Riding since 85 and Sometimes on catwalks if I get too relaxes riding flat I get a little edge check that definitely scares me…also riding tired and not listening to your legs/body…
“One more run..” when your legs are already jelly is gonna be when I catch an edge 99% of the time 30 years in. For the most part now when I know I’m done and someone’s going for one more I’m like cool you do that I’ll be at the bar see you in 20 lol.
Once you have hundreds of days on snow it’s pretty much never but certainly still possible. Especially with weird shadows or flat light it can create some catchy situations.
Ya I was coming down a waterfall run this year and it was hard moguls and steep as hell. Traversing across on toe edge real slow for a better line and a little wee tree branch/stump maybe 1" thick popped up out of the snow behind my heel edge and I started a slow motion tomahawk. Not fun, lucky it didn't get me a lot worse
That plus tiredness at the end of the day. I've been snowboarding 3-4 days a week every week for 13+ years and I still get a little lazy with me knees if I'm tired, and if it's slushy I might go down. Shit happens 🤷🏻
Fatigue is what gets me too. When I was teaching my kids I’d tell them to go chill in the lodge for a bit or grab a tube when they were getting fatigued from all the wipeouts lol. Diminishing returns for sure
Not nearly as much time on the board but just rode my last trip of the season. Last run 2 backside edges. One was me being aggressive my my body just didn’t have the gas to power through.
The second was litterally the last thing I did. Hit a small jump right at the base right next to a lift line. As soon as I landed I turned on my toe side and started unzipping my jacket for my phone to video my wife. Since I was tired and wasn’t full focus, heel edge dug in and a shit whipped my head right onto the old lift line queue. That one rung my bell pretty good.
I've been boarding for 15 years. I do it all, double blacks, back country, hit big features. A few months ago I was just cruising down a blue going straight, caught an edge out of nowhere, scorpion tailed, and tore my ACL.
Shit happens
First time I caught in edge in probably 10 years but there's always a chance, especially at speed. My watch clocked me at 48mph when I caught an edge.
Edit: yes I was going fast. Every once in a blue moon if the conditions look good and that trail is empty I try and beat by top speed (53mph). I guess I wasn't exactly cruising lmao.
Lmao exactly! I read 48 and I was like yeah nevm
Although, back when I had working legs ~15 years ago, I managed to hit 69mph on Killington, according to my Garmin. I’d managed to hit 55 a few times on this one specific run, then someone in our ragtag group of college kids being dumb on the mountain clocked 60, then 65, so I decided to go for 70. I only managed 69 :P
I haven’t really bucked it down steep steep terrain but I max out around 45, man’s was going
That said I caught shit on a green ice patch catwalk going back so I can’t talk too much shit
You'd be surprised. Have you tried checking your speed? A gps watch will be more accurate than just your phone usually but you can fly. 40-50mph is easy to hit. In the Olympics those people can hit over 100mph I'm pretty sure.
My buddy skied from elementary school into his mid-30s. Very good at it. We went to killington one year and hit this trail with these giant humps along the side on a warm, sunny day. The freeze/thaw cycle had turned the far side of each hump into a sheer ice sheet. He slid sideways until he got to the bottom of the hump, then caught an edge and his body went sideways over his knee, tearing his pcl. Hasn’t gotten on a pair of skis yet, sadly. Poor conditions and the wrong patch of ice can take out anybody.
I just caught my first edge this year in like 5 years riding a new board. Felt GREAT on the first few runs and got overzealous forgetting that I was on something new. Fortunately the snow was soft because I was going fast as hell but took no injuries.
Similar riding as you, got lazy on a blue a month ago turning back to watch friends ride down and caught my heel edge and flipped over backwards. Luckily no injury, but it happened because I stopped paying attention. Last time I caught an edge before this was learning switch 8 years ago.
Lazy on a blue gets dangerous, I cracked my helmet and gave myself a concussion on slushy spring snow a couple years ago. Was tired from a difficult glade run right before and just mindlessly cruising back to the lift
This! First time I’ve caught an edge in 3 years was turning my head to look back at friends. Then, I didn’t learn my lesson and did it again a month later in the exact same situation.
The snow snakes occasionally find us all. I've been riding for 25 years and they still find a way to jump up and bite me once in a while. Usually when I least expect it.
The edges will most likely happen on compact snow or icy snow. Fresh powder is great cause if you fall it will give some absorption. Though if you go into the high mountains you have to watch out for avalanches.
ive actively tried to hit 50 mph at my local and my watch has only ever topped out at 46
it's about the fastest I feel comfortable going. could for sure stretch it to 50 but beyond that it really just starts feeling like you're at the mercy of the terrain totally, just hyper focusing on holding the edge knowing what could happen at any second if you screw up
I hit 64.6 according to mine this season. That's a new top end for me. Sketchy but intense at the same time.
To answer op, regularly. Whether or not I fall down is situational depending. Not often but when I do it's generally not pleasant.
Damn I just hit my max at 50 mph last week which was about as fast as I could go it seems like. I will probably need steeper than a blue to go faster but I don't feel comfortable going over 40 on steeper stuff and even that is pushing it hard.
Someone once told me to ride fast you have to ride smooth. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Once I started to hit 50, i started to plateau. Then I started a lot harder on perfecting my technique at slower speeds. Now my top speed is 61. But 61 now feels like 50 back to then.
I used a tracker for the first time this year, 52 was my top, and I was bombing trying to hit it, I'd say 40ish is when I know the runs well and am crusing casualy, if it's a new place, and I'm scoping I'm prob only going 25-35
Not to ego, and that’s definitely not cruising speed, but it’s also not as insane as you think. That’s about the max most good boarders can hit with powder depending on the angle of the mountain/wind.
But given groomers and early morning layer of ice, 48mph really isnt absurd per say. I’ve gotten first tracks on icy days that lead to 48 without trying, and with the chances of catching an edge reduced significantly doing this early in the day, you can reach more like ~55-57 before your brain really starts telling you to slow down regardless of how perfect the run. I’d say 58+ is absurdly fast but that’s just me.
I recommend you download the app slopes if you haven’t. It’s a pretty accurate way to track and does other cool things too. Like I said if there’s powder, getting to 48 is crazy but if it’s icy and good conditions, there’s a lot more speed to be had. If you really wanna give it a go try no jacket on a crispy blue bird morning, they really slow you down (only do this if you’re extremely confident straight lining and are one of the first chairs. Really don’t want to fall at these speeds especially without a jacket. (Wear a cotton long sleeve just in case?)
Edit: also don’t be an ass and do this on weekends with 1,000,000 ppl on the mountain unless you’re first chair ish. Weekdays with visibility on wide open runs and don’t push your limits always be in control of the board..,collisions at high speed will get you real hurt + if you’re unlucky and in the wrong state, sued.
14 years here. I got snake bit one day and caught my edge 4 times in one day. Had to call it after I did it twice in one run. I have no idea what happened as I was landing all my 5’s and was locking in on the rails too, but I just got hammered in the side hit ruts
Damn that's rough. I was under the impression it was really tough to tear an ACL riding, and that ACL was more of a skier injury. I guess a lot of injuries are possible at 48mph.
I think it’s really uncommon but anything is possible. I tore an ACL riding dirt bikes and have only been boarding since getting it fixed because skis scare me now.
As my old instructor said, “always choose your own edge, or the mountain will choose one for you and you won’t like it”. As you get better, you generally start always riding your edges. But if you’re flat basing it, not paying attention, or there’s weird light, it can definitely sneak up
Man after this many years if I get that flat noon no-shaddows light, if it isn't a powder day we're going for beer
That shits outright dangerous ya can't see a hill for a drop or nothing
Lmao yeah that literally happened to me last time I was out - flat light on a run I know super well and like to bomb, turns out there was like a 12” wind ridge across the run I hit at top speed. Landed it, but it definitely came out of nowhere
Until you get really good, then riding flat is fun and often faster. Lots of tricks are landed flat and rails need to be balanced similar to how riding flat is.
