Snowboard Linked Turns
You'll go from surviving one edge at a time to actually riding the slope with rhythm, direction, and repeatable control.
Connecting heel-side and toe-side turns into a flowing S pattern instead of treating each turn like a separate emergency move.
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Watch & Learn
Key Moments
Each turn should finish in a way that naturally sets up the next edge change.
Release the old edge before you feel trapped so transitions stay smooth instead of desperate.
Let the legs and board create the shape while the torso stays balanced and quiet.
What It Should Feel Like
- ✓Like one continuous line instead of stop-start movements
- ✓The next turn starts before the previous one feels fully dead
- ✓Your speed becomes easier to manage because the board is always doing useful work
Common Mistakes & Fixes
Stalling between turns on a flat base for too long
Change edges a touch earlier while the board still has some direction.
Making the second turn only after panic sets in
Plan the next edge change while the current turn is still finishing.
Throwing the shoulders to start each turn
Use ankles, knees, and pressure change first, then let the rest follow.
Practice Drills
Two-turn resets: focus on making just two clean linked turns at a time, stop, then repeat.
S-line tracing: visualize a wide S pattern and try to make the board follow it from top to bottom.
Early-release drill: on gentle terrain, intentionally soften the old edge a fraction earlier than feels normal.
The full guide
Reviewed September 2026
How to learn Snowboard Linked Turns
Linked turns are heel-side and toe-side turns joined into one continuous S-shaped path, where the end of one turn flows straight into the start of the next. This is where snowboarding starts to feel like riding rather than a series of separate moves. It's for riders who can already make controlled heel-side and toe-side turns, and it lets you ride a whole green run at a speed you choose.
What it is and when you'll use it
Every linked turn has a start, a middle, and a finish. At the start you roll from the old edge onto the new one. In the middle the board crosses the fall line, the most direct path down the slope. At the finish it comes across the hill and your speed settles.
Between turns the base goes briefly flat as you roll from one edge to the other, and most linking problems live there. Stay flat too long and you stall or catch an edge; force it by throwing your body around and the board skids. The goal is to keep that moment brief and well timed.
Before you start
You should be able to make single heel-side and toe-side turns to a stop, in either order, and glide straight on a flat base. If one turn is clearly weaker, give it extra time first.
Choose a wide, gentle green with space on both sides and little traffic. A slope that is too flat is actually harder for linking, because you need some momentum to carry you through the edge change.
Look uphill before you set off and whenever you pause, and stop at the side of the run where others can see you. If you catch an edge, keep your arms bent rather than bracing on stiff, outstretched arms.
Step by step
These steps start from a heel-side traverse, but the same sequence works starting on your toes.
- Set off across the hill on your heel edge at a comfortable, shallow angle.
- While you're still moving, turn your head toward where the next turn will go, down and across the slope.
- Shift a little weight toward your front foot and relax the heel edge by lowering your toes. The nose will start to drift toward the fall line.
- As the board flattens and points more downhill, keep rolling smoothly onto the toe edge by pressing your shins forward and lifting your heels.
- Guide the toe-side turn through the fall line and across the hill, keeping your upper body quiet while your legs do the tipping.
- Before the board slows to a crawl, look toward the next turn, shift toward the front foot, lower your heels, and roll through flat onto your heel edge.
- Keep repeating with an even rhythm. When you want to stop, let one turn finish farther across the hill until you come to rest.
Why it works
A flat base is mainly a problem when the board slides sideways, because the downhill edge can dig in; a board traveling forward along its length is stable on a flat base. That's why the edge change happens as the nose heads toward the fall line, not at the end of a turn while you're skidding across the slope.
Changing edges a little early keeps momentum on your side; if you wait until the board nearly stops, the next turn starts from a stall. Weighting the front foot helps the nose grab the new edge and lead the board into the next arc.
Your speed is set by turn shape: the farther across the hill each turn finishes, the more speed you shed. Riders who feel out of control after a few turns are usually cutting the finishes short.
How to practice it
Start with one edge change and stop, heel to toe, then toe to heel. When both feel reliable, add a third turn, then a fourth, until you're linking the whole run.
Count a slow rhythm through each turn so the edge changes arrive at a steady tempo rather than in a panic. As the rhythm settles, move to slightly steeper green terrain and keep the turns just as round.
Common questions
Why do I catch an edge between turns?
Usually the board went flat while still sliding sideways, letting the downhill edge dig in. Change edges earlier, while the nose is heading downhill and the board is moving forward, and roll onto the new edge instead of pausing flat.
Why do I speed up after a few linked turns?
Your turns probably aren't finishing across the hill. Hold each edge until the board points across the slope before starting the next turn; round, complete turns control speed far better than short, skidded ones.
Why do I stall between turns?
Either the slope is too gentle or you're changing edges too late. Find a pitch with a bit more grade and begin each edge change while the board still has forward momentum.
Should I rotate my shoulders to start each turn?
Your head and eyes lead and your shoulders can follow gently, but a big upper-body swing tends to twist the board into a skid. Coaches differ on how much rotation to teach, but most start the turn with the ankles, knees, and a pressure shift.
Prerequisites
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Your Progression
← Previous
Snowboard Toe-Side Turns
Level 2
Current
Snowboard Linked Turns
Level 3
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Snowboard Speed Control
Level 3