My first day of carving.

[KingCrimson]

I got to bring my Burton Speed to Mount Baldy today, but I didn't have a very good day.

Well, after speaking with Bobdea on AIM. Basically, it came to "I'm wearing ski boots, and have no cant plates." In response, Bobdea said something along the lines of "You're f**ked"

Well, I started to feel that way. I couldn't do heel side at all, toeside was tipsy, and my dad was suggesting we rent a freestyle board. I was completely reluctant, starting to think that I had made a mistake with ski boots and a foldy board like the Burton. After slowly cutting some turns down the bunny slope, mostly unsuccessfully, I was getting really frustrated.

I worked my way to a steeper portion, and BAM! I pile drove a tree, and snapped the board right behind the front binding!!!

Actually, I set an edge, and swiftly switched heelside, and back and forth and back and forth. I had been able to do this on a soft boot board, but never had so much grip, and such a tight and quick transition! I can't believe the feeling!

I worked my way to the big lift (it's a bit confusing to explain, you'd have to be at Baldy looking right at what I'm talking about) and headed up, had a bit of a party getting off the lift, but didn't fall. At this point, there was not a single mark in the trail, fresh groom, 8 in the morning. I took off down, and kept falling because I'd keep looking back to admire my lines. Eventually I got over that, and my first REAL fun carve was going around a hairpin turn, completely at speed. Second run, I tried to push it, but the board turned so well, I ended up rock boarding in the bare spot in the center of the hairpin. There goes my flawless base, and I lost a little of the topsheet on the tail. Oh well.

Basically, with a 10 minute session of "SCREW HARDBOOTS," I was set to carve, and I did so from 8 to 2:30. It got so slushy that I kept locking the wrong edge and getting flung down. Otherwise, the Speed handled moguls, ditches, crud, a Gatorade bottle left in the trail (which really gets my goat, so I nailed it for satisfaction, and climbed back up and grabbed it) and there was a little jump for some reason, and I took it, and landed nicely too. My biggest fix for most of the issues I had at all was just keeping my torso facing opposite the carve. I just watched my dad ski, and tried to copy that, and it worked out GREAT!

On to the best part of the day. I was coming down a blue circle (which is as steep, if not steeper than Mt. High's black diamonds) and a patroller was staring at me, and as I passed him he said "Nice carves dude!"

That quickly went to my head, as on the transition to a bunny slope, I ate it. Blah.

Sorry for the iffy sentence structure; no sleep.

[b0ardski]

you got the board & binding, a snow board specific boot will be way more forgiving & you'll be pegging the stoke meter:biggthump most of the guys I've met that use ski boots wear flexons w/cants on the binders.

[Allee]

You'll be fine on the ski boots for a while. Without cants the best you can do is try and lock them forward if you can (if they have a lean adjuster or a flex adjuster, try and push it as far forward as it will go).

Sounds like you had a better first day out than I did. My first day on a carving board, I failed snowboard school!

Have fun!

[KingCrimson]

I had many "Oh ****!" moments, not being familiar with how the board responded to different angles on the edges.

Everything worked out okay, and my joints feel a lot better after hardbooting than softbooting. Softies hurt my knees.

According to the Rossi site, my Axiums have a flex index of 55, while the racing boots have around 120-130.

I figure the Rossi racing boots can't be stiffer than my dad's Lange Banshees.

Also, the boots had cuffs pointing straight up this morning, now they've worked their way forwards, which is good.

If I had so much fun and control with a Burton from 5 years ago, with a design from 10 years ago, ratraps with really soft pads, and Rossi ski boots..I can only imagine how I would feel about a custom titanal Coiler made for me with TD2's and some good boots...Jesus..

[BlueB]

Sounds that you had fun! Great!

My biggest fix for most of the issues I had at all was just keeping my torso facing opposite the carve. I just watched my dad ski, and tried to copy that, and it worked out GREAT!

If this is counter rotation, it's bad for snowboarding, except for mogguls and very quick SL turns. Get rid of that before it became a habbit. Turn the torso and head INTO the turn, like looking where your arc should take you. Skiers tend to look and keep their torso down the fall line. My ski carving also improved a lot since I started looking into the turn.

My 2c.

[KingCrimson]

Boris- It didn't feel natural until slushy cruddy stuff.

Also, I just plain wasn't doing it until later in the day, which may just have been a result of the conditions as opposed to experimentation.

[KingCrimson]

Boris- It didn't feel natural until slushy cruddy stuff.

Also, I just plain wasn't doing it until later in the day, which may just have been a result of the conditions as opposed to experimentation.

My dad has an SL style of carving on skis, and my turns were kept very tight because I was trying to mimic his carves.

Even though I only went down a few REALLY steep trails yesterday, I kept on a narrow, winding one that I had a lot of fun carving from side to side on, until I leaned too far and eurocarved off the trail. Every once in a while, I would spring the nose and get shot into the air, and be sprawled out on the ground, and people would pass and ask if I was okay, and I'd go "Yep, I'm just low speed eurocarving." I think it just confused them..

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Congrats!!

Your 14 Yrs old? Awesome. Hope you stay with it, you should be RIPPIN soon.

Have you made contact with any locals? Love to see some of the seasoned riders in your area help you "Ramp Up". Sounds like you have a strong will and powerful spirit. Keep it up!!

[KingCrimson]

Congrats!!

