 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@brokenbetty,
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| @geoffers - the difference isn't something you see, it's something you feel |
: yep: no argument with that - I bet I was feeling exactly the same exhilaration the boarder (@hd) was feeling, particularly after dropping the cornice into the back-corries 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@geoffers, The back corries at the Nevis. :adore:
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I thought boarding was enjoying a resurgence with the ratio up to about 1:20 and an increased number of younger boarders. I even saw some children learning in Les Arcs last week. And a couple of mono and Telemark skiers.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@scotspikey,
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The back corries at the Nevis.... |
Particularly satisfying as it was on "home" snow (12 April 2015)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| johnE wrote: |
| I thought boarding was enjoying a resurgence with the ratio up to about 1:20 and an increased number of younger boarders. I even saw some children learning in Les Arcs last week. And a couple of mono and Telemark skiers. |
Ah you are probably right. I am that old now that if I think something is deeply uncool it is probably the latest thing.
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The next challenge is ensuring that the next generation is coming into snowsports at all, whether it’s boarding or skiing. 
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I think the popularity started to turn from boarding to skiing about the time of the Salomon ten eighty skis turn of the century. prior to that all young uns wanted to board
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
make you walk like a retarded robot.
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I prefer "Quasimodo with a club foot". Apologies to whichever Snowhead I just plagiarised.
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@Peter S, +1.
Me and two buddies turned up at cairngorm nearly 30yrs ago in a whiteout. Tickets were limited to coire cas and below. We decided to hire boards for the first time, after all only the beginner runs were open. The only reason I still remember that day is coz of my mate face planting as the old chair went overhead. An 8-9yo central belter, who was riding the chair above my mate, and saw his fall, shouted “Hoi, big man, your shite!!”
Just then, as I had little control, I had to limbo ropes that roped off the undersnow streams, praying I wiuldnt fall through the snow into the water below.
The cloud lifted in the pm. and we handed back the boards. Heading up the M1.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It's a ratio that intrigues me too. Whenever I've counted those going past when I've stopped at the side of the piste I've found the ratio to be generally around 1:7 so 12.5%
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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So yeah, here's a frame grab from today. Any further questions?
I think we're past peak snowboard as the OP suggests. But then you're also past peak ski... what of it?
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You know it makes sense.
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@Langerzug,
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@PeakyB, Snowboarding never was very big Am Arlberg. And now is close to extinction. Finally that nonsense is over.
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I find that strange. As a relative beginner snowboarder back then, I found the Arlberg relatively easy and enjoyable to board around. Especially Lech and Zurs, but even managed decent slopes around St Anton without stress or mishap.
Now come on, is it really close to extinction there, or are you trying to wind up the one-plankers? 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@hang11,
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Also kids today are a bit boring and conformist IMO
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That's worth a thread in Le Chaudron in itself.
I sense a higher % of so called Millennials and Generation Z'ers conforming just to get by these days. My generation seemed much more protest, rebellious and generally arsey when younger. Some of us still are...but I still ditched occasional boarding on health grounds.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Being a middle aged snowboarder of about 23 years, I couldn't care less if it's cool or not. But I think the snowboarding industry has created an image problem for itself - for years it's just been over hyped, and all been about getting huge airs, spinning and generally being really "extreme" and in doing that it's lost the point that it's really good fun to go out and get some nice turns and generally screw about, and lost that connection with potential customers.
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+1
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| dode wrote: |
@Peter S, +1.
Me and two buddies turned up at cairngorm nearly 30yrs ago in a whiteout. Tickets were limited to coire cas and below. We decided to hire boards for the first time, after all only the beginner runs were open. The only reason I still remember that day is coz of my mate face planting as the old chair went overhead. An 8-9yo central belter, who was riding the chair above my mate, and saw his fall, shouted “Hoi, big man, your shite!!”
Just then, as I had little control, I had to limbo ropes that roped off the undersnow streams, praying I wiuldnt fall through the snow into the water below.
