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Heelside Side Slip (To be done on a gentle slope) Begin by having the athlete return to the glide starting point on the hill. Learning to side slip on the heelside is easiest for most people. Have the athlete sit on the snow facing downhill and clip into both bindings. Place yourself on the downhill side facing the athlete. When ready, take both hands and help the athlete into a standing position. Remind the athlete of the proper stance (knees bent, relaxed position, etc). When the athlete is stable, begin to move backward down the hill, bringing the athlete with you. Tell the athlete to lift his or her toes off of the snow. The athlete's snowboard should be riding on the heel-edge as the athlete moves forward.   It is important to stress that the toeside edge should be kept up to avoid having it catch on the snow causing a forward fall. The movement of the side slip should be a smooth, flowing motion. The athlete may require some practice until jerky movements can be eliminated. A good visualization is to have the athlete pretend that the board is spreading butter in a smooth motion. Repeat this exercise several times until the athlete can move forward (with minor assistance) smoothly without falling.   Once the athlete can side slip smoothly with assistance, it is time to try without. The first few times the athlete attempts to side slip unassisted, the coach should stand downhill facing the athlete, moving backward as the athlete moves forward. This will place the coach in the best place to offer assistance should the athlete need it. This also will offer the athlete a measure of comfort seeing the coach nearby. Monitor the athlete's progress until he or she can side slip without assistance and without falling.       Teaching Points Keep the knees flexed, eyes up. Keep pressure on the heelside edge, equally with both feet. Release heel pressure SLOWLY; snowboard will begin to move downhill. The movement of the side slip should be a smooth, flowing motion.     Faults & Fixes     Error Correction Drill Reference Athlete falls backward Keep knees flexed Offer hand assistance More support with magic stik Athlete catches front edge (downhill edge) of snowboard in snow Keep constant pressure on heelside edge Move to slightly steeper slope Have the athlete grasp the snow with his or her toes   Athlete slips too fast Apply more pressure on heelside edge Have the athlete grasp the snow with his or her toes   Nose or tail of the snowboard turns into the fall line Keep equal pressure on both heels

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