13 Traverse and Side Slip
Traverse
When you traverse, you are learning to balance and hold an edge to travel across a slope.
Toe-Side Traverse
- Keep your board across the slope and on the uphill edge when you stand up so you do not slide down the hill.
- Flex your knees and keep your weight evenly distributed over the toe-side edge while you find the balance point.
- Shift your weight toward your front foot and then let that front foot flatten a bit. You will start to move in the direction of the nose of your board.
- To slow down, center your weight between both feet and lean more over the edge you are standing on. Increasing the edge angle will slow you down and eventually bring you to a stop.
Tip: Your shins move toward your toes. Do not try to balance on tiptoes.
Heel-Side Traverse
- Keep your board across the slope and on the uphill edge when you stand up so you do not slide down the hill.
- Your hips should be over the heel-side edge as you find the balance point.
- Bend your knees, as if you are sitting down in a chair. You should feel the highback of your binding against your calves.
- Slowly shift weight toward the front foot and let that front foot flatten a bit. You will start to move in the direction of the nose of your board.
- To slow down, center your weight between both feet and lean more over the edge you are standing on. Increasing the edge angle will slow you down and eventually bring you to a stop.
Tip: Make small tilting adjustments to control the board. Avoid standing too tall or making larger movements.
Side Slip
Side slip is a technique to control speed where to slide perpendicular to the slope. For example, a toe edge side slip is when you balancing on your toe edge, sliding down the slope, controlling your speed. A heel edge slide slip is the opposite. When doing a side slip, if you find yourself sliding more in one direction than the other, it means you have too much weight on that foot, so you will want to bring it back to a centered stance.
