Top 10 Mistakes Snowboarders Make — And How to Fix Them

Whether you're a beginner or looking to level up your riding, chances are you're making a few common snowboarding mistakes — and you're not alone. At Pro Ride Snowboard Camps in Whistler, we've coached thousands of riders, and see the same errors time after time.

Let’s break down some of the top 10 snowboarding most common mistakes — and how you can correct them.

1. Leaning Too Far Back

The mistake: Putting too much weight on your back foot (a common habit for beginners).
Why it’s bad: Reduces control, leads to back-leg burnout, and limits your turning ability.
Fix it: Align your hips & shoulders with your feet to center your weight over both feet. Practice flat-ground balance drills.

2. Stiff Legs, No Flex

The mistake: Riding with locked knees and stiff legs.
Why it’s bad: Difficult to balance, absorb bumps and adjust to varied terrain.
Fix it: Ride with flexed knees, think of your legs as shock absorbers and extend and flex while riding. Practise Ollies and press drills to stay loose and reactive.

3. Looking Down at Your Board

The mistake: Constantly staring at your feet while riding.
Why it’s bad: Kills your balance and makes it harder to anticipate the terrain.
Fix it: Keep your eyes and head up and looking where you want to go — Like driving a car.

4. Not Using Your Edges Properly

The mistake: Loose Skidded turns instead of carving.
Why it’s bad: Makes riding choppy and harder to control.
Fix it: Learn edge control by practicing carved turns on mellow terrain. Focus on clean, edge-to-edge transitions and use extension and flexion to smooth your turns.

5. Counter Rotating Your Shoulders

The mistake: Turning your upper body in the opposite direction to your turns. Counter rotation
Why it’s bad: Throws off your balance, leads to bad habits and inhibits progression
Fix it: Lead with your head, shoulders, hips and knew to turn the board in the same direction.

6. Riding Terrain You’re Not Ready For

The mistake: Dropping into steep, deep, or park features before you’re ready.
Why it’s bad: Increases your chance of injury and shatters confidence.
Fix it: Progress gradually. At Pro Ride, our coaches tailor terrain choices to your ability level so you always level up safely.

7. Ignoring Stance and Setup

The mistake: Riding with a stance that’s too wide, too narrow, or poorly angled.
Why it’s bad: Leads to discomfort, poor control, and fatigue.
Fix it: Get a stance check. We help all our campers dial in their setup for their riding style and body mechanics.

8. Skipping Warm-Ups

The mistake: Going from zero to shred with no warm-up.
Why it’s bad: Increases the risk of injury and slows down your performance.
Fix it: Spend 5–10 minutes warming up your legs, hips, and core before your first run.

9. Riding Flat-Based

The mistake: Keeping your board totally flat on the snow.
Why it’s bad: Makes you prone to catching edges — especially at higher speeds.
Fix it: Always engage a slight edge and know which edge you are on.

10. Not Getting Coaching

The mistake: Plateauing because you're always riding the same way.
Why it’s bad: You waste time reinforcing bad habits.
Fix it: Ride with a coach or join a snowboard camp. At Pro Ride, our elite-level coaches give you instant feedback so you improve faster and ride with confidence.

Ready to Fix Your Mistakes?

Join us this winter at Pro Ride Snowboard Camps in Whistler, BC, where our world-class coaches help riders of all levels progress. Whether you're chasing powder, looking to boost your freestyle, or just want to carve smoother lines, we'll take your riding to the next level.

5 Day Clinics
1 & 2 Week Camps
4-12 Week Courses