Rollers are rounded mounds of snow that have been groomed smooth. Teir various applications depend on the placement and size of the rollers. One method is to build a series of rollers down the fall line, shaped in a way to slow or even stop the rider from one roller to the next. Tis way, a rider can learn straight glides with the terrain helping them control their speed and build their confidence. In another application, riders can straight-run through a series of rollers to develop flexion/extension and a centered, balanced stance. Spines are park features generally built with a steep takeoff ramp and a groomed transition on the left, right, and back; the top of a spine is generally very narrow. Banked turns are berms of snow that help redirect the rider’s path. Tese snow berms are shaped like an S down the fall line. Picture a snake going down the hill; as the rider slides downhill, the berms redirect the path of the board, resulting in comfortable turns.
Tere are many features like these and others that a resort can use to enhance the learning environment. Tey may take a little time to set up, but, if done right, daily maintenance shouldn’t take much more time than a normal groom of the same slope. It’s also a good idea for resorts to offer instructor training for each of the features, as well as foster creative use and a formal means to share best practices.
HOW TO USE TERRAIN FEATURES
Some resorts have created standardized ways to use their features in order to create consistency between lessons and promote student success. For this reason, resort or ski and ride school directors may have a specific set of features they want used in the same way, in the same order, by all instructors.
At other areas, it’s often left up to instructors to develop their own progressions on whatever features may be available. When developing an action plan for a terrain feature, think about how the board reacts on that feature with no input from the rider. For instance, a catcher’s mitt allows a rider to stand flat on the board in a straight run until the board comes to a stop, allowing the rider to experience movement and gliding without fear of speed. A mini pipe set on a very gentle slope can be used for learning to link turns or creating timing. As the board approaches the wall across the flat bottom of a mini pipe, with very little input from the rider the board will try to seek the fall line and can be brought around into a turn. Te timing of the board approaching the wall creates the rhythm for the rider to make linked turns. Even if the area’s grooming crew doesn’t create a mini pipe, similar natural features – such as natural gullies – often exist in many places on the mountain. Rollers can be used for fore/aft balance or pressure control for pumping. However, these are often found in many places on the mountain and can even include moguls on a gentle slope.
Use your creativity to make learning easier and more fun, and expose students to a variety of terrain beyond the typical flat (and potentially boring) groomed beginner slope. With practice, you’ll develop a plan to teach specific concepts limited only by the reach of your imagination.
TheSnowPros.org
CHAPTER 8: TERRAIN-BASED TEACHING 127
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