Another snowboarder has been ENLIGHTENED!

[SWriverstone]

March 1 Report: Timing is Everything...

Just got back from another one of those little breakthrough nights on the slope.

Up to this point in my (short) carving career, I've been doing a lot of "skarving," or skidding/carving my turns. This had a lot to do with lame technique on my toeside...but also because I've been trying to force the turns way too much---that is, I've been trying to force the board around in a quicker, tighter circle than it naturally wants to do. As a result, I was half-skidding, half-carving a lot of my turns.

I realized how much I was doing this a few days ago when I rode with Mark Brown, a local carver who is definitely better than me. I was amazed at how much faster Mark was making it down the hill...and how much speed I was losing due to all my skarved turns.

I arrived at Whitetail tonight ready to declare war on skidding. Yeah, I know skidding isn't always bad...but I didn't want to skid one inch tonight! Two things happened tonight that helped me finally "get it."

First, I had better technique on my toeside (thanks to my lesson with Phil) and was really able to get the board on edge higher using my ankles and bent knees (with some angulation too, of course).

Second (and more importantly), I stopped forcing my turns and just let them happen. I took my time on transitions and got the board on edge early, letting it settle into a rail before really swooping down into the turn and pressuring the board. Wow! What a difference! Suddenly I was a lot quieter (on edge all the way) and I was carrying a lot more speed across the slope into the next turn. Very Cool! :)

I was happy looking at my trenches on the way up...because almost all my turns were a thin, clean trench all the way around...without the telltale fattening of the trench where I was skidding before.

I did 9 runs and wanted to do more...but I might as well have been surfing Annapurna tonight---wind was blowing at a steady 5-10mph with sustained gusts up to 20mph that made my anorak hood flap like a machine gun! Chill factor in the single digits or lower...BRRR!!!

Still, those 9 runs were exhilarating, and I learned a lot.

Scott

(I will not skid. I will not skid. I will not skid.)

[Baka Dasai]

Originally posted by SWriverstone

Second (and more importantly), I stopped forcing my turns and just let them happen.

Yeah, that's the thing. Gotta get out of the habit of "Quick, turn the board before I start rocketing down the hill!". Let it rocket, but put it high up on edge, and it'll turn all by itself, in its own good time.

It's a leap of faith.

[SWriverstone]

March 6 Report: Ready for Vermont!

Holly and I arrived at Whitetail today around 8:45 and got in several really sweet runs on SnowPark corduroy before the crowds thickened. Holly did really well in her hardboots and carving board after a frustrating Saturday night when she was having problems with her new TD2s. (Mark---a local carver--- pointed out Holly had heel lift on both rear *and* front foot---not good! I felt pretty dumb for not noticing it myself!)

Only bad part of the day was when Holly had a collision with a geezer in a panda hat. (I know---it sounds funny, and I actually thought he had it coming to him---whoops---you didn't hear me say that...)

Holly and I met another hardbooter from DC named Brad. He was really slicing and dicing SnowPark on an old Burton asymmetrical slalom board--turns out he used to do some racing, and it showed! It was cool checking out his asym board, which I'd never seen.

Holly and I left around 11am---our last runs were no fun---way too crowded. Still, the early runs on cord made it worthwhile.

-----

Holly damaged the tip edge of her Rossi 166 board in that collision---kind of amazing damage considering she and the other guy were fine. The steel edge---at the point where the tip section and the effective edge section meet---got wrenched apart and the board was opened up 1/4" or so for a length of about an inch. Pretty nasty. Thankfully, the damage was beyond the effective edge, so no consequence for riding.

We did what I hope will be a good repair job today when we got home---used a pair of pliers to gently bend the edge more-or-less back into position...then made sure the board was bone dry (inside too), mixed up a batch of epoxy and spread it into the delaminated part of the board, finally backing up both sides of the edge with wood shims and clamping it down tight with a couple small C-clamps. It's still downstairs curing now, and I think it'll be a fine repair once we sand it down and clean it up.

-----

In preparation for our Vermont trip Tuesday, we decided to go on a board waxing binge. We'd basically ridden about every molecule of wax off both our carving and freeride boards. We've waxed our freeride boards once earlier in the season, so had a clue how to do it. Made a few improvements tonight...Holly jokingly called herself the "vacuum bitch" and literally stood opposite me while I scraped and she sucked up all the wax scrapings with a shop vac (sort of like that dental assistant with the suction tube while he's drilling your tooth...LOL). Took us about 90 minutes to clean, wax, and scrape 2 carving boards and 2 freeride boards...and no mess when we were done! (I highly recommend having a vacuum bitch when waxing.) I'm sure a lot of you guys do it faster, but we had fun (with The Police and Prince on the boombox...)

