January 1, 1999

Are You Regular Or Goofy? Before considering the details of setting up your board and bindings, one question must be answered-are you regular or goofy? For riders with experience in other sideways sports, this is a no-brainer, but for those whose first sideways encounter is with a snowboard, listen up. Regular foot means you stand on a board with your left foot in front, and goofy foot implies your right foot forward. Don't let the names fool you, neither is more common or correct, but one will most likely be easier for you. To determine which way you should ride, go through a couple self-tests. Pretend you're Tom Cruise in that movie Risky Business and run and slide on the kitchen floor in your socks-which foot do you naturally place in front? If you're already in the mountains, try it on a patch of ice while waiting for the resort shuttle bus. If you find that you can do it with either foot forward, then it probably doesn't matter. You'll learn either way equally well. During your initial stint on a snowboard, it won't be a huge issue if you guessed wrong in regard to your stance (although it can serve as a good excuse), you'll be making more sideways than directional moves.

When turning, though, a regular-foot rider set up goofy, or vice-versa, will have a hard time shifting their weight forward, and initiating turns-they may even find it easier to ride backward. Take a few minutes, and a couple turns of a screwdriver, to get yourself riding in the right direction, literally. (body) Standard Procedure 1. Stance Width 2. Binding Placement 3. Stance Angles 4. Toe To Heel Centering 5. Binding Adjustments There are as many exceptions to the "rules" of equipment setup as there are rider types and riding styles. The rules, in fact, are mere reference points from where you should explore what works for you and how you'd like to snowboard. The term "stance" connotes a rider's position on their board, its two main components are stance width and binding orientation, or angles. Figuring out your stance width (the distance between your bindings-measured from the center of one binding to the center of the other, in inches) isn't a set-in-stone process. Initially, try "shoulder width" or the length of your lower leg measured from just below your knee to under your heel.

This can then be tweaked to accommodate your riding style. A wider stance will afford freestylers more stability and less rotational "swing" weight, making it easier to spin, while a narrower stance will focus your weight in the center of the board for better use of its design when turning. My shoulders measure nineteen-and-a-half inches, my lower leg is 20, and I ride with a twenty-one inch stance. Once you've determined the width of your stance, the bindings need to be placed on the board in the right spot-usually relative to the center of the board's sidecut (the narrowest part of the board).

Freeriders, and all but those who ride completely symmetrical twin tip boards, tend to ride "back of center," meaning that the nose of their boards are longer than the tails. This is also where the center of the sidecut probably lies. For deep powder you may set your bindings even farther toward the tail of the board to allow the nose more length to flex above the snow's surface. To ensure the right placement, measure out from the center of the board's sidecut, rather than in from the tip and tail. Your stance width will remain the same and your bindings will be placed in the optimum position (for a twenty-inch stance, place your bindings ten inches each side of the sidecut's center). Then choose the holes (inserts) closest to your stance-width and loosely tighten down a couple of screws (use a number-three Phillips-head screwdriver for most bindings) to hold them in place before adjusting the stance angles. A stance that's too wide will inhibit your board from flexing properly (smooth turns) and limit your range of motion.

A stance that's too narrow won't allow you as much control over the tip and tail of the board, will make it harder to spin in the air and balance while riding and landing jumps. Stance-angle, or binding-orientation, preferences are largely dependent on what's comfortable. Your prior experiences and anatomical makeup will be primary indicators of this. In addition, your equipment will be a factor because the correct stance angles are also the ones that position your boots so they don't hang over the board's edges. Binding angles are measured in degrees relative to the board's nose-zero degrees is perpendicular, straight across the board, and 90 degrees is parallel to the board, pointing toward the nose-and are usually stated back foot, front foot, like "ten, eighteen." With your bindings tacked on at about the width and stance placement you want, put your boots in them to see how things fit on the board. Turn the binding (if the screws are loose enough the bindings should turn without removing them) until the toe and heel of each boot are just over the board's edges. If the boot's toe and heel don't line up evenly-the heel flush and the toe hanging way over-you'll need to center them by: (1) adjusting the binding's heel cup (rear part of the base), or (2) selecting the proper holes in the mounting discs, moving them forward or back toward the toe or heel. If you know what angles you prefer to ride, cater your equipment to your stance. For example, I like to ride at twelve, twenty-eight and I wear a size nine-and-a-half boot (that's not my foot size), so I ride boards no less than 25.3 cm wide in the waist.

Any narrower, and I'll have to compromise the position that I've found works best for me. The makeup of your body also has something to say about the stance angle you choose. Knock-kneed and bow-legged riders have different needs to achieve comfort and effective riding positions. Knock-kneed riders should try increasing the difference between the front and back binding angles (e.g., from 12/25 to 9/28), while bow-leggers should bring 'em in a little by decreasing the variance. Ninety-nine percent of snowboarders ride with less angle on their back foot than front, but some find it comfortable the other way, kind of pigeon-toed (some racers use this position). A minority of freestyle riders who spend almost equal time riding backward (fakie) as they do forward, actually use negative angles on their back feet-called Duck Stance-pointing the rear binding a few degrees toward the tail (knee surgeons love these guys). This supposedly makes it easier to ride backward, or switch-stance as it's called, and brings us to a good point: excuses for your riding are usually not found in your equipment. When you pinpoint your stance angles, tighten the binding mounting screws as tightly as you can by hand. Stance angles that are too great, or steep, will move your toes and heels away (inward) from the board's edges, making turning slow and difficult.

Not enough stance angle will cause boot-drag. Dialing in your equipment is a continual process. The elements of your stance evolve with your progress, style, and changes of equipment. When riding a setup for the first time, carry a tool with you and experiment until you find the sweet spot. Every board, boot, binding, and rider is different, so it may take a combination of factors to get things just right. But when you find it, the right stance and personalized adjustments will allow you to take full advantage of your setup.