Where do you initiate your carve?

[modifiede30]

I've been watching some videos lately to look for any methods that might help me improve my technique. All of a sudden I noticed something that really struck me - I see a lot of hardbooters dive into a carve so that the switch from toe to heelside occurs while traveling across the slope rather than while they're heading downhill vertically.

When I think of my last day out, I spent a lot of time transitioning from toe to heelside while traveling vertically downhill. I've always struggled to maintain a constant speed - I always seem to build speed far too quickly and then break the carve to slow myself.

Maybe I'm just finding excuses for constantly having to scrub speed by breaking my carve - would be interested in other's views and experience though.

[Chubz]

I had that epiphany in my second season of hardbooting and it sent my confidence level thru the roof. Feels odd at first but once you get the timing and confidence that your board will hold thru the turn, its key.

Picture linking cresent moons together. The turn starts at 12 noon instead of 3 or 9 . Sometimes you will see pics of ppl right after the edge switch adn they are falling downhill, but the board comes around to catch them.

It also helps with managing speed and avoiding skiers downhill from you particularly on steeper stuff.

Enjoy the new discovery

[carvedog]

Sometimes just shifting how you think about the turn makes the difference. All mental you know.

Instead of thinking about going "downhill" or straight down the fall line. Think about that lateral velocity you have across the run. Helps to build confidence to trust that edge hold, because you are no longer thinking of the straight line to the bottom of the lift, but the series of SSSes you are making.

[Erik J]

Enjoy the carve as long as you can while keeping your momentum going, then do it again.

On some of your turns you may find yourself going uphill...suck up your knees, whip that SOB around and show your board who's the boss.

[Mellow Yellow]

Erik starts his turns midair....

[Istvan]

I think you hit it right on the head. Not being able to maintain a constant speed and changing edge in line with the fall line is one single issue.

If you carve (and don't skid) the only way to maintain a constant speed is to carefully select the direction where you change your edges.

Should the slope be very steep, you might find yourself changing edges when you travel excactly 90 degress to the fall line across the slope, so you'll surprisingly carve on your downhill edge like on the pic of Erik.

[NateW]

Great pic, Erik!

E30, you can keep a pretty constant speed on moderate slopes, but when it gets steeper, just forget about constant speed.

Lots of the fun of carving hard comes from accelerating into a turn, and staying committed, and then coming out at a traverse at a moderate speed again. If you commit to the carve early, you will accelerate as your carve takes you from a traverse to going straight down the fall line, but if you stay committed you'll also decelerate without skidding, as your carve brings you back into a traverse.

The extremecarve guys talk about "push-pull," and took a while for that to click for me, but it helps a lot. Going edge-to-edge is much faster when I pull the board in, and pushing it back out helps provide more edge pressure in the early part of the turn, on the downhill edge, as you see in Erik's picture.

[dingbat]

Mod,

Find me up at Berkshire East today if you can.

Grey helmet, Black Moutain Ops. jacket.

-Mark

[terekhov]

yet another edge-change on rather steep soft quasi-groomer, pogo overdose & me

PS yes, most of my edge-changes is when the board is perpenicular to slope fall-line, on grooms I mean

[Zone]

http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5470

[Bobby Buggs]

This says it all!! Beat that b!tch and ride the down hill edge:biggthump

[Thor VonRippington]

Mod

You're learning to finish your turns. It's basically what everyone is describing in your thread and keeps your speed in check.

Enjoy... you've hit the next level

[Hugh]

Enjoy the carve as long as you can while keeping your momentum going, then do it again.

On some of your turns you may find yourself going uphill...suck up your knees, whip that SOB around and show your board who's the boss.

Erik pictured above is in the carving power position. His board has already flipped to the correct edge, his body is already angled (tilted) into the optimal centered position...when he comes out of that turn, his hip will already be pinched downhill as the uphill mountain smells his uphill armpit. As fast as that happens, he reaches the center fall line then he flips over to the other edge with the opposite hip pinched downhill.

If any of us are reaching for the snow with the uphill arm, then your downhill hip is not pinched downhill...and staying in a fine line just became more difficult...

--Hugh

[Wun]

Compliments. That is one badass shot. Add it to the Personal Best Carving Photos thread? ;)

[Perlyshko]

Hallo Everyone,

Very nice shot of the carve initiation. It does look far beyond my comprehension, yet this is exactly what I am dreaming about.

Frankly, I am beginner in carving - better to say, I am in the middle of exploration of the style that becomes my entire dream. To learn carving I chased hard-booters on the slope this season, contemplating, spying, copying, repeating and learning. At the desperate moment I dared to ask for a hint from the carver, producing unbelievably perfect traces and he kindly supervised my rides and attempts. He mentioned that I had not been low enough in my knees for a carve. Agreed! To help "lowering" he unlocked the chimney of my boot.

When I have chimney locked, I feel that board reacts differently - I handle edges better. When it is free, feeling is weaker. But in general it helped to do deeper turns(or may be it was just a feeling). I have UPZ RS10 and have them locked: front on 2nd position(5mm metal plate is visible on the back of the boot). The rear is locked maximum(3d position).

Do you free your chimney to carve or do you lock it to certain position?

[queequeg]

When I have chimney locked, I feel that board reacts differently - I handle edges better. When it is free, feeling is weaker. But in general it helped to do deeper turns(or may be it was just a feeling). I have UPZ RS10 and have them locked: front on 2nd position(5mm metal plate is visible on the back of the boot). The rear is locked maximum(3d position).

Do you free your chimney to carve or do you lock it to certain position?

I lock my chimney (cuff) - do not ride with it unlocked this can damage the boots - and more importantly, can cause sever ankle trauma in some situations. The positioning you have describe sounds good to me. It may be that you need to loosen your springs, or use the softer (white) tongue in your boots if you cannot flex them adequately. How much do you weigh?

[Perlyshko]

My in-panties weight is 70. Together with the cloth, helmet, back protector and few sandwiches to stay on the slope as long as possible...god knows.

I thought that white tongue was 150 flex and black one 130. I will read the manual tonight to confirm.

My springs are precisely in the middle that has been there from the day of purchase, as well as black tongue. The dealer mentioned that he had seen 2 types of riders: having harder tongue and open springs; and having soft tongue closed springs.

I should admit that I am completely satisfied with my rear foot - no problems to go down, but I face complications with the front: it is difficult to bend in knee to lower the body. If I lock the cuff to maximum in front, I have problems to ride the board properly - somehow turns do not work very well. That was, actually, my enlightenment why hard booters have their rear leg bent more than front. Or, may be, my board requires that - have not figured it out yet.

Queequeg, Do you have the same boots? I am so much in love with them although I have never had anything else - they are my firsts.

By the way, I have to unlock buckles after a long ride as my front foot hurts. Do you have the same? Although I noticed if I ride properly, I can do it for hours without any discomfort for my feet.