modifiede30 Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I'm a bit new to the whole technique of carving although I've been sliding around in hardboots for quite a while - I simply liked the control and speed it was able to generate. Over the last few months, I started searching for new bindings and one thing led to another and I found a wealth of info that made me realize I was using the board totally wrong. Now that I'm starting to really carve, I'm finding some of the weight transfer motions of carving are very similar to what I used to feel when I was riding a skateboard on a ramp - at least in terms of putting weight into the board to obtain more force on the surface. For skateboarding this was for increasing speed, for carving, it seems its to catch more edge. I've searched around and haven't seen reference to this so I'm wondering if I'm just wrong, or doing something I shouldn't be, but wanted to post to find out. Any comments welcomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I def feel a similarity between carving and skateboarding. Especially a well excecuted heelside on snowboard is very similar to pumping a heelside on slalom deck. Also same body inclination. After more than usual slalom skateboarding this summmer I feel my carving got a lot better. I have done mostly hybrid courses which I think have the most similarity to carving. Check out Pierre Ramsay from this pic I took during a session this summer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstzephyr Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Very cool picture. I've been thinking hard about grabbing a longboard this summer, and if its anything like carving I'd be all on it. Sorry can't help you with the technique thing, but good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Very cool picture. I've been thinking hard about grabbing a longboard this summer, and if its anything like carving I'd be all on it. Sorry can't help you with the technique thing, but good luck. If you want to improve carving stay away from longboards except for shorter and flexier ones set up for pumping speed. A nice GS slalomdeck is the right tool to learn how to pump. PUMPING (gyrating) is the secret and the fundament of building up both strenght (for winter use) and speed even on flats. With a shorter board you can carve almost any slope without getting to much speed. What Pierre´s doing on the pic is locking up in order to take a cone without skidding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstzephyr Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Oh ok cool. I was just looking at an Insect slalom board, and I really want a Loaded board. But what do you mean by short(30 in...33...?) and long(I've seen some 56+ boards). Also I'm not so much trying to find a board exactly like snowboard carving...but I would like to carve it. I'm not too worried about the strength thing, as I'm a mountain biker/rock climber/hiker. Sorry for the hijack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baka Dasai Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I started with snowboard (carving). Then I got into skateboarding, particularly slalom. The similarities are obvious. And then I got into skateboarding in skateparks, and realised that pumping the transition is really similar to pumping turns - it's just that one is in the vertical plane and the other is in the horizontal plane. (One thing I notice is that good transition skaters pick up slalom skateboarding very quickly.) For those thinking of getting into longboarding - a looong board will have a big turning radius, which really reduces its versatility. I agree with the advice about getting a slalom-sized longboard - something with a wheelbase between 20 and 25 inches. It's just a lot more versatile - the only disadvantage is that it isn't so great for straight bombing of hills - but the whole point is to turn, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modifiede30 Posted February 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I've never been on a slolam skateboard, but from the pics, there is an obvious similiarity. My main question was answered in terms of the motion of putting force into the board in a turn, similar to what you might do to increase speed on a skateboard half pipe. Its been a very long time since I've been on a skateboard but my last outing made me realize how similar the motions felt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob-CanCarve Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 I race slalom, ride skateboard parks, cruise longboards and run downhill in the summer months - all of it helps your snowboarding technique! Choose what you like and have fun - you will not be disappointed. All the best, Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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