gdboytyler Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I was referring to the the EC/Swoard stuff, wide and STEEP, A nice thing about some places outside the United States is that they actually groom the uber steep stuff so that it can be carved if you have the skills, Scotty's and P-Flats have the pitch though not the grooming of a good EC hill... Me and GaryJ scored Scotty's with hero snow conditions I was laying out EC turns from the top. That is probably in my top 3 carving days. We probably got 5 runs on Scotty's before it got too tracked up. That was maybe 3 years ago, and I haven't seen Scotty's as good since then. Cornice seems to get groomed more often, but it gets crowded quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 Now that's my kind of slope! Tell me it's NOT a black slope! I could carve a slope like that all day too. :pScott Well, it's a "midwest" black so yes, it's called a black but no, compared to east or west it's a blue. It's one of the best pitches around....but compared to the other pictures in this thread it's, well, let's just say it's the best around these parts ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I have to partially eat my words here...I think I'd really love steep blacks that are immaculately groomed and not torn to shreds.Scott That's what I thought you were talking about in the first place. Not ungroomed. You don't sound like an ungroomed sort. When it gets steep, there is an element in transitioning you don't have on even dark blue terrain and that's the amount of body angle you'll have relative to the snow's surface combined with how tight of a turn you'll experience that angle in. Moving from so close to the snow on one side aaaaallll the way to the other fast and without twitchy recovery moves at the switch is a real indicator of shred. Sure, you can simulate the body angle to the snow in a more open turn on less angled terrain, but all the centreline crossovers / unders, whatever and any rotational / counter-rotational, whatever, movements will occur more slowly. To get good at transitioning; Not "good" good, but really ****ing good, you need steep training where you have to actively control your speed in a carve. I am totally with you that runs allowing you to look for speed, rather than always thinking about holding it back are the best. My favourite runs, especially on an alpine board, are kinda flat. Having said that, the only reason I can pin it like I do on the tamer terrain is because I've spent alot of time trying to "clean" the steepest runs that can be groomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I like black runs due to steeper terrain and better snow and more variety in what you have to do. also the fact that the run is not groomed as groomed snow is not my focus for snowboarding. Since I live in Colorado we get a lot of snow at Loveland 400 inches average per year and I prefer riding runs that are not groomed especially since I am spending most of my time in soft boots now. I even rode some double black runs last wensday and had a complete blast. Also those runs are not crowded and less chance of coliding with someone. If I had to ride machine made snow and ice I would not snowboard anymore as It would not be fun. That is why I moved to CO 20 years ago to be able to ride real snow. I would imagine icy black runs to be no fun at all. I like to mix it up and do some blacks and then some runs on eaiser stuff when I get tired. Of course the black runs vary and I can go down some that are not as steep when I want to. I also like the view at the top of the mountain on a nice day when I ride the Ridge at Loveland on a nice sunny day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted January 17, 2009 Report Share Posted January 17, 2009 I get maybe 4 days of perfect groom and carve-heaven conditions a year in which I can really lay down "cheese-grater" armpit vents to the snow runs and they tend to be on the steeper slopes as the C.O.G. in relation to the angle in which we cut across the hill and ability to stand the board back up from is not as low as near flat land. Though I do take great personal joy in ripping down a trail and dumping a full on chest press to the snow as i carve to a stop at the base lift in a 360 :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortcutToMoncton Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Speaking of black runs ... I laughed my head off last week riding with Paul K at Sunshine. He rolled off the top of a black run called Ecstacy and proceeded to just nail it. There were two jibbers sitting at the top of the run, and I was waiting a few feet from them. Their jaws simultaneously hit the snow, they both sat up to get a better look, and one of them pointed and said to his mate "Holy f&$k! did you just see THAT???" Heh heh... there's a great run at Marmot Basin (in Jasper, if you've ever been there) called Showoff. It was right under the lift line, a fairly nice and steep black, and they mostly used to keep it groomed pretty good. Phenomenal run for impressing the skidders on the way up.....:D greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Exited about this morning, 12 winchcat groomed "true" black diamond runs in inversion bluebird 25*f cord layed by expert cat jockeys:1luvu: http://www.schweitzer.com/mountain/trail_maps/interactive/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 LOL, this is funny because I haven't been to a place with a real black run since last season. I've been honing my technique here in the midwest. Got out to Boise last night and managed to get to Bogus Basin. Crowded, quite firm snow (some said ice), and even hit a rock or two. Acing a moderate run is great but there's something about a slope just a little steeper.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Dickerson Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Just an FYI, A Basin (Was there Saturday) Groomed a swath down Slalom Slope from the top of Pali. It was a little narrow for a 180cm Volkl Renntiger in a couple of spots but fun nevertheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I haven't read every post on this thread but for me the answer is simple: Where I'm at, carving on steep runs is the best way to force me to improve my technique. Unfortunately the availability of steep groomers can be limited during stormy weather, or warm weather when they are covered with death cookies, so I don't get to practice as often as I like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coloradoking Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 being a racer at steamboat, all of the stuff we set our courses on is usually blacks, howelsen hill is considered a black from the top down (Although not from the first exit) then the run "see me" directly under the gondola, is steep but i cant remember if its a black or not. you just cant haul @$$ on a blue like you can on a black. if you've got the cajones to do some serious speed, there's nothing like a nice smooth black to lay an edge on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jp1 Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 Colorodoking wrote: "Its only a matter of time before intecs are wirelessly activated with hydraulic actuators controlling the pins. You heard it here first!!! A pair will retail for the price of a kessler!!! Go bad business ideas!!!" I hope only I have the means to activate my Intecs ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawndoggy Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 So after doing a little more steep narrow groomed riding this weekend... It's all about the edge change and the need to do it immediately, without thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWriverstone Posted January 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2009 I bumped this thread to add a followup post in which I partially eat my words that began the thread ("I'll never ride blacks.") I've since amended my position to the following: I now am learning that steeper slopes are more fun when they're in pristine condition. At our local east coast resorts, the steep slopes are usually just BAD for carving, if you like to carve groomers. They're chopped-up, mounded-up, scraped-off, and just nasty. This morning, though, we carved our faces off on some steep blues that were in pristine condition (perfect cord all the way down) and it was GREAT! So my point is that for me, there is a HUGE difference in fun factor between beat-to-hell slopes and smooth, well-groomed slopes. It is literally (for me) the difference between FUN and MISERY. If you actually like trying to carve beat-to-hell, bumpy, rutted, icy, chopped-up steep slopes, you have my respect...but I'm not going there! Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian M Posted January 21, 2009 Report Share Posted January 21, 2009 They challenge my awareness so much. I can have a lot of fun with some deep, fast carves on blues. But on blacks, I get going fast enough that I get scared...(that is a good thing for me) I have to pay enough attention, relax through the adrenalin, and try to stay at one with the hill so as not to get tossed into the air - or into a tree. At very high speeds it becomes a huge challenge to commit your weight to the edge as you normally would, but you have to try. If you don't commit, you lose your edge for sure. Sure, it's easier when pristine, but if a run gets really icy it is pretty smooth and predictable. It just requires superhuman balance and lots of edge pressure. The best is when I'm aware enough to look up off the run at those speeds...and see the world rushing up around me like I'm falling... That's why. Now I can go work on my book "Confessions of a Snowboard Carving Adrenalin Junkie". :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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