Slalom Ski footedness Stats... Does the information even exist? LFF or RFF

[popof]

**** Info, hereafter, by "Regular" please understand LFF and by "Goofy" please understand "RFF"****

 

 

Hey Guys,

 

Just saw D3's post on Fbook mentioning each one's footedness, and so I looked around google very quickly and over here and the only thing I could find was a Surfing site which had it's own poll / stats (60% Regulars or LFF, 40% Goofies or RFF) so I thought I might post the same poll down here in order to figure out our own stats! (I couldn't find a similar poll here so I'm assuming it doesn't exist, if it does, feel free to give me the Panda and shut this thread ;) )

 

In case anyone is interested find herafter Wikipedia's article on footedness for board sports:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Footedness

 

Footedness in board sports

 

When one must stand erect on a single, lightweight object that slides along the ground or on water, the need for balance causes one to position the body perpendicular to the direction of motion, with one foot leading the other. As with handedness, when this task is repetitively performed, one tends to naturally choose a particular foot for the leading position.

[edit]Regular and goofy

Boardsport riders are "footed" in one of two stances, generally called "regular" and "goofy". E.g. a rider may be "goofy-footed", but this phrase may be abbreviated as "goofy foot" or simply "goofy".

Regular stance indicates the left foot leading. This stance is less commonly called "natural".

Goofy stance indicates the right foot leading.

Riding in one's preferred stance may also be called "riding regular" or "riding in regular stance", but this is seldom noted, and presents a potential source of confusion: Here, "regular" means preferred, not left foot forward.

[edit]Origins and myths

The term "regular" may originate from any early belief that most boardsport participants are regular-footed.

"Goofy" may originate from the fact that the character Goofy surfed with the right foot forward in the early Disney short film Hawaiian Holiday.

Unlike handedness, it's likely that the distribution of participants in boardsports is evenly split between regular and goofy riders.

In skateboarding, goofy-footedness has no negative connotation, and professionals seem to be evenly distributed between the stances.

[edit]Choosing a stance

When first learning boardsports like skateboarding and surfing, riders generally — but not always — quickly choose a preferred stance that generally becomes permanently preferred. Regardless, significant amounts of practice can yield a high level of ambidexterity between the two stances, such that even seasoned participants of a boardsport have difficulty discerning the footedness of an unfamiliar rider in action.

[edit]Switch stance

To increase the difficulty, variety, and aesthetic value of tricks, riders can ride "switch stance" (abbreviated to "switch). For example, a goofy-footed skateboarder normally performs an ollie with the right foot forward, but a "switch ollie" would have the rider standing with the left foot at the front of the board.

In sports where switch riding is common and expected, like street skateboarding, riders have the goal of appearing natural at, and performing the same tricks in, both regular and goofy stances.

Some sports like Kitesurfing and windsurfing generally require the rider to be able to switch stance - right from beginner level. The stance chosen depends on the wind/travel direction - rather than rider preference. Each time direction is changed, the stance changes.

Snowboarders who ride switch (or not) may adopt a "duck stance", where the feet are mounted turned out, or pointed away from the mid-line of the body, typically at a roughly 15 degree angle. In this position, the rider will have the leading foot facing forward in either regular or switch stance.

Some freestyle skiers inappropriately use the term "switch" when what they're really doing is skiing "backwards" (ie. travelling downhill while facing uphill). As "switch" refers to moving in a forward direction with your right foot where your left should be (and vice versa), for a skier to truly ski "switch" would actually require them to ski cross-legged.

[edit]Fakie vs switch

When a rider rolls backwards, this is called "riding fakie". A "fakie" trick is performed while riding backwards and a rider can also land in the fakie position. While there are some parallels between switch stance and fakie, riding fakie implies having the same posture used when riding forwards, while switch stance implies a reversal of posture so the torso faces away from the foot the rider usually leads with.

In skateboarding, most tricks performed riding backwards — with respect to the rider's preferred stance — are exclusively categorized as "switch" (in a switch stance) or as fakie, with the general rule that tricks off the tail are almost always described as fakie, and those off the nose are switch. E.g. a jump using the tail rolling backwards is a "fakie ollie" (not a "switch nollie"), and a jump off the nose is a "switch ollie" (not a "fakie nollie").

 

 

[Skoot1123]

I hardly think I'm the first "goofy" around here.....

[skibumm]

When I was very young my uncle used to determine which foot people were dominant with by having them stand feet together with their eys shut and from behind with out them knowing push them. Which ever foot they moved to catch themselves with was the one he had them put in the front binding. I have continued that and it seems to work pretty good I have two daughters who are regular and one who is goofy like me. The majority of people who I ahve done this with are regular.

[ski6jones]

So Regular=LFF? I'm LFF and would have selected Goofy without reading the attached article. Can you edit the pole to included LFF or RFF along side the regular and Goofy choices?

[A_B]

We do somethimg similar as Uncle Skibumm, but with kids, the question is a matter of what foot forward on a skateboard or scooter. Most have ridden either.

[aswinter05]

what @ski6jones said

[popof]

Yep sorry guys, it appears we cannot edit the poll-section of the post. I'll just put it in the main title or the main thread...

 

Sorry

[Horton]

@popof

Goofy = LFF? Sking and surfing have always been the opposite. Most skiers are RFF. Most Surfers are LFF.

[popof]

Well I don't know anymore! I always thought LFF was regular and RFF was goofy, but whatever we want to call it. it's just that I can't edit the poll, can you do that @horton?

Otherwise we might just make it from scratch again.

 

Sorry if I messed people's minds up, I sincerely thought regulars were always left foot forward (skateboard, surf, snowboard, slalom) and goofies the other way around...

 

Now I don't really now what to think anymore haha

[ral]

I refuse to answer surf related terminology. When the poll is LFF, RFF, I will answer.

[MattP]

Regular and Goofy do not exist in skiing... One can't swap them while in motion. It is not a board sport.

 

[Horton]

@popof

I will close this thread and you can try again