BTW, I've glanced at the alpinecarving.com waxing page and it's scary as hell! Lots of technical detail and hundreds of $$ worth of stuff to buy. Right now, we're remaining in "amateur waxing mode" and working on the assumption that while we may not be doing the most Olympic waxing job, we're doing no harm either and aren't going to notice the few seconds a better waxing job will gain us on our runs! <grin> (If anyone thinks we're making a big mistake let us know!) I picked up a nice little Bakoda waxing/tuning kit at a shop a couple months ago---it has a waxing iron, which is nice and easier to use than a regular iron. As for edge tuning, we really haven't done anything there (afraid to take too much off)...we need to pick up some diamond stones before next season.

We're both really psyched to head to Okemo on Tuesday---can't wait!!!

Scott

[Fleaman]

with The Police and Prince on the boombox...)

I think anyone who listens to Prince should be banned from posting on this board!

Also if Micheal Jackson is on the the same mix, that said person should be shot on sight!

Heh

:D

[SWriverstone]

Aww c'mon Fleaman---don't be such a white boy! :D Prince RULES! (And Michael did too, 20 years ago.) So what if they're both skinny, effeminate little guys with high voices? :p

Scott

[kinpa]

Originally posted by SWriverstone

February 26 Report

Good thing Holly and I bought helmets this morning---just in time for me!

Remember I said back when you posted a pic on this thread..... it's not "you" that you need the helmet for, it's all those other people out there that you have no control over!

This was my 3rd season out here in Montana, but I'm from Pennsylvania and lived in the Poconos for about 6 years before I came out here. I know about crowds! But, since I was teaching most of the weekends were spent on the crowded beginner slopes! Now, not only do I have bigger mountains, I am also able to get out there on Mondays and Fridays :)

However, since I'm still teaching, I don't always get to enjoy all those crowdless days and STILL spend a lot of time on the beginner slope!!! :)

(Rope tow + snowboard = no fun T-Bar + snowboard = even less fun!!!!!)

[kinpa]

I don't know how others feel about waxing. I've been neglicting my stuff because I just don't have a good place to do it anymore :(

But, when I did wax on a regular basis, I just used that parafin wax you get in the grocery store where they have the stuff for canning. It's a buck something for a pound, and I think it works just fine.

Now granted, if you are into racing where every split second counts, I wouldn't suggest it, but I think for everyday riding and maintaining your board, it does just fine.

[SWriverstone]

Good tip Kathy on the wax. And I'm sure you have a place to wax---we do it right in the kitchen, using two chair backs as our board stand! :)

First time we laid down a big plastic sheet to catch all the shavings---that was a huge mess. This time we used the shop vac and cleaned as we went, and we barely got any wax on the floor or chairs at all (but definitely easier with 2 people...)

Scott

[kinpa]

It's my husband's job to take care of the kitchen. He doesn't ski or anything (he's very accident prone and we can't afford for him to get hurt!). I can just see his reaction when I tell him I want to do my boards in the kitchen!!! Yikes! (oh yeah, I'm VERY lucky to have a husband that takes care of the kitchen.... he cooks too!)

[SWriverstone]

Holly and I are chilling in our hotel room now after a good day on the slopes at Okemo. It ended up being a day to ourselves, because we only saw one other carver all day---seems like most people are coming tomorrow, Friday, and the weekend.

The area got 6-10" of new snow last night (we drove through it), but a lot of that powder was BLASTED right off the mountain by sustained 35-40mph winds last night and this morning. I mean it was BLOWING. We took longer than usual in the base lodge before hitting the slopes from dressing like we were going to the Moon (full face covers, helmet liners, extra gloves inside our mitts---the works!) Wind chill this morning was well below zero.

Okemo is awesome---of course we'd say that, never having been to a "real" resort before...but it's been interesting seeing the differences between this place and Whitetail --- LOL. Aside from being ten times bigger, it's a lot less corporate. Instead of pissed-off-looking 16-year-olds working the service jobs, up here it's friendly gray-haired women. The base lodge is all about function---not form. Tons of tables and chairs, good food (alas---still expensive as hell, but plentiful and good), a huge ski shop packed with merchandise (even this late in the season), tons of coin-op lockers that cost half what Whitetail's do.

