Dw3 Posted March 6, 2023 Report Share Posted March 6, 2023 (edited) Been riding the hard boots 4 years. I’m finally at a point where I can carve a GS course pretty well (imho) riding a Donek secret 170. However, I cannot seem to do very well on the SL course on a Kessler 162. I’m sure my technique is the main problem but maybe a different board would help? The Kessler just seems so stiff and hard to turn. What would you recommend? Btw, I’m 5’9”, 170 lbs Edited March 6, 2023 by Dw3 More info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davekempmeister Posted March 6, 2023 Report Share Posted March 6, 2023 are you using a plate ? which boots ? any video ? I am not a racer but I would guess those who can help you will ask the three questions above, to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dw3 Posted March 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 No plate upz boots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 (edited) A Plate would seriously help with that stiff board! What bindings? Edited March 7, 2023 by barryj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dw3 Posted March 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 Thanks for the reply. I never thought of a plate. F2 bindings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrussell Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 Without a plate try moving your bindings forward 1/8"-1/4" to put more pressure on front edge to get it to turn quicker. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 Don't know F2's You running rear heel lift and front toe lift? What boot suspension you running....OEM BTS, DPM. ?? How much forward cant on your rear boot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Job Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 It's technique related. SL boards are orders of magnitude harder to ride correctly than GS. You can easily go into mini-gs freecarve mode on an SL; which is pretty much what almost everyone does. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkaholic Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 What helmet are you wearing? Are your gloves race rated? Is your outfit color coordinated? What Odd Job said is correct. Technique. And that is different then the technique riding an SL board as a freecarver. Being told where to turn and how sharp is a whole different world. Actual question...Are you working with a coach or just going at it alone? ink 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 "A Bad Craftsman Blames his Tools" If your sl board is set up like your gs board, and you could carve it just fine outside of the gates, then your issue is not equipment or setup, it is more than likely you are not putting enough energy in the board to bring your turn radius down tighter. I can ride lazy and make gs turns all day on my slalom board, but if I put some oomph into it, I can whip that board around and about kiss my own a$$, not that I would want to... Not a racer, just a freecarver, taught by Coach Inkaholic Mario 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucky Posted March 7, 2023 Report Share Posted March 7, 2023 My two cents on the equipment. The 170 is a short GS board. Most racers you see on a 162 SL board would be riding a 185 GS board. The 162 may be a lot of board compared to the 170, so maybe a shorter/softer SL board would work better? For Kessler that would be a 156 or 159. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Job Posted March 8, 2023 Report Share Posted March 8, 2023 Nah. Harden up and fix the technique. I ride a 185GS with a plate using less slope with than most people on friendly freecarve setups. SL boards still own me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboarderdude Posted March 8, 2023 Report Share Posted March 8, 2023 As others have said, it is most likely a technique thing. 162/163 is the standard men's slalom board. Slalom is not a a "small GS". Slalom is a fundamentally different riding style than GS. Because you have no time to think or , it is much more instinctual than GS. I am of the opinion that the most beneficial way to get better at slalom is a high volume of lane time running slalom courses. It's very high energy (much higher than most people think) and riding on the edge of control the entire time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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