In this type of turn they point the board straight down the catwalk or straight across the flat until they begin to feel uncomfortable with their speed. We usually practice this move on the beginner hill before we ever encounter the added difficulty of the catwalk. I stress that, at first, our main goal is to stay safe and gradually become accustomed to the different terrain, not to make it all the way to our destination on the first attempt. We stop and rest as often as needed, and if the students get stuck in a flat place, they can take a foot out of the rear binding and skate. It is helpful to find a less crowded area to first work on J-turns.
Students tend to find the presence of other people very nerve-wracking and distracting.
When students feet they can make it down the catwalks or across the flats using the J-turn technique, I like them to concentrate on less stopping and more control. To accomplish this, it's wise to encourage the subtle use of the board's torsional flex. For example, if they want to point down the catwalk, they flatten the leading half of the board white keeping a slight edge on the rear half. If they want to stow down, they edge the lead half slightly. These subtle foot movements allow the board to make a smoother, less J-like garland.