Question for women

[Daneille]

What do you feel helped your riding the most?

Daneille

[D.T.]

for Shelly it was switching to a "soft" plate binding that would give her a feel of the snow.

[Steph]

For me it was time on the hill. It also helped to ride with people that were much better than me.

[two_ravens]

For me it was a combination of getting a custom board with a soft flex (Coiler Stubette) which allowed access to the skills, and then having someone take video of me so I could accurately compare what I was doing to what I was seeing better riders do. And time on the hill, of course.... :)

OK, a couple more thoughts... Once I got the new board, I spent about a month just working on single turns: set up my body position, do a single carve, stop and check to see how much my position had changed, re-adjust, do one more turn... Had to really discipline myself not to link turns until the single turns were solid. Did this almost every morning for about an hour for a full month. Resulted in HUGE changes in my riding.

Bindings: started on TD2s and have ridden them exclusively until just recently. I've started trying other bindings this past month and can't believe how much difference a binding can make - and particularly minor changes to how they are set up. I feel like I am riding very well with the TD2s. Tried some SnowPros - and because of limited adjustment options was not able to duplicate my current stance very well, which made my Stubette nearly unridable in hard snow conditions! And I would have blamed it on the board if I hadn't known that the only change was the bindings. Have been trying some Nidecker Carbon Comps the past few days, and love them - but noticing that I am riding faster and having more difficulty controlling my speed on steeper runs. Must be some small difference in my stance with these, still adjusting....

[Allee]

For me it was time on the hill. It also helped to ride with people that were much better than me.

Me three. When you're concentrating on keeping up with other people and following their lines, you have way less time to think about whether you're going too fast and the snow is a little harder than you like. And before you know it. uncomfortable is the new comfortable.

I still drill all the time, spending time on a run over and over and practicing touching hands to boots, or riding with both hands behind my back and just riding my edges. I've started spending a lot more time on steeper runs this year where I'm less comfortable - sure, the first few times are scary, and the carving is sketchy, and it's frustrating. But then you hook one turn, and then link two, and then three, and before you know it, you can ride it.

Soft bindings help a lot too. I've sold all my Bombers, because I much prefer the feel of the F2's and X-Bones I run now.

And my final thing is - some days are good for carving, and some are not. Unlike some crazy chicks I know :), I don't try and carve, carve, carve all the time. If it's a pow day, or the groomers are icy and sketch, or I'm tired and just not feeling it - I'll happily blow off the technical carving and just go ride. I don't need to beat myself up and undo the work of the good days.

[Daneille]

I would say my biggest problem is getting the edges up and dug in. I'm a very good "slarver" as KJL would say. I am better at heelside, I can dig in really good, but toeside not so much. At this point it is me and not the equipment.

[two_ravens]

At this point it is me and not the equipment.

100% sure of this? :) One thing I have noticed over the years - in many, many sports - is that guys will usually blame problems on equipment while women will usually claim it is their own fault - lack of skill or nerve or focus, etc.... This is especially ironic since most equipment is designed and built by & for guys....

While it is entirely possible that some changes in technique will help (have you reviewed this article recently? http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/toesideproblem.cfm ) I also find that small changes to my binding bias makes significant differences in ease of carving either toe or heel side. Front binding seems to make the biggest difference. By bias, I mean adjusting the binding so the boot is either more toward toe side or heel side of the board (or ahead of/behind center on the binding.) My front boot is 1" forward of center currently - works great. Rear boot is centered on binding. Love my TD2s as they seem to offer the most adjustment options.

Appropriate equipment, properly adjusted, allows access to the skills. Toe too far from the edge makes toe side carves very difficult for me... YMMV :)

[Allee]

The riding with the hands behind the back was the breakthrough on that for me. This is a fave of Sean Cassidy at the Snowperformance camps. Just take on a gentle slope, but the hands stay behind your back all the time. Trust me, it's hard - I was almost ready to cry before it finally worked for me - but there is no better way to get yourself riding on your edges with no input from flapping arms or a wobbling body.

