wulf

That is my favorite video of Sigi Grabner. He transformed his racing style to super slick freecarving

Male 185cm 90cm inside leg Stance 52cm centered on the inserts front 50 deg, rear 45 deg (on 21cm wide F2 Vantage 162) UPZ boots Toe & Heel lift F2 standard (no idea what degrees they have) no canting I am using this recomendation for a "natural stance" - fits perfect for me Riding this stance since ages

@mtracz GMB has very good BW programs. Elements is movement based and adresses basic strength & mobilty IS is more typical BW strength training routine oriented https://gmb.io/

Even better ... Sigi Grabner Raw Ride

Look at the data. Whenever you see a tapered shape (tail width less than nose width) you have a kind of Multi-Radii approach. Most SL-ish design have around 260mm nose, 200mm waist and 240 tail width. Ending up in fall-line oriented racing design. That's true for F2, Kessler, SG, Donek, Oxess, ... If you are after a more radial shape go for board design that has no taper like the F2 Silberpfeils or the bit wider Vantage version. Tighter sidecuts, no taper, easier to control speed, less angulation needed, more fun carve oriented. Still performing on a high level. Albeit not for racing.

@ziolino66 no way will you have fun on your local hill with that thing. You'll get hard times controlling speed and your line on narrow runs. I'd go with a sidecut of 10m max or even lower. BX boards are made for SPEED. Yes you can carve them. Need space as well as significant angulation to force them into a halfway tight radius. Here in EU I am usually riding in "similar" conditions. Narrow, crowded slopes. Messed up from the crowdes. I am riding a non-taper SL-ish board with 9,5m sidecut. Nice combo of performance & playfulness. If I'd go wider I'd choose an even smaller sidecut combined with enough stiffness for HB. What about a Nidecker Spectre/Concept or Blade? Combining stiffness with tight sidecut. Or have someone from the NA builders design something for you.

That's potentially an alarming signal. I've had that "creaking noise" one time. One season later the front bail of the binding cracked while charging hard. For me this noise is a strong signal that something in the binding is damaged.

Indeed not so easy. You barely see anything at the very beginning. Later when the crack already has a bit propagated the method @Corey mentioned (tensioning the binding with a boot clamped) should give some hints. I had that only happening once. I could hear some "clicking" sound while riding while applying pressure. At that time I could not sort that out. 1 season later the rear bail of the rear binding gave up.

@st_lupo that's a typical picture of a longterm dynamic fatigue failure. The crack started some time ago (8 o'clock region) propagated slowly due to dynamic load until the remaining cross section could not bear the load anymore (2 o'clock region). That's when it cracked. Known failure mode with metals. Same with @dhamann case Regularly check ALL parts of the binding. Replace when in doubt.

I've just checked that product & the applications videos. Can't believe that this will last for "months" on an alpine board on man-made snow. If it would I'd buy that immediately...

What is it you are using instead of wax?

For safety reason I'd REPLACE these bindings with new ones. Plastic Material is aging over time and can get brittle. Causing potentially a nightmare. Imagine charging hard and one binding is failing ...

Yep. SG stated that they are using that "eco" epoxy. I experienced also severe issues with their base material. Not holding any wax, drying out at the edge within a few runs and severe abrasion starting as a result. Unfortunately they were not very helpful solving that thing. So I decided to step away from SG. I've been suprised to see quite some WC boys & girls changing from SG to F2. Usually riders stick to their longterm partners unless they are "forced" to move. There might be something going on...

You do have a good feeling for the edge and a almost "clean" carve already. Which is a perfect start. The rest will come with practice. Loosening the body, tilting the board a bit more. Initiating the turn with Power from the ground up (toes, ankles, knees, hips). Nice board by the way! The new Nidecker Blade Plus I guess...?

Indeed some of the racers are literally "counter-rotating" their upper bodies. Which seems to be strange and counter-productive. However what really counts is the lower body. And ALL racers are initiating their turns from the bottom up und applying HUGE pressure on the edge. Regardless what the upper body is doing. If you watch currrent WC racing in EU you do notice significant differences in style and upper body positions. Predominantly derived from different body compositions of the riders (hight, weight, relative length of the limbs, ...) Interestingly smaller guys (Galmarini, Payer, Coratti, ...) usually do need to "work" more than the taller guys (Karl, Fischnaller, ...) to manipulate their lines

