help me improve please

[Keopele]

I have been snowboarding for a couple years now and really want to progress. I seem to have hit a bit of a plateau but know that I have a long way to go. I'm hoping to get a HB setup for next season, but for now I want to improve my technique the best I can on SBs. My bindings and boots are both cheapies/junk so hopefully if/when I upgrade them, that might help a bit.

I'm a newb, but from reading through threads here, it looks like I'm reaching too much with my right hand and sticking my butt in the air too much on toeside. On heel side, it looks like im trying to sit down and I think that leads to my heels skidding out on less than great conditions.

Are there other observations? It sounds like some of you have great drills for improving technique. Does anyone have ideas for drills I can do to improve and help me get rid of bad habits/develop good ones?

Cheers

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[Keopele]

the embedding doesn't seem to work. I copied the "embeded" code from the youtube page and pasted it into the message. What is displayed in the message is different from what I copied and pasted though. Any ideas?

[Jack M]

There are articles in the links below to help you get started. Head to the greens, slow down, and get The Norm going on your softies. Learn to start a carve on the downhill edge. This will give you a big head start when you switch to hardboots.

Carving is possible on soft gear - if you switch to hardboots without first knowing how to carve your edge without steering/skidding, it will be even more difficult on alpine gear.

[pebu]

the embedding doesn't seem to work. I copied the "embeded" code from the youtube page and pasted it into the message. What is displayed in the message is different from what I copied and pasted though. Any ideas?

There are 3 different modes for posting and in one of them it doesn't work. Possibly in two of them, but in the third it will work. Sorry, I can't tell you which modes work and which don't.

[Keopele]

I tried highlighting the first part of the link that was pasted and that seems to work. Its a bit big and ends up looking grainy/fuzzy but hopefully it will be clear enough for some of you to help me out and show me everything I'm doing wrong. Thanks again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUqR0TFKSzo&rel=1

[willywhit]

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you're skidding, you need to get the edge to hook up and slice a big C into the snow. Engage the edge, don't let it break loose and wash out. Simple as that

watch this vid. over and over and over

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[carvedog]

Welcome Keopele.

Good basic skills. Good flex and extend. Leaning in a bit on the toeside, try to use ankles more and earlier in the turn. And knees. Avoid leaning in on toeside. Try to feel knees moving across the board, followed by hips. Really try to push your hips in (towards toes) early in the turn. Doesn't work so good if you do it late.

If you look at your first slow mo turn your lead hand is going back to the heelside as you finish your toe turn. I really like to see everything going in the direction of the turn so this stood out a bit. It is counter-rotating and seems to require more work to board this way. Not huge but I noticed.

Think about keeping a fairly upright upper body and really working the legs. Even more than you already are.

I know you are on a narrow trail, but I would like to see more turn shape. Might mean you need to slow down for this. To do this think about more lateral movement across the run to finish. Looks a bit like you put in just enough of a turn to slow down and then go to your next edge. For carving try more of a round shape to finish with board perpendicular to fall line.

Just some quick thoughts. Take it for what it's worth, it's the internet, but you did post a good vid so that helps.

[JJFluff]

I saw the same as carvedog. You have a slight counter rotation that occurs. Like he said, notice how at the end of the toeside turn your lead hand is moving to the left, while the board still wants to head right. You really want to feel everything working together. One thing that is extremely important to do, so that everything will work together is to look in the direction you are traveling. Meaning on the toeside turn, don't look over your left shoulder down the hill, or down fall line, instead you need to focus in the same direction your board is moving. This will help you to hold the turn longer, allowing the board to finish the turn.

This is what carvedog is asking to see when he refers to "turn shape". If your head is looking downhill your body will want to move in that direction as well. Not allowing your hips to rotate, or pressure into the turn. When I talk about rotation, it is important to note, that it is very slight. Because if you are moving with the board, than technically, there is no rotation. But you do want to feel the hips slightly pressuring into the direction of the turn, remembering to always focus in the direction of movement, in the direction of the traverse, before transition occurs.

This of course needs to be applied to both toe and heelside turns.

[Keopele]

Thanks so much for your replies, observations and suggestions. And thank you Willy for posting the video in the message.

I see what you're both talking about and will be thinking about all of it the next time I'm out on the hills. I think the first thing that stood out for me was not finishing my turns and not travelling accross the hill enough. Hopefully that will be easy to fix, but I think the other stuff is going to take me a lot of time. Thanks again for your input. It's very helpful :)

[Pow]

Make sure you focus on head/upper body placement as JJ said! The biggest obstacle to overcome right now is probably going to be the fact that you're facing down the hill throughout every turn. Look (with your eyes) in the direction you want to go, which will be across the hill. It sounds simple, but it will require a lot of conscious effort. it should help you link your first carves and fight the counter-rotation you experience.

good softboot form, by the way. not many riders I've seen are even attempting carving, props to you.

[willywhit]

Thanks so much for your replies, observations and suggestions. And thank you Willy for posting the video in the message.

