Tips to get me off the Toilet

[willywhit]

DSub's bathroom :lol:

[Derf]

I'm no expert like some here, but I concur about the toilet sitting. From what I understand, the counter rotation is a natural reflex because on a heelside, you feel like you are going to fall on you back, so you unconsciously counter rotate to fall on your back and not on your side. So in essence, sitting on the toilet is psychological.

To correct it, do what everyone says (and what I did 3 years ago): reach for your front knee with your rear hand and bend the knees (to absorb bumps). Once you feel comfortable doing this, you won't be (unconsciously) afraid to commit to the turn.

[Kent]

There isn't an easy fix....it's a combination of many things, including your set-up/equipment. But, a fairly typical problem......

1) Yes, you're sitting in the toliet

2) Yes, you're counter-rotating A LOT

3) Yes, Bomber's aren't helping.....as you have little/no vertical motion. I'm not saying you should get rid of them, but understand that a stiff set-up needs a more aggressive riding style.

4) Yes, your wide stance is contributing to #3, #2 and #1. You can ride a wider stance providing you get aggressive with your vertical motion/riding style.

5) Yes, great job posting the video

Flex, flex, flex is probably what I'd yell at you before a run. Angles/knees, hips...the works. Go buy a skateboard and pump that on the flats for a few days...

Speaking of skateboards, can anyone tell me the skatepark in the vid under yours? This is the coolist tri-bowl I've seen.....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9136205063549508968&hl=en

[RDY_2_Carve]

I'm hoping all the forcasted powder will firm up by Sunday so I can practice these tips.

I find it amazing how much your head and hands can really mess things up.

Thanks again everybody.

[RDY_2_Carve]

3) Yes, Bomber's aren't helping.....as you have little/no vertical motion. I'm not saying you should get rid of them, but understand that a stiff set-up needs a more aggressive riding style.

Go buy a skateboard and pump that on the flats for a few days...

Hey Kent thanks for the reply.

Just wanted to say I'm riding F2 Titanflex's in that video not bombers.

Also I have a T-board and a Loaded Pintail but skateboarding is out of the question right now. There's snow and ice everywhere across the whole state.

[tpalka]

Speaking of skateboards, can anyone tell me the skatepark in the vid under yours? This is the coolist tri-bowl I've seen...

McInnis, in San Rafael, CA:

http://www.poolrider.com/content/articles/2.html

It looks awesome: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5872806959208546928

R2C -- nice vid, let me know when you come up to ride in CO again. I'd be happy to share some of the drills people told me about, or just ride,

tom.

[RDY_2_Carve]

R2C -- nice vid, let me know when you come up to ride in CO again. I'd be happy to share some of the drills people told me about, or just ride,

tom.

Hey Tom,

I have three passes to Monarch again this year. I'll shoot you a PM when we decide to head that way. Unlike last year the snow has been great in NM so we haven't really felt the urge to drive up to CO.

On the flip side: Does Monarch give you Angel Fire passes with your Monarch season pass? If so maybe you'll have to come down here? :)

Another big storm coming in soon. Looks like everybody is going to get a piece of this one.

[tpalka]

Sounds great. Yes, actually we do have that reciprocal deal, with most of March blacked out. Also 50% at Alta, three free days at Crested Butte, and the SES... it's been a great season so far, I'll see if we can visit you towards the end of March maybe?

tom.

[RicHard]

Hello again.

I've just seen better your video:

I would focus on two main things.

a) don't counter rotate (shoulder and hips toward the direction of the bindings)... focus on this! Check if your front hand, on the backside, is on his side of the board. Never bring it on the other. As soon as it cross the tip, stop and realize that...ooohhppss, you did it again! ;-)

b) flex more your legs: try also in your room to reach the lowest point going down: you will realize that you can bend them almost the double the amount you do it now.

Just this two things.

Even the first should lead you to improve BOTH frontside and backside.

Later, the sitting on the toilet will smoothly go away...

[Kent]

Hey Kent thanks for the reply.

