I think every snowboarder should be able to ride switch.
Not necessarily well. I’m not expecting everyone to throw switch backside 540s or carve immaculate turns in both directions. But if you’ve been snowboarding for a few years, you should at least be able to get down a decent-sized run with your opposite foot forward.
Unfortunately, there’s a problem with learning switch.
It makes you look like you’ve never snowboarded before.
You can spend years getting comfortable on a board. You’ve got your turns dialled, you can handle most terrain, and you’ve developed a pretty respectable riding style. Then you turn around, put your other foot forward, and suddenly you’re a complete liability.
Your knees don’t know what they’re doing. Your turns are horrible. You’re staring at your feet. Some bloke on his third day of snowboarding goes past you looking considerably more competent.
And, of course, this always seems to happen directly underneath a chairlift.
Still, I reckon it’s one of the most worthwhile skills you can learn.
Why Bother Learning Switch?
For starters, it makes you a more versatile snowboarder.
Most of us spend almost all our time riding in one direction. Regular riders lead with their left foot, goofy riders with their right. After a few seasons, everything becomes automatic. You don’t really think about initiating a turn or shifting your weight anymore. You just do it.
Switch takes all of that away.
Suddenly, you’re having to think about movements you’ve been doing without thinking for years. It’s uncomfortable, but that’s partly why it’s useful.
Learning to ride in both directions gives you more options on the mountain. You can land a trick switch without immediately scrambling to turn back around. You can ride out of an awkward position. You can approach a feature from either direction without it becoming a major event.
Even if you’ve got absolutely no interest in freestyle, it’s worth having that ability.
I also think it makes you more aware of your riding. When you’re learning switch, you start noticing things about your stance, balance and turn initiation that you haven’t paid attention to in years.
It’s effectively a reminder of what beginners are dealing with.
Which is quite humbling when you’ve spent the previous afternoon offering everyone else unsolicited advice.
The Embarrassment Factor
Embarrassment is an under-explored emotion. I forget who coined the term, but it’s very true in snowboarding. Nobody particularly enjoys being bad at something they’re normally good at.
You might be perfectly happy flying down black runs, dropping into powder or messing around in the park. But ask yourself to do a few basic switch turns on a green run, and suddenly you’ve regressed several years.
There’s something especially unpleasant about practicing switch under a chairlift. You can almost feel the people above you watching.
They’re probably not. Most of them are busy talking, eating snacks or wondering why the lift has stopped again.
But in your head, you’ve got an audience of 50 people watching you catch an edge at approximately four miles per hour.
The temptation is to turn back around and immediately do something impressive to demonstrate that you can, in fact, snowboard.
Resist it.
Nobody cares how good you look practicing switch. And even if they do, you’ll probably never see them again.
Unless it’s your mates. They’ll remember forever.
Start Somewhere Easy
One mistake I see people make is trying to learn switch on terrain that’s much too difficult.
Just because you can comfortably ride a steep red or black run normally doesn’t mean you should be practicing switch there.
You’re essentially learning a new movement pattern, so give yourself some room to work it out.
Find a wide, quiet green or easy blue run with consistent snow and a gentle gradient. Somewhere you can make turns without worrying about other riders, unexpected bumps or running out of space.
I’d avoid really flat terrain, though. You still need enough speed to make proper turns, particularly when you’re starting out.
And don’t head straight into the park to practice. I know that’s where riding switch becomes particularly useful, but there’s no reason to complicate things before you can reliably control your speed.
Ideally, find a slope away from the main crowds.
And, for reasons we’ve already established, preferably nowhere near a chairlift.
Your First Switch Turns
Start by getting comfortable sliding with your opposite foot forward.
Keep your knees bent, your weight balanced between your feet and your upper body reasonably relaxed. Look where you’re going rather than staring down at your snowboard.
That last part sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget when everything feels unfamiliar.
Practice traversing across the slope on both edges. Get comfortable controlling your speed, then start making gentle turns.
You don’t need to link perfect S-turns immediately. Make one controlled turn. Traverse across the slope. Make another.
