Heelside Braking (Side Slip)

Braking on your heel edge, or side slipping, is the easiest way to slow down and stop when you’re just starting out. You turn the board across the slope and press your heels into the snow to slow down bit by bit. It isn’t pretty, but it works, and right away it gives you the confidence that you can stop whenever you want.

How to Do It

1. Start on a gentle slope in a heelside traverse, facing downhill.
2. Let the board slide slowly downhill, staying on your heel edge the whole time.
3. To brake, bend your knees and press both heels down harder, as if you wanted to “dig” into the snow with the edge.
4. The more pressure you put on your heel edge, the more you slow down. Keep your upper body upright and your arms relaxed.
5. To stop completely, increase the pressure until the board stops sliding. That’s it: you’ve stopped.

Common Mistakes

• Weight too far back: leaning on the tail costs you control over the front of the edge, and your braking becomes unpredictable.
• Locked knees: with stiff legs you can’t fine-tune the pressure. Always keep a little bend in them.
• Panicking and tensing up: when you pick up speed without meaning to, your instinct is to tense up. Breathe, bend your knees, and press your heels down: it works every time.

Progression

When you can stop confidently on both edges, you’re ready to link your first turns. Work on the Traverse, alternating heel edge and toe edge, and before long you’ll be making your way down the run turn after turn like a real rider.