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Congratulation Matthew. I'm joining the Oshawa Ski Club next year!!! Unbelievable talent from a 300 feet icy vertical. Kudos.

Couple of adults watching me go off the lift today: "That's ...that's...that's THE board!" Couple of young kids beside me on the chair today arguing between themselves: -that's a snow board -no that's a skiboard, they use skiboards to race Turning to me: -is that a skiboard? do you race? -no I don't race -do you snowboard?

and it does not hurt when you fall...

That's Zinal, Switzerland. One of my goal is to go there one day also (like those lucky 160+ people 2 weeks ago at ECS)!! Lot's more of that on www.swoard.com

Here's the Mecca for fast looong turns: http://carving.grewu.org/gallery/ecsIV/ecs0502/dsc_4789.htm

Funny, we were debating whether that spray is a Swoard trademark. No flaming please, just I rarely see other spray of that magnitude on other pics/boards. It may just be EC technique, not the board.

I've been using it mainly to switch to ski mode to take the kids out without having to change boots. Works fine. For high end (that I don't have): http://www.skiboardsonline.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SBOL&Product_Code=bomber_elite

I found that very useful (sort of like people think they are American Idol material until they get on film). Also I found I improve faster following a good carver and 'feeling' their moves in my own body. Theory is nice but a nice carve can't be smooth if you start thinking about individual steps. Your brain can't think that fast.

Good suggestion. I was not going to but that's the only thing I won't be able to find anywhere. I suppose they can be your clunky winter boots if they don't fit in your case!!!

I just booked a last minute trip from Toronto to San Francisco. Interestingly enough, even though the flight is co-hosted by United and AirCanada, their policies on bringing snowboard along is quite different: AirCanada: charge you a fee (unless you have a midget's size board) and you must have your board in a HARD shell case, or sign a waiver against damage...Not even sure where you find one of those. United: free board and no waiver, although I'm not sure what would happen if you board get lost or damaged. I did not check other airlines because it was last minute. The flight cost the same on either website, I just happen to check before clicking "OK" on the credit card went through. So for down the road, what is the best airlines for us?

I would avoid UPS ground at all cost. My brother sent me pair of old boots a few years back from California and the brokerage fee of UPS just about broke the bank (cost way more than the boots and shipping combined at the time...) Apparently UPS air/express the brokerage fee is included. Yours to check unfortunately.

In my excitement I did not read your post properly. Got it. Initiate slowly with toe/heel.

Thanks, that's what I used tonight, toe/heel thingy. He got it right away, whereas I was fighting to find ways to explain it to him last year. Now, I just need the same sort of thing to get him to carve one turn at a time(he wants to carve! he started to carve on skis and love the sensation of the G's-big time roller coaster lover family). I would just need something very simple to get him to tip that board without flapping himself on the snow. I could not believe how well he did tonite and it just made my day. :D

Maybe it's late at night but I don't quite get it, I have a hard time translating words to movie in my head. Phil, a short movie maybe??

Thanks to all those tips. Got my 9 yo out tonight for the first time this year. He was just eating edges the couple of time he went out last year. Tonight he was doing the (ontario) blue runs scraping snow and some early turns on the flatter green. Stops were natural looking. The duck stance worked great as he was going back and forth regular and goofy and looking just as comfortable either side. Tried to get him to turn after pointing him straight down, however can't seem to get him to put the board on edge without flapping/falling down. Any tips to tell him what to do (bend the knees, tip the boards???). Thanks.

jrobb, love your avatar by the way.... :lol:

Incredible, you guys are good...just from that one shot. The hill was about 30 degree. It was on my back side. Probably not pushing on the nose as much as usual. The board is a Coiler AllMountain that is slightly stiff for my weight, which usually works well if I am aggressively engaging the edge. Probably a little lazy on that shot. PS: Chris, how was Osler today?

No boots overhang and the edge is sharp all the way to the tip. Not putting enough front foot pressure and wandering nose may well be right. Will try again on a cold day/firm or icy surface.

Man made hard pack snow. -18C (-0.4F) Did not feel like a skid but can't seem to get any deeper (?light weight on hard snow?), and it seems wide to me.

Here a pic of the Coiler camber from this am. It's on a flat section. Presumably the middle of the board would touch the snow if there is a rider on it. I tried to weight the back the can't get it yet. Neutral seems better at this point.

Some very nice suggestions there. Love nice watches, love my hand more! People are known to have their hands chopped off for their watches! I still have one of my dad's Omega gravity assist self winding watch, but can't seem to find anyone locally to maintain/restore it. Anyway, I'm a practical one board, one watch that does it all kind of guy. So I like my Citizen Eco-drive titanium perpetual movement dive watch. It's also light and relatively thin.The movement seems accurate enough with the occasional atomic watch sync. Never have to touch anything or worry about it dying out. Just need some rays on the slope to keep it going! If only it has a Palm OS installed on it too....

So for strict beginner kids. What binding angles would you suggest?

Wow straight is not straight forward. I'll just have to get it out of the closet, get on all four, relax with knee bent, arms behind my back and watch my behind... :lol: Seriously, great suggestions. Will try them all. The little local hill has a steep top section and a long flat section at the bottom to the lift, hence the initial question. As for the funny feet angles, I tried on several occasion more conventional angles and my knees just kill after a few runs. But then again, unconventional is OK by me as long as it works.

Thanks. I always wondered how those park monkeys bomb straight down the hill on the tail of their boards (and can't stop for carvers but that's another thread). Will try that and stay loose. No base bevel, as I like the EC stuff and need all the edges I can get. :o

OK, here's a silly question, esp. for a carving forum. How do you go straight? The board tends to wander/wobble a bit when going straight down the hill. I'm not sure where to put my weight and am always afraid it's going to catch an edge. Do you put the board completely flat or are you riding a little on edge? Thanks.