Toeside: Riding on Your Toe Edge, Speed Control and Stopping

What is toeside?

A snowboard has two edges: the heelside on the heel side and the toeside on the toe side (see the heelside and toeside entry in the glossary). On the toeside you face up the slope; because you cannot see the valley, your first attempts may feel more intimidating than on the heelside. But half of every linked turn happens on this edge; you cannot move on to S-turns until your toeside feels solid.

Burton's beginner sequence goes like this: gliding on flat ground → skating with one foot → J-turn → heelside edge → toeside edge → falling leaf → C-turns. Ski schools' progression cards also usually teach the heelside side-slip first and then the toeside side-slip.

Stance: balance over the balls of your feet

1. Face up the slope. The board is across the fall line, and you are looking up the slope.
2. Bend your knees and ankles. An athletic stance: on the toeside, Burton recommends keeping your knees bent and looking towards your toe edge.
3. Put your weight over the balls of your feet. According to the New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance (NZSIA), you balance over the balls of your feet with even pressure from both shins inside your boots.
4. Keep your upper body upright. Keep your hips over the board; let your arms help with balance.

The side-slip

On the toeside, a side-slip means sliding straight down the slope while keeping the board across the fall line:

• To slide: Ease off the pressure of your shins against your boots a little; let your hips and knees come towards the middle of the board and your heels drop slightly. The edge angle decreases and the board starts to slide.
• To slow down and stop: Bend your ankles and knees a little more and bring your hips over the balls of your feet. The edge angle increases and the board stops.

The toeside falling leaf

The falling leaf means steering the board alternately left and right while side-slipping:

1. While side-slipping on the toeside, turn your gaze and weight slightly to the right; let the board slide that way.
2. Before you stop, bring your weight back to the centre, then steer to the left.
3. Repeat this down the slope; the movement comes from your weight shifting smoothly between your front and back foot.

This drill is the foundation of the steering skill you will use in linked turns.

Common mistakes

The toeside mistakes instructors see most often:

Falling on the toeside

On the toeside you usually fall forwards, onto your knees. Instead of catching yourself with your hands, try to fall onto your forearms and knees; the correct falling technique is taught in your first lesson. The wrist is one of the most frequently injured areas in snowboarding; wearing wrist guards in your first few days reduces this risk.

The next lesson

Once you can slide and stop comfortably on both the heelside and the toeside, the next step is to combine the two edges: first C-turns, then linked S-turns. For the full beginner roadmap, see our guide How Do You Start Learning to Snowboard?.

Learning toeside on an activity holiday

Getting both edges solid happens fastest on consecutive days under an instructor's supervision: edge control learned one day is consolidated on the slope the next morning. On an activity holiday this rhythm is planned; on Doğadayız basic course packages in Erciyes, the snowboard set, helmet, goggles and protective gear including wrist guards are part of the package. Progressing together with friends at the same stage is the most enjoyable part of a social adventure holiday.