That was the single best tip I'd ever gotten as a rider. The difference it made to my riding - everything from carving to pow turns in chop - was instant.

[Steph]

Unlike some crazy chicks I know

Who are you calling crazy?? All us carver chicks are crazy:lol:

I agree with Two_Ravens to some extent on equipment being a hindering factor. However, if you don't have good riding technique (body mechanics) to begin with, the equipment is not going to hide that. Also, reading the "Toe-Side problem" article is a great resource.

Daneille, next time you head out to the hill, try a practice drill. On both heel and toe side turn initiation, reach for the downhill edge of the board. Really over exagerate the motion, without bending at the waist (think compression/extension). You should notice that the edge will set much quicker and hold. I know that this little bit of advice helped my riding tremendously, as I had the same issue. Does this make sense?? I hope this helps.

[kinpa]

At this point it is me and not the equipment.

I would say both..... it's YOU learning to trust your EQUIPMENT! Most guys don't have the same mental thing we call fear, and you BETTER not let them see it!

My biggest thing was keeping up with my brother when I first learned to ride in the mid to late 80s. In the 90s I started teaching skiing so I was always getting great advise from the snowboard instructors and had to keep up with those guys then! Then I started teaching snowboarding too and had my share of clinics and such.

A more recent break through for me came when I realized a fall by being too far over on edge (more like a slide than a slam) isn't the end of the world. And of course, I still attempt to ride with those better than me whenever I get a chance. It's good to push your limits sometimes and open up that comfort zone!

[two_ravens]

The riding with the hands behind the back was the breakthrough on that for me. This is a fave of Sean Cassidy at the Snowperformance camps. Just take on a gentle slope, but the hands stay behind your back all the time. Trust me, it's hard - I was almost ready to cry before it finally worked for me - but there is no better way to get yourself riding on your edges with no input from flapping arms or a wobbling body.

That was the single best tip I'd ever gotten as a rider. The difference it made to my riding - everything from carving to pow turns in chop - was instant.

Allee, sounds like a good drill for me to try too - I feel incompetent if I can't touch the snow, and tend to reach for it if it's not comfortingly close... Maybe you can torture me with some drills at Whitefish. :)

[Allee]

Allee, sounds like a good drill for me to try too - I feel incompetent if I can't touch the snow, and tend to reach for it if it's not comfortingly close... Maybe you can torture me with some drills at Whitefish. :)

We should totally do that. I often use it if I do a couple of runs first thing, and things just feel "off" -it helps me concentrate and make sure I'm riding the board, as opposed to flailing around. But I should really try it on something steeper, and see how it feels - probably as freaky as hell!

Danielle, what don't you like about toeside? Just the feeling of facing in to the hill, or does it just not feel as solid?

[kinpa]

With everyone I teach, at all levels, the heelside generally seems like the preferred / better turn. The reason I say about trusting your equipment is that it is very un-natural to want to throw your body down the hill at the top of the turn like that.... yeah, you are doing it on the heelside too, but it puts you in a "safer" position. (Or maybe it's the perception of where your body is and doesn't seem so scary!) Learn to trust your gear and your ability that even though you are moving to the inside of the turn by by throwing your body downhill, it will hold for you and come around under you in a nice clean carve!

I know for me after years of fighting to trust the board, it was so much easier to get on carving skis and make the same kind of move to get on the new edge much earlier in the turn.

[Daneille]

Today I practiced the body position in the toeside drill article that was recommended, and added reaching downhill. My toeside felt much better, less sliding out from under me with sloppy tracks left behind. I noticed a big difference in trying to keep my rear hip more forward and over the board. At the mountain, I completely forgot about the hands behind the back drill, maybe next week. I really appreciate all the great advice and suggestions thanks.

[ptran11]

As far as equipment is concerned... For me, riding a softer board helped alot. I felt like I really had to have my technique spot on every time with a board that was too stiff. A softer board was more forgiving,

As far as technique... I found that going down the hill faster helped me. In the beginning I was going too slow trying to work on technique that it made it harder to transition between turns. Not saying you should blast down the hill out of control but challenge yourself to go alittle faster.

