Learning freestyle slalom: backward crossing
Forward crossing is the most reassuring if you begin, but not the easiest. Indeed, backward crossing is easier because you are in a more natural posture. Let's have an explanation...
Par alfathor
Learning freestyle slalom: backward crossing : Forward crossing is the most reassuring if you begin, but not the easiest. Indeed, backward crossing is easier because you are in a more natural posture. Let’s have an explanation…
The different steps
On the pic above, you can see 2 different phases:
- the first one is when the legs move away from the axis of the line
- the second one is when they cross
1) Your feet are slightly shifted and separate
2) Your body is centered with the line
3) Your shoulders are twisted so that nearly to line up
4) when you get to the first cone, bring your feet back to the axis, still slightly shifted
5) then both your feet cross the line : this is the crossing itself
6) pass the second cone in this position
7) once you’ve reached the second cone, open your feet and get back to your initial position
To make it easier, you can put your weight a tiny bit onwards, on your feet points.
This allows to lighten your heels and thus to be able to change direction more easily. Moreover, this could bring you to more complex variations like passages on the points or wheelings.
Some exercises to learn
- The backward « lemon » with only one foot pushing
- The backward « lemon » with both the feet pushing
- A static backward foot and a propulsive onward foot (making « S »)
The variations
- Backward crossing on your points
- Backward crossing on your heels
- Backward crossing shifted
To go further
Translated by Ginie 82 – Thanks to Laura
