Instructional Resources
This page is a general collection of learning resources meant for self-teaching. They are not certified or sanctioned lessons.
skwalzone.org
Instructional advice below is taken from the old skwalzone.org site.
The website is no longer functional and this is archived informtation.
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This is the section dedicated to the skwal technique! Here are some tips to get started [by playmobil]: Initiation At the very beginning There is no need to try carving immediately, you must first Learn to balance on the board.
Board Setup Tips: At the beginning, the major problem encountered is a problem of balance. In order to Limit the effects, it is possible to play with the angles fixings. (0° for the front foot and 0 to 5° for the back foot.)
Distance between the legs 4 cm (as specified on the board most of the time), to be measured between the heel of the foot front and back toe.
Track selection Blue slope, very wide, slight and regular slope (beware of false flats… very unpleasant when you’re just starting out!).
Beginner Front Turn (Introduction to Carving) Start facing the slope, gain a little speed, Transfer the weight of the body to the front of the board.
Beginner Back Corner The technique differs little from that of the front turn, the only difference lies in the supports which are Reversed. However, it is often more difficult to trigger if the angles chosen for the fasteners are Important.
Sequence of turns (Beginner)
The skwal allows a very fluid sequence of turns, This is done without forcing, only the board has to work. | |||||
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Improvement
Board Setup Tips By feeling according to each person. For my part, 1 to 2 ° at the front and not much behind. Sequence of turns The technique remains the same except that we solicit much more reaction force of the board for switch from one turn to another. Powder
Skwald is great in powder, however because of the low width of the board, it still takes a certain amount of slope/speed to be able to stand on the surface… Of course It depends on your board. As you can see in the material section, some plates are more intended to powder. Tips (Expert) In bulk, all the tips and tricks to take even more pleasure and increase its sensations.  The jump bend This bend is an accentuation of the previous one and is made by making maximum use of the spring of the board. This allows you to go directly from a reclined position on one side in the same position opposite side without touching the ground. The trace carried out on the track is then blank between 2 Turns. You have to apply strong pressure in every turn to make good use of the spring effect of the board.
Playing with the shoulders Easier to do when the slope is significant When the technique is sufficient to flatten the turns, It is still possible to do better by turning the shoulders inward of the rotation. This then allows to put both hands in the snow in the turn and provides new sensations. (At the same time, it allows you to see if another skier/snowboarder/skater&Co arriving upstream will not cut in half! ;-)) 
Shorter turns… And presto, look at how Fred folds his board, easy!
The 360° carving [by Goldorak] The ideal spot: Take a maximum of speed and once you arrive on the flat area, start the turn… Possible mistakes: It’s all a question of dosage: if you go too hard at once on the angle or if you take too much angle compared to your initial speed, the board will have a loss of grip (the board starts to skid) which results in a loss of speed. If you don’t go hard enough on the edge, your circle will be too wide compared to your initial speed, and you will lose speed again (use the flex of the board to gain speed). The key is to find the right compromise between angle and initial speed, minimizing as much as possible the loss of speed when drawing the circle. Misconceptions: There you go, I hope that these few lines will help some people to write a nice circle at the bottom of the slopes! Editor’s note: Remember to look around you before embarking on your turn. Once it is engaged, look above you to see that no one is coming, the other skiers may not expect to see you go up the slope.
If a slope has a slope break, it’s fun initiate the cut turn before the failure, to lie in the air and land on the edge to finish the turn (or in the snow groomer – Shama Copyright).
At the end of the prone turn, extend the turn until start to climb back up and then recover quickly and lay the board flat. The rotation does the rest and you then do several turns on yourself.
Jumps Anything is possible, most will only send spins flat and grabs Beware of landings that are not well suited to flat on the board, very bad for the knees.  
The Front Flip [by Faxer] By far the easiest to do. The bump should be round enough with a fairly neutral reception (10° to 30°) Engagement (if you can call it that) is pretty easy if you know how to roll forward on a mat (!) So it’s the same principle, we arrive with the desired speed on the bump and curl at the top giving an impulse. Imagine that You want to headbutt your spatula, it’s the same! It turns out naturally. The faster you go, the more the somersault will be turned and the more you will be able to put. (the reception) Stretch your legs well to the impulse and keep your body together during the rotation.
Backflip [by Faxeur] Now we’re getting serious! We need a good launch pad, well vertical (it’s required) We also need a good pair of balls…. and a commitment flawless! It’s the only jump that doesn’t forgive half measures. Take a good (constant) speed, then when you arrive at the peak of the hump, we let go of everything! Head back with arm movement As if we wanted to grab the back of the Skwal with our arms in bridging the gap (like at the gym)! I know, it’s not very easy but It gives an idea of the movement. Once in the air, the landing is much better measured than in the flip forward since the eyes are in the direction of the very quickly after the impulse. All that remains is to unfold the legs for landing. For the first backflips I recommend a good powder just to limit the damage.
