Garlands

1Goal

By the end of this lesson you can traverse across a green run and make a series of partial turns toward the fall line and back, without stopping or falling. You can feel pressure build as you flex into each edge and release as you extend out of it, on both heel-side and toe-side.

2Why it matters

The garland isolates the part of a turn most riders rush: edge engagement and pressure control. By turning only partway and never completing the turn, you get many more reps per run and direct feedback on what pressure building actually feels like under your feet. This is also where flexion and extension start becoming a rhythm instead of two separate actions, which is exactly what linked S-turns need next.

3How to do it

1. Set your traverse. Ride across the slope, not straight down it, on a mellow green run. Keep your board on one edge, moving at a steady, comfortable speed.
2. Point your front foot downhill. From the traverse, steer your front foot and knee slightly toward the fall line, letting the board start to turn without changing edge.
3. Flex to build pressure. As the board points more downhill, flex your ankles and knees. Feel the edge bite and pressure build under your feet, this is the peak of the garland.
4. Extend before you cross the fall line. Before the board points straight downhill, straighten your legs to release pressure and let the board flatten and turn back toward your traverse line.
5. Return to the traverse. Let the board settle back onto the same edge, moving across the slope again, ready for the next partial turn.
6. Repeat, then switch edges. Chain 4 to 6 partial turns on one edge along the traverse, then stop, change edge, and repeat on the other side.

Coach's note: a garland never reaches the fall line pointed straight down. If you keep completing full turns, you are not doing the drill anymore, slow down and shorten each one.

4Common mistakes

Completing a full turn instead of a garland. The board finishes each rep pointed back across the hill like a J-turn. Fix: extend and release earlier, right as the board approaches the fall line, not after it crosses. Flat, static flexion. Knees bend once and stay there for the whole traverse, no build or release. Fix: make flexion and extension an active cycle, flex into each partial turn, extend out of it. Losing the traverse line. Speed builds with every rep and the path angles more downhill each time. Fix: extend fully back to a flat, quiet traverse edge between each partial turn. Avoiding one edge. Rider does 6 heel-side garlands and only 1 or 2 toe-side. Fix: match reps on both edges every run, even if toe-side feels less stable at first.

5Drill

Garland ladder. Terrain: green run, traverse with a gentle downhill lean. Do 5 partial turns on heel-side, then 5 on toe-side, without stopping between reps on the same edge. Feel for the pressure peak each time you flex. Move on once both edges feel the same, and you stop drifting downhill between reps. One-count hold. Terrain: same green run. At the peak of each partial turn, hold the flexed position for a full second before you extend. This slows the rhythm down enough to actually feel the pressure build instead of rushing past it.

6Self-check

• I can chain 4 or more partial turns on one edge without stopping.
• I feel pressure build as I flex and release as I extend, every rep.
• My board never points straight down the fall line, it turns back before that.
• My traverse line stays roughly the same angle across the whole drill.
• Heel-side and toe-side garlands feel about equally controlled.

7Verify it on video

Film from above the run or from the side, so the traverse line and each partial turn are visible in one shot. Show at least 4 garlands on each edge, and make sure your knees and the edge of the board are in frame.