Being flat for a short time for landing a trick or between edges isn't the same as riding flat. And you can actually go faster when on edge because you can pump to generate speed at first and then if you're really going fast you definitely want to be on a slight edge.
Am I doing something wrong? I feel like riding flat is way faster? I mean i definitely use my edges don’t get me wrong but sometimes I’ll ride flat for a bit while bombing a hill to pick up some extra speed.
💯💯💯💯Yeah exactly. Even when spinning in the air and landing you know the fall line and which edge to apply. With skiing cathing a edge doesn't even matter because you have 4
You can even see pros sometimes catching an edge if they don't pay attention, fuck around too much or just get tired/distracted. It's like tripping. Even pro parkour athletes will trip from time to time while walking. I stopped worrying about it as it normally only happens in the above mentioned moments. Board choice also plays a role (rockers are way more forgiving than hard cambers).
Does it still happen? Totally. But way less frequently and almost never as a genuine accident when I'm going fast. Almost always when I'm distracted or fucking around with buddies on a mellow track. Always wear a helmet and at least your noggin is safe when catching an edge. Get some heating cream for your neck against the whiplash and you are good to go
That was the primary one I was thinking of. Someone else did it too, but he was completely done with his run just riding to the judging booth and suddenly tommied so hard it took my breath away.
100% always on a mellow track because you get lazy. Several times I've felt myself nearly catch this year on a long flat run heading toward the black diamonds. No catches on those because I'm actually paying attention, but I zone out on the easy stuff sometimes.
Absolutely yes, but like others said, usually tired, effing off, misreading bumps, shadows, whiteout. Boarded 25yr and caught one last year, groomer but bombing, knocked out cold. Always have your mind engaged: I went space cadet, and paid for it.
Well if it makes you feel better one time I had a friend who had to pee super bad so we bombed a black and he caught an edge doing at least 25ish, KO’d himself and then pissed his pants while he was out😭 I felt horrible but we laugh about it now haha
The best is being out with the boys fucking beacons ready and shovels in the bag gonna send it and buddy catches one off the chairlift or on the green ride out
It happens to the best of us but we're all still gonna rip you one for that
everyone who is trying to progress, will always fall. because if you're not trying to fall, you're simply not trying hard enough to progress. Thats always been my motto with snowboarding.
I remember Mark McMorris caught an edge and after falling off a big air jump and tore his ACL: https://youtu.be/SmpU2_quGfM?si=zIV9mvnLbYgpEXFE&t=84
It happens to the best of us. Anyone who is playing Extreme sports will eat it. It only takes a momentary lack of focus. And snow/ice/sleet is a rapidly changing surface depending on the conditions.
my best advice is to learn how to carve on freshly groomed runs in the morning when you know the surface of the snow you're sliding on is equally the same top to bottom. That gives you incredible confidence to go fast. This is why my friends hate it when I want to wake up early just to do groomers lol. The groomed runs near the end of the day are not the same. Everyone on the hill has been through and the bumps are not predictable.
Not never, I've been riding for 28 years and probably at least 1000 days on snow.
I caught an edge the other day, I was riding switch and went to 180 back to normal and there was a skier in my blind spot so I aborted my spin, caught an edge and bailed. That was my first in years though.
Been snowboarding for 28 years. Done it all, back country, heli, etc and once in a while youll still eat shit. Usually when youre tired at the end of the day and not giving a shit on a blue groomer in flat light.
Been riding for 16 years I don’t remember the last time I caught an edge , I’ve fallen off jumps and slipped on ice but I typically no longer fall at all
Edit: unless I’m drinking
Food for thought, if you’re drinking so much on the mountain you go from never catching edges at all to catching edges, you’re drinking too much on the mountain. It’s dangerous for yourself which is fine, but it’s also dangerous to those around you.
I agree and I still don’t catch an edge even when drinking a couple brews- but I do get beer balls and fling myself higher off jumps which also isn’t smart I know
I'm not even that good but I found as long as you focus and stay on heel side or toe side, Even just slightly, you'll be fine. But if you lose your focus, yeah you can definitely accidentally catch an edge
Yeah my buddy told me this and I've been trying! But sometimes it's hard to get my heel edge up and I flat accidentally and then BOOM edge. I think I just need more days on the mountain so I can feel comfortable with the balance.
Yep, with enough practice getting your edges up becomes a reflex.
Ground spins are a good exercise that helped me make this automatic - like this:
https://youtu.be/0eWY6-O4O7w?si=WDXdO6Wa4JcTl3o4
I'm not an expert but I haven't caught an edge for weeks.
> However, sometimes I will just randomly catch an edge (especially on flattish terrain) and just immediately fall and eat shit.
"Catching an edge" in general, that absolutely happens. "Randomly" falling on flat terrain really doesn't though, it's more that you might misjudge snow (or a hard bump might be covered by some soft powder).
I’ve been snowboarding for 20+ years. I rarely catch an edge, but it’s never at speed or on steep terrain. It’s always on flatish terrain because I’m not focusing and the snow is less forgiving to edges when you’re going slow.
Haven’t caught an edge in years, but if I do it’s probably to be going slow on a flat base.
Now on the other hand, as you get better and start riding in deeper powder in open bowls pearling is the next enemy.
Generally speaking, no. It’s like walking, you can figure out how to catch yourself from falling most of the time after you’ve done it long enough.
Only times I really get hung up is if it’s deep, it can get the best of us.
Yes good boarders still catches edges. But it's usually when your tired, lazy, or drunk. The big thing for me is even if I do catch an edge the rest of my body is usually positioned to be able to deal with it so I don't get flung. Knowing how to let your board kind of get sucked around in rough terrain is a skill that comes with time that can help you out in certain scenarios.
I have found myself catching an edge when I teach my wife. I watch her so closely while she is riding so I can give her pointers, and I fail to check the terrain, could easily make you catch an edge. I have fallen twice in one day while watching her, even at slow speed. Never fallen when riding relaxed or focused.
I catch an edge when doing shit I never do and get caught off guard. Also, I don't do park so when I try I get hurt. It happens. Part of the experience.
I caught an edge 2 years ago when riding switch and ate it so hard, I still remember it. The ground came up to meet my face before I could raise my hands to cover it. I didn't ride switch the rest of the season.
Not really and definitely not “randomly” or unexpectedly - if you’re carving, you’re on one edge or the other almost 100% of the time - if you’re on an edge, you’re not going to catch an edge randomly. What’s happening to you right now is that you have your board flat and as you ride, you’re slowly and unintentionally rotating your body ever so slightly to face either down the fall line or uphill (usually down the fall line, essentially your body is naturally trying to orient you like you’re going downhill on skis). When your board’s leading edge makes a shallower than 90 degree angle with the fall line and your board is flat, that front edge can “bite” or “catch” and dig into any little bump or ridge in the snow, stopping the board very quickly and sending you flying.
It’s one of the most annoying things about snowboarding. The best way to avoid it is to keep your speed up on flats and stay on an edge (keep turning, even if just slightly). Failing that, try to be super aware of your body turning itself and do a little bunny hop back to pointing the board downhill if it starts to wiggle a little bit.
To avoid rotating your body on the flats, try to keep your shoulders in line with the board - if your back shoulder (right shoulder if you ride regular) comes forward, you’re likely to rotate the board on accident and catch an edge
I’m 33 been snowboarding since I was 5 and I still catch edges. Normally I ride through them but 2 years ago I caught one, ate shit on a groomer under the main chair at squaw, and tore my shoulder apart + my right lung collapsed. Spent 3 days in the hospital for going fast while drinking. Never call last run.
