Snow boarding stance

Basically, there are two different standing positions (postures) on a snowboard, depending on whether the left (”regular”) or the right foot (”goofy”) is first in the direction of travel. Whether a snowboarder’s stance is “regular” or “goofy” is dependent solely on subjective preferences. The manner in which one chooses a preferred stance has not been determined. There is also no unequivocal proof as to which stance is correct.

Experience shows that neither the stronger leg, nor even the handedness of the person, is crucial. Also several “motor tests” e.g., both legs slipping on the ice, the foot position in the scooter, skateboard or downhill on a bicycle (upright position, a pedal in front, one rear), at the pit, or using a shovel, have provided no reliable clues as to whether regular or goofy is the preferred stance.

There is a strong feeling, therefore, that the position which is set in the early stages of learning is experienced as the more comfortable, and will remain permanently the preferred stance of the snowboarder. Some adhere stubbornly to assumptions that regular position would be the “normal” position, and goofy, the more exotic of the two, but this lacks a coherent justification. The reality, however, looks more straightforward, because snowboarders are spread, (and always have been), in approximately equal proportions to the regular or goofy position.

Bind angles
In general, there is no panacea for the correct angle. Snowboarders must choose for themselves the most comfortable stance. However, there are meaningful guidelines for every riding style and standing position.

Beginners are advised to have a stance with an angle of 30 degrees forward and 15 degrees behind. With this angle the toes of the shoes are slightly in the direction of travel and the very unusual movement of snowboarding is easier to learn. Even for advanced snowboarders who are pursuing any specific style, such as freestyle or freeride, a 30°/15° angle is recommended.

Freestyle snowboarders are usually oriented to drive at a very shallow angle (front/rear: 0°/0° to about 21°/-21°). This is referred to as a “Duckstance”. When jumping, landing, etc., the balance is between the heel and toe, and the edge can more easily be held. With shallow angles, it is also easier to swing to take spins or turns.

Freeride-oriented snowboarders have the bindings mounted significantly steeper, as they should achieve very high speeds and are therefore more shot in the same direction as the freestylers. A typical bind angle would be, for example, 24°/18°.

Race-Board-oriented snowboarders have committed to even steeper bindings because they reach quite high speeds and are therefore more shot in the same direction as freeriders. A typical bind angle for slalom, for example, is 52°/45° and for giant slalom, for example, 57°/52°. Narrow boards, such as the F2 Silver Arrow, often permit because of their strong sidecut no shallower angle, otherwise one’s toes and heels would stand out over the board.

The duckstance occupies a special position in the bind angles. Here the links are as a “V” and are front and rear mounted in the same direction as the direction of travel. The template for this bind angle is the natural foot position of the man whose toes in the relaxed state give slightly outward. The advantage of Duckstance is that the driver can bend his knees further and thus create a more compact and safer driving position.

Especially in the freestyle area, the duckstance is quite popular because it also increases the movement and simplifies, for example, the fakie drive, which is riding backwards. It is often assumed that the duckstance causes more knee pain than other bind angles, but this is not the case. On the contrary, since it is based on the natural posture of man, duckstance is much gentler than other bind angles.

In rare cases, we see a bind setting in which the rear foot is steeper than the front (e.g., 15°/21°). This binding setting is often described as Mongofoot (due to the remarkable resulting posture) and simply the result of ignorance creating a false bind set.