. We are looking to create a platform that you feel comfortable to read and engage with. The Vivid Snowboarding blog will be something you can trust and gain vital insights into the snowboarding world.
We will cover everything from trick tips, resort reports to equipment guides and conditions all over the world.