The cloud lifted in the pm. and we handed back the boards. Heading up the M1. |
Tried boarding for a day during a ski trip, after I’d done surfing at Newquay for a weekend. Fell over, hated it. A few years later my mates did the same (while I took out a monoski and loved it) and were limping angrily back to the hire shop before lunch. 4 years later I shared a chalet with a group who were going to learn, and asked them how they were getting on. They said the trick was to dedicate the whole week to it with lessons , not just play for a day. I did that and loved it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| PeakyB wrote: |
@hang11,
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Also kids today are a bit boring and conformist IMO
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That's worth a thread in Le Chaudron in itself.
I sense a higher % of so called Millennials and Generation Z'ers conforming just to get by these days. My generation seemed much more protest, rebellious and generally arsey when younger. Some of us still are...but I still ditched occasional boarding on health grounds. |
I've got two teenage daughters and I can't believe how straight they are - genuinely no interest in doing dumb stuff, partying too hard, travelling etc etc. I was a bloody animal at their age 
They just want to work hard at university, get a career and get on with life. I think it's a bit of a shame. I'm worried that I've put them off living a life on individual terms.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Orange200, sounds like your instructor was rubbish - Time for a pea-roast... circa September 2011, from the Sideways Archive.
| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
You'll hire your board and boots after a day or two of skiing, go up the hill, put the board on for the first time, fall over, get up, work out how to skate over to the lift line, get there after about 15 minutes of inching along, fall over, get up again, get in line, fall over, get up again after watching 6 year olds scoot past you. Get to the front, miss the first 3 drag lifts getting into position, catch one, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get dragged 10 metres until they stop the lift, you roll out of the way, get up again and walk back to the line, and decide to boot pack it up a quarter of the bunny slope, just so you can get going.
So you're sitting on the slope strapping in, looking at the kids whizzing past you, slowly stand up on your heels, immediately sit back down, repeat until you're holding yourself on edge in a crouch, shaking like a malaria victim and just as sweaty. Inching up now, there’s suddenly an alarming squeaking noise which sounds like someone eating polystyrene and you sense movement, which you instinctively react to by falling backwards. Repeat as necessary until you've found away to squeak yourself on your heel edge all the way back down to the flat bit, thighs screaming at you every inch of the way.
If you're the persevering type, you'll now repeat the process of walking back up the hill to try the whole process again but on your toe edge. It'll be a similar experience only the falling will be interspersed with occasionally falling backwards surprisingly quickly and banging the back of your skull on the ground like a big bone basketball till it rings like a bell and you wish the piste basher would just come and run you over.
During this time, you'll probably have initiated a turn by accident, caused by the fatigue in your legs applying pressure unevenly across the edge, you'll suddenly find yourself slewing around and sliding towards something or someone. Panic will ensue, this is normal. Instinctively you'll move backwards even though you know you shouldn't, this is normal. This will cause the whole experience to get faster and you'll have less control, this is normal. The grim inevitability of the coming crash dawns on you and decide to bail it before it gets any worse, this is normal. The world for you will go (depending on prevailing weather conditions) white, blue, white, blue, white, blue oh hey, look there’s my feet and board!, white. You are now in a tangled mess, much like you were when you were a beginner skier but you've strapped to a board which has now got one end dug into the piste so you have to roll yourself around, but you can't because the board is stuck, and you're twisted so far around you can see your ankles.
At some point around now you'll decide to bug this for a game of soldiers, and take the whole damn lot back to the ski shop and get your skis back. You'll return from holiday log onto snowheads and take your place in the ranks of those who can't see the point of snowboarding because you've tried it and it's stupid and not as good as skiing. |
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We had no instructors!
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@Richard_Sideways, Awesome post dude 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I don't have an issue with snowboarding as a whole, however most of them never seem to actually be in control on a decent run down the mountain. You have half who just slide down on an edge, ruining the snow, and the other half barrel down at 90mph, completely unable to stop or avoid anyone. Yes you have these people skiing as well, but as a percentage far, far fewer.
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Yep that's a funny post Rich, shaking like a malaria victim and eating polystyrene
My own experience is there are less than 10% snowboarders, and long may it continue, lifts are hard enough when full of skiers. I used to be a terrible skier, persevered with it first my first 2 seasons living near the alps, but the end result is that I just went faster and only felt in control at maximum velocity. Which was a complete fallacy as I never had control in terms of both legs working in unison without physics and gravity taking over.
