It’s your very first time on a mountainboard. The thrill of the ride begins to flirt with your senses. A smile stretches across your face as you begin to pick up speed. Then there’s that awful realization that steals away your happy moment just a quickly as it came; you don’t know how to stop. You continue to build disastrous momentum as you head straight down the hill. If only you had learned the J-turn.

The J-turn is a very simple technique that allows you to turn back up hill and roll to a stop. J-turns can be performed both heel-side as well as toe-side. Let’s start with the J-turn:

1. As you reach a comfortable speed, bend your knees and begin to place heel-side pressure to your deck. Keep in mind that at all times throughout the turn, your weight should be centered over your board.

2. The board will begin to turn slightly. As it does, turn your head to face the direction you are trying to go. Not only will this help you see where you’re going, but you’ll find that where your eyes look, your torso follows, then your legs, and with them your board.

3. Continue the turn until you head back uphill to a stop.

The toe-side J-turn is the same thing, just toe-side instead of heel-side. Check it out:

1. Reach that comfortable speed as you did before. Now bend your knees and begin to place toe-side pressure on your deck. If your board skids out from under you and you fall on your face, then you forgot to maintain your weight centered over the board.

2. As you begin to turn, make sure your head is facing the direction you want to go (this wont be as big of a movement as it was for the heel-side J-turn as you are already facing the direction of the toe-side turn). Remember, your eyes lead the wheels.

3. Continue the turn until you head back uphill to a stop.

That’s all there is to it. The J-turn is a basic, yet very important technique. Mastering it provides a base for many more advanced skills. Now just get out there and practice.

Header Image by HeatherSB