I always look for ways to improve and through my experimentations I’ve developed a reliable sequence to follow for analysis and improvement. Using this specific sequence has allowed me to develop riders faster and also helped in creating easy ways to relay feedback:

1. Move across the board with hips
2. Move down vertically to establish grip
3. Begin to push up vertically
4. Begin to rotate in the desired direction

I have found that using this more and more as a framework gives me and my clients a unified understanding of how to control outcomes on the board. Regardless of the desired outcome, if you do this successfully, you can create what you want. I should say “most of the time” as there will always be exceptions. For example, let's think about “sliding turn, carved turn, frontside 360, back-lip” to name only a few. These turns and manoeuvres all use this sequence to start the arc. What happens after this sequence is a result of blending the skills to create the desired outcome. 

I encourage you to try using this sequence as in my mind there is very little down side to use this sequence and a ton of bonuses such as :

• It establishes an early edge
• It then allows for early “grip” consolidation of edge 
• It gives the rider control of their direction

Give it a try! 

James Hyland
National Technical Team Member & Level 4 Evaluator