"Base position"

Called also neutral/natural. It is a basic position to perform every evolution related to snowboard ride also for beginners and advanced riders.
It not depends on riding technique/style, rules are always the same. It is a consequence of physics, board construction and human motility.


Exercise:
Put your board on, make some squats, rotations then close your eyes and try stand natural/comfort position. Then bend your ankles, knees and hips a little. Check the rotation of your torso, to be perpendicular to bindings angles, and distribution of weight to be symmetrical on both bindings/legs.
Reason of this exercise, when eyes closed, it to have natural position depends on your bindings angles and your body, to not focus on it, just have it done naturally.
So ankles, knees and hips bent proportionally, rotation of hips and shoulders rotation to be perpendicular to bindings angles, tore positioned vertically, head pointed to forward od board, hands spread to have front hand over the backside edge or outside boards, on the backside edge side.

There are two main mistakes here:
- torso rotation
- weight distributed unevenly

Torso rotation.

Hips and shoulders (torso) rotation angle depends on your bindings angle. For alpine board 16cm width with bindings angles 60/55degrees rotation of body will be much greater than for softboot carving board with bindings angle set 30/20degrees or freestyle position with angles 15/-10degrees.



In the beginning of your snowboard adventure, torse rotation is being used to initiate of sliding turns.
The basic position with non-neutral torse rotation can complicate also initiation of carving/on-edge turns, as non-neutral rotated position forces undesirable behavior od board (like transverse bend which makes from board - propeller) which could affect as sliding when beginning of turn, instead of on-edge ride. It almost always affects as counter-rotation, which is one of the most difficult element to be eliminated from your technique. It is also really important especially between turns, to not being a turn by torse counter-rotation, but just bend a board by knees. This topic will be extended in another article.

Rotation or counter-rotation could transfer torque from the body to board, which could cause by distributing more force to some parts of the board that will be overloaded, and others will be lightened, which for sure will affect your turn.
When freestyle (with angles plus/minus) will put on alpine board, his rotation most probably will be almost parallel to board. For skier, it will be almost perpendicular.

Weight distribution.

Projection of the center of gravity on board must be half a distance between bindings. To much weight on front binging will lighten tail od board, which allow pushing tail your board by torse counter-rotation, which is one of the biggest mistake. Moving the center of gravity can be done in a many ways. All of them are incorrect.
- Move weight to the front leg (C)
- The inclination of the torso forward, like bowing someone (D)
- Move your hips to much forward, like a bow (E)
To have weight distributed to much back is really very rare situation.


W do not suggest to correct you center of weight by changing position of bindings. It needs to be corrected by the change of your body position.

When riding a board, during a turn, board is bent. Maximum fo force is between bindings. The closer to board nose and tail, the force is smaller.


The distribution of force should be as even as possible for all board/edge length.
It depends on board radius, board elasticity/stiffness and stiffness distribution along the board (because the board has more stiff center than nose and tail)
It also depends on the thing we can affect. It is our technique, which includes our position during a turn. We need to be centered on board, projection of our center of gravity must be pointed in half of the distance between bindings. If yes our weight is distributed symmetrically then the centrifugal force will be ally of our board and us.

REMARKS:
Notice that SnowboardAcademy.pl website contents only chosen aspect of snowboarding. This is not an complex publication "how to snowboarding". The authors are responsible for any individual attempts of performing descibed snowboading elements of technique or equipment adjusting.

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