Snowboarding · Beginner · Technique
A garland is a snowboard drill in which you practise the start and finish phases of a turn without changing edges. While traversing the slope on one edge, you steer the nose of the board towards the fall line with your front knee and hip, then turn it back up the slope on the same edge; you leave a wavy track in the snow. In the NZSIA progression the order is side-slip → falling leaf → traverse → garland → C-turn. When you move from the garland to the C-turn, the only new thing to learn is the edge change.
Written by: Outdoor AcademyTechnical review: Mustafa Kaya · 27 October 2026Published: 5 min readKIS-030
The manual of the New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance (NZSIA) defines the garland like this: it is similar to a traverse but contains a series of turn starts and finishes; the board moves into and out of the fall line and leaves a wavy or stepped track in the snow. The definition in the manual's glossary is shorter: a drill used to practise the start and finish phases of a turn without changing edges.
According to NZSIA, the garland has two aims:
The second aim matters: the moment the board turns into the fall line and speeds up can feel scary. The garland lets you repeat that moment in short, controlled doses.
| Drill | What does the board do? | Edge |
|---|---|---|
| [Falling leaf](/outdoor-akademi/sozluk/snowboard#falling-leaf) | Side-slips left and right on one edge; nose and tail lead in turn | One edge |
| Traverse | Crosses the slope diagonally; always nose first | One edge |
| Garland | During the traverse, the nose points into the fall line and turns back | One edge |
| C-turn | Passes through the fall line and finishes on the other edge | Edge changes |
We explain the falling leaf in our heelside and toeside guides. Before moving on to garlands, you should be able to side-slip and do the falling leaf comfortably on both edges.
At the end of the slope, stop, change direction and do the same drill on your toe edge. You face up the slope; as you steer the nose towards the fall line, your front knee and hip still lead the way. NZSIA recommends doing several garlands in one direction and then repeating them on the new edge.
We explain how snow types affect your riding in our snow types guide.
According to NZSIA, when you move from the garland to the C-turn, the only new thing to learn is the edge change. At the moment you steer the nose into the fall line, instead of turning it back you keep steering and move onto the other edge of the board. We explain this step by step in our guides on your first J-turn on a snowboard and linked S-turns.
The garland is not just a beginner drill either: NZSIA also recommends garlands for refining turn initiation and steering movements on steeper blue runs.
| Mistake | Result | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Trying to turn the nose with your shoulders | The board skids, your upper body swings around | Start the steering with your front knee and hip |
| Staying in the fall line too long | Speed builds up, panic | Steer briefly, turn back straight away |
| Mistaking the garland for a linked turn | Catching an edge | The edge does not change; the whole slope on one edge |
| Steering hard on icy snow | The edge slides away | Very fine, smooth movements |
| Practising on a crowded, uneven slope | Your rhythm breaks down | Choose a wide, even area |
The garland is the last safe step before your first turn; getting it solid makes the second day of an activity holiday much more enjoyable. On Doğadayız basic course packages, this progression is practised with an instructor; accommodation, ski pass and equipment are included in all winter packages. Waiting at the bottom of the slope and cheering on your friend's first wavy track is the essence of a social adventure holiday. For the programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
Doğadayız social adventure 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.
It is a drill in which you practise the start and finish phases of a turn without changing edges. While crossing the slope on one edge, you steer the nose of the board towards the fall line and turn it back on the same edge; you leave a wavy track in the snow.
In the falling leaf, the board side-slips left and right on one edge, with the nose and tail leading in turn. In a garland, the nose points into the fall line and turns back while the board traverses. In neither drill does the edge change.
The C-turn. According to NZSIA, the only new thing to learn when moving from the garland to the C-turn is the edge change. Join two C-turns together and you get a linked S-turn.
BeginnerTechniqueSnowboarding · KIS-027
Heelside is the long edge of the snowboard under your heels. On the heel edge you stand facing down the slope and press this edge into the snow by pushing through your heels: increase the pressure and you slow down and stop, ease it off and you slide. Most beginners learn speed control and stopping on a snowboard on the heelside first.
Read the guide →BeginnerTechniqueSnowboarding · KIS-028
Toeside means riding on the toe edge of the snowboard: your face and chest face up the slope and your back faces the valley. Beginners usually learn heelside first and then toeside; Burton's beginner sequence follows the same order. On the toeside you balance over the balls of your feet, pressing both shins evenly into the front of your boots. To slide, you ease off the shin pressure a little and lower your heels; to stop, you bend your ankles and knees a little more and bring your hips over the balls of your feet. Next comes the falling leaf, where you steer the board left and right.
Read the guide →BeginnerTechniqueSnowboarding · KIS-031
The J-turn is the first turn you learn on a snowboard: while gliding straight on a gentle slope, you tilt the board onto one edge and turn uphill to stop; your track looks like the letter J. In Burton's beginner sequence, the J-turn comes after skating with one foot and before the edge work. In a heelside J-turn you put your weight on your heels and look over your heelside shoulder; on the toeside you put your weight over the balls of your feet and look towards your toe edge. It is your front foot and your gaze that steer the board; your back foot completes the movement. After the J-turn come C-turns and linked S-turns.
Read the guide →