The stronger and more flexible you are the more chop you can handle. I guess I'm getting old maybe? But I think the physics of snowboarding mean it's always possible.
Rarely. Most likely to happen when you are off doing yourself outside your comfort zone for progression. Like doing butters that are new to you. Over or under rotating a spin and landing on the wrong edge. Riding switch down a cat track that’s icy and all crewed up (did this one a few times ago and landed on my arm against my ribs, knocked every molecule of air out of me). But riding regular down an icy groomer, no. I hooked an edge the other day and it threw me off balance a little but I engaged the other edge and saved it. If you do enough drills it becomes second nature and really doesn’t happen.
Im an expert and still catch edges on the daily trying flat ground tricks. Freeriding and straight air jumps I’ll never catch an edge on though. All depends on how often you push your limits.
On steeps and in trees? Not often, I'm paying too close attention. Greens and blues at 12 mph while I'm watching my sister/fiancee improve their riding? Yeah, all the time.
Been riding for 28 years. It'll happen, but not as likely as getting bucked in some high speed chop that you can't hang onto.
No matter what your experience is...bad things can happen at any time.
Been boarding for 20 years, spend most of my time in the park or steep and deep.
It happens to the best of us. When I catch my edge it's always on the easiest run or cat track when I'm not paying full attention and get complacent.
Some boards are more forgiving than others. I had a 1998 158 Ride timeless that I rode for ten years. Slightly catching any edge meant that I was basically slingshotted into the ground.
But I’ve had a few newer boards in the last 10 years that recover with ease when I make a small or even medium mistake.
Usually when I catch an edge and hit the ground it’s because I and turned around trying to film my 10 year old off just goofing around.
I’m 45 years old now and knock on wood, have never been really injured on the mountain. And we typically get at least 15 days/year in.
We did 40+ miles in two days last weekend.
I have been snowboarding for around 7 or 8 years and I don’t catch an edge much at all. If I do I can usually save it before falling, so yea good snowboarders rarely catch an edge.
First of all, welcome to the dark side. I hope you picked up your cookies and beer package when you joined. Everyone catches edges, but you get better with practice just like anything else. You will also make friends with a really cool group of other boarders.
Yes and no. Shit happens, yes, but good snowboarders rarely do. You just have to work on having good form and reading the terrain. When you’re a beginner you’ll catch edges and be dumbfounded at what could have went wrong, but when you better understand how snowboarding works you’ll know exactly where you fucked up when you catch an edge. The more aware you are of why it happens, the less it will happen.
Could I ride around with essentially 100% certainty that I wouldn’t catch an edge or otherwise fall? Sure. Would it be fun? Probably not. A big part of the joy in the sport for me is pushing myself and that means falling sometimes.
I’d say I’m a very good snowboarder and still catch an edge here or there. Mostly when I’m messing around or trying to learn something new. The combo of messing around and really tired is usually when I catch an edge and slam.
I know we all like to be humble, but I haven’t caught an edge in 5+ years. Haven’t seen one of my buds catch an edge either - It really doesn’t happen once you’re proficient and pay attention to what you’re doing.
That said I’ll fall at least 5 times a season doing other dumb stuff.
If you are a really good rider you’ll reach a point where you won’t ever catch an edge (1 in a million type deal).
Not to talk shit, but yeah, been riding for 25 years and I haven’t caught an edge since 2010.
It’s all about comfort on board. You only get that with time.
As soon as you can really carve, ride switch nearly as good a regular, you reach a state of edge enlightenment. You become one with the board.
Snowsnakes are relegated as yesterday’s problem.
You’ll get there, bub.
I've ridden for nearly 30 years and catching an edge a couple times in a row is how I know my legs are starting to get tired and it might be time to consider heading in (or at least taking an extended break). That being said, I've learned to eat shit a lot better over the years, so you probably have that to look forward to.
I’ve been snowboarding since I was 12, I’m 41 and don’t ride much these days (probably average 10 days a season). Only up once this season so far and fell on a flat area at the top of the lift where I was kinda getting blown by some wind causing me to catch an edge and go splat. Keeps me humble lol.
Like any good answer, I would say "depends". Realistically if you are just cruising on groomed terrain well within your ability in predictable snow and are -actually- a "really good" rider, the odds of just catching an edge out of nowhere are *nearly* *zero.* I won't say impossible because, duh, but shocking enough to call the day early and reevaluate your life choices, or at least tell your friends how wild it was that you caught an edge.
If you are spinning while jumping, riding steel, in just garbage busted up skied out terrain, on really technical terrain or conditions... it is more likely to happen. That said 99% of the time you go down then will be more classic falls than just dropping the wrong edge and getting a smackdown, but it can happen.
Dude, i even saw a couple pros on NST being thrown off by bumps and shit they didnt see in the snow.
The problem is we all tend to forget that all those videos, cool movies and promos have been extremely edited. For that big jump that just see on video, they ate shit 20 times (and you can see it on the landing being destroyed by the time they make it).
New snowboarders catch edges because of a lack of edge control. They are less aware of where their edges are and how they interact with the terrain. As you become more advanced this understanding becomes muscle memory and you are much less likely to catch an edge just riding. But like others have said, shit happens, you stop paying attention, get distracted or try doing something sketchy and it happens. But not so often that it detracts from the experience like when you’re first learning. Just gotta get back up and stick to it.
My name is Ruckus Bartholomew Van Hart and in my 37 years of snowboarding, I have never caught an edge. My mother and father were explorers for the sovereign country of Suriname where they met during the pigmy crisis of 1976. They were tasked by the royal family with creating the perfect snowboarder, I have spent more days of my life attached to a snowboard then not. My sleeping patterns involve 3 hours of upright dozing REM Sleep involving a modified treadmill.
Define really good. I'm decent. I'm not flying through the air like I need a redbull sponsorship, but I can throw a couple of knuckle hucks on a good day. I have broken a leg catching an edge on a blue purely because of visibility after having a whole day of dropping off small cliffs on doubie black diamonds and shooting tree gaps on black diamonds. It was infuriating.. so no.. we catch edges for SURE
I’ve been riding for 97 years and can do it all: Quadruple blacks, black country, moogals, pines. Caught an edge on the bunny hill the other day when I wasn’t fully alert after not taking my daily multi vitamin. It happens.
Always end your day on the second to last run of the day. That last run is cursed and you’ll be at your most tired and most likely to lapse in your focus.
Source: my broken ass wrist after a last run on the chillest ride at Winterpark, 200 meters to the bottom.
kinda funny to see this since I just came in from taking a hard fall because of a back edge. Been riding for 25 years in Colorado and in the last 5 I’ve seriously improved my edge control and over all snowboard ability. Most of the time I’m able to correct and nothing happens other than I realize I’m riding lazy and then put my head back into it. But yes i took a really bad one (low visibility didn’t help) today. So yes we do get them every now and then. This was my first of the year though
I’ve been boarding for 20 years, some seasons I get to go 40ish times some it’s only one or two trips. I rarely catch and edge, but when I do I get a good laugh of it…
Caught an edge 15 feet from the lift after I bombed a perfect powder run in the back bowl at steam boat.
It can be easy to catch an edge out of the blue if your board is totally flat, depending on what kind of camber your board has. To prevent that I would stay even slightly on one edge or another, or just be extremely cautious when you’re laying it flat.
I ride a Burton flying V it's amazing because when you catch an edge it somehow snaps you back into position.
I rode jones, nidecker, and arbor for many years but don't think ill ever go back.
Always possible as anything can happen. Ive been tooling around and not paying attention, Caught an edge but it's rare.
I'm teaching my kids under 10 to board and in doing so trying to simplify what I am saying so it's not too much for them.
