dshack Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 I've been boarding for a few years (actually, once or twice a year for several, and then 15-20 times last season), and my goal this season is to get my tree boarding going. I can make it through the trees when they're not too steep and the snow is nice and soft, but I want to handle them on steeper pitches and cut a nice line, because they're often the last powder stashes at the resort when we get a dry week. I also have a bunch of freeriding friends that get bored lapping the groomers. This board has helped me out a lot with carving, giving me things to keep in my head as I'm laying down turns (angulate, rotate into the turn, flex/extend, etc). Any advice on where to start with tree boarding? As far as my setup goes, I'll be on an atomic radon, 25-something waist, 159cm long, on hardboots. What sort of angles/setback should I be looking at? I was thinking of running a kind of surfy stance, somewhere along 35f/20-25r. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crucible Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 For boarding the trees, you have to be able to pick your line like you were running gates- look for the gaps between the trees and link 3-6 gaps together. It also helps to do a lot of boardercross type drills like small rollers and banked jumps, because the terrain in the trees is not consistent in pitch- between tree wells, streambeds and small cliffs, it calls for quick reflexes and a balanced stance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cafercr35 Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 I've ridden hard boots in the trees for years - I run angles 66/66 and keep it the same in the trees. What helps me is to put my rear boot in walk mode making it qiucker to switch directions when needing to make those quick decisions. Also NEVER look at the trees only the spaces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotbeans Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 I've learned the hard way that snowboarding in the trees isn't a place to second guess your line-- I found out that I'm more of a spontaneous carver...so...I stick to big, wide open areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 I ride a singlespeed road bike in NYC traffic all summer long, but I'm scared of the trees ... I'll totally admit it. I'll do widely spaced trees at a leisurely pace on an AM board but no way am I going in where its tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 Also NEVER look at the trees only the spaces. I look for light in the spaces too, just keep heading for the brightest spaces. I was in some sick trees today on the Frontier185. Running about 50-45 on the angles and had a ball. 33 inches in two days didn't hurt either. Heavenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjl Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 imo trees are all about having confidence in your ability to turn "RIGHT NOW" and then turn "RIGHT NOW" again. I don't mean that when you ride the trees it's all about immediate panicked turns, but I mean that when you are confident that you can slow down or maneuver around any surprises then you can start to look further ahead and pick out a reasonable and comfortable line without being fixated on stuff directly under your feet. Long story short: I spent a few days bashing moguls on a board and then trees were pretty easy after that. I think if you can comfortably go down pretty big moguls you have the technical skills to handle most trees. The other thing is to just practice more in the trees. The more tracked out and choppier the snow the better. What sort of angles/setback should I be looking at? I was thinking of running a kind of surfy stance, somewhere along 35f/20-25r. I think it's all what you're comfortable at. I'm riding 39/21 in softboots and it works just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 Trees, hardboots, made for each other. As someone said, it's sort of like riding gates, and we know hard gear's good for that. I mellow my angles a few degrees, but not much - 50-55 degrees in the powder for me. I'd just build up to tighter trees; get your confidence in the easier stuff. I think it's all been said before, but... - Don't forget that you can brake the board by sinking the tail. This works best on powder boards, as they're designed for it. My piste boards have stiff tails, which can push you out on resort powder, and also on back country stuff if it's got a layer or two in it. A soft tail or a pin tail is best, IMHO. This is a key technique for riding steep trees.. dump speed by pressing down on the tail. - Stance position .. well if you're on a powder board then use the marked stance, at least to start with. If you're trying to ride a slalom board in the powder then you will likely want to shift the stance back, but that's a general powder not a tree issue. - I find the square "new race method" stance which most carvers ride works well in trees: you can see the things left and right easy enough. - So long as you can always stop, you can pretty much go anywhere and generally get away with it. That said, a lot of my old boarding gear has lots of little rips from trees, but that's not a problem. After a while though you can see the lines. Mostly you'll be riding gladed stuff anyway, so some kind chap has made sure that the lines are there for you. As someone said, you have to be able to turn your board. If you can do that, you can also stop it on nothing. So once you have that confidence, you're away.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor VonRippington Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 ... just move to Steamboat Your tree ridding will improve exponentially whether you want it to or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 A soft tail or a pin tail is best, IMHO. dshack, as philw is saying, if you are going to ride trees (especially at Meadows where they are tight conifers) most of the day on powder days, I would seriously consider a tapered powder board like the Burton Fish or the Prior Khyber. The tapered powder boards pivot through the trees and will react much quicker than boards with longer tails. In the trees, look at the gaps. In low branched conifers, often you will only be able to see one turn at a time and will need to decide your next move when you get through the first gap. Trees with higher branching are a dream to ride, but much less forgiving if you hit one. BE VERY CAREFUL of tree wells, they can kill you. Conifers with low hanging branches are particularly susceptible to developing tree wells. http://www.treewelldeepsnowsafety.com/ Enjoy, Buell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Hey D-shack, Adding my $.02 to the excellent advice that you’ve already gotten. Listen to everyone else about tree wells – very dangerous, and there was a death at Bachelor 2 or 3 years ago, I think. Imagine going face down into a conical hole in soft powder and not being able to turn around to unclip your boots – yuck. There’s some good spots to practice tree riding on HRM. Especially check out the left side of of Kinickinick: the trees