TELEBOARDING TECHNIQUES

Teleboarding may look radical (hey, let's face it, that's part of the attraction!), but it is actually clinically proven to be easier to learn than snowboarding. Long-time skiers, tele-skiers and skilled snowboarders generally pick it right up, making nice turns within two or three runs. That's because the skills they have mastered in any of these sports can be directly applied to Teleboarding. But there are a few basics to keep in mind.

1)SET UP CORRECTLY

You must decide whether you are left-foor-forward (regular) or right-foot forward (goofy). Do you snowboard, surf or skateboard? Go the same way. If you are unsure, ask yourself which foot you'd put on a scooter and which one you'd push with -- the foot on the scooter is your lead foot. Run and slide on a slick surface -- the foot you automatically put forward is your lead foot. Try it a couple of times.

Now make sure you put the left and right binding plates where they belong. Check the binding manufacturer's instructions.

2) POLES OR POLE-LESS?

Ultimately, this is up to you. Most people use poles because of the versatility they offer, but some find them an encumbrance. Some use the poles under poor or varied conditions but drop them on days when the surface is well-groomed. When learning, your best bet is to use poles, and then decide.

3)GET ON AND OFF THE LIFT

Get on and off the lift like a snowboarder -- rear foot out. When exiting the lift, either drag your heel or place the rear foot lightly on or near the rear binding, keeping most of your weight on the front leg.

4)GET INTO THE REAR BINDING

Get to the top of the slope. Kick the toe of your rear foot into the binding plate completely and snugly. If you have a step-in set-up, make sure the cam is properly aligned and stamp your heel down smartly to engage it in the heel groove. With lever setups, either crouch straight down and put the strap into position, or lie gently on the snow without disloding the toe and work it into place. In either case, make sure the heel is fairly close to the board or the strap won't go over it.

5)KNEES TOGETHER

Your knees should operate as a unit. To accomplish this, people under 6 feet tall can usually tuck their rear knee into the hollow of their front knee. People near or over 6 feet tall usually are in a better position if they bring their rear knee alongside the front knee, almost like a tight parallel skiing stance. The rear heel should be elevated well off the board, at around a 45-degree angle.

6) WEIGHT FORWARD

This is simply good technique however you are getting down the hill. But while novice skiers can sit on the tails of their skis, they will be quickly disabused of this habit on the Teleboard. On the board, being weight-forward means putting 75 percent of your weight on the front foot while initiating the turn, and making sure the rear heel is elevated. You should not bend at the waist. Your torso should be fairly erect and generally facing the fall line. For some people, slightly arching the back helps get the chest up and forward, where it belongs. Your weight should be on the balls of your feet. There is no need to crouch, unless you like riding in this position. Knees should be comfortably flexed, but always together when moving.

7)MAKE QUICK TURNS

Although most people start by making long traverses to get used to the board, once you get comfortable with those try heading down the fall line and rolling the board as rapidly as possible from edge-to-edge. Feel the G-forces starting? The faster you go, the harder you can roll it over. Pole plants are useful here.

8)CARVE THE HARDPACK

This is where you get away from ski technique and stray into the world of the alpine, or hard-boot, snowboarder. The same techniques he uses now come into play: get some speed, drive your hips and knees forward and out at around a 45-degree angle to set the carve (yes, your front heel will rise an inch or two), then start rolling your weight back and dropping your hip toward the snow. At just about the point where your hip is brushing the snow you will be at the end of the carve. If you stay back you'll be off the trail before you know it, so rise up, unweight and drop the board into the opposite direction for the next carve. Pumping off the snow lets you set the edge more firmly at the start of the turn.

9)RIDE THE POW

Here you can adopt either skiing or snowboarding style. Slow the turns down and don't force them. You can also break the hard-pack rules a little: lean back and enjoy the face-shots. Riding pow is a no-brainer on the Teleboard.

10)POUND THE BUMPS

Unlike its slow-turning snowboard cousin, the Teleboard is ideally suited for running moguls. Approach them as a skier would: Zipper down the fall-line, controlling speed by collapsing the legs on bumps and by rapid edging. Or simply stay in the troughs and slap the bumps with the center of the board as you navigate them. Poles are certainly handy here.

11)CRUSH THROUGH CRUD

The Teleboard may be the best tool available for crust, wind slab slush and the other unpleasantries that snow sports enthusasts simply have to deal with.

GET A HOW-TO-TELEBOARD VIDEO

If you want to take a great Teleboard lesson from the couch, call Uniboard at 860-428-5979 to order your video. It features Teleboard inventors Martin and Erik Fey and their world famous Uncle Bill Butler, letting you in on all the secrets. Just $6, including shipping anywhere in the U.S.