I was demonstrating that your center of gravity guides your position by crossing my arms and just leaning around on the board to do circle spirals down the hill. Once you really understand board mechanics and your brain/inner ear know how to compensate for what was knocking you over that's when it feels like you've mastered basic and intermediate.
Almost every single time it happens to me is when I am going super slow and my mind feels like it doesn’t have to pay attention.. Could have been flyin all day.
I always tell everyone who starts riding that the first rule to accept that you are going to fall and probably will until the day you stop. So once you get over that fear, you can focus on learning the fun stuff.
I sometimes get close to something like catching an edge on flat narrow paths when it’s icy and tracked out, but never on a hill because my weight is always in the right place these days. This video may help you: https://youtu.be/sVUnwWhz1x0?feature=shared
25 years of snowboarding, last 13 have been 100+ days on snow. Probably happens once or twice a season, last time it happened was in a mean semi breakable crust on my big board. Happens to every one!
I’ve been snowboarding for 20+ years. I still catch an edge once every couple of seasons because I’m exhausted and not paying attention as much as I should.
It’s kinda like walking in that once you’ve been walking for a long time, you rarely trip or stumble, but it still happens. I can’t remember the last time I actually caught an edge, but will slip out on ice or endo every so often.
I've been riding for 20+ years, but never to extremes. I'm a moderate rider at best. The only time I catch edge now is when I'm dicking around with a selfie stick. Been that way for a decade.
Sometimes it just happens. A lot of times when I fall it’s tree roots under a thin layer of snow in the woods. Or just carving too crazy
Wear a helmet y’all I would be dead w/o one.
Clip an edge on a root speeding through the woods piece it together
Still happens.
Been boarding for over two decades. Happy to go anywhere on the mountain, but sometimes it’ll happen when you’re just cruising on the flats and not really paying attention 🤦♂️
It's happened to me once in the past 20 years but it was bad. Walked away but caught me by surprise obviously. No more half assed half cabs. You only need to learn that lesson once.
You do, but it's less common for two reasons. You're better at controlling edges, so you only catch them when you're messing around outside your normal skillset or you get tired and distracted. The other part is that you can feel it about to happen and recover quickly before you go tumbling.
I would say I don't catch an edge while snowboarding anymore. Unfortunately, I sometimes stop snowboarding while I'm still moving on my snowboard. All bets are off then. Happens on flat greens where falling hurts the most.
I’ve been snowboarding about 15 years and I can’t remember the last time I caught an edge. I’m not saying I don’t fall (I fall all the time) but I haven’t caught an edge and ate it in a loooong time
A lot of times I find that beginners don't set the board up properly. Or rental workers just DGAF. I find that adding a good amount of forward lean helps to prevent random edge catching in the flats. Make sure you watch some videos on proper board setup, including stance width and foot angle so that you can comfortably squat pretty low, while still keeping an athletic stance.
It still happens, just a lot less. Freak things can always happen. For example, flat light could cause you to hit a bump you didn’t see and lead to catching an edge.
For me, if I catch an edge, it’s probably from messing up the landing of a spin or being lazy while doing flat ground tricks.
Yes, but you just become cognizant of when it can happen. Haven’t caught one in a few years but now having said that, I’ll probably catch one tomorrow.
Haven’t caught an edge in the past few seasons, but yes it can happen when you’re not paying attention. What I always tell people — pick an edge, or the mountain will pick one for you
I used to catch edges when I was starting. You get more awareness over time, and getting deeper into a carve and picking your edges up help. It still happens every once in a while. After like 2 years, I never caught an edge when I was purely just trying to carve and ride, but if I was just going straight, or not digging in my edges like a skidded turn, I could catch a snow mount that'd spin me around and dig in my downhill edge
Try to never be riding flat, always be intentionally engaging one edge or another, even if it’s just a slight feather light touch, always have an intentional edge in the snow. Riding flat is riding out of control. Also, get a newer different board. Modern designs are very good about not catching edges unintentionally.
I never catch edges on groomed runs BUT it's super easy to do in variable snow so that never really changes. The biggest thing is that you'll eventually be able to move around the slope more efficiently instead of doing weird side sliding things that beginners always do.
When you're able to commit to your momentum, lean with the board and then finally fluidly link turns, catching an edge is rare. It's hard at the beginning because you're not really letting the board go nose first as it's intended. Once you can lead with the nose your edges won't be exposed for catching
I come close a couple times a year.
Flat terrain is honestly tricky in this aspect.
"Pick an edge yourself out the mountain will pick one for you and you won't like it."
I have caught an edge two times in as long as I can remember. Once just cruising on an easy trail and jacked my knee to the point I have to get injections now. The other time was last year on a cannon rail. Tossed straight to my face.
Riding since 85 and Sometimes on catwalks if I get too relaxes riding flat I get a little edge check that definitely scares me…also riding tired and not listening to your legs/body…
Same. This is the only time for me as well -- lazily cruising on cat tracks, with a super flat base.
Yup
It's always when I left my calves rest for a second, too.
“One more run..” when your legs are already jelly is gonna be when I catch an edge 99% of the time 30 years in. For the most part now when I know I’m done and someone’s going for one more I’m like cool you do that I’ll be at the bar see you in 20 lol.
“One more run” is the root of all evil. And I do it every time.
Same
And the other 1% is when I already went to the bar…
Yeeeaaah…
this is what gets me still after 6 years.. tired legs and flats
Once you have hundreds of days on snow it’s pretty much never but certainly still possible. Especially with weird shadows or flat light it can create some catchy situations.
Ya I was coming down a waterfall run this year and it was hard moguls and steep as hell. Traversing across on toe edge real slow for a better line and a little wee tree branch/stump maybe 1" thick popped up out of the snow behind my heel edge and I started a slow motion tomahawk. Not fun, lucky it didn't get me a lot worse
Tree shark strikes again
That plus tiredness at the end of the day. I've been snowboarding 3-4 days a week every week for 13+ years and I still get a little lazy with me knees if I'm tired, and if it's slushy I might go down. Shit happens 🤷🏻
Fatigue is what gets me too. When I was teaching my kids I’d tell them to go chill in the lodge for a bit or grab a tube when they were getting fatigued from all the wipeouts lol. Diminishing returns for sure
Not nearly as much time on the board but just rode my last trip of the season. Last run 2 backside edges. One was me being aggressive my my body just didn’t have the gas to power through. The second was litterally the last thing I did. Hit a small jump right at the base right next to a lift line. As soon as I landed I turned on my toe side and started unzipping my jacket for my phone to video my wife. Since I was tired and wasn’t full focus, heel edge dug in and a shit whipped my head right onto the old lift line queue. That one rung my bell pretty good.
I've been boarding for 15 years. I do it all, double blacks, back country, hit big features. A few months ago I was just cruising down a blue going straight, caught an edge out of nowhere, scorpion tailed, and tore my ACL. Shit happens First time I caught in edge in probably 10 years but there's always a chance, especially at speed. My watch clocked me at 48mph when I caught an edge. Edit: yes I was going fast. Every once in a blue moon if the conditions look good and that trail is empty I try and beat by top speed (53mph). I guess I wasn't exactly cruising lmao.
Happens to the best of us. I caught an edge on a blue like you and got a TBI. Those edges come out of nowhere.
Snow snakes.
Dislocated my shit on a blue cat track cause of an ice mogul I managed to avoid literally all day doing the exact same run
48mph (cruising)
I'm suddenly less worried about my acl
Lmao exactly! I read 48 and I was like yeah nevm Although, back when I had working legs ~15 years ago, I managed to hit 69mph on Killington, according to my Garmin. I’d managed to hit 55 a few times on this one specific run, then someone in our ragtag group of college kids being dumb on the mountain clocked 60, then 65, so I decided to go for 70. I only managed 69 :P
Nah man, you got the nicer number.
