When snowboarding, you can adjust your speed by changing the edge angle of your snowboard. When doing this, it's important how you move your ankles. You can adjust the edge angle by bending and flexing your ankles.
Practice bending and flexing your ankles
First, become familiar with bending and flexing your ankles. As it's easy to lose your balance while standing, practice while sitting. Face downhill while seated on a moderately steep slope and move your ankles while imagining lifting up and pushing down your toes.
Lifting your toes up puts the brakes on
Here, we'll explain how to adjust the edge on the heel side. By lifting up the toes, the heel-side edge bites into the snow, putting the brakes on.
When you push your toes downward, this reduces the edge's contact with the slope, weakening the braking action.
The ankles are also bent and flexed when adjusting the edge angle of the toe side. Hold up and down the edge's contact with the slope while imagining pulling your heels up and down.
Think about how your feet are moving within your boots
It's incorrect to imagine pressing the edge into the snow. If you imagine that bending and flexing your ankles naturally alters the edge angle, it'll make the movements easier for you. Try to become familiar with this motion while thinking about how your feet are moving within your boots.
photo & text : Chiho Kuriyama
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