Riding Switch

Riding switch means going downhill with your opposite foot forward. If you normally ride left-foot-forward (regular), switch means right-foot-forward. It feels like learning all over again, but it's essential for landing tricks and overall board control.

Start with skidded falling leaf traverses in switch, the same drill you used on day one, now with your weak foot forward. The weird part isn't the balance, it's the steering. You've spent hours learning to steer with your regular front foot, and suddenly your brain has to re-map that instinct onto the other side of your body. Expect to feel clumsy for at least a full day.

Build up slowly: switch falling leaf, switch heelside turn, switch toeside turn, linked switch turns. Don't try to shortcut this progression just because you can already ride. Switch riding is its own skill. The payoff is big though. Once you can ride switch confidently, every trick that lands switch (all your frontside 180s, cab spins, fakie rollers) becomes way less scary because the landing no longer feels foreign.

Here are some tips on completing a switch run:

Video by Malcolm Moore

Key tips

• Start on a green slope even if you can ride blues in regular
• Dedicate full runs to switch only. Don't revert when it gets scary
• Practice linking turns in switch before moving on
• Your brain already knows how to ride. The body just needs to catch up