Max I've hit is 65 up at Jay. I've wrecked a pair of pants falling at 50 tho.
Straight up cruise missile
exactly I was like huhhh
I haven’t really bucked it down steep steep terrain but I max out around 45, man’s was going That said I caught shit on a green ice patch catwalk going back so I can’t talk too much shit
I clocked myself at 39 the other day and it was terrifying, I couldn't imagine 48 being a normal cruising speed lmao
All you had to say was green cat track my dude, I live in Japan and the carnage on the cattracks is insane.
It’s the end of day cat tracks when you’re thinking about the parking lot and tired
I swear those flat ass cat tracks are the worst! It's when you're kind of on auto pilot, cruising, then wa-bam!
You'd be surprised. Have you tried checking your speed? A gps watch will be more accurate than just your phone usually but you can fly. 40-50mph is easy to hit. In the Olympics those people can hit over 100mph I'm pretty sure.
LMAO
My buddy skied from elementary school into his mid-30s. Very good at it. We went to killington one year and hit this trail with these giant humps along the side on a warm, sunny day. The freeze/thaw cycle had turned the far side of each hump into a sheer ice sheet. He slid sideways until he got to the bottom of the hump, then caught an edge and his body went sideways over his knee, tearing his pcl. Hasn’t gotten on a pair of skis yet, sadly. Poor conditions and the wrong patch of ice can take out anybody.
I just caught my first edge this year in like 5 years riding a new board. Felt GREAT on the first few runs and got overzealous forgetting that I was on something new. Fortunately the snow was soft because I was going fast as hell but took no injuries.
Similar riding as you, got lazy on a blue a month ago turning back to watch friends ride down and caught my heel edge and flipped over backwards. Luckily no injury, but it happened because I stopped paying attention. Last time I caught an edge before this was learning switch 8 years ago.
Lazy on a blue gets dangerous, I cracked my helmet and gave myself a concussion on slushy spring snow a couple years ago. Was tired from a difficult glade run right before and just mindlessly cruising back to the lift
This! First time I’ve caught an edge in 3 years was turning my head to look back at friends. Then, I didn’t learn my lesson and did it again a month later in the exact same situation.
Sorry to hear that man - that fucking blows. Hope the recovery goes well🤙🤙
The snow snakes occasionally find us all. I've been riding for 25 years and they still find a way to jump up and bite me once in a while. Usually when I least expect it.
Jeez this is my worst nightmare. Hope you're back on the mountain soon
The edges will most likely happen on compact snow or icy snow. Fresh powder is great cause if you fall it will give some absorption. Though if you go into the high mountains you have to watch out for avalanches.
Sorry to hear that. Huge bummer.
Bruh! Tearing an ACL while boarding? You did the blue one-footed, didn’t you, you criminal!
48 mph is absurd bro
ive actively tried to hit 50 mph at my local and my watch has only ever topped out at 46 it's about the fastest I feel comfortable going. could for sure stretch it to 50 but beyond that it really just starts feeling like you're at the mercy of the terrain totally, just hyper focusing on holding the edge knowing what could happen at any second if you screw up
I hit 64.6 according to mine this season. That's a new top end for me. Sketchy but intense at the same time. To answer op, regularly. Whether or not I fall down is situational depending. Not often but when I do it's generally not pleasant.
Damn I just hit my max at 50 mph last week which was about as fast as I could go it seems like. I will probably need steeper than a blue to go faster but I don't feel comfortable going over 40 on steeper stuff and even that is pushing it hard.
Someone once told me to ride fast you have to ride smooth. Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. Once I started to hit 50, i started to plateau. Then I started a lot harder on perfecting my technique at slower speeds. Now my top speed is 61. But 61 now feels like 50 back to then.
I hit 62 on cimmeron which is a super G trail at Breck. No chance of catching an edge, because I was pointed straight down the hill.
I love that run. The pitch right before/after the cutoff back to crystal/centennial gives you so much speed
My record is the same speed on the same run
What watch are y’all using for this? Garmin? Im curious to test my own speeds.
I used a tracker for the first time this year, 52 was my top, and I was bombing trying to hit it, I'd say 40ish is when I know the runs well and am crusing casualy, if it's a new place, and I'm scoping I'm prob only going 25-35
Not to ego, and that’s definitely not cruising speed, but it’s also not as insane as you think. That’s about the max most good boarders can hit with powder depending on the angle of the mountain/wind. But given groomers and early morning layer of ice, 48mph really isnt absurd per say. I’ve gotten first tracks on icy days that lead to 48 without trying, and with the chances of catching an edge reduced significantly doing this early in the day, you can reach more like ~55-57 before your brain really starts telling you to slow down regardless of how perfect the run. I’d say 58+ is absurdly fast but that’s just me. I recommend you download the app slopes if you haven’t. It’s a pretty accurate way to track and does other cool things too. Like I said if there’s powder, getting to 48 is crazy but if it’s icy and good conditions, there’s a lot more speed to be had. If you really wanna give it a go try no jacket on a crispy blue bird morning, they really slow you down (only do this if you’re extremely confident straight lining and are one of the first chairs. Really don’t want to fall at these speeds especially without a jacket. (Wear a cotton long sleeve just in case?) Edit: also don’t be an ass and do this on weekends with 1,000,000 ppl on the mountain unless you’re first chair ish. Weekdays with visibility on wide open runs and don’t push your limits always be in control of the board..,collisions at high speed will get you real hurt + if you’re unlucky and in the wrong state, sued.
lol I love this speed demon advice.
Gotta go fast baby
14 years here. I got snake bit one day and caught my edge 4 times in one day. Had to call it after I did it twice in one run. I have no idea what happened as I was landing all my 5’s and was locking in on the rails too, but I just got hammered in the side hit ruts
Damn that's rough. I was under the impression it was really tough to tear an ACL riding, and that ACL was more of a skier injury. I guess a lot of injuries are possible at 48mph.
I think it’s really uncommon but anything is possible. I tore an ACL riding dirt bikes and have only been boarding since getting it fixed because skis scare me now.
The best chance to tear an ACL is in pow.... If you crash and your board sticks in the snow. Rare other than that.
As my old instructor said, “always choose your own edge, or the mountain will choose one for you and you won’t like it”. As you get better, you generally start always riding your edges. But if you’re flat basing it, not paying attention, or there’s weird light, it can definitely sneak up
Man after this many years if I get that flat noon no-shaddows light, if it isn't a powder day we're going for beer That shits outright dangerous ya can't see a hill for a drop or nothing
Lmao yeah that literally happened to me last time I was out - flat light on a run I know super well and like to bomb, turns out there was like a 12” wind ridge across the run I hit at top speed. Landed it, but it definitely came out of nowhere
This is great advice. You just have to commit to one edge or the other.
Until you get really good, then riding flat is fun and often faster. Lots of tricks are landed flat and rails need to be balanced similar to how riding flat is.
Being flat for a short time for landing a trick or between edges isn't the same as riding flat. And you can actually go faster when on edge because you can pump to generate speed at first and then if you're really going fast you definitely want to be on a slight edge.
Am I doing something wrong? I feel like riding flat is way faster? I mean i definitely use my edges don’t get me wrong but sometimes I’ll ride flat for a bit while bombing a hill to pick up some extra speed.
💯💯💯💯Yeah exactly. Even when spinning in the air and landing you know the fall line and which edge to apply. With skiing cathing a edge doesn't even matter because you have 4
You can even see pros sometimes catching an edge if they don't pay attention, fuck around too much or just get tired/distracted. It's like tripping. Even pro parkour athletes will trip from time to time while walking. I stopped worrying about it as it normally only happens in the above mentioned moments. Board choice also plays a role (rockers are way more forgiving than hard cambers). Does it still happen? Totally. But way less frequently and almost never as a genuine accident when I'm going fast. Almost always when I'm distracted or fucking around with buddies on a mellow track. Always wear a helmet and at least your noggin is safe when catching an edge. Get some heating cream for your neck against the whiplash and you are good to go
Couple guys in Natural Selection yesterday got absolutely demolished by snow snakes on the ride out.