[Daneille]

Danielle, what don't you like about toeside? Just the feeling of facing in to the hill, or does it just not feel as solid?

It just isn't solid, always a bit of a slide. Tipping it up more produced more slippage instead of engaging. Heelside digs in real nice. I think the article nailed my problem down pretty good.

[Michelle]

It just isn't solid, always a bit of a slide. Tipping it up more produced more slippage instead of engaging.

Daneille, I have exactly the opposite problem. While I did get on a metal board this year (amazing difference) my toe sides now seem solid, my heel side is just a big sliding mess down the hill. If I try to drive it a bit with my front foot, I end up blowing out of the turn.

I know I sit on my back foot, and i hold the turn for a bit too long (because it's fun!) but I'm having a lot of trouble with heel side and can't seem to make it any better. I'm going to try the drills again like two_ravens was talking about. The "hands behind the back" routine is Terrifying to me! Softies, no problem. Hard boots - you might as well throw me out of a plane.

Definitely the new board helped, and like these gals said riding with people who can challenge you but will still wait for you helps. And as always, time on the hill.

If someone has a suggestion about my heel side, I'd love to hear it. Angie is really good at giving me advice on the hill, which is a huge benefit of riding with another girl. :)

[inkaholic]

If someone has a suggestion about my heel side, I'd love to hear it. Angie is really good at giving me advice on the hill, which is a huge benefit of riding with another girl. :)

Easy, ride with the LCI more.

When you do ride with us ask for suggestions/help. We tend to not throw ideas/thoughts/technomumbojumbo out all the time with the female riders not knowing how they will take it if it wasn't asked for. Yep, had that one blow up in my face before.

We all rode with Ang enough to know that she was totally open to our help so we don't wait for her to say anything. Others, well, not so much...we wait till we are asked.

Ink

LCS Part 4 is just around the corner :)

[Michelle]

Easy, ride with the LCI more.

When you do ride with us ask for suggestions/help. We tend to not throw ideas/thoughts/technomumbojumbo out all the time with the female riders not knowing how they will take it if it wasn't asked for. Yep, had that one blow up in my face before.

We all rode with Ang enough to know that she was totally open to our help so we don't wait for her to say anything. Others, well, not so much...we wait till we are asked.

Ink

LCS Part 4 is just around the corner :)

Oh gosh please tell me stuff! It's hard because we are always blazing down the hill, and since I'm always last....but yeah feel free to suggest away. Mario has already started! :)

So is LCS going to be April 3rd? If so, I'm there!

[Allee]

Daneille, I have exactly the opposite problem. While I did get on a metal board this year (amazing difference) my toe sides now seem solid, my heel side is just a big sliding mess down the hill. If I try to drive it a bit with my front foot, I end up blowing out of the turn.

I know I sit on my back foot, and i hold the turn for a bit too long (because it's fun!) but I'm having a lot of trouble with heel side and can't seem to make it any better.

I hear ya. I'm a chronic back foot rider on both sides, to the point where I often wheelie the board on heelside, and I can feel my heelsides on a bad day just wobbling across the hill in a big wavy line. Ugh. Toeside to me is easy - simply flex the knees and stand on tiptoes, and around she goes. If only heelside was that easy!

I know my biggest problem on heelside is that while the board is running across the hill, my body is still facing down it. I'm rocked back on my heels, and the edge is in and riding, but my shoulders are in totally the wrong place. Ugh. I know I do it, but turning my body across the hlll on heelside has just never felt natural to me.

Oh well. Back to the "touch the downhill boot' drills then ... and I'm taking the freestyle board out this weekend and riding duck all weekend. For some reason, every time I do that. my carving totally rocks afterwards!

