I’ve been snowboarding for over 15 years, and while I’ve ridden just about every type of board imaginable, there’s one thing I rarely change. My binding angles.
I’m a diehard duck stance rider. Groomers, park, powder, carving, whatever. Same angles.
I know positive/positive stances have become increasingly popular, particularly among riders who love carving. And I can see the appeal. But personally, I’ve never felt the need to change something that’s worked for me for years.
What Is Duck Stance?
Duck stance is when your front binding has a positive angle and your rear binding has a negative angle. Basically your feet point slightly outwards, rather than both pointing towards the nose of the snowboard.
A common setup is +15° on the front foot and -9° on the back, although plenty of riders prefer a symmetrical +15°/-15° stance.
Neither is necessarily better. It comes down to your riding style, comfort and personal preference.
(I mostly ride +12/-12, in case you were interested)
Duck stance is particularly popular with freestyle riders because it makes riding switch feel more natural. But you certainly don’t need to spend your days in the park to benefit from it.
Why I Ride Duck Stance Everywhere
For me, the biggest advantage is familiarity.
I’ve spent years riding with roughly the same binding angles. I know how my board responds, how to distribute my weight and how to move through turns without really thinking about it.
And I like being able to ride switch whenever I feel like it. Not just in the park, but messing around on groomers or getting out of an awkward situation.
More importantly, I don’t want to mess with my stance every time I change boards.
I’ll happily jump from a park twin to a directional freeride board, then onto something ridiculous with a swallowtail. My stance stays pretty much the same.
Even in deep powder.
People often recommend changing your binding angles for powder riding, particularly towards a more forward-facing stance. And there are legitimate reasons for doing so.
But I’ve never felt that the potential improvement outweighs the benefit of riding angles I’m completely familiar with.
I’m far more interested in how the board itself is designed, where the bindings sit relative to the nose and tail, and how it floats.
What About Positive/Positive?
I’m not against positive/positive stances. Far from it.
If you’re really into carving, particularly aggressive, high-angle turns, having both feet pointing forwards can make a lot of sense. It can help with body positioning and allow you to adopt a more forward-facing stance.
Some riders absolutely swear by it.
But I think snowboarders sometimes get a little carried away with binding angles. You’ll see people endlessly debating whether +21/+6 is better than +24/+9, as though those extra three degrees are going to transform their riding overnight.
Maybe they will. But for most of us, probably not.
I’d rather spend that time actually snowboarding.
And while positive/positive might offer some advantages in certain situations, it also makes riding switch less natural. That’s a trade-off I’m personally not interested in making.
Am I Missing Out?
Possibly!
I’m sure there are certain carving situations where a more forward-facing stance would work better. And if I spent all my time laying out deep carves on perfectly groomed pistes, I might feel differently.
But that’s not how I snowboard.
I like riding everything. Powder, trees, groomers, park, whatever looks fun that day.
Duck stance lets me do all of that without thinking about my feet.
If you’re new to snowboarding, I’d absolutely recommend experimenting with your binding angles until you find something comfortable. Don’t blindly copy mine, or anyone else’s.
But once you’ve found a stance that works, don’t feel obliged to change it just because everyone on Instagram has started pointing both feet forwards.
I’ve tried plenty of different boards over the years. I’m happy to keep my duck stance.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