I see what you're both talking about and will be thinking about all of it the next time I'm out on the hills. I think the first thing that stood out for me was not finishing my turns and not travelling accross the hill enough. Hopefully that will be easy to fix, but I think the other stuff is going to take me a lot of time. Thanks again for your input. It's very helpful :)

see if you can track down some of the guys from

Southern Ontario Session (SOS)

http://www.carveitup.net/

a few pics of uncle bruce on the sled

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=9565&highlight=Southern+Ontario+Session+%28SOS%29

[Bordy]

Go take a upper level lesson.

I would never listen to interent riding advice. There is no direct on hill feedback.

[carvedog]

Go take a upper level lesson.

I would never listen to interent riding advice. There is no direct on hill feedback.

You shouldn't listen to internet riding advice, because you ride better than all of us. Yeah I have been all over hardbooter videos etc. and I particularly liked the any boards, any conditions theme of the one vid.

That said - to post that someone can't get anything from those of use who respond to request for advice isn't fair to the poster or the respondees.

Of course there are a few who post here with comments like, "I just started this winter but blah, blah blah" and they shouldn't even be responding.

My history is 14 years of teaching and hundreds and hundreds of happy clients. I have sat in and led training clinics that have to number in the hundreds of hours. Within that have been hours and hours dedicated solely to the study of movement mostly in snowboarders, but also skiers, sit skiers, one legged skiers etc.

My point is that I have something to offer this person from a very grounded and thought out position. There is no substitute for direct on hill feedback but maybe this person can't afford a lesson right now, or he rides better than all the instructors at his hill. At some small mountains that I have been to this might be the case.

When I am working with someone who is looking to change something in their riding the first step is to get them to be aware of how and where there body is to start with and make them aware of the movement patterns that get them there. That is why I don't normally look to start with arm position, but a movement pattern. This riders movement pattern showed that everything is not moving together so I wanted him to start to build some awareness of movements working together.

I don't think I can fix something over the net, but maybe lead keopele to a better awareness of movements and turn shape for a start.

Bordy - I respect your posts here and enjoy having you on the board. Just asking for the same.

[Bordy]

I'm not knocking anyones advise, And I know your, History and you ability to teach... But in this Case the Guy is Currently a soft booter looking to carve better then move into hardbooting.

There are plenty of great instructors nation wide that would love to help this cat out.

We both know thats the most efficient way to progress. At his current level.

Just trying to keep the post short since I wrote it while up sick at 4 am ish. And the dudes a softbooter.

Sorry if you were offended.

[Keopele]

Thanks again for all the helpful tips. I'm currently a softbooter (because of equipment) but I've got the soul of a hardbooter. If I had known about hardboots and carving before I got my soft gear, I probably would have gone straight to HBs. I want to improve my softboot skills, but my ultimate goal is to make the transition to hardboots as quick and easy (less hard) as possible. I can't afford it now, but maybe next season I'll be able to get some carving gear.

I've never taken any lessons before, but I think that is good advice. Perhaps when I get in touch with some people from around here, they would know of good instructors. I'm hoping to go riding with a carver from around here some time this season and he said he might even have some gear that would fit me.

You've all given me lots to think about when I'm riding. Thanks so much

[carvedog]

We both know thats the most efficient way to progress. At his current level.

Just trying to keep the post short since I wrote it while up sick at 4 am ish. And the dudes a softbooter.

Sorry if you were offended.

I am sorry your were/are feeling poorly.

Like water off a ducks back.

Not disputing the value of one-on-one lessons. I would rather have a guy come to me with awareness of some movements and not know how to fix them, rather than "I can't carve as hard as I want can you fix it."

But it is the internet as I said. YMMV.

Sure wished I could have made it to WTC, I know it was more powder carving than cord ( at least it sounded like), but still would have loved to hang with you guys for a day or two. Looking to hit Snowbasin a little later in the year 'cause I get the hook up there.

[willywhit]

sorry to hear yer sickly BB. I've got a sick kid at home right now and better not catch it:nono:

Isn't this guy near some hardbooters up in south ontario ? If ya can't get a lesson, which is unlikely without trekking to the land of mormons, see if ya can find some hardbooters in your area to give you tips.

If ya see a hardbooter on the hill, roll up on him and ask some questions.It's really just a state of mind and you can get dialed in a bit even in softies, just keep trying to ride the rail and keep the edge ON edge.

Watch how ski racers work their turns. I'm no professional instructor but I've spent enough time tearing up the hill and not stressing about "proper form" to say, just be aggressive and charge the hill and the form will find you. You just need that mental picture in your head.

Good Luck ! There's a ton of videos to watch here, too.

& welcome to BOL:cool:

[newcarver]

One thing that I don't think that has been mentioned yet is to set up your equipment that you have for top performance. Make sure you have your binding angles set so you get the most edge response without boot out. You might want to try some risers and things too. With soft boots, I've found a front foot angle of around 28-35 and rear of around 20 works best for me. Also, stance width will probably make a difference. If you narrow your stance some it should allow you to decamber the board a lot easier.