How To Determine Your Snowboard Stance

A stance is how you stand on a snowboard-- or skateboard or surfboard. Since snowboards require the use of bindings, your stance on a snowboard will determine how you mount your bindings.

First things first. Regular or Goofy?

The first element of your stance is whether you will ride regular-footed or goofy-footed. Regular is left-foot-forward and goofy is right-foot-forward. It's kind of like being right or left handed - almost everyone has a built-in preference one way or the other.

If you skateboard, surf or waterski on one ski, you may already know which foot you prefer to have in front. But sometimes this preference will switch around for different sports. Pro riders Jussi Oksanen and Gian Simmen snowboard regular and skateboard goofy-- go figure.

You won't know for certain if you are regular or goofy until you head up to the mountain and give it a try. But here are some tricks to help you decide:

• Run through the kitchen or across a hardwood floor in your socks. Suddenly stop and slide. Which foot went in front?
• Have a trusty friend sneak up behind you and give you a little shove. Which foot did you use to catch yourself? (That will be your front foot on the snowboard.)
• When you're riding downhill on a bike and stand up on the pedals, which foot do you put in front? Use that same foot as your front foot on the snowboard.

Next: How wide should you set your stance?

The width of your stance, or your bindings, should be a little wider than shoulder-width. It should feel very comfortable and stable, like you have just jumped off a small ledge and landed in a balanced crouch position. For most people, this will be somewhere between 18" and 24" wide, depending on the length of your legs.

If nothing feels comfortable and you really have no idea, base it on your height (see table below).

Now for some angles

The angle of your foot in relation to the board is based on personal preference and riding style. You won't need to dig out a protractor, the angle measurements are printed on the binding. For freeride and freestyle riders, the front binding should be angled anywhere from 10 to 30 degrees. I recommend starting at 21 degrees for the front binding, and adjusting from there based on what feels natural and comfortable to you.

The back binding can be angled toward the front of the board like the front binding, or toward the back of the board-- known as duck-foot (duck-footed positions have binding angles in the negative range). The rear binding should be angled anywhere from about -15 to +10 degrees, depending on what is most comfortable for you. To find your optimal setting, I recommend starting with a rear binding angle of 0, or straight across the board. Then adjust from there until your feet feel comfortable and at ease.

The last stance

Like a snowflake, no two stances are exactly alike. Your stance is unique to you and can evolve over time. And remember, snowboard bindings are extremely adjustable and easy to change, so play around with your settings. You may find that you prefer a particular stance for heavy snow days, and another for riding the pipe or rails. It all depends on your style and personal preference.

Stance Widths