Falling and getting up on a snowboard

Falling is part of learning, so the goal is not to never fall but to fall in a way that is less likely to hurt, then get up calmly. No technique makes falling risk-free, but instructors commonly teach a few principles. Ask yours to demonstrate them and let you try them on the flat before you need them.

• Get low early. If you feel a fall coming, bend your knees and get closer to the snow. A fall from a crouch is shorter than a fall from standing.
• Avoid landing on outstretched hands. Reaching out with straight arms to catch yourself puts a lot of force through your wrists. Keep your arms closer to your body and make fists rather than splaying your fingers.
• Heelside falls: aim to sit down onto your bottom and roll back onto your back, tucking your chin so your head does not hit the snow.
• Toeside falls: aim to drop onto your knees and then your forearms, rather than your hands, and keep your face up.
• Keep the board below you. After a fall, get the board downhill of your body and across the slope before you try to move. That stops it sliding and dragging you.

If you hit your head, or anything hurts more than a knock, stop riding and get checked. Resort ski patrol can help. Falling well is one of the first skills in our beginner’s route from stance to turns, and it makes every later step less intimidating.

Start in a marked beginner or learning area: a wide, gentle slope with a flat run-out and few people around. On gentle terrain you fall from a low speed, the snow is usually well groomed, and you have space to sit, roll over and stand up without being in anyone’s way.

Wear a helmet and dress for sitting in the snow. Waterproof pants and gloves make a big difference on a day when you spend time on the ground. Some riders also choose wrist guards or padded shorts; ask your rental shop or instructor what they recommend.

Getting up on your heel edge

This is the classic snowboard stand-up, facing downhill. It takes strength at first, so be patient.

1. Sit on the snow with the board downhill of you and across the slope, so it will not slide.
2. Bend your knees and pull the board in close to your bottom. The closer it is, the easier the stand-up.
3. Dig your heel edge into the snow by lifting your toes.
4. Reach forward, bring your chest toward your knees and push yourself up with one hand on the snow behind you. On a slope, a push from your uphill hand usually helps. Some riders grab the toe edge of the board to pull themselves forward.
5. Stand up with your weight over the board and your toes lifted, keeping the heel edge in the snow.

Getting up on your toe edge

Many beginners find this easier, because you use your arms more.

1. If you are sitting, roll over onto your front. Lie back, lift the board up, swing it over as you roll onto your stomach, and put it back down across the slope below you.
2. Get onto your knees, facing uphill, with the board below you and the toe edge in the snow.
3. Push up with your hands on the snow in front of you, straightening your legs while pressing your shins into your boots.
4. Stand tall with your knees flexed and your weight slightly over your toes, so the toe edge keeps its grip.

Practice both. You will need to get up in either direction, and being able to hold each edge is the start of all edge control.

• Move to the side if you can. Sitting in the middle of a busy run puts you in the path of others. If you are below a roll-over or a bend, where people above cannot see you, get up and move somewhere visible as soon as you can.
• Stop where you are visible. The Your Responsibility Code asks you to stop only where you are visible from above and do not restrict traffic.
• Keep hold of your equipment. If a boot has come out of a binding, keep the board across the slope and use a leash if your board has one, so it cannot run away.
• Look uphill before you start again. People coming down may not expect you to move.

• The board slides away as you stand. It is probably pointing downhill or lying flat. Turn it across the slope and dig in the uphill edge first.
• You keep falling back down on heelside. Pull the board closer, bring your chest further forward and push harder with your hand. Leaning back is the usual cause.
• Sudden hard falls while sliding. These are usually caught edges. Keep gentle pressure on your uphill edge and avoid a flat board while you slide sideways.
• Getting tired quickly. Getting up uses a lot of energy. Take breaks, drink water and keep sessions short. Tired legs make more falls likely.
• Losing confidence. A lesson helps here. An instructor can spot what is causing the falls and choose better terrain for you. Our guide to booking a beginner lesson explains what to look for.