usually its either your angle of approach is to direct and if it is, you dont adjust your board to hit the rail (like some people it looks like they hit the side of it and and go on and get their balance)

or

your balance is not right on like frontboards and stuff like that, this is the problem i had at first w/ frontboards, the kid i rode w/ told me it was just my weight and to lean on my foot more, problem solved after a couple times

if its just a rail that you can ride on and you cant make it, then you're not riding on straight, if its like this, try on a box and ride closer to the edge or a small box the size of a rail

im sure u learned not to put your wrists down to catch yourself tho, i always try and fall on my back if i fall, lol

[Edited by MelbaToasted on 11/17/2008 at 2:38 PM]

agreed, if you go a little faster you should be in more balance control when you hit the rail. and if you keep falling off the rail like you say, try and bend more at the knees and shift your weight around more. you're just tracking off the rail.

Posted by Nivosity

lol i know not to put my wrists down from breaking my arm at least 2 other times but when your hanging with your board caught on the edge of an arch rail you forget all normal logic.

 

i have superb balance so i know its not that, normally even when i go off I am still in control, but sliding right off the side.

 

so your saying in the beginning to not go at it straight? i've been trying to hit it as straight as possible...

no, i meant maybe ur taking to much of a direct angle at it from the side, like on an urban rail where u have to jump on from the side, if its roll on and your falling off, the other kids above me are right w/ speed

Sounds like this year will balls to the wall :) I'll try to add a dash of speed, where do you guys say screw the speed checks and just hit it? I try to stop speed checking at least 15ftish away and just go.

depends on the rail, what trick im gonna do, degree of slope the rail is on, sometimes i dont speed check at all, sometimes if its a small box and i wanna spin it, ill check like 5 -10 ft almost to a complete stop before

if its like a 15 ft flat rail, checkin like 15 ft away is prolly fine to 50-50 it

if you speed check 15 ft away tho on say a battlebox your gonna get stuck

[Edited by danlovesmtsnow on 11/17/2008 at 3:43 PM]

agreed. it really depends on a lot to determine a speed. i always just say, go a little faster than you think you should. key word being little... remember tho, faster you go the harder you fall.

Your first mistake is sliding rails before you learn boxes.  Get on a flat box and learn back and front boardslides, both regular and fakie out.  A box will get you more comfortable with speed and the feeling of sliding on something other than snow.  Now dont be a goon.

I have no problem with boxes because I can't slide off of them. I never really go straight across I always tend to go towards the right or the left because I can't make adjustments. Can do a 180 slides across em no problem.
[Edited by Nivosity on 11/17/2008 at 4:58 PM]

Posted by Nivosity
I have no problem with boxes because I can't slide off of them. I never really go straight across I always tend to go towards the right or the left, but because they are so wide I am fine. Can do a 180 slides across em no problem.
[Edited by Nivosity on 11/17/2008 at 4:19 PM]

you have to learn to ride straight on them, thats the only way you're gonna be able to ride a rail since its so narrow

just find like a ft wide box and practice riding straight on it, then learn boardslides, frontboards, etc like the kid said above....i thought u already could ride boxes straight, you must be not riding on straight then if you cant slide boxes straight

[Edited by Nivosity on 11/17/2008 at 4:59 PM]

Your body follows your head. Keep focused on the end of the rail and carry a little more speed.

pop onto it and dont 5050. you landed the rail.

On trick that works for a lot of people is just to visualze yourself riding to the end.  When you popping on, don't concentrate on the rail as much as aim for the end of it.

If you're going straight at the box and straight onto the box but not going straight on the box then your box may be crooked.   It happens...park staff aren't geniuses

I think maybe what you are looking for is that when you begin to slide off (assuming you are board sliding) is to bend the knee that is still over the rail and to shift your center of gravity over that knee