The size of this place blew us away all day---seemingly endless slopes! Conditions were mostly great, with a beautiful powdery surface. No artificial stuff anywhere (or at least none I could notice). I found this surface a lot easier and more forgiving to ride than the junk at Whitetail. Holly and I weren't sure about the blues this morning, and were almost scared of the blacks...but by the end of the afternoon, we realized that slopes here seem a bit overrated, because we were blasting down blacks and enjoying it! (For comparison, Limelight at Whitetail---rated blue--- would probably be rated a black up here.) Even here, though, it's not all perfect---there were several slopes that were a bit "Jeckle and Hyde," 'cause the surface would alternate between quiet powder and windblasted ice that was tough to hold an edge on.

Crowds today were non-existent. We ended up on a blue slope this afternoon that ironically is also called Limelight---but this one kicks the heck out of the one at home! :-) We literally had the slope to ourselves for a couple hours...and the "ride time to lift time" was excellent---a longer ride down than the lift ride up! (We're not used to that...)

Holly continues to do well on her carving board, and by mid-afternoon I'd finally warmed up enough (and felt comfortable enough) to start working on technique and getting some half-decent carves. Holly was bumming a bit over a boot fitting issue---she's getting almost an inch of heel lift---and her buckles are all tight. (She thinks it might be related to having a slender foot, as the boot length is fine.) She went to the shop at Okemo and a guy who obviously had no clue about alpine snowboarding tried his best to help by duct-taping some foam inside her liner insoles to lift her heels---looks a bit sketchy, but we'll see how that works tomorrow.

So today was a good day, a warmup day for us. I think more BOL folks will show up tomorrow, and hopefully we'll finally get to watch some experts tear it up and learn something! Forecast calls for less wind and somewhat warmer temps tomorrow and Friday---so we should be totally wiped out by tomorrow night! <grin>

Scott

[cliffh]

get over to the starting gate by stratton and have someone look at her boots. they may get pissed if you bought them mail order from someone else but do it anyway. my bet is the boots are too big - at least 1 full size, maybe more. a common mistake.

if that is the case, bite the bullet, sell them on bomber and get ones that fit right. IMO boots are the single most important component.

[SWriverstone]

Hi All:

Holly and I had a somewhat lousy day yesterday---more carvers showed up, and Eric Brammer (instructor at Stratton) was giving a "group lesson" to people all day. Holly and I tried to tag along with the gang of maybe 8-10 carvers. Eric was generous and encouraged us to hang in there...but it was too much for Holly (and not easy for me) 'cause the whole group was advanced and haulin' ass down the slopes. We had trouble keeping up, and Holly was psyched out by feeling like a newbie spazz in front of all the men laying it over bigtime. (But that's no criticism of anyone---just a bit of a mismatch on abilities.)

At one point, I told everyone I'd shoot some video---I assumed they'd all be into that, since it was talked about beforehand. I rode ahead, then parked along the slope edge and taped everyone coming down. But then, by the time I'd packed up the camera and gotten down to the lift, the whole group was GONE. (Bummer.) We hardly saw them again. In retrospect, I certainly don't expect everyone to have waited on the cameraman! (So again---no criticism intended.)

So by the end of the day yesterday, we were a little bummed that the "carving camaraderie" was not really happening for us newbies as we hoped.

Today, on the other hand, was AWESOME! A lot more carvers showed up, and Holly and I hooked up early with a few other folks who were around our skill level (or only slightly better). Because there were so many carvers here today (I'm guessing between 30-40?), we kept running into other carvers all over the mountain...so that was nice!

Today was also less windy and warmer, and conditions were good. We continued to be amazed at the size of this place----all morning, we rode a different slope almost every run and never repeated the same slope twice!

Things started to click for Holly and I...it makes such a big difference when the runs are so long and so varied. It was also great to ride with some wailin' carvers and watch them do their stuff---very inspiring! The group spanned all ages---we rode for awhile with a 68-year-old guy originally from Switzerland (now living in Boston)...and he was amazing---slicing and dicing the slopes with style and grace. Definitely motivational!

We rode our butts off 'til noon, then had lunch with the whole gang. Everyone gathered for a group photo after lunch---a real hoot. (Look for the photo on BOL soon.) Then we headed over to the Jackson Gore side of Okemo and had a blast doing repeated runs on an incredibly long green trail that was nothing but rollers and tight turns all the way down the mountain---when we caught it empty and could maintain good speed, it was fun! :-) We also spent plenty of time on blues and some blacks as well---all of which were great.

It started snowing today around noon, and by mid-afternoon it was really coming down (still is now---up to 14" predicted by the end of tomorrow!) and a coat of powder was accumulating on the slopes. By around 3pm, Holly and I started to experience the phenomenon of getting better and better, while simultaneously getting more and more tired. I was really beginning to feel what carving is about----Phil mentioned it almost being like a trampoline on either side of the slope, and I totally felt that this afternoon. I know technique plays a big part in carving...but I'm realizing that a lot of it is also just time on the slopes...and over time, getting the guts to really lay it over on turns.

