N O W B O A R D IN G - Special Olympics

Special Olympics Snowboarding
Coaches Quick Start Guide
Assisted Garlands
Important! The garland should first be taught with some assistance from the instructor. This can be done similar to the
falling leaf, with the instructor standing slightly in front of and down the hill from the athlete, with hands outstretched
toward the athlete for the heelside turn and slightly in front of and uphill from the athlete for the toeside turn. The
athlete should have the hands outstretched in front, reaching for and/or touching your hands.
Heelside Garlands
Explain to the athlete that a garland is started with the same shifting of weight to the front foot as in the falling leaf.
Remind the athlete how speed can be controlled by using different amounts of edge pressure. As the board begins to
slide to the side and down the hill, have the athlete move the weight back to the center of the board and look up the hill
to a spot. This will cause the athlete to rotate slightly, and the board will turn up the hill and slow to a stop. When the
momentum of the snowboard has stopped, the athlete should move the weight over the front foot and let the nose of the
board slide back down the hill, starting the process over again. This cycle should be repeated until the athlete is all the
way across the hill. At this point the same skill should be practiced moving across the hill in the opposite direction. As
the athlete becomes more familiar with the skill, provide less support until the athlete can complete the skill with no
assistance.
Teaching Points – Heelside Garlands
1. Start with knees flexed, eyes up.
2. Begin with pressure on the heelside edge, equally with both feet.
3. Have the athlete slowly shift the weight toward the nose of the snowboard, looking in the direction of travel.
4. Release heel pressure SLOWLY; snowboard will begin to move downhill in a diagonal direction.
5. The movement of the snowboard should be a smooth, flowing motion.
6. Repeat the garland process across the fall line, until you run out of room.
7. Repeat the garland process in the opposite direction using the same edge.
8. Continue alternating directions down the hill.
NOTE: For Drills refer to the Full Snowboarding Coaching Guide at www.specialolympics.org
38 Snowboarding Quick Start Guide- March 2008