Your 14 Yrs old? Awesome. Hope you stay with it, you should be RIPPIN soon.

Have you made contact with any locals? Love to see some of the seasoned riders in your area help you "Ramp Up". Sounds like you have a strong will and powerful spirit. Keep it up!!

I felt like I was ripping...obviously wasn't. I never had a "slow down and stop, switch edges and continue" phase, it went from "this sucks" to fully linked carves..that was weird. Stopping (read: falling) and looking back at my lines was fantastic. Before, I thought I was carving in softboots. Couldn't be more incorrect. (Nothing against softboot carvers, we all have our own way to enjoy snow)

I've spoken to Tim of Powder and Sun, not sure if he's a poster here or not. I saw him riding a few weeks back, obviously not knowing who he was, and thanks to Oldvolvos, I was able to contact him, and discover that I had seen him.

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Ted, that is what it is all about!! Pure carving!

If you haven't all ready , check out the Ride Board in your state and try to meet up with local riders. It can make a big difference. Sounds like you are well on your way!! Bryan

[KingCrimson]

Yeah, I never liked jumps, but my Burton has so much camber to it, it will pull all the way off the ground if I hit even the smallest of moguls. After that, I always get the music from Hard Attack stuck in my head.

Cutting up the groomers early in the morning was fun too. An older gentleman was working his way down, and looking at some of my marks, and his head followed one long, steep carve, and he ended up seeing me, sitting in a snowbank. He waved at me and rode away with a big smile.

Also, I liked that the board wouldn't let me slide at all, unless I was doing a quick speed check. It would just lock, no matter what.

[energyrail]

ya i have burton factory prime 173. that thing is crazy i'll have to bring it out next weekend. See if it can destroy me in a highside crash.

[KingCrimson]

Day two- Theo carves again!

Looking a lot better than day 1 pics, which you guys aren't allowed to see for fear of "Bends those knees and get the heck off the tail" I figured that bit out.

Tell me what you think.

Willywhit- I wore my Journey shirt, just for you. It's got the Frontiers cover art on it. Yes, the album with Faithfully on it. Want to know how much of a nerd I am? February, 1983. Knew that one by heart.

FOREVER YOURS.......faithfully..

Oh, and to make all you Burton nay-sayer's day, here's my nose, folded in slush.

[KingCrimson]

Blah! My season is done until I can go to Mammoth.

I guess the Burton will sit there staring at me until I get a break from school.

[eaglez]

Willywhit- I wore my Journey shirt, just for you. It's got the Frontiers cover art on it. Yes, the album with Faithfully on it. Want to know how much of a nerd I am? February, 1983. Knew that one by heart.

FOREVER YOURS.......faithfully..

QUOTE]

You said you were 14, you don't see many 14 yr olds liking Journey!! That's great! I however, being the old geek that I am, saw that 1983 Journey Tour in Toronto. Your photos look great. Glad to see you stuck with the hardbooting. My son is 10 and just started to carve this year. Next year he is going to be awesome, can't wait.

D.

[DiveBomber]

Bend your knees

[KingCrimson]

Ski boots without much forward lean adjustment, no cant (well, now I'm getting one, but that's for a different story)

Bending knees much more is very forced, unfortunately.

Who says I like Journey? :o

[kjl]

Bending knees much more is very forced, unfortunately.

No, really - bend your knees more!

[KingCrimson]

I'm willing to bet that the full 7 degree cant will force me into that.

But, gear is no excuse for plainly bad technique, so will do.

[ncermak]

did anyone mention that you need to bend your knees more?

[KingCrimson]

It's always the knees :P

I always get nervous about putting too much on the nose, evident in the last picture. Are my knees bent enough there?

[bobdea]

get out the hot knife or dremel and get cutting

[ncermak]

the key for you to be able to bend your knees it be able to bend the boot. If you cannot bend the boot at the ankles, the boot is to stiff, and bending your knees will only move your center of gravity off of the centerline of the board. sure, the knees will be bent, but now your balance will be way off.

If yoiu cannot bend your boots (bend your ankles), you should got out and buy new boots that you can bend. At 14, you shouldn't be getting into modifying your boots, that is a great way end up in the hospital. rather, sell you ski boots, and reinvest in proper boots. or the better answer - Get mom and dad to pony some dough...

[KingCrimson]

They are pretty floppy ass boots.

I think it's mostly lazy that's the issue.

I didn't bend my knees enough in softboots, so we can figure that either A. I have no strength in my legs, or B. I don't actually weigh 200 pounds, C. I'm not trying hard enough.

The only true statement is C.

My dad can make Banshees bend like softboots, but that's for a different story.

[Steve Prokopiw]

As the uncle of several teenage nephews,only one of whom is physically driven,but all of whom are physically talented,I believe you.While the advice you've been getting on this thread is technically correct,you will have to overcome the tendency toward laziness to break through to the next level.You mostly answer your own questions with things like a rear cant or your self assessment of being lazy,but you would do well to find a good deal on a set of actual hardboots with some forward lean adjustment so that the boots do some of the work for you as you try to bust through your laziness.Also, try setting your stance back another inch or so and you will find the board feels less likely to send you over the nose.All things considered it's great that a person your age is giving this a try.I ride occasionally with a 15 year old who is starting to really rip, but who spends much of his spare time spinning $85.00 yoyos(he's actually awesome at that),so that teeenage boy disease otherwise known as laziness can be overcome.Keep at it!