1xsculler Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 So, I go to the Mt 40+days/year, (2 hr sessions), for one reason and one reason only, i.e. to become a better carver. Monday and Tuesday were awesome, perfect, bluebird, exquisite groomed days and I linked up a few decent turns. Today there is 6” of wonderful new snow but because of the skiers it is lumpy underneath and, for the life of me, I can’t hold a carve. I did three runs on my Kessler Alpine 168 and the same on my Coiler AMT 176 and am now heading home. Does this ring a bell with any of you or am I missing something. I mean it’s fun but not helping me in my carving goal at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 Err are you trying to rail turns in 1/2 ft of pow or are you saying the new groom is too soft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 In less than ideal conditions you put a plate on your board and ride it till you smooth out all the bumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 If you try to carve when it is too soft you will hurt yourself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jng Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 Adjust your riding (style and gear) and embrace the conditions. 6" sounds like there is plenty of fun to be had as long as you are willing to adapt. Work on carving another day. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 I agree! ^ Throw your plates on a narrowish freeride board (soft boot one), drop the angles to suit and master the art of slarve. Very soon you'll start having crazy fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1xsculler Posted March 7, 2019 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 6 hours ago, jng said: Adjust your riding (style and gear) and embrace the conditions. 6" sounds like there is plenty of fun to be had as long as you are willing to adapt. Work on carving another day. 6 hours ago, jng said: Adjust your riding (style and gear) and embrace the conditions. 6" sounds like there is plenty of fun to be had as long as you are willing to adapt. Work on carving another day. Working on carving another day is what I will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 11 hours ago, BlueB said: ... Throw your plates on a narrowish freeride board (soft boot one), drop the angles to suit and master the art of slarve. Very soon you'll start having crazy fun. I was trying to understand this issue; powder makes everything easier. Then I looked at this some more and I think I may understand what you're talking about. When there's powder at a resort - even quite a lot - if you tip your board on edge like you would on hardpack, it kind of "catches" in the snow - cuts down through it - and doesn't really make use of the powder. My reaction to that is to switch from using the edges of the board to turn it, to using the base. It's more about banking the board than jamming the edge in. The snow still has a base, and you can still feel it, so you can still ride narrow hard-boot specific boards, which is very hard in bottomless powder. I suppose that's why I'm not a carver - I can carve, but it's not precisely what you ought to be doing in all conditions, because you need a hard surface to put that edge into and it's not there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 3 hours ago, philw said: I was trying to understand this issue; powder makes everything easier. Then I looked at this some more and I think I may understand what you're talking about. When there's powder at a resort - even quite a lot - if you tip your board on edge like you would on hardpack, it kind of "catches" in the snow - cuts down through it - and doesn't really make use of the powder. My reaction to that is to switch from using the edges of the board to turn it, to using the base. It's more about banking the board than jamming the edge in. The snow still has a base, and you can still feel it, so you can still ride narrow hard-boot specific boards, which is very hard in bottomless powder. an AM board with a less blunt nose will work better in a few inches depending on snow density;. my bx cuts right thru to the base in fluff, but in 6" of typical northwest mank it bends and carves amazing in fresh over chop. slarve to carve and back again, jumping from off piste to hard carve on the groom then back to the soft is my favorite way to ride 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 3 hours ago, philw said: I was trying to understand this issue; powder makes everything easier. Then I looked at this some more and I think I may understand what you're talking about. When there's powder at a resort - even quite a lot - if you tip your board on edge like you would on hardpack, it kind of "catches" in the snow - cuts down through it - and doesn't really make use of the powder. My reaction to that is to switch from using the edges of the board to turn it, to using the base. It's more about banking the board than jamming the edge in. The snow still has a base, and you can still feel it, so you can still ride narrow hard-boot specific boards, which is very hard in bottomless powder. Except for the “jamming” part, you’ve said it very well. Actually, I shouldn’t say that... a good hack is an amazing feeling, but you can apply pressure in all kinds of ways, once you get the board a bit sideways before applying. While I’ve never ridden one of “Bryan’s Big Boy Boards”, I can see that having a lot of nose out in front of you, along with a fair head of speed, will let you experience a sensation closer to a railing carve. That said, you’d better be prepared to pin it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 18 hours ago, 1xsculler said: I mean it’s fun but not helping me in my carving goal at all. The whole point is to have fun. If it’s soft you can’t carve hard, too easy to fold the nose and go over the bars. You may as well just play in the pow. Riding groom all day long bores me to tears anyway. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pow4ever Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 ha... i find that's the beauty of alpine snowboarding. I can(and have) ride the same groomed trail over and over and had blast. In my case: If I am bored/not falling; I am not pushing hard enough or the run I am on is too easy. For the high level rider I can see that might be a problem since everything is "easy". If there are freshie to be had; then it's a different story. Having fun is ultimate goal. I rather be the guy with biggest smile than the best carver on the mountain. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 Hey Scully A dedicated groomer destroyer board with a flatish/blunt nose will just submarine and auger-in trying to carve in that 6 inches + of pow. For me if there's 6 inches or better of pow the Moss Snowstick PQ 60 comes out for surf time! 3-5 inches and the Swoard Dual will ride through it and slice thru the mid day chop Groom to 3 inches ....the Swoard Dual in the freshies and the K168 + BPlate will slice thru the mid day bumped out trails On the hardpack Groomer days it's the Swoard Dual to warm up on and find best trail for hard charging then after a couple of hours I'll switch to the K168 to lay waste to said trail if I'm riding with the wife ...then I'm just cruising and the Moss is the ticket on the Groom or pow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_lupo Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 I've always found that around 4 to 6 inches of pow over hardpack is the sweetspot for me. I stay on my NFCs (but take the longer board) keep the high binding angles and let it just rip. Stay in the driver's seat (keep square to the board); you gotta float through the transitions but once you get over on edge you should be able to knife that board down to the hardpack and really throw up a rooster tail of snow. Stay on the steeps, stay off of the brakes and keep the speed up (big swoopy turns). Mix it up with some surfy moves on embankments and features and then hop back into the driver's seat for some big swoopy carves. If the pow get deeper shift your weigth back and backerer. 4-6" of pow lets you play around a LOT and mix up techniques, think of it as your chance to play freeform jazz as opposed to the 4/4 øøøns øøøns øøøns øøøns of hardpack carving. If its crappy hardpack under that pow, its just as important as ever that you ride loose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 1 hour ago, st_lupo said: Ithe 4/4 øøøns øøøns øøøns øøøns of hardpack carving Just blew out my coffee like a whale! Classic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucky Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 How do you pronounce that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.