The 360° [by Faxeur] Amplitude! This is what is needed to succeed in such a manoeuvre. Take a slightly sloping bump to the side. For example, if you turn left, take a bump on which your left shoulder will find upstream. (See video). Then, to gain speed by keeping a good stability in the run-up. Arrived at the top of hump, taking a vertical impulse, it’s important, in swinging the shoulders on the chosen side (here on the left). It all lies in the shoulder throw! If these are well oriented, the rest is i.e. pelvis + legs) follows automatically. Remember to stay straight into the air and use your arms to throw (outstretched arm) turn (bent arms) and stop rotation (straight). For the reception, it is more complex because you will arrive in the middle of the on dry land with a little lateral speed, which is slightly handicapping to stay upright, especially when the board does not makes only 11cms wide!
Extreme Carving [ExtremeCarving] Bench turn: The push-pull turn pushed to the extreme! This technique is not the most effective (the movement is slowed down by the skwaleur coming into contact with the snow) but produces an impressive visual effect, so it’s a special keke technique! The “frontside” turn: This is the easiest. When traversing on the backside edge, bend your knees as much as possible while gaining speed and aim for the edge of the track. Your board must be oriented perpendicular to the descent, this is very important. Then, all at once, rotate your body by putting the board roughly on the frontside edge and gradually push it as far away from you as possible. This will put you flat on your stomach with a very strong support under the frontside edge. When the board is farthest from you, you are taut and it is tilted vertically, resting on its frontside edge. It is cambered to follow the curve of the turn and the tip is oriented towards the bottom of the slope. Your arms should adopt the same position as a karateka in an attack posture: your front arm, stretched forward, touches the snow in order to “feel” the ground and protect your head, and your back arm, folded above your head, also touches the snow for the same purpose of protection. At this point you are in the middle of the bend. From there, gradually bring the plank under your body as you straighten up so that you are standing, knees bent, torso turned upwards, gaze over the front shoulder. You head across to the opposite side of the track, ready to attack the backside corner. The “backside” turn: The same procedure is followed, except that: To link the prone turns: Eliminate the traversal phase: go directly from the exit of a bend to the next bend! To succeed in the sequence, it is essential to come out of the previous turn perfectly positioned, namely: the rotation must have been perfectly done and the body must be directly on the board (neither on the back, nor leaning forward). It is also vital to maintain maximum speed during the turn. To do this, the slope must be steep and the friction of the body on the snow must be reduced as much as possible by avoiding too much support and by wearing slippery clothing. If these conditions are met, it is easy to make a complete descent by laying down all the bends. It hurts Don’t forget the car keys in the trouser pocket! The resulting blue takes some weeks to be absorbed and goes through all the colors.
It is best to lean on the forearm rather than the hand. We also advise you use gloves with reinforcements, for more safety.
-The whole team SkwalZone.org wishes you progress Fast for even more fun! Feel free to Ask your questions on the forum!- | |||||
Books
The above link directs you to Amazon
Skiing can be a path to higher spiritual awareness, contributing to centering, ego effacement, and the search for perfect mental stillness
• Shows how exploring and applying the laws that govern movement, practitioners gain access to the “right gesture,” the action that brings body and mind into balance
• Includes nine “katas of the glide” that all skiers, snowboarders, and skwallers can incorporate into their own technique
Patrick “Thias” Balmain, creator and promoter of the skwal–a type of snowboard that positions the feet and the body facing forward on the board–discovered that by applying a concentrated awareness to movement activities such as skiing, a balance in motion can be achieved that is pure harmony and joy. When the mind is completely engaged, not with its thoughts but with the attention it commits to the movement of the body, it brings forth a balance between Earth’s center of gravity and that of the individual that evokes lasting transformations in one’s stance toward life, influencing one’s attitudes, gestures, words, and actions.
The Inner Glide presents a unique and original practice that will challenge ski enthusiasts, snowboarders, or skwallers, whether experts or beginners, to make the transition from the raw quest for sensation–itself a source of imbalance–to a more subtle and harmonious practice based on internal centering. Balmain offers a complete illustrated program that includes nine “katas of the glide”–conscious movement exercise sequences to help practitioners discover the “right gesture” and “the inner glide” for any terrain or situation–to bring body and mind into balance with joy.
Video Links
This video is produced by then inventor of the skwal Patrick Balmain and Thias Skwal. In it you will find a variety of skwal clips from the 90s. At the end is a short instructional segment. The link above takes you directly to the instructional part of the video.
An updated version of the Skwalmasutra video in a sense. A little bit more explanation of what to do.
An older video by R.A.D. founder Mattias Ryman explaining his extreme carving style.
Downloadable Content
Skwaller ObiOne has put together a great instructional piece regarding extreme carving on a skwal. Be sure to give this a read through if you are looking for advanced carving techniques.
Links
Thias Skwal and the Skwal Riders Association have compiled a list of schools that can help you learn to ride. These schools are located in France, Switzerland and Andorra.