Jack M

don't worry, I'll only rub it in <i>a little</i> on monday.

http://www.bomberonline.com/ses/content/schedule.cfm THANKS DAVE!!

I think as soon as there is any news, it will appear here: http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/disciplines/snowboard/fisworldcup.html?cal_date=&cal_suchseason=2005&cal_oldsector=&cal_codex=&cal_suchgender=&cal_suchcategory=WSC&cal_suchplace=&cal_suchnation=&cal_search=Search

I'm stoked to be headed out for my first SES this year. I've ridden the Aspen area once before, 10 years ago, when Ajax was still on the black list. I have this fantasy that there is some amazing carving to be had on Ajax, that the skiers were previously hoarding. Is there?? I'm hoping there will be a posse who wants to ride Ajax one day. I'll be on snow Thursday through Saturday. And which mountain has the best steep groomers? I'm craving some armpit dragging on flawless western snow. Edit: I see now from The Official Schedule that Thursday, Friday, Saturday we'll be riding at Highlands, Aspen/Buttermilk, Buttermilk. So looks like I'll get a taste of everything. I might want to stay at Aspen all day on Friday if it's good. Anyway, the event looks like it's shaping up to be killer! Can't wait! Beer on Dave Morgan, that's awesome!! I'd still like to hear a description of the terrain though - where are the best steep groomers?

thanks. you could just bookmark the article itself, no?

my avatar will return to its normal self after the Patriots win Superbowl XXXIX. :D

One of our most popular threads has now been archived in the Tech Articles section of the site. The article is here: Carving Practice Drills I hope to snap and add more pictures, and possibly add more drills. So if you have any pictures that would go along with the article, or other drills that haven't been covered, please feel free to submit them for consideration. Thanks to all who have contributed already. Hope you enjoy it!

you know, where you carve up on a bank and you feel like your head is below your feet.

That's interesting about Jasey Jay's carvy style. I wonder if that has anything to do with his success - if it's "better" or just "different". I have a theory that as soon as more suspension/dampening gets put in the boards, we'll see more racers adopting stiffer bindings like Bomber and Catek. Using Burton's or whatever else is like using a flex-stem on a mountain bike. It's a band-aid treating the symptom, not the cause.

see the World Cup Watch for his comments.

http://www.bomberonline.com//articles/feel_the_carve.cfm Also there is some other beginner info in the Welcome Center Be very careful with your attitude towards what you see in Opus 3. Those are very advanced maneuvers done by expert, seasoned carvers. Notice how it doesn't even look like they're <i>trying</i>. Well, they almost aren't. That is, they're not <i>trying</i> to touch the snow, the snow comes up to them. In other words, don't try to touch the snow! Bending over at the waist towards your toeside edge, and excessively sitting down into your heelside carve are to be avoided. If you can avoid this, you will prevent yourself from learning a very common bad habit that is difficult to unlearn. Good luck! Report back here!

I think I may weep openly.

Shred, what's that smell? I think it's BURNT TOAST!

I've never done this either, but this may be a way to get it out non-destructively. Get a big C-clamp and a 2x4. Place the 2x4 under the board to protect the base. Place the clamp over the binding, and tighten it so you are squeezing the board with the binding and 2x4. This may hold the insert in place enough to back out the bolt. Then never use that insert again!

now now.... how would Ms. Cambers feel about that??

it says fabricated in Canadia :D

Just got my copy - very cool!! Thanks to Bob Jenney for shooting all the footage - a very selfless task. You da man. Neil, I'm wearing a red jacket with white things on the sleeves, and black pants. Indeed there is some sweet carving happening in that vid, and I can assure you conditions were less than ideal. I don't want to try to name the (many) rippers lest I leave anyone out. Anyway, three cheers to the people who made it happen. -Jack ps - get your copy HERE!

*sigh* Kent is suffering from MILFS (Madd In Limbo Forever Syndrome) Telling newbies to face the nose is a good way to get them to break the bad habits of facing their edges. It's not necessarily the perfect way to carve. It works for some people (notably <a href="http://www.maddmikes.com/images/CMC-copy.jpg">this guy</a>) quite well. Check my avatar, I'm actually a face-the-bindings guy. An excellent example, (despite the quality of the pic, and that Klug is goofy) but notice that his butt is not any lower than his edge angle dictates. Simply bending your knees and sinking into a turn is rarely necessary. Just like on toeside, where you don't want your upper body leaning into the turn more than your lower body, on heelside, you don't want your butt to be unnecessarily low, or hung into the turn way beyond the plane of your edge angle. (can't seem to find a pic of this at the moment, sorry) By the way, here is a good example of what philfell was talking about - leaning the upper body forward but still being in the back seat.

If anyone needs help with that: http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=658

Yup, 3 front and back. My stance angles are 65 front and back. My cant disc angles are 85 front, 55 back. Get it? This was the same on my Donek. Feels right to me.

63/55 is part of the problem, unless you are naturally more duckfooted than "normal". That's too much splay - it's encouraging your hips to open up and face downhill on heelside.

I used to work for him as an instructor. He is the guru. Spend as much time with him as you can afford.

try riding with your boots in walk mode.

I measured the insert pattern relative to the running length, and it appears that the middle inserts are set back about 5cm - can anyone confirm? That seems like a lot. My Donek was centered, my old FPs had 1.5 to 2.5cm of setback. Saturday I got my first day on the board, and I started in the middle inserts. Each set of inserts is a basic "8-pack" which provides 3 possible positions. Using the same sets of inserts on each foot (forward/forward, middle/middle, rearward/rearward) results in a 19.25" stance width by my tape measure. How convenient, my usual width! Not wanting a 5cm setback, I used the holes in the TD2s that shift the binding forward, so I think this resulted in about 3.5cm of setback. I felt like this was still a bit too far back, so I switched to the forward inserts on the board, and the holes in the bindings that shift the bindings back. I think this resulted in about 1.5cm of setback and that felt just right. Heelsides felt better after doing that. Also I believe the "forward loaded camber" really likes to have your weight forward at the beginning of the carve.

Obviously she had you confused with me, because you were late for first chair! :p Matty and I had fun, too bad we missed you.