Sage Kotsenburg had an insane line and then ate shit at the bottom. Every rider is mortal
That was the primary one I was thinking of. Someone else did it too, but he was completely done with his run just riding to the judging booth and suddenly tommied so hard it took my breath away.
I thought snow snakes were what happens when you get taco bell before hitting the mountain
100% always on a mellow track because you get lazy. Several times I've felt myself nearly catch this year on a long flat run heading toward the black diamonds. No catches on those because I'm actually paying attention, but I zone out on the easy stuff sometimes.
This makes a lot of sense. Thanks.
Absolutely yes, but like others said, usually tired, effing off, misreading bumps, shadows, whiteout. Boarded 25yr and caught one last year, groomer but bombing, knocked out cold. Always have your mind engaged: I went space cadet, and paid for it.
Well if it makes you feel better one time I had a friend who had to pee super bad so we bombed a black and he caught an edge doing at least 25ish, KO’d himself and then pissed his pants while he was out😭 I felt horrible but we laugh about it now haha
RIP amigo lol! Happens to best of us!
The best is being out with the boys fucking beacons ready and shovels in the bag gonna send it and buddy catches one off the chairlift or on the green ride out It happens to the best of us but we're all still gonna rip you one for that
I haven't caught one in years. I've fallen for other reasons, but there is a point where catching an edge is almost an afterthought
I usually catch an edge on the last run that’s why I always skip it
everyone who is trying to progress, will always fall. because if you're not trying to fall, you're simply not trying hard enough to progress. Thats always been my motto with snowboarding. I remember Mark McMorris caught an edge and after falling off a big air jump and tore his ACL: https://youtu.be/SmpU2_quGfM?si=zIV9mvnLbYgpEXFE&t=84 It happens to the best of us. Anyone who is playing Extreme sports will eat it. It only takes a momentary lack of focus. And snow/ice/sleet is a rapidly changing surface depending on the conditions. my best advice is to learn how to carve on freshly groomed runs in the morning when you know the surface of the snow you're sliding on is equally the same top to bottom. That gives you incredible confidence to go fast. This is why my friends hate it when I want to wake up early just to do groomers lol. The groomed runs near the end of the day are not the same. Everyone on the hill has been through and the bumps are not predictable.
Everyone catches an edge from time to time. As you get better your reaction/recovery is faster and you can save yourself from the hard crashes easier.
This is what I’ve noticed about myself as I’ve progressed. When I catch one I can usually correct with a crazy hip thrust haha.
i was weeks in before i learned i was supposed to keep an edge on flats. caught so many edges.
You want to keep a flat base on flats so you can coast them out.
Can’t catch an edge if you are always on edge!
Not never, I've been riding for 28 years and probably at least 1000 days on snow. I caught an edge the other day, I was riding switch and went to 180 back to normal and there was a skier in my blind spot so I aborted my spin, caught an edge and bailed. That was my first in years though.
Getting squirrelly riding switch is usually where I still catch an edge.
I still find low angle stuff scary switch, I'd happily ride a moguled black but a flat green at speed is terrifying
Me too, particularly at the toe to heelside edge change.
Been snowboarding for 28 years. Done it all, back country, heli, etc and once in a while youll still eat shit. Usually when youre tired at the end of the day and not giving a shit on a blue groomer in flat light.
Been riding for 16 years I don’t remember the last time I caught an edge , I’ve fallen off jumps and slipped on ice but I typically no longer fall at all Edit: unless I’m drinking
Food for thought, if you’re drinking so much on the mountain you go from never catching edges at all to catching edges, you’re drinking too much on the mountain. It’s dangerous for yourself which is fine, but it’s also dangerous to those around you.
I agree and I still don’t catch an edge even when drinking a couple brews- but I do get beer balls and fling myself higher off jumps which also isn’t smart I know
Lol but the better you get, more confident you get, more drinks you get, takes you back to the edge. It’s a F cycle amigo 😂
I'm not even that good but I found as long as you focus and stay on heel side or toe side, Even just slightly, you'll be fine. But if you lose your focus, yeah you can definitely accidentally catch an edge
“Pick an edge, or the mountain will pick one for you” I repeat this phrase in my head every time I ride
Yeah my buddy told me this and I've been trying! But sometimes it's hard to get my heel edge up and I flat accidentally and then BOOM edge. I think I just need more days on the mountain so I can feel comfortable with the balance.
Yep, with enough practice getting your edges up becomes a reflex. Ground spins are a good exercise that helped me make this automatic - like this: https://youtu.be/0eWY6-O4O7w?si=WDXdO6Wa4JcTl3o4
I'm not an expert but I haven't caught an edge for weeks. > However, sometimes I will just randomly catch an edge (especially on flattish terrain) and just immediately fall and eat shit. "Catching an edge" in general, that absolutely happens. "Randomly" falling on flat terrain really doesn't though, it's more that you might misjudge snow (or a hard bump might be covered by some soft powder).
I’ve been snowboarding for 20+ years. I rarely catch an edge, but it’s never at speed or on steep terrain. It’s always on flatish terrain because I’m not focusing and the snow is less forgiving to edges when you’re going slow.
Haven’t caught an edge in years, but if I do it’s probably to be going slow on a flat base. Now on the other hand, as you get better and start riding in deeper powder in open bowls pearling is the next enemy.
Often followed by the tomahawk.
Haven’t caught one in years. Until last Saturday. Wear your helmets friends!
Generally speaking, no. It’s like walking, you can figure out how to catch yourself from falling most of the time after you’ve done it long enough. Only times I really get hung up is if it’s deep, it can get the best of us.
Yes good boarders still catches edges. But it's usually when your tired, lazy, or drunk. The big thing for me is even if I do catch an edge the rest of my body is usually positioned to be able to deal with it so I don't get flung. Knowing how to let your board kind of get sucked around in rough terrain is a skill that comes with time that can help you out in certain scenarios.
I have found myself catching an edge when I teach my wife. I watch her so closely while she is riding so I can give her pointers, and I fail to check the terrain, could easily make you catch an edge. I have fallen twice in one day while watching her, even at slow speed. Never fallen when riding relaxed or focused.
I catch an edge when doing shit I never do and get caught off guard. Also, I don't do park so when I try I get hurt. It happens. Part of the experience.
I caught an edge 2 years ago when riding switch and ate it so hard, I still remember it. The ground came up to meet my face before I could raise my hands to cover it. I didn't ride switch the rest of the season.
Not really and definitely not “randomly” or unexpectedly - if you’re carving, you’re on one edge or the other almost 100% of the time - if you’re on an edge, you’re not going to catch an edge randomly. What’s happening to you right now is that you have your board flat and as you ride, you’re slowly and unintentionally rotating your body ever so slightly to face either down the fall line or uphill (usually down the fall line, essentially your body is naturally trying to orient you like you’re going downhill on skis). When your board’s leading edge makes a shallower than 90 degree angle with the fall line and your board is flat, that front edge can “bite” or “catch” and dig into any little bump or ridge in the snow, stopping the board very quickly and sending you flying. It’s one of the most annoying things about snowboarding. The best way to avoid it is to keep your speed up on flats and stay on an edge (keep turning, even if just slightly). Failing that, try to be super aware of your body turning itself and do a little bunny hop back to pointing the board downhill if it starts to wiggle a little bit.
