ISSA - International Slalom Skateboarding Association

I'm working on this piece of theropy equipment called a Baps board. Its pretty much balancing on a ball under a flat round board. I have a few excercises that are similar to slalom riding. My theropist is also into getting me back into slalom, so some of my excercises are slalom related.
I want to make some good habits and get rid of the bad ones before I return. I notice alot of pictures of people with a raised back heel. Is there any reason for it? Does it give more balance? or power through cones? Is it a good habit to start?

"Brain"

It's not really all that complicated, Brain. People who tend to raise the heel of their rear foot, tend to do so during toe-side turns. Less or even no weight on the heel means more weight and pressure on the toeside rail of the board, resulting in increased traction and/or pumping force.

nature raisin' some heel in gaythersburg....

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: william tway on 2002-12-19 10:05 ]</font>

Damn. I came to this forum thinking that some guys were raisin' hell. I thought that all hell was going to break loose.

Now I find out you guys are raising heel? All heel is breaking loose?

I've been mislead. There's gonna be heel to pay!

Brian, the raised heel is simply the natural result of the fact that racers drive off their rear foot to initiate a frontside pump. Technically it's not necessary to lift your heel as you follow through from the thrust - and I've played with the theory that you get more power if you keep your heel down - but for most racers in most situations, the heel comes up.

That's an interesting concept, Dan. I know that in golf, those who keep the heel of their forward foot grounded throughout the backswing are considered to have stored more energy for the swing, than those who lift the heel.

However, when applied to skateboarding, lifting the heel of the rear foot during a toeside turn would not be the same principle. I think that lifting the rear heel allows the skater to more directly focus the bodyweight coming down that leg onto the rail of the board, thus creating the maximum possible leverage between the board and the trucks. Putting all of the weight directly on the rail by lifting the heel could be similar in concept to getting the most out of a hammer by holding it as far out on the end of the handle as possible.

Andy, my theory, which I did not explain earlier, is this: Holding the rear heel down may have the effect of prolonging the duration of the pumping thrust off of that heel, thus increasing power and acceleration. And technically, shifting most or all of your weight to the rear toe does not necessitate lifting the heel. I usually try to employ this technique when I'm pumping in a freestyle (non-racing) context. It takes more strength and control, especially in the stomach, to keep my rear heel down. But it generally seems, to me, to have the above-described effect.

I was watching Kenny Mollicas La Costa 2001 DVD. It has vintage 70s footage of Henry Hester,Bobby Piercy,Danny Trailer and a DOGTOWNER know as Stacy Peralta. Stacy is cutting through the cones with his heel raised. Another DOGTOWN influence perhaps ? Eddy Martinez,TEXAS OUTLAW

Lots of Euros ride raised heel- particularly in conjunction withte S-camber decks and some hard wood decks.

Riding raised heel on a Turner Hybrid is a no-no. Those decks should be ridden witht eh heel fixed down.

Riding raised heel gives you more "clearance" for tight cones- you can cut a lot closer without clipping cones with your legs.

Look at the Catalina footage on Mollica's DVD's and see how close Ransom's raised heel lets him come to the cones- a few millimeters perhaps.

Riding raised heel gives you more use of your calf muscle for rear drive and lends itself to using the rear foot as the drive foot. But riding raised heel can lead to slides if your deck is not torsionally rigid.