Wintersports
Snowboarding
A complete snowboard stance setup guide
Learn how to find the perfect snowboard stance for your riding style. Discover the best stance width, angles, and positioning to improve balance, control, and performance on the slopes.
You always want the best performance when you head out for a day of snowboarding, but some things are out of your control. As Red Bull snowboarder Travis Rice explains, you have to be willing to accept whatever the slopes have in store for you.
Travis Rice at the Natural Selection Tour at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
© Tim Zimmerman / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
“Embrace the mountain on its own terms!” he says.
While you may have to take the mountain as it is, one thing that is in your control is your snowboard stance setup. If you want to glide down the slopes and land powerful pops, your setup is where it all starts.
Finding the best snowboard stance means a safer, more comfortable ride. It may take some time and experimenting to figure out the best setup for you, but you’ll feel the difference once you get it right. Read ahead for a complete guide to finding the best snowboard stance setup for your unique riding style.
A Complete Snowboard Stance Setup Guide
01
Understanding snowboard stance basics
Unlike in other board sports such as surfing or skateboarding, your snowboard stance is locked in for the whole ride. Your bindings will be fastened around your feet, so you can’t just move yourself a little closer to the tail or nose. A good stance setup can be the difference between a great time on the mountain and a less-than-stellar performance.
The perfect setup is unique to every individual rider. Below are the key factors you’ll need to think about to find your ideal setup.
Ben Ferguson at Natural Selection Tour stop one in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
© Dean Blotto Gray / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
- Stance direction. Do you ride regular or goofy-footed (with, respectively, your left or right foot forward)?
- Stance width. How far apart do your feet need to be so you feel stable?
- Binding angles. How much do you want your feet pointed toward the nose or tail of your board?
02
Finding your stance: regular or goofy
Figuring out whether you’re regular or goofy-footed is the first step to determining your snowboard stance setup. Your back foot does a lot of the work to accelerate your board, so generally, your front foot is your non-dominant foot. In goofy stance, your left foot provides the power, and your right foot keeps you balanced and pointed in the right direction.
How to find your natural snowboarding stance
If you’ve ever surfed or skateboarded, you might already know your answer to the regular vs. goofy question. Otherwise, there are many ways to figure out your natural stance. First, think about your other activities. Do you play soccer or kickball? The foot you kick with is your dominant foot, making it your back foot in your snowboarding stance.
Marion Haerty at Natural Selection Tour stop one in Jackson Hole
© Colin Wiseman / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
There are also a few at-home tests you can try out before getting on your board. If you’ve got hardwood or other smooth-textured floors, put on your socks and enjoy the nostalgia of sliding across the room. Your front foot on the floor is your front foot on your snowboard.
For the next test, you’ll need a trusted friend to help you. The push test involves having someone (very carefully) shove you from behind so you slightly stumble forward. The first foot you put down to regain your balance should be the front foot in your snowboarding stance.
If all of this sounds like too much work, that’s no problem. Just find the closest set of stairs and see which foot you naturally step up with first. That should be your back foot.
03
Adjusting your stance width
Next, you have to decide how wide your stance needs to be for a comfortable ride. Most experts recommend a stance slightly wider than shoulder width for beginners. This should keep you nice and stable on your way down the slope. When you feel confident enough to try jumping, this stance can also give you a good amount of power.
You can also find charts online that detail the ideal stance range for every rider's height. However, these charts don’t guarantee that the suggested stance will be the one for you.
Austen Sweetin at Natural Selection Tour stop one in Jackson Hole
© Chad Chomlack / Natural Selection Tour / Red Bull Content Pool
Similarly, all new snowboards come with a recommended reference stance for best performance. You can find these measurements on the top sheet of the pack of binding inserts that come with your snowboard. A lot of riders will say to keep your stance width within an inch of the reference stance.
Ultimately, though, it comes down to personal preference and riding style. Freeriders do well with a narrow stance for better transitions, while freestyle riders usually need the stability of a wide stance.
One of the best snowboarding tips is to experiment with different stance widths until you find what’s most comfortable for you. You can get an idea of whether to increase or decrease your stance width depending on which issues you’re having on the mountain. If you’re losing balance a lot, try a wider stance. On the other hand, a narrower stance can be perfect for getting sharper carves.
04
Setting your binding angles
Last but not least, you’ll choose the direction you want your bindings to point. You can adjust a binding angle in increments of three degrees toward the nose or tail, with 0 degrees being exactly perpendicular to the board. Point your bindings toward the nose and you’ve got a positive angle, or adjust toward the tail for a negative angle.
There are several angle variations and combinations — each binding can be adjusted as much as 70 degrees on some snowboards. As a starting point, though, there are three general categories of binding angle setups.
Red Bull Banked Mayhem
© Timo Müürsepp / Red Bull Content Pool
- Positive/positive. This binding angle, also called a directional stance setup, points both your front binding and back binding toward the nose. Your back binding is usually set only between three and six degrees forward. It’s not the best stance for riding switch, especially since your hip movement is restricted to one direction. It does, however, align your knees in a position perfect for toe side turns.
- Positive/negative. Also known as duck stance, this is the binding angle you want if you like to ride switch. It’s typical for riders to angle their back binding at minus three to six degrees for a bit of extra stability. Terrain park riders and freeriders do great with duck stance.
- Positive/zero. You’ll angle your front binding toward the nose while keeping your back binding at zero degrees. This angle is great for riding switch and tackling front side carves.
Personalizing your stance for maximum comfort and performance
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
If your stance setup doesn’t feel comfortable when you’re riding, one of these errors might be to blame.
- Incorrect binding size. It might not even be an issue with your stance choice. Bindings need to be sized according to both your board and your boots.
- Toe and heel edge distance. Depending on your boot size, you might have to set your bindings slightly closer to the toe or heelside. Riders with larger boot sizes and regular-sized boards often get toe drag on turns if they’re too far from the heel edge.
- Off-center settings. Sometimes, riders try to set themselves closer to the tail or nose, but you want to be as centered as possible. This is where the reference stance really helps. It’s based on your board’s unique shape, so you don’t have to guess where the center sits.
Testing out different stance setups
Sometimes, trial and error is the only way to figure out what works, so don’t be shy about experimenting with different setups. As your skills advance, it’s also fairly common to play around and change your setup. For example, if you’re getting ready to tackle your first big jump, you may need to set your angles further forward for better edge control.
Certain setups are also better for specific terrain, so you might need to adjust if you’re moving from terrain parks to deep powder. One day, you might prefer a traditional directional stance for groomed slopes. On the next ride, you might want an all-mountain stance for rough terrain. (With that one, the front binding will be between +12 or +15 degrees, and the back between 0 and -5.)
When you want to try a different stance setup, make slow changes. Gradually adjusting a few degrees and then testing out your new snowboard stance is the best plan. This gives you the chance to make a more accurate judgment of whether you need to go higher or lower. The same is true for your stance width as well. If you need to go wider and narrow, try just one notch up or down from your previous stance setup.
Maintaining your snowboard stance setup
Your snowboard maintenance practices also affect your snowboard stance setup. Check your bindings after each ride to see if any screws have gotten loose, and tighten them as needed for more stability. Make sure your bindings are clean and dry before fixing anything. The better you maintain your bindings, the more likely you are to get the best performance from your snowboard stance setup.
Find your unique snowboard stance setup for a better ride
Identifying your ideal snowboard stance preferences takes time. You can use many different tools to guide you, from your reference stance to tips from other snowboarders. That said, a snowboard stance setup that’s right for one rider might not be right for you. It’s all about what makes you comfortable and confident, so you can focus on the important part: having a blast on the slopes.