Just wanted to say I'm riding F2 Titanflex's in that video not bombers.

Also I have a T-board and a Loaded Pintail but skateboarding is out of the question right now. There's snow and ice everywhere across the whole state.

Opps, my bad. Are you riding those in the pix above....the side of the bail looks like a TD. My apologies.....

If this is the case, then there's something in the set-up which is causing you to be pretty stiff. Perhaps soften up the boots.....

[RDY_2_Carve]

Actually Kent the pic is me on TD1 SI's last season at SES so you were right.

The video is from last weekend on the F2's. I wanted to try a "softer" binding since I never rode anything else other than the TD1's. I'm stuck with the Head boots as they're the best fit I've had so far (wide foot). Maybe I should try the orange tongues? Which are softer the yellow or orange? The board is a Hooger Tuned 163 I bought last season. I have a Coiler PR173 sitting in my garage waiting for my technique to catch up a little...

Obviously I'm a very static rider and it's something I need to focus on (being more dynamic that is). I think a combination of getting my knees bent more, keeping my arms on either side w/o letting them cross the board, and looking into my turns will be a good start.

Sometimes it's just hard to concentrate on technique when you're on the slopes...at least for me anyways. But I do want to get better so it's time to step up!

Thanks for all the great replies and not ripping me to shreds. I hope Jack is right about this being an easy fix.

Edit: Kent I forgot to ask you about the stance width. You mentioned in your first reply about me using the wide stance and having to ride more aggressive. So should I try to narrow my stance some since I'm not a super-dynamic rider? Also do you think I could benefit from adding more cant/lift? These new F2's have lots of adjustiblity (compared to the TD1's) and I haven't played with them at all (stock setup was like riding 3/3 I believe).

[Mike T]

I have a Coiler PR173 sitting in my garage waiting for my technique to catch up a little...

Have you tried the Coiler yet?

The reason I ask is, Coilers are notoriously easy to ride as long as they are not too stiff for you. If this was one of Lynn's boards it could well be spot-on for you.

I began a period of rapid breakthroughs when I got my first Coiler GS deck. If you are able to ride it where you've got room to make big turns (preferably on a green slope), a 13-ish sidecut might give you enough time between turns to actually work on the dyanamics. Again, not a coach nor do I play one on TV, just telling you what worked for me. And having seen your video, I was at the exact place where you are now for a good season or two before I started to clean it up. For me, seeing video was the catalyst. I'm sure I still revert to looking like that at times

[Bobby Buggs]

Have you tried the Coiler yet?

The reason I ask is, Coilers are notoriously easy to ride as long as they are not too stiff for you. I began a period of rapid breakthroughs when I got my first Coiler deck.

I dont know if it was just the time for me or the board but I experienced the same thing after getting my first Coiler.

Im saying it was the Board.

[Mike T]

I dont know if it was just the time for me or the board but I experienced the same thing after getting my first Coiler.

Im saying it was the Board.

IMHO, Easier riding deck = more rider confidence = less distractions from working on technique.

[Bobby Buggs]

Actually Kent the pic is me on TD1 SI's last season at SES so you were right.

The video is from last weekend on the F2's. I wanted to try a "softer" binding since I never rode anything else other than the TD1's. I'm stuck with the Head boots as they're the best fit I've had so far (wide foot). Maybe I should try the orange tongues? Which are softer the yellow or orange? The board is a Hooger Tuned 163 I bought last season. I have a Coiler PR173 sitting in my garage waiting for my technique to catch up a little...

Obviously I'm a very static rider and it's something I need to focus on (being more dynamic that is). I think a combination of getting my knees bent more, keeping my arms on either side w/o letting them cross the board, and looking into my turns will be a good start.

Sometimes it's just hard to concentrate on technique when you're on the slopes...at least for me anyways. But I do want to get better so it's time to step up!

Thanks for all the great replies and not ripping me to shreds. I hope Jack is right about this being an easy fix.

