Edge change with "hochentlasting" or "tiefentlastung"?

[Eboot]

Back in the 90s i was a snowboard instructor in Switzerland, teaching mostly in German.  At the time carving technique was documented quite well by the Swiss Snowboard association of the day.

They taught 2 approaches to changing edges when carving: 

• with "hochentlastung": body momentum traveling upwards at the change with straight legs and feet off the ground
• with "tiefentlastung": body collapsing suddenly downwards, lifting the feet off the ground as legs were bent 

I have never learned the English equivalent of these descriptions.

In the day, shoulder rotation lead each turn, rather than angulation.

In the last few years I have played around with both and am curious as to who uses which method today, (and when)? 

[rst]

cross-over

cross-under

1 hour ago, Eboot said:

In the last few years I have played around with both and am curious as to who uses which method today, (and when)? 

imho it's better to be able to ride using different techniques;

and use what is best for current condition, equipment, and a level of fatigue

[Eboot]

7 minutes ago, rst said:

cross-over

cross-under

Thank you!

[scottishsurfer]

also down unweighted and up unweighted are another two alternate english names

[TVR]

Lean forward and pray? 

Seems like a good technique to me....

[Eboot]

Having seen the terms referenced on the forum previously I started searching for clarification.

@Beckmann AG's comments on this thread make the most sense:

However i believe that one can cross over or cross under for both unweighting by lifting or by dropping, which the German terms refer to.

As I understand the terms provided:

• Cross under: the board is moved under the center of mass
• Cross over: the center of mass is moved over the board

The process of unweighting with upward or downward motion sets the next turn up differently, as I understand it:

• Unweighting with lift: legs are straight at the start of the turn, after changing edges, and then one compresses through the turn before straightening the legs approaching the next edge change, reducing downward leg force through the turn
• Unweighting by dropping: legs are compressed at the start of the turn, after changing edges, and then are extended through the turn until straight, increasing downward leg force through the turn.

Is there a correlation between the "German" terms (hoch: with lift, tief: dropping) and cross over / cross under?

Secondly for aggressive carving I am assuming that unweighting by dropping at cross over is more effective at reducing turn radius because of the additional leg force through the turn?

[Eboot]

Thinking about this further:

• cross over / cross under refers to the lateral movements required to change edge
• unweighting refers to the vertical movement required to take weight off the board to allow lateral movement to take place (understanding that lateral movement can still take place with the board on the snow)

[noschoolrider]

Hochentlasting and tiefentlastung refer to actively relieving (unweighting) the pressure between the snowboard/skis and the snow.

Hochentlasting is up-unweighting (aka. extending to release) and tiefentlastung is down-unweighting (aka. flexing to release). Eboot, these match your original descriptions.

Cross-over and cross-under are very different.  Cross-over is when the body/center-of-mass crosses over the snowboard/skis and cross-under is when the snowboard/skis cross under the body/center-of-mass.

Also, you do not need to actively unweight to change edges – that is a very old concept.

The use of these depend upon the situation/conditions and what you are trying to achieve.

[lowrider]

If nothing else is working for you bend zee knees up down and then holly shit that was close. Don't want to do that again !