How to skate and glide on a snowboard

Walking with a snowboard really means skating: your front foot is strapped in, your back foot is free, and you push yourself along on the snow. It is how you move around the base area, shuffle forward in lift lines and get across flat sections, so it is worth practicing before you ride down anything. In our beginner progression it comes straight after strapping in.

• Find flat, quiet ground. Choose a level area or the flattest part of the beginner zone, away from queues and people finishing their runs.
• Strap in your front foot. Fasten both straps snugly. If your board has a leash, attach it.
• Stand in a relaxed stance. Flex your front knee, keep your weight mostly over your front foot and let your free foot rest on the snow beside the board.

With only one foot attached, the board can twist your front knee if it runs away from you. That is why we suggest keeping your pushes small and your speed low while you learn, and never riding anything steep with one foot out.

1. Place your free foot beside the board. Most instructors start you pushing from the toe side of the board, with your free foot close to the front binding. Your instructor may have you try both sides.
2. Take small steps. Push gently back along the snow, a short step at a time. Big pushes put your free foot far from the board and throw your weight backwards.
3. Keep weight on your front foot. Your front leg does the balancing. Keep that knee flexed and your hips over the board.
4. Look ahead. Look where you want to go, not at your feet. The board tends to follow your eyes and shoulders.

This “penguin walk” feels clumsy at first. That is normal. Practice moving forward a few steps at a time, then stop by putting your free foot down, and repeat until it feels natural.

Short uphill stretches are easier if you turn the board across the slope and side-step up, or simply unstrap. For longer walks, such as from the car park or lodge to the lift, take the board off and carry it; our guide to carrying your board and walking in boots covers that.

Cat tracks (the narrow paths that link runs) and flat sections are harder on a snowboard than on skis, because you cannot pole along. A few habits help:

• Carry a little speed in. When you can see a flat coming, and when you can already control your speed, avoid scrubbing off all your speed just before it. Only do this where it is safe and you are in control.
• Ride a flat base. On the flat, even a slight edge slows you down and can catch. Stand centered and let the board run straight.
• Look ahead, not down. Spot slower people and narrow points early so you can stay in control.
• If you stop, move aside. Get to the edge of the track where people above can see you, release your back foot and skate. Some riders hop or shuffle short distances with both feet in, but skating is steadier for beginners.

Cat tracks can be busy and sometimes steeper than they look, so ask your instructor before using them, and follow the resort’s trail signs. The NSAA’s Your Responsibility Code asks you to always stay in control and to stop only where you are visible from above and do not restrict traffic, which matters most on narrow paths.

Most lift lines and loading areas are flat, and you usually ride lifts with only your front foot strapped in. That means the skills on this page are exactly what you need to reach the loading point and glide away at the top.

• Practice small, controlled pushes so you can move up in a queue without bumping anyone.
• Practice straight glides with your back foot on the board, because that is how you ride off many lifts.
• Practice stopping on the flat by putting your free foot down gently.

When skating feels comfortable, the next steps are learning to fall softly and stand up on each edge and to slow down and stop with control. After that, read our chairlift loading and unloading guide before your first ride.