Sports Clinic
November/December 2007

Boarding School

Leanne Pelosi grew up in Calgary amid the rugged landscape and the fresh powder of the Canadian Rockies. After an early career of ski racing, at the age of 16 she hopped on a plastic snowboard on the hill behind her school, and now, at 26, she has a wildly successful career. With two U.S. Open titles and being chosen Rookie of the Year by Transworld magazine, Leanne is the perfect athlete to let us in on her tips for taking your snowboarding from the trail to the rail.

STARTING OUT
The Goods
When you decide to hit the trail, protect your assets. “Invest in butt pads, wrist guards, and a helmet,” says Leanne. “The more padding you have, the more confident and less afraid you’ll be when you take your first falls.” When it’s time to pick a board, “ask for a softer, shorter board,” she advises. These are much easier to turn and control. Once you get some experience and confidence under your belt, look for a longer, stiffer board. “These can handle more speed and powder.” Leanne also suggests looking at women’s-specific equipment because it’s “usually softer and ergonomically designed for our bodies.” Outside of gear and protection, Leanne reveals that a lesson with a trained professional (not your best friend) is the most important investment you can make when starting out. “Hopefully, you can go on a powder day and you won’t be as sore!”

Getting Off the Lift
We have all seen the less-than-graceful exits off of the chairlift, and chances are you will be joining the ranks. But fear not! There are a few things you can do to master this skill. Leanne says, “Put your foot on your stomp pad, use your back hand to touch (not hold) the chairlift as you get off, and point your board straight.” Remember that your board will follow where your shoulder is pointing, kind of like it is following a compass setting.

Speed and Balance
Patience and safety are your friends on the slopes, but so is speed when it comes to snowboarding. “Once you have a little bit of speed, it’s actually easier to turn because your board will have some momentum,” says Leanne. Confidence is key when you start going faster, and so is maintaining your balance. “Keep your center of gravity (your belly) close to your board and bend your knees and you will exhibit even more control,” says Leanne. If you do fall, she suggests that you “go with the fall—don’t fight it. Keep your limbs toward your body so you don’t break them.” Your first instinct is to throw out your arms. Instead, imagine tucking into a snowball and thinking happy thoughts.

Turns
Leanne suggests skipping the bunny slope and heading for a slightly steeper hill when learning to initiate turns. “There are two turns, the heelside and the toeside. You need to learn both of these to be fluid all the way down the mountain.” The toeside turn is when you are on your front edge traversing the slope, with your body facing uphill; the heelside turn is when you are on your back edge, with your body facing down the hill. To make this easier, she reminds us to “make sure to keep your weight on your front foot because that acts as a pivot. The biggest mistake is keeping the majority of your weight on your back foot; this is what causes you to fall on your butt. Keep in mind that your upper body will always follow your lower body. Picture where you want to go, point your shoulder/arm in that direction, bend your knees, and keep your weight forward.”

THE NEXT LEVEL
The Rail
When you are ready to hit the terrain park, Leanne says, “Board control is important.” This means that you need to know how to turn confidently, ride flat (not using your edges), and know your limits. “The more you ride, the more control you will have,” she says. “Try to ride different types of terrain.” Head for the moguls to practice turns and maneuvering your board; head for the trees to hone in on your reflexes and to the groomers to nail riding flat. All this will get you ready to try some tricks. There are all kinds of little features to play on, like the rollers (little hills) and rails. Leanne suggests trying the small stuff first. “Try the ‘ride-on rails’; they are pretty much right in the snow and are easy to learn because you just pretend you are riding on flat ground.” Her biggest piece of advice for the park? “It’s all about very small steps. Feeling comfortable with the terrain is key, but to improve sometimes you have to scare yourself a little.” If you think you can’t do it, tap into that confidence in yourself, remember that you can—and go for it!

Compete
If you have the itch to scratch the halfpipe or downhill competition, Leanne recommends joining a club. Check out www.snowboard.com, www.twsnow.com, and www.snowboardmag.com for information. “You will find other people who go to the hill on a regular basis,” she says. “And there are competitive programs at your local ski resort that will provide coaches and training leading up to competitions.” If you want to go for the big guns, you will have to win at the local level; that will then qualify you for the U.S. Open. “It’s there that you compete against the world’s best.”

Cross train
Leanne stays in shape by cross training. “Cross training is the best way to revitalize your body and gain new muscles that you don’t necessarily use while snowboarding,” she says. “In the summer I hike, bike, swim, and run. In the fall I really work on core strength by doing polymetrics, kickboxing, and weights.” This is important, Leanne says, because “you need to be able to lift your knees up to do tricks. The stronger you are, the less sore you will be.”

—Karina Evertsen