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Without being age specific, I've been boarding 20 years and also started later than most. No trips to the mountains as a 7yr old in my sedate family!

The most important thing you can do is get more time out on the mountain. When I was first learning I used some of my vacation time to take Friday's off from work to get to a relatively nearby slope (2+hours drive).

Remember as much as you want to go straight, do not ride completely flat - it is a good way to catch an unexpected edge and get tossed. Try to find a relatively wide blue run that is not a zoo and practice making and linking your giant "S" turns. As you get nearer the bottom you'll find that you naturally elongate them to maintain speed.

Also be aware there are two types of riding/turning - cross over and cross under, you can find examples on youtube. Cross under is used a lot by park rats and by those who never really learned or like making big turns. It can also be situational, ie if it is crowded. You should learn both methods.



Not sure if that was a direct reply to my comment or advice for everyone but turning is fine for me, its just going straight/fast that scares me!


Yes, for you though tried to make it a bit more general.

It is all about learning edge control - how much pressure to apply and when. Beginners tend to put too much pressure on the edge and worse, lean back when they are scared. They also tend to look down too much - look where you want to go (it won't seem as fast that way either).

Gradually elongating your turns as you go down the slope builds your confidence/comfort level in going straighter at faster speeds - your mind/muscles learn to apply consistent gentle edge pressure. When it really flattens out, you'll ride mostly toe or heel with very, very slight edge, changing more because of tiredness than anything else.




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