Knees together or apart?

[Guest Tim Tuthill]

Tim: I don't think so?? We met in Aspen and I told you that John Goodwin gave me your video that he used to learn to carve.

[Guest Tim Tuthill]

Ken: I do think carving is a skiing discipline. Ankels and knees, down up down, compress and release, bend at the knees ten dollars please!!! instead of heel and toe with soft boots. That said, I use a surf stance with my soft boot setup in powder.

[timinor]

It must have been John that gave me that video.

[David Glynn]

KenW, I think we are close to agreement.

Good technique iis good technique. I would put absorption into the technique/ bio mechanics catagory. When carving absorption comes into play quite often as a matter of fact life on the hill or the race course would totally suck without it. Perhaps my definition of techmique and bios is just a bit different. To me tactics are a choice more of how much speed to carry or which part of the run to use or how directly to attack the gate or pitch etc. If I fail to use the correct amount of absortion to meet my tactics it is a bio/ technique error. Radar would not soften enough ( absorb) , a technical/ bio error.

Now if JJ rides with knees together in the terrain and conditions of his choice and rides very well and with good style his technique and bio mechanics must be just fine for him and his situation. If he was hacking around well that would be a different thing. Now if he was running gates and blowing out or consistantly putting in slow times or failing to progress I think it would become an obvious technique / bio problem to him, and everyone else could say I told you so.The problem would be; he didn't change technique to fit the new situation of running gates. The same (but opposit transition -gates to moguls) for Radar (skie racer extrordinair ) who wouldn't change his tech / bios, and absorb. But again I think our diferences may be only in our definitions of tactics and techniques/bios.

[JJFluff]

annnddd discuss.....and how !

BIO mechanics...very important.

Knees locked ? what ? No. Don't do that.

Moving on......I asked Lowell Hart about the leg lock technique well over 10 years ago and he said, "Use your legs as independent shock absorbers, you'll be fine" or something to that effect and that was that.

When you run high angles on skinny boards with a tighter stance, your knees will be close, that's it.

Think about leaning into the turn, leaning slightly forward. Rock back to neutral for the meat of the turn and roll back a little to pressure your rear foot as you exit the turn, simple.

I may be handing out bad advice, but that's my basic vision of carving 101.

If you wanna run outdated gear, go for it. If you're serious about carving you'll eventually crave better gear.To each his own.

If you wanna really rip some psycho turns......talk to Bordy, talk to Gilmour, chase Fleck around.

This isn't a sewing circle of old ladies, sack up. If the coach has a gruff tone but has good information about your riding, swallow hard and listen up.

Knees locked? I don't. just come together due to body postion.

The board that I am riding on in the pics I posted originally is actually an old board of Lowell's. I bought it on ebay. Crazy. Guess what, the board I am currently riding, was bought on ebay as well, from the one and only Lowell Hart as well. At least I know they were taken care of.

Plus, the board I am riding works fine. It's plenty stiff, narrow waist, which I like, and a sidecut that gives me freedom to make any turn needed. Both here in Wisconsin, and out west as well. This year I need to demo some longer stuff, to feel that difference. Plus, like I said earlier. I really don't think more recent gear will change my riding, at least as far as the board is concerned. Now, of course, different lengths, width, and stiffness changes things. I will be the first to admit that td2's are stronger and more ridged than the burton race plates, (that I just bought of of ebay), but they work great because I am so use to the extra play. At the SES I rode the td2s for a few runs. Its not easy to go from variplates to td2's. But after two runs, the adjustment was made, and I think in time my riding would be identical to how it was on the variplates/3Ds.

[JJFluff]

From the pics that you have posted, I would argue that this is not the reason. IMO, the reason your knees are together is because you face the nose of your board, putting unnecessary twist in your body. If you don't believe me, stand up right now at your computer. Face your toes, then face your (imaginary) nose of the board. Knees come together naturally.

Yes, standing in the living room they do come together naturally, I'm not holding them together. The stance is knees together, flexing naturally, my whole body compresses, decompresses directly up and down, slight bending at the waist forward, towards the nose.

When riding, compressing into the turn, I rotate my upper body slighty and smoothly into the dirction of the turn being made.

I meant, I am not trying to hold my knees together, they end up that way do to the way I am riding.

[willywhit]

The board that I am riding on in the pics I posted originally is actually an old board of Lowell's. I bought it on ebay. Crazy. Guess what, the board I am currently riding, was bought on ebay as well, from the one and only Lowell Hart as well. At least I know they were taken care of.

So, give it up, which 2 boards did you get from Lowell ? I used to borrow his small factory prime like 157cm or so at Stowe back when he ran the snowboard school at Spruce.I stopped riding it when my back knee started clicking and popping from all the torque of such a short board.

...and we all know that nobody can really rip on that old burton crap anyway. :rolleyes:

[Phil]

When riding, compressing into the turn, I rotate my upper body slighty and smoothly into the dirction of the turn being made.

I see that on your heelsides, but I do not see it here:

It looks like you are facing the nose on your toeside as well, and maybe a little bit in the back seat, which puts your knees together even more. Of course, it is just a pic, not a movie.

Maybe in the pic you are finishing a turn and already starting your rotation to your heelside?

Either way, facing the nose will bring your knees together. Getting in the back seat while doing so makes it even worse.