If you’re struggling, go back to the basics. Practice your heel-edge and toe-edge control independently until you’re comfortable with both.
I find it helps to think back to how you learned to snowboard in the first place. You didn’t start by charging down the mountain linking perfect turns. You spent time figuring out how your edges worked and how to move your weight.
Switch is much the same.
One important point: don’t try to force the board around with your upper body.
It’s tempting to throw your shoulders into every turn, especially when you’re struggling. But that usually leaves you twisted and off balance.
Instead, look into the turn, keep your knees soft and let the board come around progressively.
And try not to lean back. Just because you’re riding with your opposite foot forward doesn’t change the basic principle of staying balanced over your snowboard.
Don’t Just Practice Once!
Here’s where most people go wrong.
They decide they’re finally going to learn switch, spend 20 minutes making terrible turns, get frustrated and then return to riding normally for the rest of the trip.
Six months later, they repeat the process.
I’ve seen this happen countless times and it’s hardly surprising. You didn’t spend all that money getting to the mountains to spend your holiday looking like a beginner.
But you won’t make much progress if you’re starting from scratch every trip.
I’d rather see someone spend five or ten minutes practicing switch every day than dedicate one miserable afternoon to it and then give up.
Find an easy run, do a few turns, and carry on with your day.
You can also practice on the gentler sections of runs you’re already riding, provided you’ve got plenty of space and visibility.
The trick is making switch riding a normal part of snowboarding rather than some horrible chore you’ve been putting off for years.
Eventually, you’ll notice that your turns are getting smoother. You’re thinking less about which foot is leading. You’re no longer terrified of catching an edge every time you change direction.
And then you can start pushing things a little further.
Your Stance Might Be Making It Harder
You don’t need a special snowboard to learn switch, but some setups are certainly more forgiving than others.
A true twin snowboard is the obvious choice. The nose and tail are the same shape, the flex is generally symmetrical, and it’s designed to ride comfortably in either direction.
A directional twin is usually fine too.
If you’re riding a heavily directional powder board with a huge nose, tiny swallowtail and a significant setback, learning switch is going to be considerably more awkward.
Not impossible, necessarily. Just unnecessarily difficult.
Binding angles are worth considering as well
A duck stance, with your front binding angled positively and your rear binding angled negatively, tends to make switch riding feel more natural.
Something like +15/-9 or +12/-12 can be a reasonable starting point, although there’s no magic combination that works for everyone.
You don’t have to completely change your setup just to practice switch. If you’ve already got a comfortable stance that works for the rest of your riding, think carefully before messing with it.
But if you spend most of your time on a twin board and want to improve your freestyle riding, it’s worth experimenting with a more symmetrical setup.
Do You Actually Need to Be Good at Switch?
No, I don’t think you need to become an amazing switch rider. There’s a difference between being competent and spending half your day deliberately riding backwards.
If you mostly enjoy cruising groomers, riding powder or exploring the mountain, you’re probably not going to use switch as much as someone who spends every afternoon in the park.
And that’s fine.
But I do think there’s a basic level of switch riding that every experienced snowboarder should aim for.
You should be able to link turns, manage your speed and get down an easy run without constantly reverting to your normal stance.
You should be comfortable enough that finding yourself switch doesn’t immediately become a problem.
Beyond that, it’s up to you.
Stop Avoiding It
I understand why people put off learning switch.
Snowboarding is supposed to be fun, and spending your limited mountain time doing something you’re terrible at isn’t everyone’s idea of a good trip.
It’s particularly frustrating when you know how much better you could be riding normally. But that’s also why I think it’s worth doing.
You don’t need to spend hours drilling technique. You don’t need to buy a twin snowboard specifically for the occasion. And you certainly don’t need to master switch carving before you can call yourself a decent rider.
Just make an effort.
Spend ten minutes on an easy run. Link a few turns. Do it again tomorrow.
You’ll probably hate it initially. You’ll definitely look worse than you normally do. And at some point, you’ll catch an edge in full view of a chairlift.
But eventually, riding switch stops feeling like such a big deal.
And that’s the point.
Every snowboarder should be able to ride both ways. Even if getting there is a pain in the ass!
