Hotbeans

Tex, I am planning on making my 2nd pilgrimage to ses this feb.. So, I hope to get some feedback there as well! I'm going to try and get some vid tonight so you guys can see where I'm at..

friggin' PA currently. But, flights out of Pitt. aren't too bad and rates have been dropping. Pitt to denver now at ~200 rt. looks like may & june. That'd be ok..especially if I can get a few days of fly-fishing/backcountry in..

Beautiful pic. And thanks, from all of us who are praying the RAIN stops..

Ok! A couple of times/year, my wife gives me the ok to take a 5 day 'boarding trip. Can you guys recommend any hardboot "camps" or multi-day classes for a (at best) intermediate carver?

Is this like guessing the number of gumballs in the jar? My guess is 1,486. Prize for who is closest suggestion: td3's w/ intecs.!

I wish I was closer. I appreciate your commitment anyhow!

Don't throw your weight so far forward when trying to initiate a turn.

This guy hardboots as well, I'm sure.. http://www.flixxy.com/jet-man.htm

Hmm. I'll take her back out with an adjusted stance although I don't think that the board is particularly stiff..maybe even a bit softish. I'm looking forward to having this help, especially as it looks like it'll be, once again, a sheet of ice! You guys think a 0/2 degree edge angle is ok then? I won't put ANY angle on the bottom, as with the base the way it is, it probably already has about 5deg..

I've heard from many that virus boards can be super stiff and require full on aggressive riding to get them to perform (HOPEFULLY I'LL KNOW SHORTLY..ahem). IF you feel this is the case w/ your board, relaxed angles will provide more leverage during turn initiation vs. high angles. By coming down on your angles you could recruit more of your body mass to initiate the turn, thus overcoming the board's stiffness. Maybe drop down and then slowly work back up? Thor? Come in, Thor..

I'm not denying that it could be a technique issue. I tried higher speed carving with the board and "feathering" into a carve was impossible. It was either skidding sideways (remember, this was on *hard* snow/ice conditions, and by skidding, I mean like trying to ride a dinner plate.) at high speeds *with* the usual recommended angulation or, once a higher degree of angulation was achieved, an instant hook-up. At any rate, I'd like a little more control of the edge. If you suggest a different technique to practice or angle set-up, I'd be happy to give it another go. I'm going early next week.

Huh. I love doing this coming across the fall line faasst as I begin my transition into the next line. I've found it comes naturally when my balance is centered well-- a tad to the front for course corrections, drop to the rear for edge hold/acceleration. My issue occasionally is that I'll get caught "in the back seat" and rocket off towards the tree line.

I'm headed up this coming tues and poss. wed. as well. I'll email.

gs 172. I can see where, properly tuned, this board could have a lot to offer. The day I spent riding it, I went 4 runs, then switched to my coiler, then back again to the oxygen. I feel this provided a fair comparison in regards to edge hold, angulation required to "bite", and, I was hoping for carve characteristics. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a fair assesment on the last part because of the pronounced skidding and the *high* degree of angulation I needed to get it to hook up. Once it hooked up into a carve, it held a line really well. The issue I was having was that the angulation required to hook up wasn't in phase with the speed I was carrying (excessively high degree of angulation for lower speeds), and, hook-up was quite sudden and unpredictable.

paging Bluebird. Your board has arrived...

I'm happy that you're not too sensitive! And yes, our opinions differ on this topic. :)

Personally, I'd adapt. We've got big rollers and domes now due to intense snowmaking. It's fun to carve over the head of the dome and back down the other side. Or, you could get on with the guys on the thread "killing jumping" and blame the resort for putting them in your way, potentially causing a hazard...

Pretty much all my days are in technicolor.. Ohh, and lens selection helps a bit as well. If that doesn't extend my range of detailed vision, I slow down until I know what I'm getting into. If I'm still not seeing detail well enough, then I just keep carving away, thinking "I hope there aren't any bumps coming up! If there are, and I eat it hard and break something, at least I can potentially BLAME SOMEONE ELSE!"

my vote is either a puss-bubble or you've been bitten by a insect that's laid a maggot in there. Make a small incision and see what's in there! Pics please... I'll bring the beers!

"The only thing that would scare me in doing so is that the couple of us carvers who do ride in control and pick our spots, would get yanked first because alpine riding tends to turn heads more readily that anything else on the mountain." Doesn't the "ride in control" rule already take care of the argument, or do we need lawyers and "risk engineer's"..insurance companies, to spell it all out for us? So someone hits the jump that some kids built and hurts themselves. Blame the kids? the resort? Hell, blame Mother Nature! The snow was able to be compacted, moved, reshaped into a 'dangerous' design. What about the person who hit the jump unexpectedly? If said person WAS in control, wouldn't they be able to avoid the obstacle? If the answer to this is yes, then fault the injured. If the answer is NO, then better take out the trees lining the runs, the lift poles, uneven terrain, bare spots, heck..eventually we'll be going down one at a time. CONTROL isn't ambiguous. You hit it, you own it. This BS I will fight forever. Pushing the blame on anyone/anything other than the simple fact that someone was going too fast to avoid object. I do agree that makeshift jumps should be removed, but not for the liability reasons. A ski area is to be enjoyed by many different age groups, skill levels, and techniques. Having these obstacles proliferate unchecked would reduce enjoyment for many others. What if a youngster's tips got buried in one of our ruts and got a broken leg? In your opinion, that'd be on us, the resort, and whoever else had a hand in letting that rut stay on the slope. That is BS!

I thought the vid looked fine. MY opinion is that you're not over the edge at all times, ie: maintiaining angulation throughout the carve. I've been recently working on the "pinching the pencil" technique and found that an earlier and more consistent edge results. That "riding on rails" feeling.

I'm getting experienced in the same manner with a board I already own! See the "convex base" thread. I'm assuming the base grind worked well?

Blueb: This deal should hemp..help calm the nerves. Let me know if you're gonna do this

"shoulder width stance" sounds vague. I'd make sure you're not too wide as IMO could force you to drive your cg towards the front of the board too much. I've found that narrowing my stance (30" inseam, 17.5" stance) has lead to much easier turn initiation, especially on heelsides. "Shoulder wide" for me was 21 and initiating a heelside was a herculean effort. Angles you're running come into play if you're adding front cant. Setback?

Maybe they shoulda' called it "Flipper"?