I knew the day was over for me when, on one of our last runs, I RAILED a heel side turn a little too close to the edge and ran out of slope. I saw the bank and the trees hurtling toward me at high speed and desperately tried to bang off a transition---catching my downhill edge in the process and doing one of the worst downslope butt-and-head slams I've ever experienced! It hurt. I layed there for a minute stunned, with stars in my eyes...and thankfully the "systems check" showed no injury. Not surprisingly, we heard of several other folks wiping out too---it seems everyone was having such an awesome day they didn't know when to quit! :-)

This has been a fantastic experience----well worth the trip up! We originally planned to leave tomorrow morning...but we've decided to get in one last morning tomorrow---we can't help it---it's just that good! (We're almost hoping it snows so much we can legitimately get "trapped" for the whole day tomorrow! :-)

And I hate to say it, but this trip has definitely made Whitetail (our little PA home resort) look pretty lame! LOL It seems like a "kiddie resort" compared to Okemo! Still---if there's snow left, we'll find time to make it to RoundTop and/or Whitetail before the season is over for good.

Scott

[kinpa]

Ok Scott.... now that you've experienced New England Mountains, when are you going to plan a trip to the Rockies????? :)

[kinpa]

Roundtop was where I did all my skiing as a kid (grew up in Harrisburg) and where I learned to snowboard....... Then I worked at Liberty for two years. My second and last year at Liberty was when Whitetail opened, but I never made it there. I know all about PA "hills"!!!! But now that Montana is home, I've gotten to experience some real mountains!!!

[SWriverstone]

Holly and I originally planned to leave Okemo yesterday morning...but with it pouring down snow when we got up we decided we had to try some "powder boarding." Okemo doesn't open 'til 9am during weekdays, but opens at 8am weekends, so we were at the base lodge suiting up by 7:15. The snow was still pouring down and accumulating fast!

At the 8am "starting gun," a small crowd waiting at the lift took off up the mountain and scattered. Holly and I and another carver (John Phillkill) headed for the summit and took off down a long, narrow green slope that had enough "blue stretches" to keep us moving. We got first tracks in a good 5-6" of fresh powder---WOW! Riding in powder was a totally new, almost surreal experience. What blew us away was the almost total silence---our boards barely made a sound. Beautiful.

My Niedecker GS board worked fine---no problems with the nose burying, turns were easy, etc. Holly was riding an old K2 "Ginsu" lent to her by Jeremiah, and it was perfect as it was wider and had a slightly upturned all-mountain tail (ala Donek Axis). There seemed to be a bit more resistance in the powder (seemed like we were going a bit slower) but that might have been my imagination?

Our first hour of riding was fantastic. Then, we began to discover something that I'm sure experienced folks learned long ago...powder is only great until it gets ridden on by mobs of people. Then it SUCKS! :) Basically, every run (regardless of pitch) became a "micro-mogul" run, with piles of powder all over the place. It was definitely good practice, because we were forced to get lower and use our knees more to absorb bumps. Crossing the slope became like jumping the wakes behind a speedboat, with all the powder "waves" everywhere.

By about 10:30am, our legs were totally cooked. We did one last run down a blue slope that was almost torture. By that time my legs were so tired I was riding my carving board in total freeride mode, kicking the tail out right and left and slowing to a crawl over some of the powder-waves. At the bottom, we all looked at each and said "That's it! I'm DONE!"

I think besides the knee-stress of chopped-up powder, the cumulative fatigue of riding all day for 3 straight days had caught up to us. (And my butt is still sore after my wipeout Friday afternoon.)

We left Okemo and headed home around 11am in driving snow. By the time we reached the New York line (an hour to the west) the snow had stopped and roads were fine.

It was a great end to a fantastic trip...and believe it or not, I think I actually felt I'd had my fill of carving (but just for the couple days it'll take me to recover!).

Scott

[SWriverstone]

Well, that's it. With temps soaring into the 60s here in the mid-Atlantic and my home mountain Whitetail closing tomorrow, I decided this morning was the time for my last day of the season. One last chance to carve the corduroy on SnowPark.

Holly came with me but didn't ride. (She decided to end the season on a high note at Okemo last week.) We brought the FRS radios so we could talk on my lift rides. We arrived at 8:30. There were some other folks there, but not many. Though the snow looked a bit thin in places, SnowPark was in surprisingly good shape, and a low temp of 31 last night left the surface fairly firm.

