D-Sub Posted January 9, 2005 Report Share Posted January 9, 2005 I think those new pics look damn good, and Id agree with focusing on just making complete, linked carves, and THEN start pushin it a little. thats an Axis youre riding, right? 182? youre the one that rides at monarch, right? I think we talked before. anyway...with the ability to interpolate that you have displayed, youll be rippin in NO time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Crave2Carve -- thank you for your offer! Very generous. I'll give you a ring during the week... willywhit -- thanks for the pics. I'm going to stick with the "textbook purse dragging" for now, still have a long way to go on the steeps. Have a great time in Brazil :) D-Sub -- yup, I'm the one from Monarch. I went again today, had a great time, we had 8" fresh. Alternating between surfing powder and carving groomers made it one of the best days ever. Thanks for the encouragement! By the way, the board is not an Axis -- it's a Donek Custom 183cm, a used board I bought via the gearswap forum. Twin-tip, all mountain, on the soft side, my only board and I love it. It was an excellent day -- that tray drill really helps, and I'm concentrating on that and on keeping the "pinch" in the wait (angulation). I have also started driving with my knees, another suggestion I got, and that makes the transitions so much snappier. Thanks again everyone, tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 yeah I noticed the tail kick. odd board! _perhaps_ you might enjoy something more carve specific? No idea about that board though, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Yup, I'm going to borrow a 183 Nidecker from a friend and try it out later this week -- I rode it once before (4th or 5th day) and did like it... tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dragon fly jones Posted January 10, 2005 Report Share Posted January 10, 2005 Now this may seem harsh, however a coach friend was having that same issue with some skiers and riders she took a broken gate maybe two feet or three feet long and ran it along the the inside of the jacket, and in other case she strapped it into a kids pants and duct taped it place. Now that seemed to help them out and then there is the Schlopy drill. But that is another note on the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted January 11, 2005 Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 The thing I like about the Madd picture is that the guy doesn't have his hand in the snow. The thing I don't like about most of the other pictures is that the hand is on the snow for ...for what? To balance? To look cool? Wherever possible, it is better to keep your hands away from the snow: - it screws up your stance and balance points - if you ride a while you'll burn through gloves like crazy - you WILL break or sprain fingers and thumbs (i've broken my little finger on my heelside hand twice, and thumb once on the same hand, from getting a bit lower than I thought on the heelside, and my other thumb on the toeside) As you get really angulated, it is inevitable that your hands will end up close to the snow (as per the you could do worse than this link) - which is fine. But unless we are talking hip within a few inches or so to the snow, or on super steeps, then I think I may be in the minority in saying, keep your hands off the deck as much as you can. In NZ snow the conditions get very choppy; riding through a mix of ice chunks and hardpack; if you clip one, you can easily tear your finger muscles and sprain your fingers. The style comes from getting your lower body close to the snow, rather than upper IMHO Good stuff! Kip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 The last few days have been outstanding -- 6-9" of fresh every day, and I've been getting out quite a bit. Between carving the fresh groomed slopes ("Hero" snow?) and hitting some powder, life has been beautiful. I have been working on the drills that different people suggested, and I'm finding that my body gets a lot closer to the snow as I'm trying to stay away from it -- lifting the inside forearm, looking into the turns, getting a lot more angulation. It's been a most excellent time. I will try to post some pictures next time I get out. My girlfriend said that my toeside is enormously improved, and that the heelside is much better too, although I'm still dropping the inside shoulder a bit. I am also sticking my back knee into the front one, so I'm trying to be cognizant of that and purposely keep it out -- but driving the turns with the knees made a HUGE difference -- I even started carving with my hands clasped behind my back (a'la Patrice doing crossovers at the bottom of Zinal in one of the Stoked movies, that looked so cool) in order to further push the knees, hips, and straighten the back. Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions, they have been most helpful :) tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2005 Originally posted by dragon fly jones Now this may seem harsh [...] she strapped it into a kids pants and duct taped it place. Ha ha, reminds me of when I was 15 and worked hard to keep my knees together when parallel skiing -- I'd tie my knees with rope, and ski that way :) It worked well, I figured out the balance and I have that stance today still. tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tigger Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 you are improving fast, and i m sure youll get it soon. but my question is, who sings the bob marley cover???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 It's Ben Harper -- my bad for not including the soundtrack credits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2005 Still working on everything, but having a blast doing it. The pictures from the last few days don't look representative, could it be the 30% deterioration due to camera presence? http://www.slackerdom.com/2005/01_vail_beaver/index.html tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjfarbs Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I have been keeping on top of this popular post because bending over at the waist was holding me back. Thanks to Pro Craig Shibley and one day on my own working on technique (thinking about all the good tips on this post) I have been able to transfer much of that angle I had at my waist to the board angle at the snow. That in turn actually gets me alot closer to the snow and way more stable. Unfortunately, it has left me with a grin that I can't seem to wipe off my face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ar(angel Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 you won't have to reach for the snow, it'll be right there. I too used to try to "touch the snow" but found I was bending down to do so. When I quit trying and just concentrated on cranking it over as hard and far as I could, the next thing you know the snow was right there! It's been mentioned many times here before, but angulation is the key, Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baka Dasai Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I've never been tempted to reach for the snow because I've always worn those damn No-Gomer wrist guards. If I do put a hand down the wrist guard acts like a snow scoop, and I end up with a frozen wad of snow wedged between wrist guard and mitten. Half the time I'm tempted to give up on those damn wrist guards, but then I remember how good they've been for my riding style. <a href="http://www.reliableracing.com/wintersportscatalog/detail.cfm?edp=10922037&category=3000"><img src="http://www.reliableracing.com/wintersportscatalog/images/lg/25453.jpg"></a> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWriverstone Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Excellent thread! (I'm finally getting around to reading it and all the others.) I almost began weeping watching your video Tom. It's just not fair. :( That slope you were on was... a) miles long b) surrounded by gorgeous conifers c) the perfect slope for practicing d) EMPTY! Is this how all slopes in CO are??? If so, I'm quitting my job, abandoning my daughter, leaving my girlfriend, and moving to CO! (Just kidding.) I'm crushed. Where I have to learn is a ghetto by comparison (southern Pennsylvania). Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpalka Posted January 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 ...I feel very lucky to be living where I do. As for Colorado resorts, I would say that Monarch is pretty small -- I love it because: 1. it's close (< 20 miles drive) 2. the season pass costs $250 3. hardly anyone there on weekday mornings It has minuses, too. All the runs are very short, there aren't many groomed steeps, but all in all I love it -- I can cut out of work a few mornings a week and get 2-3 hours of carving in. As for other Colorado resorts, they generally have more steeps, much longer runs, but they also cost more and have lots more people. I think that "weekday" is the key word -- usually the slopes are fairly empty... tom. (Attaching a picture of a typical weekday morning <grin>) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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