The Basics are "Asymmetry" and "Full-Body Movement"
What are the basics of snowboarding?
I have been searching for the answer to that for a long time.
But recently, I arrived at one way of thinking.
That is,
the basics of snowboarding are "asymmetry" and "full-body movement."
That is what I mean.
Snowboarding is often described as a "side-stance" sport.
This term sounds very cool.
It also captures the culture.
But when thinking about technique, it is a bit vague.
So, I replace the term "side-stance" with the word
asymmetry.
When I do that, the technique suddenly becomes clear.
In snowboarding, the roles of the front foot and back foot are different.
They are also different between the heel side and the toe side.
It is not a sport that moves symmetrically.
Therefore,
understanding that it is asymmetrical
is the first basic.
For example, when riding with the board in a nearly flat state,
at this time, a
center position
is relatively fine.
It is easy to maintain balance from left to right, and you can naturally support yourself with both feet.
When beginners practice sideslipping or falling leaf, this way of thinking is sufficient.
However,
the situation changes when you start to tilt the board.
As the edge angle increases,
the way you support your body also changes.
On the heel side,
the support naturally shifts toward the front foot.
Conversely, on the toe side,
the support shifts toward the back foot.
This is not because I am trying to force it to happen.
When you tilt the board
and receive external forces from the snow surface,
it is because that is more natural.
In other words,
the basics do not change between flat and edge-tilting.
Rather, I think that
within the basic of asymmetry, the support points are changing.
That is how I see it.
Another important thing is
full-body movement.
When watching snowboarding,
many people focus too much on their feet.
Bend your knees.
Use your ankles.
Apply pressure.
Of course, these are important.
But sports are performed with the whole body.
Rather than trying to move the board with just your feet,
the lower body moves,
the spine moves,
the shoulders move,
and the arms naturally balance.
That makes for
a much more natural movement.
That is why I believe
snowboarding is not a lower-body sport, but a
sport that uses the whole body.
Thinking this far, various techniques can be organized.
Sideslipping.
Turns.
Carving.
Jumping.
Powder.
Moguls.
The places you ride are different.
The goals are different.
The equipment used is different.
But
there is something common to every riding style.
Being asymmetrical.
Using the whole body.
This does not change.
On top of that,
applied techniques based on snow quality, settings,
stance, and skill level are stacked up.
That is why I
do not think that basics are a "form."
"This posture is the basic."
"This position is the basic."
It is not something fixed like that.
At the very root lies
the characteristics of the sport of snowboarding itself.
That is the foundation.
Because it is asymmetrical,
the way you support yourself changes.
Because it is a full-body movement,
the entire body works in unison.
Once you understand these two things,
it becomes easier to understand your settings.
You can also explain the differences caused by snow conditions.
Turns and carving
will also start to look connected as a single flow.
After researching snowboarding for nearly 30 years, what I think is that
while techniques continue to increase,
the basics become simpler and simpler.
The basics I have arrived at now are
asymmetry and full-body movement.
I feel that from here, research into snowboarding will continue to expand even further.
This was Rei Aoki, the demon of verbalization.
You will improve significantly by thinking.
I will be holding a "Snowboarding Research Meeting"
with Taku Matsumoto of OGASAKA.
-JOINT SESSION-
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