The way you attach yourself to your board is maybe the biggest single fa ctor afecting how you ride, and your overall style. Here are a few pointers to make sure you’re not hindering your progres with a wack stance.
Stance Angles
Over the last few years, stance angles have settled into two general categories: forward and duck. Forward stance means both bindings have a positive angle, while duck stance means the back foot has a negative angle, and the feet point in opposing directions.
In a nutshell, forward stance is better if you don’t ride switch much
– a freerider, and duck works best if you want to ride switch
– a freestyler. Specific angles are really down to you to experiment with, but if you’re looking for a good place to start, try 0° back, 21° front. Overall, it’s good to keep your feet at around 18°-24° apart (it’s better for your knees).
Stance Width
Too narrow, and your balance and style will suck. Too wide, and your knees won’t work properly. A little wider than your shoulders is a good start, or measure the distance from the top of your shin to the floor and go from there.
Set-back and Centred Stance
This is completely down to personal preference, but a few general rules apply. A centred stance suits a rider who sticks mainly to the park and rides switch a lot, while a set back stance suits an all-rounder who wants to be ready for powder when they find it.
Stance Centering
A common mistake people make is fixing their binding exactly centred on the board, without checking how this affects their heel and toe overhang. If your feet are not centred over the board, you’ll find yourself with toe/heel drag, and uneven pressure on your edges.
Forward Lean
How much you tilt your highbacks forward affects your riding style too. Lots of lean makes your board very responsive, while less makes for a more relaxed ride. Generally, pipe riders prefer more lean, rail riders less.
Highback Rotation
Another useful bit of fine-tuning is to rotate your highback so it is parallel to the heelside edge. This makes heelside turns work better, and allows more freedom of movement for tweaks.
Stance Angles
Over the last few years, stance angles have settled into two general categories: forward and duck. Forward stance means both bindings have a positive angle, while duck stance means the back foot has a negative angle, and the feet point in opposing directions.In a nutshell, forward stance is better if you don’t ride switch much
– a freerider, and duck works best if you want to ride switch
– a freestyler. Specific angles are really down to you to experiment with, but if you’re looking for a good place to start, try 0° back, 21° front. Overall, it’s good to keep your feet at around 18°-24° apart (it’s better for your knees).
Stance Width
Too narrow, and your balance and style will suck. Too wide, and your knees won’t work properly. A little wider than your shoulders is a good start, or measure the distance from the top of your shin to the floor and go from there.Set-back and Centred Stance
This is completely down to personal preference, but a few general rules apply. A centred stance suits a rider who sticks mainly to the park and rides switch a lot, while a set back stance suits an all-rounder who wants to be ready for powder when they find it.Stance Centering
A common mistake people make is fixing their binding exactly centred on the board, without checking how this affects their heel and toe overhang. If your feet are not centred over the board, you’ll find yourself with toe/heel drag, and uneven pressure on your edges.Forward Lean
How much you tilt your highbacks forward affects your riding style too. Lots of lean makes your board very responsive, while less makes for a more relaxed ride. Generally, pipe riders prefer more lean, rail riders less.Highback Rotation
Another useful bit of fine-tuning is to rotate your highback so it is parallel to the heelside edge. This makes heelside turns work better, and allows more freedom of movement for tweaks.
