Master a toe edge turn on a snowboard | How To XV

Master a toe-edge turn on a snowboard.
A toe edge turn is the essence of snowboarding, and a good toe side turn will make you feel like a hero!
In this episode of How To Xv, I take you through the three phases of a toe-edge turn that will hopefully help you to master them and give you confidence in all terrain.
So get out there and give it a go and let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

[@JoelSimbrow]

Love this man. What an amazing teacher. For one thing, he just blasted all my anxiety about keeping my shoulders and hips parallel to my knees and the board. Love hearing a master teach the opposite of what I've learned...always leads to a more advanced level. For another thing..."WOOKIE WOOKIE!!!!!!"

[@premkamandir]

What does mean "Wookie Wookie" Is it a bird scream or sth like that?

[@JoelSimbrow]

no idea....I just think it's hilarious and great teachers know how to make a lesson stick in your head!

[@premkamandir]

@@JoelSimbrow thank you 😉👍

[@bghjjvffthhgfgjki2184]

Wookey wookey !

[@bakeraus]

This helped me! Xavier you’re a legend. Made so much of a difference and felt so comfortable. 🏂 Wooky! Wooky!

[@MrJesussinep]

Tu vie le reve. L'hiver prochain je vais passer 4 mois a val thoren pour profiter de la montagne et tes videos ont ete une grande source de motivation.

[@willboutte]

Xavier is the man!

[@gjmueller]

The essence, for real.

[@kevintomassini8207]

Merci maestro !!

[@ownedinc4274]

"Mistake number 3" is not a mistake. It can create the most fantastic turns if done right.

[@XVDLR]

indeed!

[@mastinjd]

@@XVDLR oh no... I thought I was understanding it until I read this comment. Should we bend down through the turn, or extend through the turn? Or are there times where you would bend, and times where you'd extend?

[@XVDLR]

@@mastinjd You actually do both but to be effective you use the bending down to have the biggest pressure and then the stretching will give you the last bit of pressure. Xv

[@mastinjd]

@@XVDLR Thank you for the explanation.

[@RobertoVillaLobby]

True with the right timing, otherwise your board runs away 🙂

[@Thomas-mg7ou]

Nice Video! 👍👌

[@yourrfavbrunette37]

Wooky wooky! Bro I died

[@pxdroo_13]

vrey good video!!!!!!

[@XVDLR]

Thank you.

[@mtcsypkens]

Funny to see you on the slopes instead of riding big mountain. Next one, backside turns?

[@xavierdelerue537]

I should indeed! thx!

[@greg.ocallaghan]

I love Xavier’s style, but for a proper tutorial on proper carving turns, Ryan Knapton is your man

[@premkamandir]

it depends because sometimes some people prefer a teacher and sometimes some people prefer an other teacher... For instance: I prefer Xavier and you prefer Ryan so.... actually everything depends of everybody! 😉

[@ddfcoold]

The both have a strong technics but XV is better suited for wild terrane and ready-for-anything the nature can throw to surprise you, while Ryan is more refined in a good way, like a boxer. Still they both are the greatest influence on me along with Terje and Jeremy.

[@szymonmodelski149]

Got confused... Watching other tutorials I hear to initiate the turn from the upper body and keep bottom and top aligned. And basically having closed position. Xavier, you propose to keep open position and separate upper and lower body. I'm working on improving my techniques but now got lost. Maybe I missed something? Thanks for clarification! Great series!

[@loggiic]

Following this with great interest. Let's hear what others have to say :)

[@xavierdelerue537]

Hola Szymon, the technique I describe is slightly exaggerated but that's in order to feel that movement of placing your hip above your board at the beginning of the turn. The technique of having the upper body aligned with the board only works till a certain level but if you want to get boulet proof that's in my opinion the way to go.

[@szymonmodelski149]

@@xavierdelerue537 I think I got it. My observation: Closed position is elegant and comfy until certain speed on the pist. In the hard terrain and at high speed I feel safier with body turned forward and tackling difficulties quickly with lower body - Eagle!

[@AndyGnarr]

@@szymonmodelski149 ​ As a general rule you always want your upper body to be in a position that allows your lower body to work effectively. When you are first learning this often means leading all your movements with your upper body and allowing your lower body to follow. As you progress you may find you can control better with your lower body so keeping your upper body facing forwards allows you to make sudden movements in either direction. Although, keep in mind your stance may change this slightly too; more forward facing stance means more forward facing body position, more even (duck) stance means more closed position.

[@lb259]

That open position is sometimes called high performance stance and it's a legit method for, well, high performance riding :) Initiating turns with upper body is a correct technique as well, it just has its limits.

[@ChipShopChris]

Hey XV - great How To series, especially this one and the Backside Turn - I'm just starting to make good carved turns and have now watched both 10+ times. I'm interested on your thoughts on down unweighted turns, as the physics seem contradictory to some of the advice here?

