SunSurfer
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Posts posted by SunSurfer
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Imitate riders in this thread of excellent softboot carving videos. Pause the videos to checkout the range of binding settings and body positions.
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A major difference between AllFlex mount pattern plates and UPM mount plates is the inter axle distance. AllFlex is significantly longer so that the board twist/torsion +/- flex control created by the AllFlex plate is produced over a greater length of edge.
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On 1/2/2022 at 2:49 PM, TVR said:
With Lake Tahoe shattering a 50 year record, does this mean we are heading for an ice age from climate change?
LOL, not with you, AT you!
Go and learn water chemistry, as well as carbon dioxide chemistry. Warmer air gathers more moisture when it's over the sea, then holds more moisture, until it gets cold. Then it may rain, or even snow, and there will be MORE than there might have been. Maybe even breaking a 50 year record. But it will turn from snow at 31 degrees F to water at 33 degrees F.
Don't confuse cold with snow. Ever heard of the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McMurdo_Dry_ValleysAnd if you really want to know more about it, rather than just being a blowhard (if it walks like a duck...) try reading the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report on the Physical Science Basis of global heating.
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf
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8 hours ago, pow4ever said:
At some point higher angle we start to hit diminishing return and lose leverage?
In the East coast/early season we get tons of ice patches (jokes goes if you can't see fishes; it's not ice it's just New England hard pack).
In mid carve; hitting ice patch (going low) I tend to bolt upright /hyper extend/lock the back knee to catch myself from falling.
That bad habit i need to worked on (i am aware of it now so i am paying attention to it).
When I am "up righting" with both knees to catch/balance myself; but seems the back knee is taking the majority of the force.
(granted the back knee already weak/damage).Re leverage: It does get harder to put the board on edge the further the little toe side of your boot is from the edge. Unlikely to be an issue at 65 degrees unless you have tiny feet for your height, or you are riding a board with a wider waist. Even then, some lateral binding bias allows effective board tilt onto the edge.
Corey and I are both saying roughly the same thing in terms of torso and head position, and the board tilt technique that follows on from that (ride like a skier). That will make it easier for BOTH your knees to flex together to absorb bumps and to extend together to maintain centre of mass position when edge grip lessens on the icy patches.
Consciously using both legs will help you stay centred over your board, and reduce the loading on your rear knee.
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Rear ankle and knee both need to bend to allow you to move your centre of mass up and down to absorb the bumps in less than perfect groomed snow.
A relatively stiff rear boot spring system will make more of that movement happen at the knee and allow less movement of the ankle. That would seem to be more likely to upset an already damaged knee joint.
The angles you are riding should allow you to carve your edges by gently leaning onto the left or right side of the soles of your feet, and saving your knee bend for bump absorption.
Those same angles should make for your current lift/cant setup to need no adjustment. If you try anything try turning your front foot to 65. In the video I shot of you at Buttermilk in 2019 you could do with a little more turn of your body towards the nose, especially on your heelside turns. I've still got the original footage archived away.
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10 hours ago, lordmetroland said:
Dude, it’s not about camber, it’s all torsional stiffness. An anally inserted carbon stiffening rod may be the answer. At least that’s what Mario has been saying I should try.
A rod section has no particular torsional stiffness. For that you need an I beam, or maybe an A beam.
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Look in the For Sale section for starters.
I'll post you a personal message just as a test transmission. Click the 3 bar icon at the top left to get to your Profile. Click the envelope icon there to find your messages.
Take a good look around. There's a heap of resources here and lots of friendly advice will likely be headed your way.
Welcome on board.
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9 hours ago, wulf said:
Interestingly smaller guys (Galmarini, Payer, Coratti, ...) usually do need to "work" more than the taller guys (Karl, Fischnaller, ...) to manipulate their lines
Bodies are usually built in proportion. Taller people will tend to have longer feet than shorter people. Longer feet (and boots) necessitate higher angles to avoid boot out for a given board width. And those angle differences will inevitably produce differences in technique.
