The phrase, put your best foot forward, is especially true in the world of slalom skiing. Put the correct foot in front and you will find it a lot easier to perform maneuvers. But which foot should you be using?
The non-dominant foot should be at the front of the board, allowing the dominant foot to steer and balance from the rear. For most people, this will mean that the left foot will be at the front and the right will be at the back. This is known as a regular stance.
The foot at the back of the board has the most important role to play. It will be used to help you balance and steer. There is no right, or wrong configuration and the ideal foot position will depend on the person. Keep reading to learn how to find the right stance for you.
How To Find Your Dominant Foot
Most of us know our dominant hand. But it’s less common to know your dominant foot. This is the foot that we feel most comfortable using for complex tasks, like steering a slalom board.
It’s important to remember that your dominant foot might not be the same as your dominant hand. Thankfully, there are a few ways that you can find your dominant foot, these include:
- The push test. Stand with your feet together and your eyes closed. Then, get a friend to push you from behind, gently. The foot that shoots out first to stop the fall is your dominant foot.
- Climbing stairs. In this test, you will need to stand at the base of a flight of stairs, with both feet next to each other. Then, have a friend tell you to start climbing. Without thinking, start racing up the stairs. The foot that you lead the climb with will be your dominant foot.
- Putting on pants. The first leg that you put into your pants is dominant.
- Kick a ball. When playing a game of soccer, the leg you kick with is dominant. If you aren’t sure, place a ball in front of you and try kicking with both legs. One will feel more natural.
- Ride double. Sometimes, you will already be experienced with using double skis but are making the transition to the slalom board for the first time, you might want to try riding double. To do this test, ride along, then lift one ski out of the water. Repeat with the other ski. Whichever leg feels the most stable and comfortable in the water is dominant.
You might need to do a few of these tests, to find which of your feet is dominant. At other times, the preferred leg will change as you are running the test. In this case, you can repeat the test, or try multiple tests.
Though the best option is to try wearing the slalom ski board each way. Often, one will feel natural, and the other way will feel uncomfortable.
Types Of Stances When Slalom Skiing
There are two ways that you can stand on the board when you are slalom skiing. These are:
- Regular stance. This earned its name because it’s the most common. The left foot will be at the front while the right one will be at the rear.
- Goofy stance. In this case, the right foot will be at the front of the board while the left foot will be at the rear.
Once you have found the right type of stance, you will often need to have a few sessions on the board. This will allow you to become familiar with standing in this way.
Where To Put Your Bindings When Slalom Skiing
Most commonly, you will need to place your bindings shoulder-width apart. Skiers can also jump into the air, where their feet land will be the ideal binding locations. The angle can also be adjusted, to allow the rider to try more advanced maneuvers.
Once you have found which foot should be at the front of the board, it’s time to decide where to put your bindings. There are a few ways that you can make this decision.
One of the best options is to jump into the air. Where your feet land will be your binding position. You might need to repeat this process a few times, to check that you have the right place. Generally, though, you will need to place your feet shoulder-width apart on the board.
You will also need to determine the angle at that you are placing the bindings. This will often determine how easy it is to ride the board. Here are some set-ups for you to try:
- Your rear foot should be facing straight forward. The front should be on a 15 to 20-degree angle. This is often two to four holes away from the center binding.
- In this case, the rear foot can be on a slightly wider angle, around nine degrees, this is one binding hole. The front binding should be at an angle of around 18 degrees, which is three to four binding holes.
- Finally, you might want a binding position that will allow you to perform tricks whether you are facing forwards or backward. In this case, both of your feet will need to be set at a nine-degree angle. For your rear foot, this will be three holes back. In the forward foot, this will be the third or fourth binding from the front.
Which Hand Should Be on Top When Slalom Skiing?
As you are getting pulled along, you want to maintain a strong grip on the rope. Because of this, it’s most common to use a baseball grip. This means that one hand will be on top of the rope and the other will be underneath, letting you hold it from either side.
The dominant foot will have an impact on which hand should be on top when you are gripping the rope. Here is what you need to know:
- Left foot dominant. Your right hand should be on top and your left hand should be underneath.
- Right foot dominant. Your left hand should be on top and your right will grip from underneath.
Final Thoughts
Slalom skiing will put your balance to the test. Because of this, it’s vital to choose the right foot setup. The clear majority of skiers report that it’s more comfortable to put the rear foot in the back. But you might try both stances and find that you prefer the dominant foot at the front. The key is to find an approach that works for you.