Nose Press

The nose press is the mirror of the tail press and the second half of your buttering toolkit. Riding straight down a gentle slope, shift your weight onto your front foot and lift the tail off the snow. The nose flexes, the tail rises, and you glide along on just the front of the board.

Nose presses feel less stable than tail presses because you're riding on the leading end of the board, which is where any chatter or catch will throw you fastest. Commit your hips forward over the nose, not just your shoulders, and keep a bent front knee so the nose can flex smoothly. Start with brief presses on a flat, predictable run and work up to holding them longer as your balance over the nose improves.

Nose and tail presses together unlock most butters, nose/tail rolls, and the front/back press variants on boxes. If the tail press already feels locked in, the nose press is a short bridge to a much bigger bag of tricks.

Here's a walkthrough:

Video by WNTR Ski & Snowboard Training

Key tips

• Start on a flat, wide green with predictable snow
• Drive your hips forward over the nose, don't just lean the shoulders
• Keep the front knee bent so the nose flexes instead of chattering
• Eyes up and ahead. Looking down at the nose throws your balance
• Build from short presses to long ones as your balance improves
• Once both presses feel easy, you're ready for butters and press variants on boxes