I was in a pensive mood right from the start, knowing this was my last day. As I clipped in, I took in the view and warm breeze from the top of the run and tried to notice every detail. My first run was relaxed and wonderful. I just tipped the board on edge and went with the turns, enjoying the smooth sound of my board slicing through the snow.

With each successive run, I relaxed more, carried more speed, and laid over more on the turns. It was beautiful---exactly the kind of last day I'd hoped for. Though I still have a long way to go, everything I've learned this first season just clicked. My trenches were pencil-thin and clean...my transitions seemed effortless...and the sound of the wind whistling in my ears was like music. Every time I counted on my edge to hold, it did---perfectly. I wasn't pushing myself hard, and didn't need to. It was enough to just soak it up one last time, pure relaxed carving.

The slope remained relatively empty for my first half-dozen runs, then a few more people arrived, and things started getting chewed up near the top. On my 8th run, I radioed Holly to say this was it---my last run of the season. I wanted to end on a high note, with a clean, happy run---before the slope got crowded and before the snow got mushy.

My last run was like a dream, all my senses open wide to every feeling, every detail. I flattened out my turns to pick up speed and floated over the rollers toward the bottom of the slope. A few last turns, coasting to a stop, and looking back up the slope I actually felt tears welling up. I know---that sounds ridiculous...and it surprised me a bit.

I started snowboarding for the first time in my life last December. In January, I discovered carving and this remarkable community of people who do it. And now that the season is over, I can say that something about carving went straight to my soul in a way no sport has done for years. I am truly in love with this sport and know I'll do it for many years to come. If I had to quit every sport but one, this would be what I'd choose to continue.

Thanks again to everyone who, through this forum, has given me invaluable advice. Many thanks to Bryan at oldsnowboards.com for setting me up with my first carving gear. It's been fantastic gear Bryan, and I'll be back on it at the beginning of next season. (I hope we'll meet next season!) Also thanks to Phil at RoundTop for teaching me some of the finer points of technique---I definitely plan to do more lessons next year. I'm also very glad we made it up to Okemo to see what carving is really all about. We'll definitely be at SES and ECES next year!

My final season tally: 48 days on the snow since December 24th...and those have been the best 48 days of the year! I hope all my posts in this thread throughout the season will offer others getting into the sport a personal look at learning to carve.

Now the bindings are off my board, my liners are drying out, and I'll iron on one last layer of wax before stowing all the gear the attic.

I hope everyone else has a good last day, and I'll be counting the days 'til the slopes open again!

Scott Wilkinson

Shepherdstown, WV

[Phil]

Great post, Scott. It has been a pleasure meeting you and riding with you this year. I am glad that it has been such a positive experience for you.

One question - What about RT? We will be open tomorrow, Thurs., Fri. and Sat.! Since you had a great last day, I am sure your mind is done for the season, but I wanted to make sure that you know it is not over for the whole area.

-Phil-

[SWriverstone]

Originally posted by Phil

One question - What about RT? We will be open tomorrow, Thurs., Fri. and Sat.! Since you had a great last day, I am sure your mind is done for the season, but I wanted to make sure that you know it is not over for the whole area.

-Phil-

LOL - Thanks Phil. I knew RT might be open a bit longer, but yep---I've made that mental crossover, so I'm really calling it quits.

But...Holly and I were checking out the online video for Ray's MTB and were both saying "Wow---that looks like fun!" :) Problem is, I don't have a mountain bike...(at least not one worth a sh*t)...I'll have to look into getting one!

Scott

[Phil]

I have plenty of mtn. bikes if you are interested in riding. I live in a county park with lots of bike trails - from beginner to expert. It would be great to get together with you guys over the spring/summer if you are interested. It is about a half an hour shorter than going to RT for you.

[kinpa]

My last day too.... I'm sure this post won't be as sentimental as Scott's, but I'm calling it quits for the season too.

I ended on a high note also! I got to try out a new board, but unfortunately I couldn't really put it to the test.... carving is a little hard in tons of fresh snow! (I think Big Sky got about 2 feet of snow while I was there..... Saturday - Monday!) I made some new friends :) and rode on Sunday just trying to stay on my feet through the thick snow and bumped up slopes.

And my last day on snow for the season (Monday) was with my 3 year old daughter! We went on the gondola 3 times and I helped her ski down Mr. K. She was so proud of herself as was I!

Kathy

[Fleaman]

The only problem with the last day is that you dream of carving all summer and make strides in your head, but you can't try it out until december. I have never cried on my last day but have downed many beers like I will this year at the Apex ski patrol shooter party in april.