stevomcd, do you work in Aosta Valley or Tignes-Val d'Isere too? If so, could you help me in:
1) doing the 35hours i must attend before lev2 course (i'd adapt to do everything, and paying for it is not a problem)
2) giving me one day of lesson in preparation for lv.2 course-exam?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Simon Cooke, did the course in Val d'Isere
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?
JimboS, don't ask don't ask . . .
Sorry man, those were smeared turns, not holding a traverse on the downhill edge.
stevomcd, A bit off topics but why not, you are never too old to learn, the only instruction I have had is 2h at Hill end dry ski slope in hard boots circa 1995.
maddrifter, I'm in Sainte Foy / La Rosiere (and La Thuile) and often in Tignes / Val, but I can't work in France as I don't have my BASI 4 yet.
I can put you in touch with a few people in Tignes / Val who might be able to help out, although I think all the British snowboard dudes have gone independent up there since Alliance broke-up (i.e. there's no "group lesson" type stuff going on, which is always easier to do some shadowing on). There are also a load of BASI trainers working in Tignes / Val and they would be the best to get some pre level-2 coaching from. Neil McNair does some pre-season courses which are really good value - aimed at level 3, but I think you said you're a pretty experienced rider, so he might be cool with you aiming for level 2.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
JimboS, Wasn't being harsh, misread your post. From reading others it's clear it can be done, I've never thought about trying it. The explanations centre around torquing the board and allowing the tail of the board to release the edge and let just the nose define the track. The hardest part will be the fine balance to keep the downhill nose engaged without face planting. Any pitch above a soft blue if going to need some serious skill. Obviously the further off pointing the board straight down the fall-line the harder this will be.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks man, what was this "alliance" you were talking about? Was it a basi school in Tignes?
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.
Yeah, Alliance was a BASI snowboard school in Tignes. Si now works under the "Rebel Alliance" brand, but I think it's just him.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
OK, JimboS, here's my thoughts:
I seem to remember you posting this vid before on a carving thread, so I'm assuming carving was what you were going for. In that case, as Masque, said, your turns are quite "smeary", not a lot of edge grip at times. For sure, it's easy terrain, but it would be possible to really power-up your turns and make some big, full arcs.
Your posture on your heelside is not bad at all, although a bit more ankle flex would help you get more edge angle and also reduce a slight tendancy to stick your bum out at times. You are a little in the back-seat - getting forward at the start of the turn and then moving backwards through the turn would help shape your turn more. Overall, heelside turns not too bad.
The main thing to work on for me though, would be your edge-change from heel to toe. When you change from heel to toe, you tend to make a big smearing movement with the back foot instead of moving your weight positively across the board, meaning that you lose your posture and your turn is very drifty and not rounded - your heelside turns are much rounder than your toeside turns.
Stuff to think about would be:
Keeping it on topic with this thread, work on a strong edge change when moving across the hill, especially heel-to-toe edge. With your board running across the hill (i.e. perpendicular to the fall line) make a positive edge-change, with a strong lateral movement of your upper body. Only when this is complete, with you now riding the downhill edge, should you let the turn happen.
The drill maddrifter has been discussing would be useful (i.e. traverse across the hill, change edge to the downhill edge, then change back).
Some centring drills would also be helpful - e.g. hold a clean traverse, pop off both feet, land on a clean edge again or make big up/down (flex/extend) movements while holding a clean edge.
I think you'd get quite a lot out of a lesson from a good instructor - you look very comfortable on your board and a bit of help with powering-up your riding would probably go a long way quite quickly. No personal interest here as I'm not allowed to work yet! (Soon!).
Last edited by Ski the Net with snowHeads on Sun 21-09-14 22:43; edited 1 time in total
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
stevomcd, Thanks for taking time to put together the comments, I can't remember if I was in my normal stance on that vid or a few degrees further round, either way it is probably fairly typical of my riding. I usually push Kim to have at least a half day lesson at the start of the Easter hols each year, I may as well get one booked next year at the same time.
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.
not bad but agree with above, take a carving lesson from a good instructor and you will be flying.Not going to add any comments here to confuse matters but a good instructor will tweak what you're doing and you will feel so much better, faster, stronger.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Back to the original topic, riding the downhill edge tracking across the slope.
I declare it to be impossible, I tried it last week at Schladders and found that it can only be done momentarily before having to get back onto the uphill edge.
Anyone else tried it yet?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It's entirely possible, just not without a bit of experience and ability.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@philwig, Can you do it?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@JimboS, nobody said it was easy! I haven't tried it in a while, I was able to do it for a fair few metres at a time last time I tried, but not indefinitely. Might have a play around with it when I head up this afternoon.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@JimboS, I'll carve you a circle, which I believe can't be done unless you're doing that. So yes. I can't see what the issue is - perhaps we're not talking about the same thing. You just need enough centripetal force to hold you up, if you see what I mean. I've only video of powder (!) at the moment so you'll not see it in there...
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?
@philwig, Of course I can see how you can carve an arc no problem, but the OP seemed to infer that he saw someone doing a linear traverse.
... the OP seemed to infer that he saw someone doing a linear traverse.
If you are balanced on a curved edge (board or ski) it's going to follow a curved path of at least some radius. If you want to follow a line which appears to be perfectly straight won't you need to fudge it slightly, with a little bit of grip, a little bit of flat, a little bit of skid, etc? A tricky thing to do in a slow speed traverse, requiring strong skills of balance and steering, with the outcome appearing to be a straight traverse, even though it's not a clean carve.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@rob@rar, Well that is what I was able to achieve, for me anyway, doing it with out a fudge was impossible, so I would be keen to see it done without a fudge.
I think someone suggested in an earlier post that it can be done with some extreme torsion flex on the board, lets see if a video turns up.
@rob@rar, you can twist a snowboard to take the sidecut out of it, but I think a perfectly linear traverse is a big ask.
@philwig, riding in more or less a straight line, so no centripetal force...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@philwig,
Look at the OP
maddrifter wrote:
change to the heel edge, hold this for a couple of seconds and then back to toe edge (always remaining in a straight diagonal line, without making a turn)
No centripetal force there, do you have more than a "bit" experience and ability? Then you should be able to do it no problem, us mortals with only 50 weeks under our belts just need to stand back and watch you.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@JimboS, <shrug>There's a video there of what looks like a learner. You'll need a bit more experience and ability *than is shown there*. Apologies if you took that personally, I'll try to spell it out more clearly for you in future. I was answering the specific question in the thread, not the OP. Again, I felt that was obvious from the context, but if you want to apply my answer to the OP then you may well become confused.
I'd say that the OP drill is easier - you can just rock from one edge to another, traversing at an angle across the fall line. Or perhaps I misunderstand what it is this drill is about. There's a limit to what you can convey in text, as is clear from your difficulty with what I thought was a simple point.
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.
@philwig, learner, sure, I've got your number. Lets see your video doing it then and we can lean from the expert.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
don't ask . . . 