Switched to snowboarding 3 seasons ago, mid 40's, and now I 'slay powder like a boss'. Do agree with above comments about over hyped marketing.....been looking into those new shorter fatter boards and the accompanying text for each new shred stick has become laughable.
Two random points for boards....you're much less likely to tear your knee ligaments apart, which is vital for baby giraffes like myself. And skiers can't just strap on a pair of snow shoes over your boot and head off into the back country. Smaller fatter boards will be easier to carry on a pack back too.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Richard_Sideways, that is part of the problem with some (not all) boarders, the self taught brigade who can cope on nice smooth runs but fall apart when it is vaguely hairy. Leading to the heel edge descent with no turns
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Boris wrote: |
| Leading to the heel edge descent with no turns |
Its just the equivalent to a skier choosing to sideslip a steep, icy, or otherwise unpleasant section of piste.
ESF make a big thing of how important this skill is, yet for some reason when falling-leaf is executed by a boarder it is somehow wrong - go figure.
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I don't have an issue with snowboarding as a whole
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I don't have a problem with black people in general, but 
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You know it makes sense.
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You have half who just slide down on an edge
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Much like the groups of skiers who cause the massive moguls on simple pistes whilst they follow each other across the track avoiding the bumps.
Good to see that the stoke is still causing arguments 
IMO its all cyclical - snowboarding pretty much saved the winter sports industry in the 80's - 90's - 00's by encouraging a new demographic to the take to the hills, without the developments in board tech skis would be (arguably) be stuck in the days of Blizzard of Aahhs. Agree that snowboarding needs to take a step back and look at how it markets itself though, 1440 spins are not cool. Stylish method airs are.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@WindOfChange, I agree with you on that point, however I do think a higher percentage of boarders tend to resort to this when it gets tricky. Personal observation only - and I'll freely admit to having to resort to this myself!!!!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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@WindOfChange, I agree with you on that point, however I do think a higher percentage of boarders tend to resort to this when it gets tricky
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I'm sure that is true. I observe that skiers often aren't even taught to side slip these days (wrongly IMO).
Of course it is a legitimate technique for getting out of trouble.
The slightly galling thing is that a heel edge slide is much "better" at scraping all the nice snow of a slope. But needs must.
Of course reduced popularity of boarding means that this is even less of a irritant than it was 10 or 20 years ago.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Boris, I think you are right too, about the % of boarders you see doing this.
IMHO it's all about the learning curve.
A boarder can learn falling leaf, front side and back side turns in about 3 days.
This is all you need to tackle reds and blacks ( along with a bit of courage).
It normally takes skiers much longer to get the the point where they can do this.
So boarders might find themselves on these slopes without really having much more than the very basics.
Like skiing there's so much more to learn about turns, but skiers have often done some of this by the time they hit these tricky slopes.
The first turns you learn on a board are normally sliding turns, where the board turns relatively slowly underfoot.
Then you can do carve turns, jump turns, skid-turns, alley oops, butters etc ... and combinations thereof.
If the only turn in your arsenal is one where the board turns slowly, and you panic when you cross the fall-line then you will default to your safe place - back side falling leaf, or front side if it's bonkers-steep so you can "hold" the slope with your hands.
My point was just about why it's frowned upon in 1 discipline and not the other, given that the amount of snow "scraped" will be a function of the length of the effective edge.
If snowboarders make up only 1/10 of the universe of snow users, and 3/10 of them do that heel edge scrape thing, then it's only 3% of the user-base.
Does the other 97% really not scrape any snow ?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| thecremeegg wrote: |
| I don't have an issue with snowboarding as a whole, however most of them never seem to actually be in control on a decent run down the mountain. You have half who just slide down on an edge, ruining the snow. |
hang on... I know a skier who snowplowed a whole red run & then proclaimed now she can ski a red she is ready for a black.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@windofchange. Seen plenty of boarders falling but no leaves 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| WindOfChange wrote: |
@Boris, I think you are right too, about the % of boarders you see doing this.
