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How did you guys learn how to ski rails your not comfortable way??

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snl093
Posts: 251 - Karma: 11
just some opinions or anything on how to
Nov 16 2011 10:42PM
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Pow.yuHdig*
Posts: 1903 - Karma: 146
same as learning your "natural" way

theres no such thing as natural or unnatural its just watever you choose to learn first

Nov 16 2011 10:53PM
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k-fred
Posts: 5363 - Karma: 1,598
the best tip is PRACTICE.
Nov 16 2011 10:56PM
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jeR.
Posts: 1325 - Karma: 58
reach down to ur leading foot with your leading hand. practice on a pvc or box. move up to the big leagues. tho i started with 2's on.
Nov 16 2011 10:57PM
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Chett
Posts: 72 - Karma: 28
Learn switch-ups. Once you start doing them learning to slide un-natural becomes a little less intimidating.
Nov 16 2011 11:38PM
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jamodeo
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 663
start with the smallest feature in your park hike till yeah get it then the second smallest so on so forth till you can do full runs either way
Nov 16 2011 11:46PM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9282 - Karma: 8,174
The best way to learn is act as though you are sliding natural coming from the direction you jumped onto the rail. In other words if your sliding a downrail unnaturally, act as though you're riding a up rail your natural way. Even look behind you and act as if you're sliding it natural until you get the hang of it.
Nov 16 2011 11:48PM
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a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9215 - Karma: 5,398
lollerblading, i spin and grind omnidirectional in most cases. i have a preference for some things of course.
Nov 16 2011 11:51PM
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Caleb.E
Posts: 3556 - Karma: 1,014
as dickish as this sounds...... just hit the dam rail, no other way to learn unnatural sliding.
Nov 16 2011 11:51PM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
LOL "look behind you"?
Actually, just look at the end of the rail, and focus on keeping an exaggeratedly wide stance. Keep those eyes up! Look down, and you will fall down.
Nov 16 2011 11:56PM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9282 - Karma: 8,174
look behind you as in look towards the beginning of the rail. you don't need to take my advice but it helped me a lot so i thought it was worth mentioning
Nov 17 2011 12:02AM
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snl093
Posts: 251 - Karma: 11
yesterday was my first day of season and i didnt really learn switch skiing that well last year whats a good way to get comfortable just like forwards? just ski that all the time??
Nov 17 2011 12:10AM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
stay low and keep your hips parallel. don't get to preoccupied with having to see where you're going. Unless it's crowded.
Nov 17 2011 12:39AM
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backbarvey
Posts: 158 - Karma: 59
2 sev on. thats how i learnt.
Nov 17 2011 12:57AM
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snl093
Posts: 251 - Karma: 11
haha ok ill try the 2 sev on and ok so should i go some where out of the park?? to ski switch?
Nov 17 2011 1:08AM
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Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
Of course! The park is usually the most crowded place on the mountain!
Find a wide open groomer with no traffic. Seriously the best way to learn is to go somewhere where you wont hit anyone, so you can just focus on your technique. Try traversing away from the lift. Most skiers just ride the main runs closest to the lift.
Nov 17 2011 1:54AM
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juicedrummer11
Posts: 1960 - Karma: 1,331
best way to learn switch is to just devote a day to ski (outside of the park) with a bunch of friends slightly less talented then you so wherever they wanna go, you go and ski backwards. the more you do it, the more natural it becomes, just like skiing regular. everyday you go, if you can ski that run easily forward, ski it backwards, spice it up a bit
Nov 17 2011 4:20AM
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coldcuts69
Posts: 3718 - Karma: 1,888
yes this is correct
Nov 17 2011 7:23AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14485 - Karma: 10,587
Everyone keeps saying "oh I learned with 2's on / switch ups / hitting it switch." Yes you are sliding unnaturally, but that is alot different than just going up to the rail and hopping on unnatural foot forward, it is much harder to do that.

