st_lupo

So I'm going to bump this thread because I think it would be really cool to get some ideas/pointers on "modern"/advanced freecarving techniques. Maybe even the man himself will have a chance to chime in? Based on these Duality videos, and some earlier videos that I've tried to get some ideas from, I really really like Nevin's style of riding, especially the freecarving in the Duality videos. Another video that I have gone back to a few times is "Nevin Galmarini's guide to Snowboard Slalom". In that video, his trainer first says that it is essential to always "stay in the center of the board". But immediately after he says you have to come foreward on the board to initiate the turn (which seems to be a bit contradictory). Getting forward on the board to start the turn I can jive with, but I don't think I quite understand what the trainer is getting at witih staying in the center of the board? Probably most importantly, (I can see my wife giving me an eye-roll now) is how to launch the board in the air at each transition? Is it performed by giving a large push at the start of a cross-thru transition? Where should your weight be on the board when it is launched (centered or towards the back)?

Are you thinking of Ibex? BTW this is a great segue into a treasure trove of old arcana that might be interesting for @knightscape: the carver’s almanac. Really out of date, but lots of interesting nuggets there. http://www.alpinecarving.com/binding_model.html

Looks like it is literally in your DNA

Thanks for all of the feeback, I really appreciate it! It sounds like this board is just the thing to fill a niche spot in my quiver and might even sell off a board to keep everybody at home calm. I really hope to have something new to post in the 22/23 porn thread! @LadiaIt's good to hear that things are still improving with your vision, I wish the best for your continued recovery.

Welcome to the home you never knew you had! Definitely do an update on your gear and I think you will be loving life. The typical rule of thumb is invest the most time and money in getting the right boots as you can keep these for a long time. Snowboard specific hardboots that fit well are worth virtually any price. Look for something that has lots of adjustment possibilities (but don't go down the rabbit hole of twiddling all of those screws and adjusters unless you have a specific need and know what you are doing). Some kind of spring system for tuning longitudinal flex is also a very good thing. I've been on UPZ RC10s for a while now and love them. Upgrading to a better liner (Intuition Powerwraps) was also a game-changer for me in both comfort and control. Mountain Slope are highly recommended boots but $$$$. I also love my Booster straps. Next find a modern board with titanal in the layup and a length and sidecut that matches your local ski hill. I like carving specific board types (Coiler Nirvanas, Kessler Alpines), and I think they are a lot more versatile than they get credit for. Finally, find a set of bindings (from a reputable brand) in good shape (but it they are used, check out the hardware for broken t-nuts, etc.) I actually like non-intec bindings as it serves as motivation to cut down on the liquid carbs if necessary. With modern boards you might even be surprised that you don't want to swap to skis after the morning groom gets demolished. I love fresh corduroy, but there is nothing like carving dynamically and demolishing a tracked out run. Kinda like F1 vs WRC.

So I casually mentioned that maybe I should look for a soft-conditions board for next year since it has been 5 years since I got my last board. I was expecting a melt down, but she wasn't so against the idea. I've kinda been drooling over the Virus Le Surf carbon/titan, as it kinda brings to mind the Alpinepunk board. Anybody got any experience with this board or Virus in general? https://shop.virus-snowsports.com/collections/snowboards-freeride-snowboards/products/virus-freeride-le-surf-pro-175-185cm-carbon-titan content://com.amazon.cloud9.FileProvider/images/screenshot/16416706371361013786763.jpg

That is drool worthy! It would be so cool to build that on a small AWD chassis and drive it up to the local bump when going boarding!

Wife and kids have had the socks for about 3 and a half years without any problems yet. We don't wash them quite as often as regular wool socks, but they haven't gotten stinky. With rigid ski boots, I guess there isn't too much flexing with the wires. I can only dream of -30C weather! When I first moved to Kongsberg we had a few winters where diesel gelled in people's cars and everybody stayed home and off the slopes. Amazing!

My wife and daughter use and swear by these Sidas socks. The battery definitely clears the boot and the heating element doesn’t add any bulk. Three heat settings on the battery and we are typically out skiing at between -15 to -10C. https://www.sidas.com/en/socks/178-pro-s-v2-heat-set.html

Facebook is its own alternate reality. We have a local facebook group for selling/giving away stuff. It is crazy the stuff you can’t write. You can’t write that you are selling ‘Crocs’ because it thinks you are trying to sell crocodiles!

When I was younger I had one or two constant riding buddies and that was ideal then. Nothing makes you progress as fast as when you ride with and challenge other people. Now, however, I think I prefer riding alone. Finding an empty run is guaranteed to get me out of my head for a bit. There is just movement and snow and everything else just melts away for a few precious minutes.

I think that maybe the satire in your original post was a little too subtile, and that people were a little quick to assume that you would be so audatious as to try discrediting climate science with a single, cherry-picked, datapoint?

So before Christmas, I had my first day on the slopes. A really nice start of the season and I felt really good after I was done (crediting a ton of biking this year). Then came Christmas with all the traditional Norwegian food (basically pig, pig head, and pig fat). Today after the first run my quads were burning. No need for a scale, in a week of Xmas food I’ve gotten fat!!! Godt Nytt År alle sammen!

It’s the sport’s dark underbelly.

Not in the lift line, but at work I was talking skiing/snowboarding with some colleagues and one of them mentioned that his son knew me. I started racing through my head trying really hard to remember his son and to not be the d***head that forgets other people. Luckily he saw my confusion and said his son only really knew my jacket, because when he sees it on the local slopes he gets a really uncomfortable feeling. It turns out when his son was younger and starting to move up to the blues and blacks, he was terrified of having to cross my trenches.

God Jul! Godt Nyttår!

Interesting to know, thanks for the info!

I think this thread has been pretty light hearted, goofy, and self depricating. To add some perspective: https://www.tennisforum.com/threads/which-male-player-has-the-sexiest-butt.23480/page-5 There they talk about specific body features of specific people. Creepy. Here we had a "remember this old snowboarder" moment and some folks mentioned they had a crush... I feel sorry for folks that haven't had a crush. And for the record I've never sent sexual references to a female athlete. None of my ex-gfs would give me a very good letter of recommendation.

That was interesting to read that somebody else had some of the same impressions that I had. There were a couple of things in the videos that went into cognitive dissonance with my understanding of the techniques laid out in the tech articles and forms that we typically teach on this site (freecarving). Case in point is in the "Moon" video (which is awesome) and the turn at 0:21. Maybe it is just a illusion from the camera angle but it looks like the arms/shoulders are rotating to the outside of the turn (ie it is a left side turn, but the upper body is rotating towards the right?). Would be really interesting to hear some feedback on carving technique outside of the racing threads, maybe some of us are pedantically holding to the norms to a fault and missing the forest for the trees?

If it was extreme for Loveland, you know it was blowing!

Thanks for posting those vids. That third vid is off the hook!

For me it's actually not the angry snowboarder that is shocking (it's just his schtick), it's the comments that are depressing. Conversely, we should probably keep in mind that this divisiveness is sometimes reciprocated; I've seen more than a few hardboot vids where the snobbishness against softbooters was just barely contained (and it isn't a good image either).

Can Jeff get me a hookup? But seriously, everybody in this day and age should know better than to try to seriously engage with people like the angry snowboarder on the internet. It's all just theater, and he rustled our jimmies. Mission accomplished.

That is a drag. I've had a few epic days at Powder Mtn while visiting the States. Absolutely loved the terrain and the vibe of the place: old school, no frills, skibumville. Also loved the super-rickety 2-person lift with the slippery seat that felt like it had a slight incline downwards and outwards. Best of all was the ratio of people to km^2 of the terrain.