[@XVDLR]

Hi I am not sure what you mean about down unweighted turns but the idea is to have pressure sent into the board on a gradual way with a peak at the crucial part of the turn. Hope that helps. XV

[@BurtReynoldstash]

A good to side turn. You should feel like Gerry Lopez. Tucking into a barrel ll😂

[@ibrahimrammal6434]

Epic tutorial! Do more, please!

[@XVDLR]

Thank you, XV

[@AznVi3tx]

JE VAIS A VAL DISERE POUR LA SAISON WOOOHOO

[@bbrski1224]

Xavier, j'ai "compris" l'essence du snowboard en te voyant voler par dessus le bec des rosses en 2010. 8 ans après, tu veux nous apprendre à tourner. Est-ce l'âge qui fait cet effet là ? En tout cas merci pour toutes ces belles images depuis tant d'années !

[@sebastiansiegmund2906]

What kinde of bindig do you use with xv ? I use Ride el hefe and i want to change it . Please help me😊

[@juniorcarreau1983]

Can you make one on heel turn on a steep run plz Have been snowboarding for a few year and still fall in my ass when transfering toe to heel...

[@XVDLR]

Hey, we have just filmed this episode, so it will be coming out... but potentially not scheduled until the Autumn... will see if we can bring it forward for you. Thanks Xv

[@Matttski]

hey what are your stance angles?

[@gene1272]

what stance angles do you recommend for mastering these turns?

[@premkamandir]

good question!

[@ivanivanov3648]

Ксавьер на трассе, омн!

[@argj8627]

Что значит омн?

[@JStocker808]

Ryan Knapton @ 1:13?

[@David-ej1ps]

yup thats him

[@federikx77]

I'm apologize but I still understand why at min 0:46... shoulders and hips 90° form the board.... Someone help me please...

[@XVDLR]

This is just to initiate the turn, so it gives you more margin of movement to drive your turn. Hope that helps - happy toe turning! XV

[@federikx77]

​@suz4359 I've tried this set up and to be honest I felt not bad. Try it and let me know.

[@federikx77]

Yeah!! You're right, it's not bad

[@wentingz3360]

Why is 3rd mistake bad? Anyone care to explain? Really wish to know (I am the type need to understand before able to learn and take in). Start low and extend during turn, that's up un-weighting is it? I thought that's good for groomers and high speed race like turns? Just not very good for off piste, various/challenging terrain, where low at edge change helps with balance. Is this the reason, because the video is more for freeride in challenging terrains? Or is there something I am not getting, and being thinking quite wrong about? Thank you in advance for any of your help. :) Hmm~~ on a second look, I must been understanding him wrong... It looks like he is using up-weighting during edge change in the video... now more wondered what he meant by the 3rd mistake.

[@xavierdelerue537]

Hello Anais, It's a bit confusing. It's actually not bad to start low and come up but it's much better to go down gradually through your turn and therefore putting gradual pressure on your edge and then when you need most pressure and you start to extend your legs you are going to have max power. The thing is that if you start low you won't have power on your edge for very long and at the end of the turn when that pressure is most needed, if you are already up then you'll have nothing to give... makes sense?

[@anaisz6133]

@@xavierdelerue537 wow, the legend himself. :D not expecting that. Hmmm~~ I think I am getting it, the explanation really help a lot, will keep that in mind next time on snow to put theory into practice which would help even more. Thank you!

[@paulslacknoise]

i can barely make a toast and you are asking me this?

[@antoinewillberg1208]

En francais Xavier ce serai sympa......

[@rebeccadodge4749]

What's that first beat?

[@XVDLR]

Hi - it is called So Incredible - by Joshua Alan Barlow and Andy Cooper, it is from Audio Network. Cheers Xv

[@troykohlhorst1119]

You say keep your upper body and lower body separate, but your contradict yourself by saying turning your shoulders 90 degrees...then you also say turning comes from the waist down....why do you turn your shoulders then?

[@lordad]

I think you get this wrong. He means your upper body should be turned 90c against the board at the start of a turn since it gives a dynamic tension to initiate a turn with stability and power. If you have a silent uper body facing down the hill this will happen automatically at the start of each turn. I think he meant turning your upper body: If you have not used this position so far -> start using it now ! he didnt mean to do it before the turn but in general for the basic riding position. Hope it gets clear ... not so sure with the language barrier

[@XVDLR]

you are right but when you twist a bit against the rotation of your turn your shoulders at the beginning of the turn, then it will help you to not move them much for the rest of the turn. the whole thing about not moving is a general thing tip that should make you understand the overall technique but then off course there are some more specific details that might contradict.... I guess its the beauty of technique not being a definite and fixed science. thanks for the chat though