Turn shape: open and closed
According to the manual of the New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance (NZSIA), your speed down the slope is mainly controlled by the shape of your turns in relation to the fall line:
- Closed (completed) turn: The board is steered until it is across the fall line; used on steep slopes and in hard snow.
- Open (uncompleted) turn: The board stays close to the fall line; keeps your speed on flat slopes and connecting tracks.
NZSIA's clock face exercise makes this concrete: imagine the slope as a clock, with the fall line pointing to 6. If you draw your turns from 3 to 9 they are closed, from 4 to 8 they are open, and from 5 to 7 they are very open. The more open the turn, the faster you go.
We explain the basics of linked turns in our linked S-turns guide; here the topic is changing the size and shape of the same turn as you choose.
According to NZSIA, the longer the board stays in the fall line, or the more slowly the movements are applied, the bigger the turn. The manual also suggests a counting method to settle into a rhythm:
| Turn | Count (teaching aid) | Movements |
|---|
| Small | About 2 seconds | More rotation, timed more quickly |
| Medium | 3–4 seconds | Balanced |
| Large | 5–6 seconds | Less rotation, spread over a longer time |
These seconds are not a definition but an aid for keeping rhythm.
Skidded, edged and carved turns
NZSIA classifies turns by the track the board leaves in the snow:
- Skidded turn: Low edge angle and pivot; used by beginners and by experienced riders who want to slow down.
- Edged turn: A narrower track, but not yet a fine line.
- Carving: No pivot or skid; the track in the snow is as fine as a pencil line.
According to NZSIA, the larger the steering angle, the more the board skids; in a perfect carve this angle is zero. This does not mean there is no rotation at all in carving; body movements continue, but they do not turn the board. We explain carving in detail in our snowboard carving guide.
- The phases blend: According to NZSIA, as turns get smaller and faster, the preparation, initiation, control and completion phases merge into one another; in a small, open turn there is almost no completion phase at all.
- Retraction: The board is drawn up towards the body by pulling the legs in, and this is how the edge change is made. NZSIA recommends this method for small turns, powder and moguls.
- Faster rotation: Small turns need more rotation in less time.
- Closed turns on the steeps: The steeper the terrain, the smaller and more closed your turns need to be. We explain how the edge change is brought forward on steep slopes in our guide on steep runs and variable snow on a snowboard.
- Less rotation, more time: The movements are spread through the turn.
- Up-unweighting: According to NZSIA, this method, in which the legs are at their most extended at the edge change, is used for high-speed large turns on the piste and in racing.
- Use the sidecut: NZSIA's advice for advanced carving is to adjust turn size by using the sidecut rather than by skidding the board.
The board's share: According to NZSIA, the sidecut radius of snowboards ranges from about 5 metres on children's boards to 17 metres on race boards; on most snowboards it is between 8 and 9 metres. A board with a small radius makes short turns easier, a board with a large radius makes long turns easier. We explain board types in our snowboard types guide.
Flexion and extension are a shock absorber. According to NZSIA, a board that chatters or bounces shows that pressure is being managed inefficiently. The joints work differently: the ankles are fast but limited in strength, while the knees and hips are slower but stronger.
Options at the edge change:
| Method | At the edge change | Where? |
|---|
| Up-unweighting | Most extended | Beginners, large and fast turns on the piste |
| Down-unweighting | Most flexed | Uneven terrain; faster and more controlled at higher levels |
| Retraction | The board is drawn up to the body | Small turns, powder, moguls |
| Terrain | The legs soften over the bump | Moguls, banked slalom, boardercross |
Fore–aft pressure: According to NZSIA, beginners distribute their weight evenly over both feet. At advanced level, pressure is moved to the tail in the control and completion phases of the turn to increase edge grip, and then centred again. That is why the rule “always load your front foot” is only true for beginners. You can find the roles of the front and back foot in the front foot and back foot entry in the glossary.
Order of decisions: The order NZSIA recommends is first the edge (when, how fast), then pressure (how much, where), then steering (how much, with which part of the body).
Rebound: The energy stored in the board through pressure can launch you into the new turn at the edge change. According to NZSIA, the really valuable skill is not producing this energy but managing it.
The American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) sums up the foundations of a good turn in six principles: controlling the centre of mass along the length and across the width of the board, regulating the magnitude of pressure between the board and the snow, and controlling the board's tilt through inclination and angulation, its pivot through flexion–extension and body rotation, and its twist, again through flexion–extension and rotation.
| Mistake | Result | Fix |
|---|
| Trying to cut speed by pressing on the edge | The edge catches, abrupt stops | Cut your speed by closing the turn |
| Making short turns with a slow rhythm | The turns get bigger, speed builds up | More quickly timed rotation and retraction |
| Twisting the board round in long turns | A skidded, angular track | Tilt onto the edge, trust the sidecut |
| Keeping your legs locked | The board chatters and bounces | Flex and extend to “absorb” the snow |
| Staying on your front foot in every situation | The edge does not hold at the finish | At advanced level, pressure to the tail at the finish, then centre |
Someone who can change the size and shape of their turns at will finds a suitable line both on a crowded slope and on a wide morning piste; that makes every day of an activity holiday more enjoyable. Accommodation, ski pass and equipment are included in all Doğadayız winter packages; lessons with an instructor belong to the basic course packages. Taking turns with your friends on the clock face exercise and looking at each other's tracks is also part of the fun of a social adventure holiday on the slopes. For the programmes, see our winter activity holidays page.