Edit: Kent I forgot to ask you about the stance width. You mentioned in your first reply about me using the wide stance and having to ride more aggressive. So should I try to narrow my stance some since I'm not a super-dynamic rider? Also do you think I could benefit from adding more cant/lift? These new F2's have lots of adjustiblity (compared to the TD1's) and I haven't played with them at all (stock setup was like riding 3/3 I believe).

DUDE!!!!!!! Your gonna freak yer self out with all that stuff. Get on that Coiler with what ever bindings you have and RIDE IT. Stop thinking about SO MUCH. Keep your hands out in front and Look where you want to go. Worry about those 2 things first. Once they become 2nd nature start working on the next things.

2much info with explode your brain.

[willywhit]

DUDE!!!!!!! Your gonna freak yer self out with all that stuff. Get on that Coiler with what ever bindings you have and RIDE IT. Stop thinking about SO MUCH. Keep your hands out in front and Look where you want to go. Worry about those 2 things first. Once they become 2nd nature start working on the next things.

2much info with explode your brain.

exactly...go ride alot and ride as hard as you can.

and go fast - alpine is all about fast- scare yourself a little

listen to some manic music on the way up on the chair- get amped

wwbd ? what would bordy do ? he'd go fast

"I wanna go fast!" Ricky Bobby

FKNA!

to quote the great martin drayton:As you can see, slow signs DO NOT apply to hardbooters! Go Billy!

[Jack M]

exactly...go ride alot and ride as hard as you can.

and go fast - alpine is all about fast- scare yourself a little

listen to some manic music on the way up on the chair- get amped

wwbd ? what would bordy do ? he'd go fast

Horrible advice. Good grief. You can't work on technique when you're scared. You slip into self-preservation mode and technique goes out the window. Stick to the steeper greens and easier to moderate blues for now.

[RJ-PS]

Confusion?

I like to concentrate on a general idea instead of trying to fix a number of things at the same time. It helps me on the mountain to enjoy while improving. Maybe it will work for you, maybe not.

Therefore I will reiterate Kent's Number 3 - "but understand that a stiff set-up needs a more aggressive riding style." Your setup may not be too stiff, but you are allowing it to look that way because you aren't working it.

Get aggressive!

Remember you have hips, knees, ankles, feet, toes, etc plenty of axis for movement that all contribute to the turn.

PS yes, toilet sitting, however I didn't think the vid was so bad for someone only out for a few seasons.

[willywhit]

I don't think RDY_2_Carve is a newbie that needs to stay on flat trails and make pretty turns. He has a fast motorcycle and knows how to go fast.

My point was, as RJ-PS just stated, Get aggressive!

Coilers and Doneks neeed to be pounced on. Take my advice for what it's worth, I like to go fast and maybe it isn't always pretty but charging down the hill is what I believe alpine is all about.Maybe some would rather focus on perfect technique.Challenging yourself and stepping out of the comfort zone is how you advance(and still work on the little techie stuff in the process) but CHARGE IT ! it's alpine , not ski ballet.Whatever happened to ski ballet? It think that sport is rad.

[RDY_2_Carve]

Have you tried the Coiler yet?

The reason I ask is, Coilers are notoriously easy to ride as long as they are not too stiff for you. If this was one of Lynn's boards it could well be spot-on for you.

I began a period of rapid breakthroughs when I got my first Coiler GS deck. If you are able to ride it where you've got room to make big turns (preferably on a green slope), a 13-ish sidecut might give you enough time between turns to actually work on the dyanamics. Again, not a coach nor do I play one on TV, just telling you what worked for me. And having seen your video, I was at the exact place where you are now for a good season or two before I started to clean it up. For me, seeing video was the catalyst. I'm sure I still revert to looking like that at times

Yes Mike it's one of Lynn's boards. I'm 5'6" and 165lbs (she's 5'7" and 155lbs). It's got superboard, 180mm waist, 13m SCR, and stiffness index is 5.8. The only reason I bought it was our similiar size/weight and I prefer skinny boards as well (don't mind the 60deg angles).

