Arc to Arc — Not Just a Turning Thing

When we (CASI) talk about arc-to-arc riding in advanced competencies, it’s most often framed around turning.

Clean edge change.
Continuous flow.
Pressure moving smoothly from one turn to the next.

And while it absolutely shows up in turning, it’s also a key theme in freestyle — especially if you’ve taken a Park 2 course.

Because the more time I spend coaching in the park, the more I see this - so I wrote:

“Arc-to-arc principles quietly dictate feature performance too.”

Not just how you ride…

…but how you arrive.

Your Turn Before the Feature Is the Setup

Another note amongst many in my phone reads:

“The reason you need your approach arc right is to aid the catch and lock — especially patience.”

Because the turn before a feature isn’t just about speed control.

It shapes:

• Your line
• Edge engagement
• COM trajectory
• Board angle at contact

Messy arc → messy arrival.
Messy arrival → crappy catch.

Think About the Board’s Travel Path

Before a feature, ask yourself:

What angle do I want the board travelling across this feature?
What do I want my COM trajectory to be?

Not just “am I lined up?”

But:

• Is the board still rotating?
• Still drifting across the feature?
• Angled too much? not enough?

A clean arc stabilises both the board’s direction of travel and your movement path into the feature.

Which gives you space to:

✔ Be patient
✔ Catch clean
✔ Lock without panic

Example — Back Blunt 270

Let’s nerd out for a second…

For something like a back blunt 270:

Your final approach arc does more than just get you onto the rail.

It helps shape:

• Trajectory along the feature
• Board steering angle
• COM over the contact point

You might:

Arc toeside → apex in line with the feature
Arc heelside → guide the transition
Flatten → stable board entry

That arc sequence directly influences:

How you meet the rail
How you lock
How balanced you feel
How well you’re positioned to rotate out

Arc Shape Changes With Trick Intent

Different tricks → different arc needs.

Rail vs jump
Straight air vs spin
Front board vs blunt

Approach is a tactical.

The “Hourglass Approach”

A familiar example for many riders:

The hourglass approach for spins: A turn-based approach where the rider uses a setup arc to build the conditions for a controlled takeoff arc, typically leaving the snow from the apex of the turn to aid stability and rotation.

Next time you watch a Slopestyle or even look at your local larger jump you will see the hourglass tracks in the snow.

Why it works:

✔ Centres COM
✔ Controls drift
✔ Aligns spin axis
✔ Places you in the sweet spot for landing- (Maintains speed and carry)

Without it? or… if its done incorrectly?…

Riders often:

• Drift/ go off-axis
• Lose stability
• Hit the knuckle or lose flow feature to feature

Some patterns that tend to sabotage feature performance: Late corrections, abrupt pivots, taking off too late in the arc, instability in approach.

If the board is still being redirected at the last second, the feature usually lets you know… immediately.

Clean Arcs

A clean arc into a feature makes your board path more predictable and your body more stable throughout the manoeuvre.

Instead of thinking:

“How do I ride this feature?”

Try thinking:

What is the best entrance for the trick I want to do?

Over time, you’ll start to notice that:

Certain tricks favour certain features
Certain arcs favour certain entries

Dialled approach arcs mean:

Fewer last-second adjustments

Which allows for patience.

And patience allows for:

Clean catches
Stronger locks
Better pop and rotations

Why This Matters for Advanced Riders

Because once you move past:

“Just get on it”
“Just send it”

Performance starts living in subtleties:

Entry line
Pressure timing
Board direction
Arc shape

Not just trick mechanics.

Coaching Takeaway

If a feature feels:

Clunky
Rushed
Off-line
Unstable

Look at the movements earlier.

First at the takeoff…

Then at the arc that delivered you there.

Because the issue often isn’t the trick…

…it’s the approach pattern feeding it.

Final Thought

Arc-to-arc riding isn’t just about linking turns.

It’s about one movement influencing the next.

Whether you’re shaping turns on a groomer or shaping your approach into a feature…

The principle stays the same:

How you exit one movement shapes how you enter the next.

— Cam