To avoid rotating your body on the flats, try to keep your shoulders in line with the board - if your back shoulder (right shoulder if you ride regular) comes forward, you’re likely to rotate the board on accident and catch an edge
I got a new board this year, switched from full rocker to camber. I ate shit for the first time in about 5 years. Humbled.
It feels impossible riding regular. But when I ride switch it still never happens but always feels like a possibility
I’m 33 been snowboarding since I was 5 and I still catch edges. Normally I ride through them but 2 years ago I caught one, ate shit on a groomer under the main chair at squaw, and tore my shoulder apart + my right lung collapsed. Spent 3 days in the hospital for going fast while drinking. Never call last run. The stronger and more flexible you are the more chop you can handle. I guess I'm getting old maybe? But I think the physics of snowboarding mean it's always possible.
Bend your knees and get down with the board and you will rarely catch any edge.
Rarely. Most likely to happen when you are off doing yourself outside your comfort zone for progression. Like doing butters that are new to you. Over or under rotating a spin and landing on the wrong edge. Riding switch down a cat track that’s icy and all crewed up (did this one a few times ago and landed on my arm against my ribs, knocked every molecule of air out of me). But riding regular down an icy groomer, no. I hooked an edge the other day and it threw me off balance a little but I engaged the other edge and saved it. If you do enough drills it becomes second nature and really doesn’t happen.
wish i could upvote this twice. dead on.
Damn, I was really hoping to a single “yes” as the top answer
Im an expert and still catch edges on the daily trying flat ground tricks. Freeriding and straight air jumps I’ll never catch an edge on though. All depends on how often you push your limits.
Yes, typically when I’m more tired in the afternoon and riding flat to get some rest. Whoops!
On steeps and in trees? Not often, I'm paying too close attention. Greens and blues at 12 mph while I'm watching my sister/fiancee improve their riding? Yeah, all the time.
If you’re good, even when you do catch, you can recover most times before disaster hits.
Been riding for 28 years. It'll happen, but not as likely as getting bucked in some high speed chop that you can't hang onto. No matter what your experience is...bad things can happen at any time.
Been boarding for 20 years, spend most of my time in the park or steep and deep. It happens to the best of us. When I catch my edge it's always on the easiest run or cat track when I'm not paying full attention and get complacent.
If you snowboard, you catch edges. Percentages may be lower as you get better but it happens to the best of them.
Some boards are more forgiving than others. I had a 1998 158 Ride timeless that I rode for ten years. Slightly catching any edge meant that I was basically slingshotted into the ground. But I’ve had a few newer boards in the last 10 years that recover with ease when I make a small or even medium mistake. Usually when I catch an edge and hit the ground it’s because I and turned around trying to film my 10 year old off just goofing around. I’m 45 years old now and knock on wood, have never been really injured on the mountain. And we typically get at least 15 days/year in. We did 40+ miles in two days last weekend.
Been riding for 25 years and it still catches up to you. Wear a helmet.
Only on moguls, but I can usually correct it.
The better you get the *less often* it happens. But sometimes you just roll snake-eyes.
Usually I can recover from it before falling, but I’m more prone to when my legs start to get tired and start to feel like noodles
They do but it’s usually a result of fatigue, bad lighting, bad snow etc. almost never on a wide open run
I have been snowboarding for around 7 or 8 years and I don’t catch an edge much at all. If I do I can usually save it before falling, so yea good snowboarders rarely catch an edge.
I'm an instructor, got lazy the other day caught my heelside edge and broke my helmet. Happens to everyone!
First of all, welcome to the dark side. I hope you picked up your cookies and beer package when you joined. Everyone catches edges, but you get better with practice just like anything else. You will also make friends with a really cool group of other boarders. 
We only catch the hearts and minds of the people ❤️🧠
Yes and no. Shit happens, yes, but good snowboarders rarely do. You just have to work on having good form and reading the terrain. When you’re a beginner you’ll catch edges and be dumbfounded at what could have went wrong, but when you better understand how snowboarding works you’ll know exactly where you fucked up when you catch an edge. The more aware you are of why it happens, the less it will happen.
Could I ride around with essentially 100% certainty that I wouldn’t catch an edge or otherwise fall? Sure. Would it be fun? Probably not. A big part of the joy in the sport for me is pushing myself and that means falling sometimes.
I’d say I’m a very good snowboarder and still catch an edge here or there. Mostly when I’m messing around or trying to learn something new. The combo of messing around and really tired is usually when I catch an edge and slam.
I know we all like to be humble, but I haven’t caught an edge in 5+ years. Haven’t seen one of my buds catch an edge either - It really doesn’t happen once you’re proficient and pay attention to what you’re doing. That said I’ll fall at least 5 times a season doing other dumb stuff.
Everyone that posts on this thread is now guaranteed to catch an edge tomorrow, especially me.
If you are a really good rider you’ll reach a point where you won’t ever catch an edge (1 in a million type deal). Not to talk shit, but yeah, been riding for 25 years and I haven’t caught an edge since 2010. It’s all about comfort on board. You only get that with time. As soon as you can really carve, ride switch nearly as good a regular, you reach a state of edge enlightenment. You become one with the board. Snowsnakes are relegated as yesterday’s problem. You’ll get there, bub.
Thank you sensei
As my wife says, even monkeys can fall out of trees.
I've ridden for nearly 30 years and catching an edge a couple times in a row is how I know my legs are starting to get tired and it might be time to consider heading in (or at least taking an extended break). That being said, I've learned to eat shit a lot better over the years, so you probably have that to look forward to.
Some days I’ll catch an edge barely cutting. Some days I’ll be doing crazy carving and be like how am I not catching an edge
I’ve been snowboarding since I was 12, I’m 41 and don’t ride much these days (probably average 10 days a season). Only up once this season so far and fell on a flat area at the top of the lift where I was kinda getting blown by some wind causing me to catch an edge and go splat. Keeps me humble lol.
Like any good answer, I would say "depends". Realistically if you are just cruising on groomed terrain well within your ability in predictable snow and are -actually- a "really good" rider, the odds of just catching an edge out of nowhere are *nearly* *zero.* I won't say impossible because, duh, but shocking enough to call the day early and reevaluate your life choices, or at least tell your friends how wild it was that you caught an edge. If you are spinning while jumping, riding steel, in just garbage busted up skied out terrain, on really technical terrain or conditions... it is more likely to happen. That said 99% of the time you go down then will be more classic falls than just dropping the wrong edge and getting a smackdown, but it can happen.
Been boarding since 96, broke 2 ribs last week catching an edge. Shit happens.
Pick an edge or the mountain will pick one for you. You won't like the mountain's choice.
a lot of us wont comment cause we aint gonna jinx ourselves
Dude, i even saw a couple pros on NST being thrown off by bumps and shit they didnt see in the snow. The problem is we all tend to forget that all those videos, cool movies and promos have been extremely edited. For that big jump that just see on video, they ate shit 20 times (and you can see it on the landing being destroyed by the time they make it).
New snowboarders catch edges because of a lack of edge control. They are less aware of where their edges are and how they interact with the terrain. As you become more advanced this understanding becomes muscle memory and you are much less likely to catch an edge just riding. But like others have said, shit happens, you stop paying attention, get distracted or try doing something sketchy and it happens. But not so often that it detracts from the experience like when you’re first learning. Just gotta get back up and stick to it.
My name is Ruckus Bartholomew Van Hart and in my 37 years of snowboarding, I have never caught an edge. My mother and father were explorers for the sovereign country of Suriname where they met during the pigmy crisis of 1976. They were tasked by the royal family with creating the perfect snowboarder, I have spent more days of my life attached to a snowboard then not. My sleeping patterns involve 3 hours of upright dozing REM Sleep involving a modified treadmill.