are smaller and the pitch is shallower, so you’re not rocketing through monster trunks as you try to get the hang of tree riding. Jack’s Woods is not too tight, so is also a pretty good place to tune up your skills. Apologies if this is too basic, but on steeper pitches (Jack’s Woods) think about turning around the trees (or making s-turns with allowances for trees), rather than straightlining for openings – this will tend to build up your speed too high. If you get in trouble, don’t hesitate to take a hit on the board if it will save taking a hit on your body. (This is a tough one – I tend to baby my boards, and I know that most people here feel the same way.) Remember that it’s much cheaper to replace a board than it is to get medical care for a broken limb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Traversing through the trees, slightly descending, is a good way to get a feel for the timing of the movements at the speed you've chosen. If things get sketchy, you san stop on the spot, practically, rather that getting hucked down the fall line. As you get more confident with the speed and spacing, you can shorten the duration of your traverses, until you're turning again. If you do get caught in a treewell, light up a smoke and patrol can follow the smell right to you. It's also very relaxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshack Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thanks a lot, guys- much of this is stuff I kind of know in the back of my head, but articulated in a way I can keep in mind as I board. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vapor Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 As it was stated in a previous post that you should make s turns in the steeper pitch stuff instead of just shooting for the gaps. A technique that is helpful in geting the back of the board around is to be slightly compressed at the start of the arc with a majority of your weight on the front foot. Then uncompress your weight your able to bring your back foot around and go from toeside to heelside in a sliding arc that bleeds speed which is half the battle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vapor Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 it works!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ernie00 Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 This is last week riding the trees with my AM.167 .. didn't change my stance or angles .. we spend all day in the woods at Jay Peak the conditions were awsome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redriver Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 fullface helmet (or it's just a matter of time) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik J Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 When I first got into the trees I was pretty timid. I kept my focus closer to the tip of my board than I should have. With practice my focus moved farther away from my board and opened up to see not just the spaces between the tree, but the line that I would take a few turns ahead. I would suggest practicing to keep your chin up slightly and your focus a little farther down the slope each time you go. In time, I found that my awareness grew to absorb so much more of my surroundings. It seemed to slow down the visual input that I was getting, even though I was learning to go faster and faster. This was part of my mental game. For body positioning, just be comfortable like everyone else has said. I keep my knees bent as if I'm ready to pounce. My upper body stays as quiet and level as possible - stable & sound. My hands are forward of my feet with bent elbows kept lower in relation to my body. My knees and ankles are doing most of the work, absorbing bumps, pushing against snow banks and moving up and down like a slinky - staying as calm and fluid as possible. Fluidity is key for me. I found it easy to overwhelm myself by trying too hard. I think it's important to stop and breathe and collect your thoughts when this happens - it'll straighten out your focus. Plus it's just a beautiful place to be. And bring candy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 man, I have as of yet found trees too tight to ride west of the miss my advice to you would be to book a trip to hit VT, if you can ride the woods of stowe, sugarbush and Jay you can ride any trees in the west. Steamboat, best assortment of trees anywhere that I've seen that has consistant snow. VT has hairier lines but often too thin cover to really have a killer session. as others have said, after basic pow riding skills and being able to pick a line it really comes down to balls. I prefer softboots by a long shot for that type of riding, I am much more confident on them for that sort of thing as it's easier to use my ankles for the fast twitchy turns that are essential for riding trees. I used to ride trees on a GS stick when I was in killer shape though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadBrad Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Just close your eyes and use The Force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 A bit simplistic but,one drill to get ready for trees is to turn three times as many turns on your favorite open run as you normally would.Then in the trees don't wait until you have to turn but make extra little swivel movements with your ankles,knees and hips(not your arms)in between the more complete turns.By using this tactic rather than waiting until you have to turn or react to avoid a tree or other obstacle,you are establishing a rhythm with which to turn more quickly from an attacking posture rather than a defending one.Hope this makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 it works!!! Vapor: it looks like you have about 8 inches of nose on that board.??? Are my eyes tricking me? Looks like you getting out there on it. Are you 4 feet tall? not that there is anything wrong with that. Color me confused. WB - treewell photo. Absolutley beautiful. Reminds me of the snow ghosts at big Mtn in Montucky. The smile on your girl is nice too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Some advice others haven't covered - branches can be your friend in emergencies. I've grabbed quite a few for that quick u-turn action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncermak Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Practice in the bumps. Spend a lot of time in the bumps (without trees) and learn how to ride them. Pivot on top of moguls, use them like banks...learn to play with varied terrain. Then, when you take it into the trees, you will be more able to focus on your line, and the gaps in between the trees than on what is happening underfoot and directly down the hill. In short. Get confident in the bumps before addding another obstacle to the hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tripine Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 I love them trees... However... Be aware http://telemarktalk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=42410&sid= Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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