@Pew... and annother source. Chris Klug, former WC pro athlete: 2014_Chris_Klug_PRO_Tipps PRO TIPS - Start Right • Keep in mind your front foot is your steering wheel on a snowboard. With too much weight in the back seat it’s hard to pilot the board. Keep your weight 50/50. Initially practice sliding heelside and then toeside, eventually you will progress to the “Falling Leaf” drill and finally transitioning from toeside to heelside. This is a leap of faith at first, but trust yourself and keep your weight on the front leg. The tendency is always to get in the back seat. PRO TIPS - Sit Down For Power Most riders can rip toe-side turns, no problem: It's natural. You're facing the hill and you can see what's going on. When it comes to carving on the heel side, however, beginners tend to straighten their legs and the board bounces across the snow, half out of control. Fixing this problem starts at the top of the turn. Using the momentum from your toe-side turn, roll your board onto the heel-side edge by lifting your toes inside your boots. At the same time, sink your butt into the hill, as if you're sitting in a chair . Try to create a 90-degree angle in your legs, then drive your knees toward the tip as the board carves a clean arc. The key is to trust your speed. It may feel like you're about to fall when you sit down, but the energy of the turn will keep you up. In fact, you have more power, not less, when you maintain this position, and you'll also have an easier time absorbing rough spots or recovering from a slide on slick snow. Whether you're ripping around on a freestyle or a race board, sitting in the imaginary chair will help you rail that heel-side carve. PRO TIPS - Advanced • Keep your board under your feet for high percentage turns. • Snowboard equipment has evolved so much the past years, make sure you’re on the goods. Take advantage of snowboard demo tours and try your friends gear if they’ll let you. Different styles prefer different set-ups, don’t be afraid to try something new. • Initiate your turns with your lower body, from the bottom up, hells/toes, ankles, knees and hips. Try not to start your turns by rotating your upper body. • Work on being a versatile rider! Ride fakie, do 360’s while riding, nose wheelies, etc. All of these skills will improve your balance and prepare you for future difficult landings and terrain. • Constantly try new things, new tricks, and different manoeuvres. Be innovative and creative, that’s what makes snowboarding so much fun; you’re the artist. • Spend the whole day on the beginner slope. You will be amazed how fast you will improve, not! Challenge yourself on new terrain and features. • Watch and learn. There are so many ripping riders out there. Try to understand what and how they’re doing what they’re doing. My long-time coach used to always tell me, “First imitate, then innovate.” Visualize yourself doing it, then give it a try. • Keep your board in good shape. Wax your board regularly and make sure you’ve got a fast grind for the conditions. Keep your edges sharp and properly detuned tip and tail to your riding preference. • Maintain your physical conditioning. The stronger your physical conditioning, the faster you will go and the healthier your body will remain. I do Pilates and yoga regularly to stay healthy during a long winter season of beating up my body. Check out “Training tips” to learn more about snowboard specific strength and conditioning. • Attend the Aspen Klug Spring Snowboard Camp in Aspen, Colorado this spring to take your riding to the next level. PRO TIPS - Anatomy Of A Turn This sequence may help illustrate the process of carving a clean heel-side turn. I think of starting my turn from the bottom up, pressuring aggressively with the heels/toes, ankles, knees, and hips, excluding any upper body rotation to put the board on edge. It's important to have a solid upper body when starting the turn. If you begin the turn with a weak foundation it only gets weaker. I focus on getting most of the turn done above the gate, avoiding the low pressure earthquake, death-chat at the end of the turn. On the heel-side I start by pressuring the heels, pulling up with the front foot toes and driving the back knee on to initiate on the toe side turn. Tip the board up early, and push on it aggressively. Keep the board underneath the body. Try not to let the board get away! Drive with the outside arm down and keep the inside arm up to avoid the panel. Push the feet through towards the next gate, squeezing the speed out of the turn and maximizing momentum. Now you're in the back seat. Send the upper body back down the fall-line in a lever like action so you're ready to begin the next turn. Hope this helps you rail clean, powerful turns. Rip it up!

@Pew maybe this also provides some help: Notes from a Carving Camp with WC Pro Nevin Galmarini and some other WC athletes... 2017 Nevin Galmarini Camp (Scoul / CH) Rene Hürlimann (former WC coach) - "Snowboarding is very easy if you pay attention to the physics" Stable upper body - central position, pressure on both feet Build up pressure from BELOW (toe / heel, ankle, knee, hip) Turn initiation with BOTH feet Keep your COG (belly button) ALWAYS over the edge Frontside: Hip to the slope !!! Backside: Bend the hip !!! Deep Belly Breathing through the nose, closed mouth & tongue up! During Frontside - 2/3 pressure on the REAR foot (TOES, ankles, knees, "Hip to the slope" (COG "belly button" over the edge) During Backside - 2/3 pressure on the FRONT foot (HEELS, ankle, knee, "Bend the Hip" (COG "belly button" over the edge)

@Charlie2021 You will be surprised HOW performing modern shapes are. Keep in mind that you will need some time to get accustomed to the new board...

@Charlie2021 I'd go with the 70% off Vantage 162. That will be the "nearest" to your Rossi with respect to length, waist width & sidecut. Great carver. Easy to ride. Any hassle with that, it's NOT the board but the rider...

@Charlie2021 i-carve have dropped price. Vantage 162 is 70%off for a model of previous seasons. Will be barely 200€ now I guess ... https://beta.carver.si/snowboards/outlet/snowboard_outlet

@Charlie2021 - I'd vote for sticking as close to your Rossi as possbile given your limited time on snow per year. I'd recommend a F2 Silberpfeil Vantange 162 for you. Easy to ride, precise carving due to torsional stiffness. Modern shape. Do NOT go for the 168. That would be a to big step for you. I do ride the 162 myself. It's the only board I have. Riding in croweded EU resorts like Austrian Alps & Dolomites. I am 185cm @90kg. Take a look at i-carve.com. Hop to the outlet section and ask for pricing.

1200mm effective edge IS enough with wider body shapes. I am 185cm@90kg. Had a Dupraz board with less than 120cm EE. Carved like crazy (with hardboots) and was stable at speed. It is technique. Or lack of board stiffness. Korua, the older version where probably a noodle. The later ones produced by Nobil in Poland are of way better quality. Again: Food for thought

I have the impression you want to "cure" lack of technique by buying new boards. That might not work. You want to carve like the Korua guys. You have a Korua board and a bunch of others. But you cannot ride like these guys in the video. So the natural solution is to work on your technique rather that buying new gear. Food for thought...

Good choice. However not the race version. If you really want to go fast choose a version with larger sidecut like that one ...http://beta.carver.si/snowboards/f2_snowboards/f2_eliminator_wc_tx_carbon_kevlar?limit=100

F2 Eliminator specs