Snowboard Powder Basics

On a groomed run the snow is firm and your edges do most of the work. In powder the snow compresses under the whole base, and the board rises only when it's moving fast enough to plane, a bit like a surfboard or a water ski. Slow down too much and it sinks.

You'll find powder on storm days at a resort, along the edges of groomed runs, in bowls and glades, and in the backcountry. Start in a modest layer of fresh snow, since deeper and heavier snow asks more of your technique.

You should be able to link turns and control speed on blue terrain and ride tracked-up snow without constantly falling.

Many boards let you move your bindings toward the tail on the inserts, called a setback stance, which helps the nose ride higher without you leaning back. Dedicated powder boards go further, often with a wider nose, a narrower tail, more rocker up front, and setback built in. You don't need one for most resort powder days, and preferences vary, so a shop can help you choose.

Pick slopes steep enough to keep you moving, since flat areas are where you get stuck, and check where the run leads so you don't end up on a long, snowed-in traverse.

Start on a moderate, open slope with fresh snow and an easy way back to a groomed run.

A board planes when its speed and surface area push enough snow down to support you. That's why speed and a bigger board both help, and why a sudden stop leaves you sinking. Abrupt, skidded turns shove one end of the board deeper and kill momentum, while round turns keep the base supported.

A setback stance puts more of the board's length in front of you, so the nose floats while you stay balanced over your feet. Sitting on the tail all run can keep the nose up in very deep snow, but it tires your back leg and makes steering harder, so add only as much back-foot bias as the snow requires.

Tree wells are loose, deep pockets that form around the base of trees, especially evergreens. A fall into one can trap you head down, so give trees plenty of room and ride with a partner who stays close enough to see or hear you.

Fresh powder often means recent snowfall, which can raise avalanche danger. Respect closures inside resort boundaries. Leaving the boundary or riding backcountry terrain calls for avalanche training, a beacon, shovel, and probe, a trained partner, and a current avalanche forecast.

Progress from shallow powder beside groomed runs to deeper open slopes, and save trees until you can link turns without stopping.