Falling Leaf and Traverse

1Goal

By the end of this lesson you can perform a falling leaf pattern on both your heel edge and your toe edge, moving nose first and tail first, and you can traverse across a slope by shifting a small amount of weight toward your lead foot to steer your line. This weight shift is the same movement you will use to start your first J-turn.

2Why it matters

Falling leaf combines edge control (F5, F6) with fore and aft weight shift (F1) for the first time, without asking you to complete a turn. The traverse teaches your lead-foot weight shift to steer, which is literally the first movement of every turn you learn next. Master this and turning becomes a small next step instead of a big leap.

3How to do it

1. Start in a light heel-side traverse. Board across the fall line, weight centered, heel edge held at a gentle 10 to 15 degrees.
2. Shift weight toward your front foot to move forward. Press a small amount of extra pressure into your front foot so the board drifts diagonally forward and downhill, nose leading.
3. Shift weight toward your back foot to move backward. Press into your rear foot instead, so the board drifts diagonally backward and downhill, tail leading. This is the "leaf" zigzag.
4. Repeat rhythmically, alternating front and back pressure. Do 4 to 6 cycles in each direction, keeping the edge angle steady with your ankles, not your upper body.
5. Switch to toe-side and repeat the same pattern. Face the slope, weight on the balls of your feet, and cycle nose first and tail first the same way.
6. Traverse with a target. Pick a point across the slope, hold a light edge, and use a small pressure shift toward your lead foot to steer your line without stopping.

Coach's note: the weight shift you use to move nose first in a traverse is the exact same movement that starts a J-turn. If this feels smooth here, your first turn will feel familiar, not new.

4Common mistakes

• Twisting the shoulders to steer instead of shifting weight. The upper body rotates to turn the board. Fix: keep shoulders quiet and steer with small foot pressure changes instead.
• Losing edge angle mid-leaf. The board accidentally flattens and speed builds up out of control. Fix: hold a steady ankle flex through the whole cycle, only shifting fore and aft.
• Only practicing nose-first, never tail-first. The rider avoids the tail-first direction because it feels awkward. Fix: practice both directions equally until they feel the same.
• Rushing the rhythm with uneven cycle timing. Cycles speed up and slow down unpredictably. Fix: count evenly, for example "1, 2, 3" in each direction, to build consistent timing.

5Drill

Falling leaf ladder, both edges. Terrain: gentle green slope. Reps: 6 nose-first plus 6 tail-first cycles per edge. Feel: weight moving smoothly between your front and back foot. Move on once both edges feel equally controlled.

Traverse and steer. Terrain: gentle green slope. Reps: 5 traverses toward a chosen target about 20 meters away. Feel: a small lead-foot pressure change actually steering your line. Move on once you can hold a chosen line without stopping partway.

6Self-check

• I can move nose first and tail first on my heel edge.
• I can move nose first and tail first on my toe edge.
• My shoulders stay quiet and I steer with foot pressure, not upper-body rotation.
• I can hold a steady edge angle through a full falling leaf cycle.
• I can traverse toward a target using a small lead-foot weight shift.

7Verify it on video

Film from the side or from above the slope so the full zigzag path is visible. Capture a falling leaf sequence on each edge and one traverse toward a target, with your full body and board tracks in the snow visible.