jetkin

Very funny, spot on send-up of Nihonjinron. That said, it's certainly true that many Japanese people's legs are shorter in proportion to the rest of their bodies. When I lived in Tokyo I'd often find myself sitting next to somebody, looking them right in the eye, only to find I was half a foot taller when we stood. I'm not a good enough carver to have a worthwhile opinion about the Japanese arm waving, but doesn't it make sense that their technique would reflect differences in their body proportions?

She has a horn on her board!

LDP is a fantastic discipline - - those folks cover huge distances, moving fast, and occasionally uphill, without ever setting foot to pavement. But the equipment is very specialized. If you're looking to incorporate pumping into general campus cruising, you probably don't want to go that route . . . yet. Gessemer's article is a classic. Shorter is easier too, but know that any setup that turns well at a slow speed can be pumped - - it's just a matter of efficiency. I'd suggest you start on a slight grade, and practice sustaining a rhythm of tight cross-under turns. Then start to put more energy into it and feel how the turns add speed. Next take it to the flats, and try the same thing there (with a push or two to launch you).

about those cateks

Pat - Many thanks for sharing that. Knowing where something comes from definitely makes it easier to understand what it is.

I look at the fantastic carving in these videos and I see all the stuff I read about here (but can't do well): cross-over & cross-through movement, angulation, forearms in the snow, smoothness & speed, etc. But what is it that makes this "surf-style"?

I'm driving to Camelback from Brooklyn tomorrow (if anybody want a lift).

On the NY Times site. Not carving, but fun to spend some time with all the same.

email sent re hooking up for a ride from Brooklyn.

indys and freerides are a great combination - - i have them on my Earthwing boomerang. post another picture in the spring once you've dirtied those boards up a bit!

The guy who gave me my first job (as a programmer 25 years ago) eventually told me it was because I had put "ultimate Frisbee" on my resume. Since then whenever I'm looking, I always put my outside interests on there. As a manager, I've hired fiddlers (another interest of mine) and at least one skateboarder. I've yet to see a resume from a snowboarder.

Does anyone have experience with the SP Fastec bindings that Catek is promoting/selling on their website?

. . . with your downhill hand?

retro freerides are a great all around wheel, especially the limes (80a) which grip enough to carve just fine but are smoothe when you break them away. at 72mm, big enough to roll over cracks, small enough to accelerate well. i've ridden the harder lemons & oranges, easier to slide for sure.

Thanks for posting. I've got to get to NM someday - - maybe Ditchslap 2010. Just wondering, minus the banks, how steep is Indian School? In other words, if you just got in a tuck at the bottom of the ditch and didn't use banks at all, what kind speeds would you hit? How would that compare to some of the gnarlier ditches ("the Bear")?