You could be right though...when I actually had somebody in NM to carve with the guy let me ride his Madd 170 and he said I rode better on that deck than anything he had seen so far. I tried a Madd 180 at SES and I sucked hardcore on it.

As far as the speed thing I think Jack is correct. On my softies I ride very fast (carve trenches in softies too) and my confidence is endless. I ride nowhere near as fast on my plates as I do on my softies and I'm sure it's due to my confidence going down. I'm not really scared I'm just not confident. Oddly enough at lower speeds I'll head straight for the trees and trust my edges that I'll make the turn instead of going squirrel hunting. I can ride fast on plates but I'm not carving at all-just bombing the hill. I might as well be on my softies at that point.

[willywhit]

sometimes I think it's the steep angles that mess with your confidence. Going fast on an 18 cm wide board can be scarey, dangerous and flat out stupid...sometimes.

Since I got the Coiler EX and it's 23 wide and 176 it's like the best of both worlds. Got on the Madd 170 last week after a few runs on the Coiler and I was like-no way, no thanks, not today. Got right back on the Coiler and ...I could go fast again, with confidence.

Getting stressed with the lack of slope time-shake and bake !

Madd 168 BX-that's a board I wanna go fast on...again.

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt, 1936

[Rob Stevens]

I'll give my support to Willy and RJ-PS.

That video clip helped me alot, to see what you're doing.

Give it a little effort, Man!!!

If you just stand there, all lazy and ****, centrifugal forces will have their way with you, pulling your shoulders outside and back on the heels and into counter-rotation on the toes.

Here's another one (you'll have lots of stuff to try out):

-It's called (for lack of a better name) the "Teapot". When you go onto your heels, think about having your back shouder higher than your front. When you're in the opposite position i.e: front high, back low, your hip will stick out forward, making it look like you're taking a dump.

High back shoulder, low front shoulder will make your hips shift back. The "Teapot" reference comes from the way your front arm will look like the spout (aiming down) and the back will look like the handle (elbow high). I think the E/C boys call this the "Egyptian", like their side-on heiroglyphs. It may make you incline a bit, but we'll take care of that later.

This position is meant to get you in a more aggressive position, leading with your head, getting your upper body tilted into the direction you're going, rather than away from it. The side benefit is, through this technique, your style will improve because you won't be sitting and ****ting anymore.

On the toes, keep looking to the side after you come out of the apex. Your lazy style is letting your upper body open up to the fall line, making you counter rotate. This is a real "get aggressive" moment. See your target (the trees at the side) and this should help you to close your shoulder, away from the fall line a bit more, at the bottom of the turn.

I like Willys advice, insomuch as you need to give'r some more. I will repeat that you look really lazy when you're riding. I can see what Jack is saying about being scared making you revert to your old ways, but you should try harder on the slopes you're used to.

Jack... Buddy... This "Horrible advice" thing is taking me back to my come apart with you over your comment to me that what I was talking about was "Utter nonsense". Maybe so, but you sure do get a guys back up when you roast him like that. There was alot of good in Willys post. In writing this, though, I guess I am being pretty PC, so flame away, Brother.

[Neil Gendzwill]

+1 on most of the technical advice given here, especially bending the knees and the rotation issues.

I wouldn't scare myself, but a little more speed might help you be more dynamic.

[willywhit]

no need for flames, this snow drought is making more than a few of us "edgey", myself included. Best techie tip I ever got was Gilmour and his little handbag analogy, square it up. I do tend to flail a bit and really do need more work on technique. Jack is the man when it comes to technique advice. In that sense, I'm lazy. I just wanna go fast and hopefully somebuddy notices and thinks that the hard boot railing looks cool. I did get a comment from the liftie chick at gunstock last week.Came ripping down the flat groomer towards the lift, waaay too fast (nobody around tho) big loooong toeside leaning back(like surfers do, coming out of the barrel, standing straight up )Man, it just felt soooooo good :p

I wish I could find a better pic to describe the feeling

[Rob Stevens]

Yeah, Jack's on it.