mrjamie's Content - AlpineSnowboarder

Uh-huh, some enlightening responses, it's a coach love-fest... mmm! who's right? who's wrong? :smashfrea let's see what I can digest!

Yeah, you're ready for an alpine board. It will open the door for you. There is some good stuff going on there, including some cross-under technique. I think you're to the point where you'll need an alpine board or at least a much longer freeride board to move forward.

At the end of the day I was experimenting with cross-through, and the board would leave the snow in-between each turn. Because there is less pop in the board I have to be more aware of where energy is stored if I want to pull it up and through. Also, I found that keeping the tail on the ground but pulling the nose up and dropping it into each new carve, which is especially easy to do since the tail is so soft, was good practice for cross-through.

Ironically, my first three years of snowboarding more than once per year were ridden out on a Prior 4WD w/ Head SP's & Catek OP's. Never had the fortune to ride with anyone from this board, but there were a few Japanese father-son racing couples who let me tag along their lines!

The only thing that strikes me as not good in your vid is how your front leg is extended on the first heelside turn at about 15". The wash out that comes afterwards is well controlled and the cross-under are smooth. In short, you look great man !
Now, all that has been said is right. Board should be a little longer, and maybe stiffer, at least in the tail. But, seeing these first 15 secs, I also think you have too much difference in angles btw front and rear. You may want to add 5 degs to that rear bindings.

BTW, I ride SPX 45 on some of my soft stuff and I like them very much. Very responsive bindings.

The Demo Rozzy came with The Jones Experience bindings, a package deal for $250 -- after taking them off and restoring my wear-worn SPX 45 the difference was immediate and so exciting. So much more response! I have you all to thank for that suggestion a year and a half ago :1luvu:

I have a natural tendency to crouch over my back foot, which is observable off the board too, like when I'm walking down the street in the middle of a city and think 'Wait, how do I set up a heelside again?' and start squatting then and there. :cool:

Less difference between the binding angles -- definitely want to try this, the 20 degrees of difference just felt a little too much for my legs.

Increase your rear binding to around 26 degrees. You will eleminate the "squat and take a dumpy dump" and be able to keep your shoulders and hips more in line with the board. A bit more "Cowboy" action with pinching in the nkees and you will be slicing nicely :)
Im a rozzi fan, and Ive been on that board. It really is not the best for carving. Its a big air, soft landing kinda west coast board. Try the SULTAN or '07 PREMIER. you will be lovin life :)

After some experimenting in the lab (living room) I think the knee pinching will be solved my staying over my forward leg during each 'squat and dump' at the beginning of a turn.

I agree that ~10 degrees is the most difference I want between bindings, and maybe I'll try decreasing the front binding as well.

For my next board, I think I'll wait and see what neversummer does with their rocker/camber lineup for next year! Those board look like they will hold a mean edge and pop well too...but I wonder if they are damp enough?

I wouldn't change your angles, and wouldn't worry about getting a bigger board or alpine setup if you like what you got. I also agree with bob, don't try to pinch your knees together. All it really does is focuse your weight between your feet rather than keep it distributed along the edge, also it just looks bad IMO.
You've got a very smooth, fluid style which is awesome...

It looked to me like you generally ride with your weight a bit back, this is mainly due to your back leg being compressed much more than your front in that whole video. I would focus on driving that front knee down towards the snow on toeside and really drive your front calf into the highback on heelside. This will help move that weight forward at the start of your turn.

Thanks, this post clued me to start squatting randomly and has caused my friends and family to ostracize me whenever we go to public places. But I know that your words are true! Good advice. :biggthump

The angles do feel a little far apart, degree wise, so while I don't have a plan for what they will be specifically, I will try riding with less of a difference -- ten, fifteen max -- between front and rear.

I dissagree about the angle change, I agree not to worry about the alpine or bigger board, but your advice about not pinching in defeats your comment about bringing the knee forward and still pressuring the calf muscle into the high back. You can not do both at the same time without some rear leg follow-through and a higher rear foot angle will really focus the transition from edges.
Mrjamie, All I can say is "try" the stance change for a few runs and see how differrent it feels and how you can use your back leg in unison now and really drive both legs and your hips with upper body and eleminate the back foot "rudder" finish to the turns. If you look at teh end of the vide you can see how your back knee is already fighting to turn more forward and your stance wants to go that way as well. FWIW Im really good at pinpointing this sort of thing in riders (be it park or just free riding or other).

Indeed! :D Will try riding with back and front more in tune and report back.

why not try 30 30...what do you weigh? your ht. size foot?
so you like Pow and cruisen carvin in softboots...so do I !!!

The snow here in colorado lets 3 straps and an all mt. stick

with a soft flex do both well.

I'm 156lbs (70.7kg), 68.5in (174cm) and US size 12. I enjoy smooth carves on the piste and long walks on snowy spines.

Glad to see another softboot carver...a species even more rare than the powerful yet shy hardbooter. I'm going up to Whistler with the partner for two days during break, so we'll see how the snow there works out.

I can carver decent with my A-frame with 32 F 20 R. These angles feel pretty good doing most anything but riding switch. I don't like to have too much difference in my binding angles, but I need at least 8-10 degrees difference even with my hardboots to be comfortable.

Amen. I'll try out your differentials and see how the ride. :)

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Posts posted by mrjamie