easier heel sides with freeride board

[Yard Sale]

Saturday was my first day of the season and I rode my Rad-Air Reto Lamm LSD 164 due to some new snow. (Not enough for the powder board, too much for the carving board.)

I had a far easier time initiating heel side carves with it than my usual ride, a Prior WCR Metal 177. TD2s, purple gaskets, and Head Stratos pros on both. 55-50 with the Prior, 40-34 this time with the Rad-Air. Both more or less centered. No cant.

Heel sides are my er, Achilles heel and make me look like a wobbly noob carver whereas my toe sides are solid intermediate. Initiating the heel sides are particularly troublesome.

Any idea why it was so much easier? Board length? Binding angle? Soft snow?

[Carp]

My opinion is it's likely all you mentioned and the fact that it's a softer board...less work to get the pressure than on a stiffer alpine specific board. My old opinion was that you needed a really stiff board to be able to ride well on ice. After riding the Coiler Schtubby I no longer feel that way. Now my legs are MUCH less tired and I still have the pop at the end of the day as I do in the beginning...riding has really become thoroughly enjoyable again...FOR me as a result of the board.

[queequeg]

I assume the Retro Lamm is wider and you ride it with considerably lower stance angles? (Not familiar with this board). Any possibility you are sitting on the toilet? With lower stance angles, I imagine that heelsides would (feel) easier if you are sitting on the toilet.

Sitting on the toilet: breaking at the waist during heelsides while failing to bring your (trailing) shoulder forward and (often) letting your reardward hand drag behind you rather than reaching for your front knee/boot. People who sit on the toilet also tend to bring the rear knee way out of line with the board (like they are spreading their knees apart) rather than driving it towards the direction you aim to turn).

Are you looking down the fall-line during your turns rather than in the direction you want to go? Where is your trailing hand? Is it trailing behind you or are you bringing it around towards the front of your body. Your trailing hip, and your trailing shoulder should also, not trail. You want to focus them in the direction your arc is supposed to take you.

[Dr D]

lateral flex in boots. I initiate better in softies as well do to the ability to laterally flex toward the nose. try the hardboot setup with softer bindings and or boots and you will get a similiar feel.