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2 minutes ago, BlueB said:
I thought Canada, US and UK are boycotting the Olympics in China?
Diplomats boycott yes, athletes no, was my understanding.
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On 12/16/2021 at 5:34 PM, crackaddict said:
Mark Miller at Thirst Snowboards @BLOODTYPEZX10R has come up with an ingenious method of comparing board stiffness: The Flex Index.
Take two small blocks of wood 2.25" inches high and set them parallel on the floor such that the distance between them is equal to the effective edge of the board you're measuring. Put the board on the blocks with the widest parts of the board lining up with the inside of the blocks then put an analog bathroom scale on top of the middle of the board and push down on it with your foot until the base of the board just touches the ground. Check the reading on the scale at this point (in lbs) and divide it by the effective edge of the board (in cms), this is the Flex Index for that board.
A Flex Index of .100 is pretty soft, .300 is quite stiff, over .500 gets into the extremely stiff range.
Bemused at the mixing of SI and non-SI units. Pleased to see a move towards repeatable quantitative flex assessment that allows comparison of boards within a rider's own collection. Loading required to produce a standard chord depth is a very summarised description of board flex.
I suspect a description of flex curve radii under a range of static loads would be the ideal given the interaction of flex, SCR and edge angle in creating a final groove in the snow. Learning how to interpret that data might be beyond almost all but the board designers and builders.
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The zeppa angle (footboard slope, down from heel to toe) is pretty steep in UPZs.
You may get more benefit from front foot toe lift with only one wedge. To increase your ability to bend your rear ankle and knee try softening the spring setting on the back of your rear boot.
Watching the video you look like you are trying to tilt the board on edge by leaning your upper body into the turn, especially on toeside.
When you carve you balance against the 2-3cm of board base that is pushing against the side of the groove formed in the snow. So, try to tilt the board more with the soles of your feet and remain balanced over that lateral 2-3cm.
Look at the slowmo videos Nevin Galmarini has just posted and compare with your own body position. Keep on side with your videographer. Her contribution will help speed your progress, which is pretty good for a first day on a carving setup.
There's also a recent thread where Pew asks for guidance in getting started. Lots of good advice there.
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@EkuhnThe thick and thin wedges are used on one binding only, as a pair. The thick wedge under the heel and the thin wedge under the toe piece for heel lift. That way both parts are tilted at the same angle.
You can either buy another pair for your other foot or, find the thread describing the 3D printing of F2 pattern wedges.
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My reasoning behind the suggestion is found here.
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I'm assuming you have adjusted your boot cuffs for any tendency to bow legs or knock knees. At the stance width and binding angles you write that you use, your rear foot canting angle will strongly tilt your rear foot and lower leg laterally i.e. putting your weight on the lateral edge of that foot when you are riding. That might explain why the boots are comfortable when walking but not riding.
A roughly neutral setup might have 1-2 degrees inward cant on both bindings.
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4 hours ago, Pew said:
I will try Intuition SBC next week thanks to @Eboot I hoop this liners can help my heel lift problem
Also very glad you are only bruised, not broken. Straight liners are the bane of carvers on boards and skis.
Heel lift: The Intuition liners may well reduce the amount your rear foot heel lifts but the final solution may have more to do with improving your technique and balance.
Now that you have the feel for emphasising the toes in your rear foot for toeside and the heel of your front foot for heelside, try to "feel" the board onto it's edge through the soles of your feet. You should have some weight on both feet on either side turn and in so doing you should remain balanced over the board between the bindings.
I've been all along the path of thinking my heel lift was due to various bits of my equipment. I've changed binding angles, changed boot makers, modified boots, and added aftermarket liners. All those things helped but didn't prevent the issue. I even managed to tear apart from metal fatigue the rear part of my rear Bomber Trench Digger binding I was generating so much lift of my rear heel. But learning to ride from the soles of my feet has rendered it pretty much a non-issue, unless an unanticipated bump or a poorly balanced turn throws my weight forward and my rear heel lifts.
