How often do you fall?

[michael.a]

Lately my carving has been really going well... until yesterday when I was at a mountain with steeps and quite a lot of ice/frozen hardpack. Somehow nothing was working for me, kept reaching for the snow, angulation was ok but then Id be standing up exiting the turns or god knows what else I was doing wrong... gave up at 1pm and headed home.

Of course I kept falling over, almost every 5-6th turn would find me losing edge and skidding a bit on my side or ass. But it was enough for my new pants to already start fading around my ass with most of the zippers fraying. But even in pretty good conditions I go over 2-3 times down a run. Do I suck so much or is losing that edge a common thing when carving for you?

We're talking about average snow conditions, no hero snow, with your average weekend crowd.

Btw, Im counting falls that you recover from by using your hands to push yourself back up :)

[Arnaud]

Btw, Im counting falls that you recover from by using your hands to push yourself back up

uuuh , every turn !! oups , no, it's not fall , just laid turns ...

[Neil Gendzwill]

The poll choices are pretty limited - either you are falling every run, or not falling at all. I'll have a few mild falls each day and maybe one big one, but definitely not every run.

[Corey]

Using your definition I fall a lot, likely once every 1-3 runs or so. That happens when you're pushing it. If you never fall, you're not pushing it! If you're not pushing it, you're not learning as much as you could be.

As you get better (lower to the snow) the falls become less severe, you lose the edge and sit down or do a pushup and slide to a stop. I very rarely have the full-on tumble/roll, maybe every 50 days. (that's 2+ years for me!)

[Maddcarver]

Last big fall i broke 7 ribs... 4 off the sternum and 3 under the shoulder blade. \

I agree if you not skidding out every now and then your not pushing the envelope

[Neil Gendzwill]

I very rarely have the full-on tumble/roll, maybe every 50 days. (that's 2+ years for me!)

You need to get off the poncy groomers once in a while then!

[Corey]

You need to get off the poncy groomers once in a while then!

True enough! :p

[Zone]

Did not answer the poll.

Depends what I do:

- if I take it easy, say riding with the kids/wife, never ?

- if I practice EC, every 2nd turn?

Also depends what you consider as falling:

- falling and actually hurting

- if I skid, most time I consider that a 'fall'

[Allee]

Seriously? It's a pretty rare run where I don't hit the snow. Mostly they're slides - just losing the edge - but I'll backslam hard at least once a day, usually missing the transition onto heelside and catching the uphill edge. I went over hard enough at Whitefish last weekend to give myself whiplash. My spine armor is the best money I ever spent ..

[Futahaguro]

Pretty much what most of the others said here. I just wanted to add this link to me (the cameraman), chasing my step-brother and friend to a 4-5 foot drop. I had made it a couple of times before but the last 3 times I had to much weight forward and ate it every time. http://www.vimeo.com/19417003 . So in that day, I think I face-planted about 5 times:)

It's not carving so I guess it should be in off-topic or in videos but hey, you asked how often I fall so there you go:)

[Guest]

the answer to the question you really ask is:

It sounds like you're doing fine.

My "falls" are just losing the edge and skidding out OR chattering to a stop. I consider chatter a fail as well. As I push myself onto harder slopes, I lose it constantly. If i'm on a blue or a green, I lose it only if I start to go really fast and my form isn't where it needs to be. BUT I rarely, if ever, "catch" an edge like I did when I was learning to softboot...I'm just starting to move to blacks now, so maybe that will change.

[lafcadio]

Too often to count. :o If I had nickel for every time I fell...

[Galen]

Yes, times a day should be a choice. I average about 2 a day, usually a defensive slide out. A whomper about once every week. An injury that makes me take a couple days off about once a year.:o

[knoch]

A few friends of mine used to gamble with eachother on how many turns I would make before I fell. They would stand at the top of the run, watch me until I hit the snow, exchange money, and then start their run.

[carvedog]

- but I'll backslam hard at least once a day, usually missing the transition onto heelside and catching the uphill edge. I went over hard enough at Whitefish last weekend to give myself whiplash. My spine armor is the best money I ever spent ..

Ouch. Allee - you gotta try to get that figured out. No bueno. Once a day backslam?

[Zanci]

I lose an edge 2 times a day...

[Allee]

Ouch. Allee - you gotta try to get that figured out. No bueno. Once a day backslam?

What can I say. I'm an snowboarding disaster area :) But you're right ... I really need to get that heelside sorted. Sometimes it's good - and then I get confident, and more to the point lazy, and get tossed ...

[twelsch42]

I usually fall when I'm attempting to recover, or over-correcting, from some sort of mishap; means I'm not usually going full speed. And very rarely, from catching an edge.

But it depends mostly on how soft the snow is. Lots of powder means I'm going to be going fast and taking chances and falling a few times every run. Early season / hard-pack day and I'm only falling a few times a day, knock on wood. :D

Not falling, and being a good rider are two different things; not to be confused.

[Maddcarver]

i Falljust standing more in one day that i do in a month of riding

[John E]

My theory is that people with a high tolerance of pain will advance more quickly. My tolerance is low so I'm a slow learner. Almost all of my falls are slide outs / big chattering. I've never gone over the high side on my alpine board. If (and when?) I do take a bad fall, it may take me a while to get back on the horse that threw me.

I think it is interesting that some take bad falls frequently and others almost never. For someone learning, I think this has more to do with pain tolerance than ability.

[tufty]

Haven't fallen this season, but I've got 2 reasons for riding well within the envelope. Firstly, boarding is forbidden at work (the boss knows I ride and tolerates it, but if I **** myself up there is zero cover, and it's probably sackable), and secondly I can't afford to **** myself up even if it were covered.

Also, I ride like a god.

A greek god.

The ancient greeks were good carvers, right?

Dionysos.

[John E]

How about another take on this thread:

If you are "proficient" (or above) ability, how many injuries did it take you to get to that level?

By injury, I mean a fall that ended your day, sent you to the doctor or that you still felt several days later.

[michael.a]

Arnaud, you dont count man! :D

Thank you all so much for the responses, I feel much much better about skidding out or experiencing bone shaking chatter, nothing like positive reinforcement! I guess I should have rephrased it as "sliding" or "flipping over" rather than falling as I doubt few of us actually "fall".

I'll add to what you got going John E, I feel somewhat proficient yet it cost me an ankle injury with a 3 month cast.

[Mike T]

Voted 4+, counting any time when I slide out, or otherwise stop unintentionally as a fall

Mostly because I'm always pushing myself.

Never done any martial arts, but people ask me if I do, apparently I "fall well".

[Galen]

Haven't fallen this season, but I've got 2 reasons for riding well within the envelope. Firstly, boarding is forbidden at work (the boss knows I ride and tolerates it, but if I **** myself up there is zero cover, and it's probably sackable), and secondly I can't afford to **** myself up even if it were covered.

Also, I ride like a god.

A greek god.

The ancient greeks were good carvers, right?

Dionysos.

Your in good company. I am also a god.....a short, bald, pudgy, middle aged god.:D