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Armchair coaching

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've just got back from trip number 2 this year and with the 3rd and final trip this year just under a month away I have time to kill and think about what went right and wrong this time round!

Hours wise, I've put in a pathetically small amount, partly due to the snow, partly due to having to entertain a 2 year old and partly due to laziness...but after the first day I was pretty happy with my riding for the first time ever in reality, it felt the smoothest it ever has and I could feel the edges actually engaging and felt 'balanced' if that makes sense?

Then on day 2 (I did say the amount of hours was pathetically small, that's day 2 of what was a 7 day trip), I just couldn't get the edge to engage somehow (or thats how it felt). The best way I can describe the sensation was that it felt like my boots were lifting off my bindings (I'm 99% sure they aren't, this was merely the sensation) and occasionally it felt when switching onto my toe edge that as I was struggling to engage the edge I kept 'correcting' with my back foot.

I'm not sure if that description helps at all and I'll book up a lesson or two anyway for my next trip, but has anyone else experienced a similar sensation? I suspect its a technique issue, but as my gear is all new there is a slim chance I haven't set up the bindings properly somehow.

For reference:

Board: Salomon Pulse 156cm
Bindings: Salomon Pact (I think I have the highbacks set to lean as far forward as possible, not sure if I've got the binding straps on the 'correct' hole though if that makes any sense to anyone)
Boots: Burton Moto's, I initially thought they were too small, now they feel too big! I have custom footbeds in both and also one of the SHL volume reducers, which seemed to work nicely on my smaller foot as I don't feel any heel lift now (which may sound odd given my description of the boot lifting from the binding sensation)

If anyone has encountered similar it would be great to listen to suggestions!

Oh also on day 2 instead of a nice carving line, my track was definitely (not always, but on occasions) much more of a large fat sliding sort of track.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@vjmehra, really hard to comment on your technique without seeing you ride, but having the highbacks as far forward as possible is unlikely to be doing you any favours.
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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?
yeah, I did want to get some video, but had no-one to film me Sad

Ah thats interesting, I naively assumed that would force me onto my edges more easily.
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Were the snow conditions a bit different on day 2?
You might have been a bit stiff and tired from day 1.
I sometimes still have the odd day when my boarding feels rubbish compared to how I know I can ride, try not to worry about it and relax.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Sounds like heel lift to me, even though you say 99% its not, I'd say 99% it is!
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Snow conditions were marginally more icy on day 2, but only marginally, overall they were actually pretty good given the lack of snowfall.

Tiredness could definitely have been a factor, I did wonder that tbh, but very difficult to measure!

I guess I'm trying to establish whether it is definitely technique related, or could be setup related (i.e. something I can play around with before the next trip).

Gainz- As in the boots lifting off the bindings (as opposed to in-boot heel lift), is that possible when tightly strapped in (thats exactly how it felt, but I didn't think that was really possible)?
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
So this problem surfaced on day 2 of 7 - did this continue throughout the rest of the week, did it keep happening or get better or worse?
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Um...well when I said the amount of hours was pathetically small...I wasn't exaggerating.

I only managed to board at the weekend, so only the 2 days, the rest of the time was spent entertaining a 2 year old!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hmm, odd. Well it might be teaching you to suck eggs, but Whitelines have a guide on binding setup which you may find useful - I'm surprised by the amount of fwd lean you suggest you have.

https://whitelines.com/snowboard-gear/advice/adjust-snowboard-bindings.html

If nothing else it'd be worth going over them with a fine toothed comb to make sure all the screws etc are setup right and tight - some stuff can work loose and not be particularly obvious.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
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Ah good link, thanks, I think thats a good start, once I've unpacked I'll double check all the bindings.

Given a couple of comments about the highbacks, I may as well set them back a bit and see if that helps next time too!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@vjmehra, complements on spending time with your 2 yr old, so many parents on here simply wish to ditch their kids in order to ski. And then wonder why their kids are not pleasure to be with..

Is the cambered board new to you?
Even though I love the cambered board because it makes riding so much more relaxed, I find it takes more effort to put the turns in. So for smooth riding, genuinely pointing at the edge I want to turn with really helps. Maybe the fact that your edge is actually that bit further from the snow gives you the feeling that your boots are not engaged.

Check the straps and the fundamentals...I for one turned up in resort with my bindings pidgeon-toed instead of duck-feet. OK I reassembled all in a hurry after waxing, but even so, I felt pretty stupid.
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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.
She loved her brief introduction to skiing, so hopefully she'll be beating me down the slopes within a year or so Happy

Snow holidays seem ideal for families tbh as you can all do something together regardless of age.

Yes the board is new, only a few days usage so far, up until then it was whatever the rental shop gave me!

I think I'm going to sit down later and go over the setup properly, that definitely seems like a place to start, then the rest of the evening watching videos on youtube Happy

When you say genuinely pointing at the edge you want to turn, do you mean exaggerated body movements? I was really trying to 'let the board turn' rather than forcing it, based on my last lesson, which seemed to work a lot better on the first day, but just wasn't happening on day 2.
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 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
@vjmehra, Seeing you're riding was feeling OK on Day 1, I'd suggest just trying to focus on keeping your weight centered and balanced over the middle of the board, your legs nice and loose and soft, and your knees bent evenly over your feet (not knock-knee'd in or bow legged out). A trick a mate of mine was taught on a development course was to push both feet outwards gently against the outside of your boots after a few turns - if your weight isn't centered properly, you'll feel it exaggerated by doing that and be able to correct yourself.

Also make sure you're engaging the turning edge quickly in your turn - if you think of a turn as the face of a clock, think about when you're actually weighing the turning edge - if it's not between 12 and 2 at the very latest, then you're not weighting the turning edge quickly enough.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@vjmehra, no exaggerated movements, in fact sometimes I just think about pointing: its enough.
Only works if you are really using your front foot to turn: properly lifting your heel to initiate a toe edge turn, or lifting your toes to initiate a heel edge turn.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Having your high-backs too far forward can put you in some funky body positions and can just be downright uncomfortable.

It can also make it difficult/impossible to get the heel of the boot into the binding heel-cup properly.

I'd set the forward-lean to about the middle and see how that feels.

As you say though, it's way more likely to be a technique issue. Post some video or book a lesson!
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'll try and get some video on my next trip, luckily its only 3 weeks away Happy
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Occasionally struggling to engage an edge and correcting with the back foot sounds like classic weight ever so slightly too far back to me. Easily done when you have not been riding much, or spending a lot of time on the bunny run with a wee one.

The feet sensation is weird though never heard of that so could well be something else! Vid feedback or lesson will sort I'm sure.

Good luck!
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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?
stevomcd wrote:
Having your high-backs too far forward can put you in some funky body positions and can just be downright uncomfortable.

It can also make it difficult/impossible to get the heel of the boot into the binding heel-cup properly.


Exactly what I thought on the topic of heel lift.

If you ratchet up sat down, its possible your heel isn't fully in the heelcup. So although the straps feel tight sat down, when you stand up your heel slots into the heelcup and the strap will be loose...enabling heel lift.

Maybe not the case here but answers the question of if heel lift is possible.
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