IMHO it's all about the learning curve.
A boarder can learn falling leaf, front side and back side turns in about 3 days.
This is all you need to tackle reds and blacks ( along with a bit of courage). |
Rubbish!
As soon as they hit their first mogul they will wipe out.. and again at the 2nd & again at the 3rd and again & again & again.
To the point where they have no idea they need to bend their knees to absorb them. So they end up back to the comfort zone of heel or toe edge doing falling leaf
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Does the other 97% really not scrape any snow ?
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Exactly. I see very few skiers (or snowboarders) who can carve properly and so are scraping snow every turn.
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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
sounds like your instructor was rubbish - Time for a pea-roast... circa September 2011, from the Sideways Archive.
You'll hire your board and boots after a day or two of skiing, go up the hill, put the board on for the first time, fall over, get up, work out how to skate over to the lift line, get there after about 15 minutes of inching along, fall over, get up again, get in line, fall over, get up again after watching 6 year olds scoot past you. Get to the front, miss the first 3 drag lifts getting into position, catch one, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get up again, catch another, fall over, get dragged 10 metres until they stop the lift, you roll out of the way, get up again and walk back to the line, and decide to boot pack it up a quarter of the bunny slope, just so you can get going.
So you're sitting on the slope strapping in, looking at the kids whizzing past you, slowly stand up on your heels, immediately sit back down, repeat until you're holding yourself on edge in a crouch, shaking like a malaria victim and just as sweaty. Inching up now, there’s suddenly an alarming squeaking noise which sounds like someone eating polystyrene and you sense movement, which you instinctively react to by falling backwards. Repeat as necessary until you've found away to squeak yourself on your heel edge all the way back down to the flat bit, thighs screaming at you every inch of the way.
If you're the persevering type, you'll now repeat the process of walking back up the hill to try the whole process again but on your toe edge. It'll be a similar experience only the falling will be interspersed with occasionally falling backwards surprisingly quickly and banging the back of your skull on the ground like a big bone basketball till it rings like a bell and you wish the piste basher would just come and run you over.
During this time, you'll probably have initiated a turn by accident, caused by the fatigue in your legs applying pressure unevenly across the edge, you'll suddenly find yourself slewing around and sliding towards something or someone. Panic will ensue, this is normal. Instinctively you'll move backwards even though you know you shouldn't, this is normal. This will cause the whole experience to get faster and you'll have less control, this is normal. The grim inevitability of the coming crash dawns on you and decide to bail it before it gets any worse, this is normal. The world for you will go (depending on prevailing weather conditions) white, blue, white, blue, white, blue oh hey, look there’s my feet and board!, white. You are now in a tangled mess, much like you were when you were a beginner skier but you've strapped to a board which has now got one end dug into the piste so you have to roll yourself around, but you can't because the board is stuck, and you're twisted so far around you can see your ankles.
At some point around now you'll decide to bug this for a game of soldiers, and take the whole damn lot back to the ski shop and get your skis back. You'll return from holiday log onto snowheads and take your place in the ranks of those who can't see the point of snowboarding because you've tried it and it's stupid and not as good as skiing. |
Drag lifts are quite difficult for snowboarders.. most just naturally turn the upper body square, so the backfoot comes across, the board with it, catches the edge & on the floor with a ploom of snow!
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Drag lifts are quite difficult for snowboarders
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Hey, who doesn't like being dragged up a hill by their genitals?
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...where they have no idea they need to bend their knees to absorb them.
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Probably because that's really not how to ride moguls - always found it best to treat them like a mini broken up half-pipe and use the contours of them to spit you into the next one. Riding the bottom of the 'gully' with jellylegs will just lead to you being ejected from the whole set at some speed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@hang11,
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| I've got two teenage daughters and I can't believe how straight they are - genuinely no interest in doing dumb stuff, partying too hard, travelling etc etc. I was a bloody animal at their age Very Happy |
Worrying isn't it? My sixteen year old seems to be more interested in scoring FIFA points than getting laid/stoned/ripped and hasn't even once been bought home by the police... What have I done wrong 
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FAQ
