Blue Twist Exercises

Snow Board

Flat ground 180s/360s

Terrain

Green - Consistent pitch with a single fall line, (top of explorer)

Activity

Series of unlinked 180s or linked 360s slips completed in both directions.

Emphasis

Staying close to the fall line, maintain a consistent speed, using twist as the primary fundamental with the secondary focus being pivot.

Notes

Catching an edge is a real concern when first attempting this drill. Breaking it into 2 separate 180s with a reset period in between is important so the student can find their balance.

Tags

green pressure, green twist, blue pressure, blue twist, black pressure, black twist

Tactical Garlands

Terrain

Wide groomed green or blue

Activity

Using the Garland to help travers multiple fall lines.

Emphasis

Using the garlands as a tactic to generate enough momentum to get across the trail.

Notes

Instructor needs to be able to communicate the fall lines to the rider. Lead follow often works to show how much speed is needed to get across the trail.

Tags

green twist, green tilt, green pressure, blue twist, blue tilt, blue pressure

Squiggly Wiggly Turns

Terrain

Green with a consistent fall line.

Activity

While keeping the board in the fall line have the rider use independent foot steering to twist the board very rapidly from edge to edge.

Emphasis

The focus is on moving the lead and rear foot independently and keeping center of mass over the base of support while apply twist on the board as it moves down the fall-line.

Notes

Instructor should go first so riders have a line to follow. Remind riders to look in the direction of travel because there is a tendency to look down. Pump the feet and use the knees to drive the movement.

Tags

Blue Twist, Black Twist, Blue Pressure, Black Pressure

Funnel Turns

Terrain

Green, Blue or Black

Activity

Have student follow your tracks while varying the radius and rhythm of turns

Emphasis

Experiencing a range of Duration, Intensity and Timing (DIT) in body movement patterns to make varying turns with consistent speed.

Notes

For intermediate and advance level, Do talk about how board construction will impact DIT. Very stiff all-mountain board will respond differently than a flexible park board.

Tags

Green Twist, Blue Twist, Black Twist, Green Tilt, Blue Tilt, Black Tilt, Green Pivot, Blue Pivot, Black Pivot