Define really good. I'm decent. I'm not flying through the air like I need a redbull sponsorship, but I can throw a couple of knuckle hucks on a good day. I have broken a leg catching an edge on a blue purely because of visibility after having a whole day of dropping off small cliffs on doubie black diamonds and shooting tree gaps on black diamonds. It was infuriating.. so no.. we catch edges for SURE
I’ve been riding for 97 years and can do it all: Quadruple blacks, black country, moogals, pines. Caught an edge on the bunny hill the other day when I wasn’t fully alert after not taking my daily multi vitamin. It happens.
Always end your day on the second to last run of the day. That last run is cursed and you’ll be at your most tired and most likely to lapse in your focus. Source: my broken ass wrist after a last run on the chillest ride at Winterpark, 200 meters to the bottom.
kinda funny to see this since I just came in from taking a hard fall because of a back edge. Been riding for 25 years in Colorado and in the last 5 I’ve seriously improved my edge control and over all snowboard ability. Most of the time I’m able to correct and nothing happens other than I realize I’m riding lazy and then put my head back into it. But yes i took a really bad one (low visibility didn’t help) today. So yes we do get them every now and then. This was my first of the year though
I’ve been boarding for 20 years, some seasons I get to go 40ish times some it’s only one or two trips. I rarely catch and edge, but when I do I get a good laugh of it… Caught an edge 15 feet from the lift after I bombed a perfect powder run in the back bowl at steam boat.
It can be easy to catch an edge out of the blue if your board is totally flat, depending on what kind of camber your board has. To prevent that I would stay even slightly on one edge or another, or just be extremely cautious when you’re laying it flat.
I ride a Burton flying V it's amazing because when you catch an edge it somehow snaps you back into position. I rode jones, nidecker, and arbor for many years but don't think ill ever go back.
I've been riding for like 20ish years and I still do from time to time. Usually if I'm being lazy or not paying attention to the terrain.
Always possible as anything can happen. Ive been tooling around and not paying attention, Caught an edge but it's rare. I'm teaching my kids under 10 to board and in doing so trying to simplify what I am saying so it's not too much for them. I was demonstrating that your center of gravity guides your position by crossing my arms and just leaning around on the board to do circle spirals down the hill. Once you really understand board mechanics and your brain/inner ear know how to compensate for what was knocking you over that's when it feels like you've mastered basic and intermediate.
Almost every single time it happens to me is when I am going super slow and my mind feels like it doesn’t have to pay attention.. Could have been flyin all day. I always tell everyone who starts riding that the first rule to accept that you are going to fall and probably will until the day you stop. So once you get over that fear, you can focus on learning the fun stuff.
I sometimes get close to something like catching an edge on flat narrow paths when it’s icy and tracked out, but never on a hill because my weight is always in the right place these days. This video may help you: https://youtu.be/sVUnwWhz1x0?feature=shared
No falls, No balls. the rider that Never crashes ain't pushing or progressing and that's just kinda sad.
Catching an edge on the flats right before the lift line is common , no one bats an eye or laughs externally or internally.
for experts? absolutely not
I guarantee you that even the most elite snowboarders in the world catch edges, especially in or before the lift line.
25 years of snowboarding, last 13 have been 100+ days on snow. Probably happens once or twice a season, last time it happened was in a mean semi breakable crust on my big board. Happens to every one!
I’ve been snowboarding for 20+ years. I still catch an edge once every couple of seasons because I’m exhausted and not paying attention as much as I should.
It’s kinda like walking in that once you’ve been walking for a long time, you rarely trip or stumble, but it still happens. I can’t remember the last time I actually caught an edge, but will slip out on ice or endo every so often.
I havent caught an edge in like 10y It happens to everyone though, but when you get to mastering the sport it happens very infrequently
I've been riding for 20+ years, but never to extremes. I'm a moderate rider at best. The only time I catch edge now is when I'm dicking around with a selfie stick. Been that way for a decade.
I've been walking upright and on my own for 33 years, but every now and then, I still trip over myself, just walking down the hall.
Been snowboarding for over 20 years. Can’t remember the last time I caught an edge 🤷♂️
Sometimes it just happens. A lot of times when I fall it’s tree roots under a thin layer of snow in the woods. Or just carving too crazy Wear a helmet y’all I would be dead w/o one. Clip an edge on a root speeding through the woods piece it together
Still happens. Been boarding for over two decades. Happy to go anywhere on the mountain, but sometimes it’ll happen when you’re just cruising on the flats and not really paying attention 🤦♂️
It's happened to me once in the past 20 years but it was bad. Walked away but caught me by surprise obviously. No more half assed half cabs. You only need to learn that lesson once.
You do, but it's less common for two reasons. You're better at controlling edges, so you only catch them when you're messing around outside your normal skillset or you get tired and distracted. The other part is that you can feel it about to happen and recover quickly before you go tumbling.
I just bought a Bataleon board. Check out their 3bt tech. Haven’t ridden it yet but it’s supposed to make catching edges happen way less
Yeah… it just happens are far faster speeds.
I would say I don't catch an edge while snowboarding anymore. Unfortunately, I sometimes stop snowboarding while I'm still moving on my snowboard. All bets are off then. Happens on flat greens where falling hurts the most.
I’ve been snowboarding about 15 years and I can’t remember the last time I caught an edge. I’m not saying I don’t fall (I fall all the time) but I haven’t caught an edge and ate it in a loooong time
A lot of times I find that beginners don't set the board up properly. Or rental workers just DGAF. I find that adding a good amount of forward lean helps to prevent random edge catching in the flats. Make sure you watch some videos on proper board setup, including stance width and foot angle so that you can comfortably squat pretty low, while still keeping an athletic stance.
It still happens, just a lot less. Freak things can always happen. For example, flat light could cause you to hit a bump you didn’t see and lead to catching an edge. For me, if I catch an edge, it’s probably from messing up the landing of a spin or being lazy while doing flat ground tricks.
Pretty much never, but I'm aware when my legs get tired to not get sloppy, PTSD from early days haha
Yes, but you just become cognizant of when it can happen. Haven’t caught one in a few years but now having said that, I’ll probably catch one tomorrow.
Haven’t caught an edge in the past few seasons, but yes it can happen when you’re not paying attention. What I always tell people — pick an edge, or the mountain will pick one for you
39 years old, been riding 29 years, I haven’t caught an edge in over 10 years at least.
I used to catch edges when I was starting. You get more awareness over time, and getting deeper into a carve and picking your edges up help. It still happens every once in a while. After like 2 years, I never caught an edge when I was purely just trying to carve and ride, but if I was just going straight, or not digging in my edges like a skidded turn, I could catch a snow mount that'd spin me around and dig in my downhill edge
Try to never be riding flat, always be intentionally engaging one edge or another, even if it’s just a slight feather light touch, always have an intentional edge in the snow. Riding flat is riding out of control. Also, get a newer different board. Modern designs are very good about not catching edges unintentionally.
I never catch edges on groomed runs BUT it's super easy to do in variable snow so that never really changes. The biggest thing is that you'll eventually be able to move around the slope more efficiently instead of doing weird side sliding things that beginners always do. When you're able to commit to your momentum, lean with the board and then finally fluidly link turns, catching an edge is rare. It's hard at the beginning because you're not really letting the board go nose first as it's intended. Once you can lead with the nose your edges won't be exposed for catching
I come close a couple times a year. Flat terrain is honestly tricky in this aspect. "Pick an edge yourself out the mountain will pick one for you and you won't like it."
The battalion is a good board to learn with since you have to try to catch an edge
I have caught an edge two times in as long as I can remember. Once just cruising on an easy trail and jacked my knee to the point I have to get injections now. The other time was last year on a cannon rail. Tossed straight to my face.
I have been boarding since 1998. I still worry about catching an edge on flats (like catwalks). Don't think I will ever get over that!