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Don't know if 3D Avatar Feet app in Google Play store is of interest to you or to @MountainSlope
The app 3d maps the shape of feet.
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Interesting to read how they ride when the time comes. What was the custom order cost and process like?
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Looking at the photo I can't see any rear foot heel lift or front foot toe lift being used. Most/many riders, esp those using Intec bindings will use this. European EC style riders tend to ride flat bail bindings but they are probably the only group who ride with flat bindings.
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11 hours ago, Pew said:
I am 179cm. Do you think 49cm is too narrow? Recommended stance of the board was 50cm
How do you think about my binding angles?
I started out at 50cm stance and have gradually lengthened it.
Binding angles. You are in the transition zone for riding technique. Below 50 degrees riders generally put the board on edge using their heels and toes. 60 degrees and above they're much more likely to feel like they're using the sides of their feet and lateral boot pressure to do that. It's a simple matter of geometry.
Speaking of geometry, there is a complex interplay of your binding angles, stance distance, and leg & pelvis size that changes the amount of binding toe/heel lift and lateral tilt (cant) that will help you be comfortable and effective as a rider. I put this video together to explain that inter-relationship. Other riders here have different ways of thinking about lift and cant and are likely to react to this post with explanations of their own.
For the record I run 65 degrees front, 60 rear, with 6 degrees of lift, and no canting. I have ridden NASTAR on my boards at Platinum level, as have many other riders here.
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On 11/29/2021 at 2:27 AM, Pew said:
Today I will work on controlling my speed, press and rotation(I keep looking at fall line when I make heelside turn not the nose of the board.
Look at where you want the turn to go. Almost magically your body will start to make the board follow the direction of your eyes. It's just one of the tips from this playlist Sean Martin of Donek Snowboards created.
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I'm assuming with those angles that you are initiating turns by putting weight/pressure onto your toes and heels.
So, toeside turn will feel strong if you pressure the toes of your rear foot.
Heelside turn will work better if you can put the pressure onto the heel of your front foot.
This weight distribution will keep your overall centre of mass relatively balanced between your bindings.
Try to "feel" the board with soles of your feet. Use your knees for shock absorption. Fatigue is common when your body is learning what to do. As you get better you'll turn with less effort.
If you have access to a suitable slope, a gentle Green slope is the best place to practice carving to begin with. You don't build up frightening speed so quickly. You can concentrate more on technique.
How tall are you? Leg length in particular. Up to a point, a longer stance will make you more stable and able to maintain balance. I'm 182cm and ride @ 56cm just to give an example of proportions.
There are no real shortcuts to carving well, snow time and deliberate practice are the key. I'm enjoying reading about your progress, and gently jealous of your time on the snow as I sit in the Southern hemisphere summer.
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The people who made this video, TDK Ski Racing, have a number of very good videos on carving on skis, with principles that directly transfer to carving on an alpine snowboard.
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Don't write stuff on the InterNet you wouldn't want to explain to your own Grandmother.
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@yamifumiThere have to have been new shell moulds made to accommodate the design changes seen in the photos. I suspect UPZ don't see changing the direction of pull of the strap that comes in front of the ankle as important. My preference is for the direction that Northwave/Mountainslope use.
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Rear Boot Forward Lean Angle
in Carving Central
Posted
I ride with UPZ boots set like Phil.
Front as far upright as it will go, springs on stiffer side but not as tight as possible.
Rear as far forward as possible with springs set soft to allow easier rear knee movement
When I move my centre of mass up and down to absorb bumps and to unweight my edge for edge transition, my rear hip/knee/ and ankle need to move through a greater range of movement than my front leg. If you doubt me, get someone to video you from the side as you stand in riding position and move your COM up and down without your boots on. Look at the angles of your front and rear lower legs at the start and end of the movements.