How to ride powder on a snowboard – Trick tip
Are you ready to learn how to ride powder? In this instalment of our trick tips series, that's precisely what we are going to cover. Get ready for a powder-filled adrenaline extravaganza.
It's time to get stoked for the last and most exciting "trick tips" of this five part series. In the last instalment of the snowboarding trick tips, we are talking powder riding. We already covered Carving, Jumping, Rotating and Jibbing. So what is left? It had to be snowboarding in pow, right? Riding fresh and untouched snow.
This is probably the best feeling EVER. If you can ride powder, you will be henceforth be known as a capable All-Mountain-Snowboarder- congrats! Being able to enjoy the experience regardless of the resort you are riding in and of the conditions you are dealing with is a valued skill. The perfect example of having fun no matter where you are in a resort was set by Cam Fitzpatrick at Jackson Hole with a top-to-bottom run straight out of your dreams. It covers pretty much all the lessons learnt from our trick tip series, including a pretty dreamy powder line right at the start.
So what is all the buzz about this? It is actually pretty hard to describe the feeling when you haven’t witnessed it yourself. It feels like a mix of surfing a wave, floating on clouds and disregarding the rules of gravity. Sounds like a great feeling hey? But before we can enjoy it, we have to talk about some basic rules. Safety is the most important aspect of backcountry, that is why everyone who leaves the slopes should visit an avalanche awareness course to not put yourself or others in a risky situation.
Besides the safety aspect, the choice of the right snowboard jacket and snowboard pants will by crucial when trying to stay warm during a long and cold day. Make sure to go for gear with high waterproofness and high breathability. This will keep you dry, but it will also allow your jacket to let air in when you are sweating (and this will make you sweat).
Basics
Backcountry safety
So, first things first. No one should leave the marked slopes without the right knowledge to head to the backcountry. So make sure to visit an avalanche training course and go out there whenever you feel comfortable dealing with the challenges that Mother Nature could throw your way. Never leave the slopes alone and without your transceiver, shovel, and probe in your backpack. We recently published an article about avalanche safety that covers all important aspects to think about when heading out in the backcountry.
Now that the important safety aspects of powder riding are covered, we can finally come to the fun part. We get to learn how to ride beautiful, fresh snow. This is probably the least technical topic of our trick tip series. It comes pretty naturally with trusting your intuition and a lot of practice hours. Nevertheless, we want to give you some useful tips for your first time in the backcountry. But the most important one will always to be to stay safe out there and to have fun!
Board setup
One thing that can help before entering new terrain is changing the setting of your bindings. When in powder, you always need to make sure that you apply more pressure to your back foot than to your front foot. This can get very tiring (especially for your back foot). By moving your bindings a few inches in the direction of the tail of your board, you will have an easier time putting your bodyweight over your back foot and floating in the snow.
Starting out
Most importantly, go out for the first time in good conditions. The ideal day to draw your first powder lines is a sunny cold day without wind affecting the fresh snowfalls. Ideally, try to get up very early in the morning and catch the first cable up the mountain. The earlier you are up there, the higher the chances that you will find some runs with untouched snow in between slopes. They are easily accessible, and you will feel safer because you are still close to the marked slopes. Find an open run that is not super steep to start off with. Try to go fast to not sink into the powder, and always remember to keep your weight over your back foot and the nose of your board out of the snow. If you shift weight to the front, you will likely fall over and roll down the hill. Always stay bouncy and go with the flow when riding a powder turn. Don’t force the issue – everything will come naturally to you!
Riding trees and obstacles
When leaving the marked slopes, tree runs are one of the most enjoyable things to do. In the woods, you must look into the direction of where you want to go. Focus on the gaps between the trees instead of focusing on a tree. If you focus on the tree – you will hit it – not cool. Watch out for rocks or trees that are covered by snow. Always have your knees bent and try to absorb the obstacles before you.
Thank you
This is definitely the one discipline that every recreational or professional rider dreams about the most. A lot of professional athletes with a slopestyle background end up filming backcountry parts when the competitive path of their careers hits the peak. The reason for this is simple. Doing this with your friends is the closest you will get to the roots of snowboarding. Exploring untouched territory, being out in the wild and in touch with mother nature. The true reason why we are snowboarding!
And that was it. Five Trick Tips to Improve Your Riding. You are now officially an all-mountain snowboard pro. You can carve, jump, rotate, jib, and ride powder. And the best part is that you can combine all of those skills into one epic run on the mountain. Start with a field of fresh snow, go for a cruise in the park and spin tricks on the slopes or overside hits.
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