To OP, just keep trying, last year at the end of the season all the mountain had setup was a snow making tube and I learned how to slide unnatural. It just takes practice.
Nov 17 2011 7:45AM
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ryhy87
Posts: 142 - Karma: 73
When i first started i used to slide right foot forward - then to do switch ups i wanted to try FS to start, and natural spin was to the left.  To do this i just forced myself to slide left foot forward so that i could switch up to my natural.  It felt wierd at first, but now sliding left foot forward has become my natural.. i think.. So just repetition is the way to go, as already mentioned
Nov 17 2011 8:01AM
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Dr.Brown
Posts: 588 - Karma: 21
You won't learn anything by asking what others do. You have to go out there and do it yourself... You will fall, you will fail at first. But you will learn. Do just do it.

"WAX ON, WAX OFF, WAX ON, WAX OFF" says Mr.Miyagi

Click for larger image
Nov 17 2011 9:35AM
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Pow.yuHdig*
Posts: 1903 - Karma: 146
look at the begining of the rail?? thats like the exact opposite of what you should do i thought

stare right at the butt end of that rail and commit and youll be bangin out 5 kinks un-natty in noo time

try a bunch of lipslides to get used to jumping from the other side aswell
Nov 17 2011 9:46AM
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MichaelAlsid
Posts: 205 - Karma: 110
I learned from doing switch ups naturally.  landing unnaturally and just sliding the last 2-3 feet of the rail helps
Nov 17 2011 11:43AM
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Mister.F
Posts: 1206 - Karma: 169
i dont know about this. its kind like skate/longboarding. even when i was first learning, pushing with my left foot was much easier. sliding with my right leg forward was a little easier too
Nov 17 2011 12:28PM
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HumanGenius
Posts: 359 - Karma: 228
choose a shoulder to look over, and stick the opposite foot back a little. alternate feet and weight to turn.
wach any xgames big air and they are doing that on the in-run when coming in switch but a more advanced (and graceful) way. as you get the hang of it start to imitate said xgames footage more and more. thats how i learned an i do classic east coast ice double blacks switch now...
Nov 19 2011 7:58PM
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ORDEAL
Posts: 6386 - Karma: 75
this

ie start on small boxes
Nov 19 2011 8:01PM
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penguin_steeze
Posts: 2311 - Karma: 241
rollerblade. you would be surprised how much it helps
Nov 19 2011 8:01PM
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H-Slice
Posts: 529 - Karma: 120
mine sounds kinda weird but when i was a little younger for some reason i would automatically put my left foot forward because that what i do when i skate board, surf whatever but my natural way on rails is right foot forward kinda weird
Nov 19 2011 8:30PM
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3000
Posts: 941 - Karma: 249
i agree. the best way to do it is to just go for it. start by going slow, and then keep building you speed up until you're comfortable with it
Nov 20 2011 10:57PM
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iamaskier333
Posts: 67 - Karma: 9
i would have to say to just start small first and make sure you have natural down... then honestly its just about practice and commitment. Dont give up cuz when you get this down it opens up a ton of new trick. Word!
Nov 21 2011 11:49PM
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Jahrassicpark
Posts: 2075 - Karma: 38
I actually just learned this weekend how to actually hit rail un-naturally good, the main thing I wasn't doing before was committing and not turning my hips and shoulders and hips the full 90 degrees. Just get low and keep trying it's so much easier than you'd think.
Nov 21 2011 11:52PM
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GavinW
Posts: 574 - Karma: 89
I started with a switch up and it made it a lot easier to learn sliding the other direction
Nov 22 2011 10:51AM
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inactive
Posts: 4772 - Karma: 97
drunk
Nov 22 2011 3:08PM
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doGelyst
Posts: 2491 - Karma: 508
I'd just do blindside switch ups. That way, I cant look at the rail ahead of time and get nervous about sliding left foot first. Weird, but it worked, and now its not a prob.
Nov 22 2011 3:19PM
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A.Eberhard
Posts: 4426 - Karma: 415
All about practice, just like learning your first " natural " railslide you may slip out a few times. After a whole lot of practice you don't notice the difference between right foot forward or left foot forward.
Nov 22 2011 4:07PM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
Hit a box, then hit a rail probably will get the whole thing first try
Nov 22 2011 4:56PM
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