Riding steep off piste and bumps.

[mackDan]

You can ride the steeps, moguls and powder at what ever binding angle you feel comfortable at. But when your start less binding angle is easier to learn. Of course you don't want the boots hanging over, so that kind of limits the angles on narrow boards. I run my 162 Hot shine at about 55 front. My Oxygen Proton 164 at about 60-62, my Oxygen Super X at about 50. I ride all of those on the steeps, in the moguls, but don't take the Proton out in deep powder, as its a submarine. I had it last Sunday and did a bit of hiking at Heavenly with my buddy John, who rides freestyle boards. Hit some nice old windblown.

I use walk mode for anything other than nice groomed riding. I think riding off trail requires more of a three dimensional body movement (front back, side to side), and so you want the flex in the boots.

I think good moguls riding is in the shoulders, you have to lead (be about 1/2 mogul ahead) and really drive your body and the board. Moguls have a lot to do with rthymn, and how you ride the mogul. If you get the rthyymn right, keep driving the board, and get it to snap a bit its kind of fun. I practice for moguls on the big snow piles that the beginner skiers push toward the end of the day. Its like one long mogul. As you cross start turning your shoulders for the next turn, dropping down the side of the long snow pile, lean back a bit to drive the board hard in a curve (fast short carve) and then pop over the top of the mogul/snow mound. Then repeat drving your shoulder hard into the next turn. If you get the pop just before the top of the pile/mogul, that makes it easy. You can add a tail lift (lift your rear boot) just a bit as you transitiion over the top. This works well on steep deep cut moguls and keeps the tail from hitting as you try and turn the board fast.

The longer and stiffer the board the harder moguls will be. You need a fairly flexible board to get comfortable on moguls. A bit softer than most alpine riders like for carving. My Proton is stiff and longer and is a chore to drive through moguls. My old well used Hot shine is much easier in the moguls. Softer, but still snappy.

Off trail on the steeps the jump turn is the easiest and if you stop, thats pretty much how you get started again. Once you get some speed (reasonable snowboarding speed, not super carve speed) you can turn more regularly. Its not really a carving turn, but whos really carving in the steep trees/gullies. The steeper the slope the more of a fall/catch turn is happening, since you need to initiate the turn, and your boot/body angle is not really helping. So you kind of fall over the board, just a bit to get the turn started, then do a carving turn catch, and then get some turn rthymn going. If you fall to far/to fast, you'll know it because you'll be down on the snow. The heel lift can help get into and through the turn, but on the steeps its a little earlier in the turn, just before the board is on the fall line (straigh downhill). It can also help drive onto the new edge without the body falling to far.

Again long stiff boards don't do as well, shorter softer boards are better. The steeper the more tail catch.

[Fleaman]

I went out riding today with my reduced angles, It seemed a bit easier turn heelside to toeside.

I was trying to be more aggressive by pivoting around the nose of my board, it seemed to work well.

I also realized that I was too stiff in the bumps, whenever I started to ride more dynamic, it made a huge difference(absorbing bumps and unweighting etc.)

Thanks for all the tips.

I would get a video, but I keep forgeting the camera at home.

[Fleaman]

Rreally starting to find out how the reduced angles work well. I am having tons o fun in the steep and deep goodness. I am starting to think all this carving is overated, off piste and ungroomed runs rule on plates!

[ice]

This might sound impossible, but try making three turns for every mogul. Start by going at the first bump at an angle, make a turn across the front face. Next make a turn on the top. Finish by making a turn at an angle across the back. Occaisionaly you might actually accomplish three turns per bump, but the idea is to keep a neutral body position while keeping the board moving edge to edge (not carving necessarily, but keeping the the edge in contact with the snow, which keeps you in control).

Ideally you'd like to be fairly relaxed in the upper body and really do the work with your knees and ankles. Rotation of the upper body (or counter rotation) will make any rythm next to impossible.

Three turns per bumb, every bump, is tough, but with some paractice you'll find that two turns per bump consistently (one going up the front and one going the back), will lead to better speed control and significantly more enjoyment. If you can get three turns, I guarantee you'll be turnin' heads and gettin' cheers.