[Michelle]

I hear ya. I'm a chronic back foot rider on both sides, to the point where I often wheelie the board on heelside, and I can feel my heelsides on a bad day just wobbling across the hill in a big wavy line. Ugh. Toeside to me is easy - simply flex the knees and stand on tiptoes, and around she goes. If only heelside was that easy!

Same....my heelside chatters like crazy most of the time, and I know it's not the board. I feel the same as Daneille - that it's me! My butt is sitting over my back foot, which is a huge part of the deal but I haven't watched my shoulders. Guess that's next to focus on.

[inkaholic]

So is LCS going to be April 3rd? If so, I'm there!

Yes, check the CO ride board once in a while girl. :)

Ink

Oh yeah, Concussed was having the same problem the last time we rode. Once I told her to feed the board through the turn, and explained how to do it, it all hooked up and shot her out the other end.

Explanation that worked with her:

At home, sit on a rolling chair with your feet planted on the floor. Move the chair back and forth like you would if you were on your board moving from tip to tail and back again. This is the basic movement for feeding the board through the turn.

On snow enter the turn with your weight slightly forward and begin to move the board ahead of your feet. At the apex (center of the turn) your weight should be about centered and keep feeding the board. You will finish your turn with your weight slightly behind center. As the board is about to release its stored energy put more pressure into your back foot to move your weight forward to enter the next turn. This isn't a big movement, a couple inches maybe. How fast you move your feet through the turn depends on how big of a radius you are making. Smaller radius, fast feet. Larger radius, slower feet.

I hope this helps. If nothing else give it a try and see if it works for you.

[Tabatha]

I love riding with people - I learn lots pushing myself to keep up with the big boys (they are all boys around here) and I learn lots from watching them. They also love keeping me LOTS of tips, sometimes thought it is a little overwhelming, just too much, and just too technical.

This year I have also spent a lot of time on the hill alone ... it gave me the time to just try things, apply all the great tips and exist in my own space. I could ride at my own pace, ride the same run so that I was comfortable with the pitch and focus on drills, feeling the board and getting used to little changes. I got a lot of days like this on the hill and really feel that I am doing much better this year. I feel the board, the carve, the slide-outs!

Nothing makes up for time on the hill - nothing.

[Steph]

Angie is really good at giving me advice on the hill, which is a huge benefit of riding with another girl. :)

Maybe both of you ladies want to make some turns with me at Copper in 2 weeks. Not sure if Angie will be there, but it would be fun. I love the opportunity to ride w/other women. It's rare that I get that!

[two_ravens]

Loving this thread - great discussion!

Totally agree with Tabatha - I get lots of input and ideas riding with others, but for me the actual learning and application happens while riding alone when I can take time to sort through it all.

Daneille, any chance of getting some video of you riding? Even just for your own info - might be really helpful.

Still curious about your setup. Even given the whole "Toe Side Problem" thing - it is usually easier to hook up a toe side carve than heel side, it's just that heel sides become more solid after awhile, as explained in the article... Seems odd that you can carve heel side, but not really even hook up on toe side.

I tried some SnowPro bindings recently that just don't have must adjustability across the board, so ended up with my toe about

1 3/8" from the edge and heel just in far enough to avoid bootout on heel sides. Found it a slightly challenging on hero groom, and on hard snow - nearly unridable. Toe sides felt very much like you describe "It just isn't solid, always a bit of a slide. Tipping it up more produced more slippage instead of engaging." I felt like my edges were made of rounded off P-tex. Switching back to my TD2s, with my toe about 3/8" from the edge made the board feel like a Ginsu knife - totally different ride. If I'd had to learn to carve on the Snowpros - I would still be trying, and blaming myself for poor skills. I know excellent riders can overcome all kinds of equipment problems, but it's difficult to learn if your equipment creates extra challenges.

Michelle, from what I saw of your riding, you are just too far back in your boots. I find that heelside carves require more commitment to forward pressure in the boots, especially to get the turn started. I'm happy to talk you through the drill I was showing you - via email or phone, if that would help. And I bet riding with Steph would be awesome for you! I'm jealous! :)