Snowboard Carving: Edge Angle, Angulation and Dynamic Turns
Carving means the snowboard turning without skidding or sliding sideways, travelling only on its edge; it leaves a track in the snow as fine as a pencil line. According to the manual of the New Zealand instructors' alliance (NZSIA), in a skidded turn the edge angle is low and the board is turned (pivoted), whereas in carving the edge angle is high and the pivot is zero: the turn is drawn by the board's sidecut and flex. To do this, the rider tilts their body in two ways: angulation (creating angles at the ankles, knees and hips) and inclination (leaning the whole body into the turn). Every balanced turn needs both together. Before moving on to carving, you should be able to make linked S-turns comfortably.
What is carving, and how is it different from a skidded turn?
The NZSIA manual divides snowboard turns into three groups:
Turn type
Edge angle
Pivot (turning the board)
Track left in the snow
Skidded turn
Low
A lot
Wide, smeared
Edged turn
Higher
Some
Narrow but not fine
Carving
High
Zero
As fine as a pencil line
According to the manual, in a perfect carve the nose and tail of the board pass through the same track. The wider the track, the more skidding has crept into the turn. Listen too: carving is quieter than a skidded turn.
This article is for riders who can make linked S-turns comfortably and ride in control on blue and red runs.
The board draws the turn: sidecut and flex
The edge of a snowboard is not straight but slightly curved; this is called the sidecut. According to NZSIA, the sidecut radius ranges from 5 metres on children's boards to 17 metres on race boards, and is around 8–9 metres on most boards. As the edge angle increases and the pivot decreases, this curve starts to steer the turn. The more you tilt and flex the board, the smaller the turn radius.
The type of board matters too: boards that are torsionally soft give less grip at speed. We explain which board suits what in our snowboard types guide.
Angulation and inclination
There are two ways to increase the edge angle:
Inclination: Leaning the whole body into the turn, moving the centre of mass away from the edge. The higher your speed and the centrifugal force, the further you can lean.
Angulation: Tilting the edge by creating angles at the joints, that is the ankles, knees, hips and spine. This lets the board tilt further while your upper body stays balanced.
NZSIA's emphasis is clear: every balanced turn needs both. A rider who turns with inclination alone falls inwards if the edge does not hold; a rider who turns with angulation alone cannot reach enough edge angle at high speed.
Stance on the heelside and toeside
Heelside (heel edge): Angulation comes mainly from the knees and hips; pulling your toes up (flexing your ankles) increases the edge. Be careful: flexing too much and too early at the start of the turn leaves your hips behind.
Toeside (toe edge): Angulation comes from the ankles and knees; you drive your knees progressively over the toe edge. Common mistake: leaning into the turn with your upper body and losing edge grip.
Carving is fast and takes up a lot of space. If the slope is crowded, make your turns smaller and follow the FIS rules for conduct: the skier ahead of you has priority, and do not stop in the middle of the slope. Edge grip decreases on icy and hard snow; on days like that, slow down.
How it differs from carving on skis
Carving on skis is based on the same idea: turning on the edge of the ski, along the arc drawn by the sidecut. We cover the skiing side in our carving technique in skiing guide.
Carving within a week
Carving usually clicks after a few days of regular practice. That is why an activity holiday, where you are on the slopes several days in a row, is a good opportunity to develop the technique. Accommodation, ski pass and equipment are included in Doğadayız winter packages; lessons with an instructor are part of the basic course packages. Watching the videos filmed during the day in the evening with friends who rode the same slope and commenting on each other's tracks is also part of a social adventure holiday. For the programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
What is the difference between carving and a skidded turn on a snowboard?
In a skidded turn the edge angle is low and you turn by twisting the board round (pivot); it leaves a wide track in the snow. In carving the edge angle is high and the pivot is zero; the turn is drawn by the board's sidecut, and it leaves a track in the snow as fine as a pencil line.
What is angulation?
Angulation means tilting the edge by creating angles at the ankles, knees, hips and spine. Leaning the whole body into the turn is inclination. According to NZSIA, every balanced turn needs both together.
Which snowboard is suitable for carving?
Boards that are torsionally stiffer and have strong edge grip hold better at speed. The sidecut radius of most snowboards is around 8–9 metres; a smaller radius allows shorter turns.
A linked S-turn means joining heelside and toeside turns without stopping so that you draw an S shape down the slope; it is the measure of being able to say “I can ride” on a snowboard. According to the New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance (NZSIA), the turn comes from the lower body: the front foot starts the turn by steering the board into the fall line, and the back foot follows that movement to finish the turn. To change edges you only move sideways as much as you need to, and the timing of the edge change is critical: a sudden change before the fall line makes the downhill edge catch in the snow. The most common mistake is leaning back out of fear as you go into the turn.
Carving is a turn in which the ski travels along its own edge without skidding sideways. According to the International Ski Federation's definition, in a pure carved turn the ski's tail follows exactly the track cut by its tip and there is no sideways skidding; two thin lines are left in the snow. The radius of the turn is determined by the ski's edge angle, its sidecut radius and the way the ski bends: the more the ski is tipped, the tighter the turn. In a skidded turn, by contrast, the ski pivots on the turning path and slides sideways. According to the American instructors' association PSIA, in a good turn the edges are changed before the skis turn into the fall line, and the edge angle increases and decreases gradually throughout the turn.
Snowboards fall into four main types depending on the terrain they are made for. All-mountain boards, in Burton's definition, are designed for good performance on any terrain, including groomed runs, the park and powder; most beginner boards are in this category too. Freestyle (park) boards usually have a twin shape, meaning the nose and tail are identical, which makes riding and landing switch easier. Freeride boards are usually directional and stiffer, for off-piste riding and speed. Powder boards have a wide nose, a tail that narrows (taper) and bindings set back towards the tail (setback), so they float in deep snow. For a beginner, the right choice is often a soft, all-mountain board.
