 Poster: A snowHead
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Having fallen about 500m down a slope last week I'm wondering if there's any way to arrest a slip on a board on a steep slope. I was sliding on my back bottom trying to dig my hee edge in but it was more a case of buy the ticket take the ride. Fortunately I eventually reached a less steep bit and stopped but the whole way down I couldn't see a thing due to snow being thrown in my face and all I could do was try and keep myself straight, flipping or rotating seemed to be a bad choice at the time. However, it's an experience I don't really want to wish to repeat although I can't see any other options. Would it have been better to have tried to roll onto my front and push up to really jam the toe edge in (I reckon I could get mor bite than I could with the heel side) or would this be disastourous?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I'd guess the better bet would have been to flip over and try to get on your hands and knees, digging in the toe edge could have flipped you if you were going fast enough.
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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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That's what I'd do if out walking and if I didn't have an axe to arrest with but I'd use my toes, would knees be pointy enough?
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Swirly, possibly not, but at speed a jab with the edge would have you cartwheeling.
You could try the knees and then bring the edge into play, but I'd want to watch 
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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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lol that's what I thought might happen, at least with the heel edge i could just keep my speed down a bit (although still quite fast) and steer with the palms of my hands (gloves had wrist protectors). Fortunately no video evidence exists, although it must have looked impressive.
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Mosha Marc, I once did just that and found that I then could get up as i slid on my toes, looked good but total fluke, but i have mastered (after much falling) the nonchalant look that says I meant it all along 
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rayscoops, maybe a bigger pack would help, I was only wearing a camelback type pack and it was empty as we'd just have lunch. Actually maybe I should stop trying hard runs straight after lunch!
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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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Swirly, the trick is not to fall 
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if you're banging along on your ass than get your palms on the ground and a bit of heel edge, you should be able to get back onto your feet from there and ride off pretending you were soul arching or something.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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stab, agreed
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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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Swirly, You've three options, stab's got one, you sit up to get your mass above the board, soften your knees a little and if you're good, as the edge grips bring your hips up and you're sliding again, you shouldn't need to put your hands down but if you do keep your hands clenched in a fist to avoid leaving fingers behind when you take your gloves off. Second route is just a SYA, weight on heels and shoulders, arch your pelvis up and use your knees to absorb the shocks as you slow down. Use the backs of your arms and your elbows as aditional brakes.
Third way looks spectacular but isn't, spin round on yer but till you're sliding head first down the hill then do a backward roll onto your toe edge while pushing off with your forarms (my favorite and for me . . . easiest.)
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just thought I'd add, if you go onto your ass at high speed then watch out for catching the heel edge on the snow, hurts like hell. I always ride it on my ass/back/head for a while if I'm going fast rather than jar my legs even more than they already have been. Unless I'm under a chair lift, then I'll wait until I stop and mumble something loudly about how bad the pistes are and shake my head as I ride off, like none of it was my fault.
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You know it makes sense.
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stab, I have managed to do that on other occasions when it's been less steep/not been moving as fast. In this case I was moving quick enough not to be able see through the spray being kicked up by the board; breathing was hard enough!
Masque, What's SYA? Option 3 sounds interesting although I may need to practise first!
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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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It is tricky, I was having a confident morning in good conditions in Morzine back in Jan 2006 and gave it a good go down a pretty steep black run on my board. I was flying to be honest then I caught and edge and went. I was accelerating rather than slowing and I dug my edge in and duly cartwheeled. I did this three times before managing to stop. One of the skiers accompanying me did the same but slid and dug his hands in as mmuch as he could to grip and slow down. I was falling really fast and it scared the beejezus out of me. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Save Yer @rse 
and practice 3 from standing . . . or laying down first . . . it's quite easy once you get the hang of it and looks a lot more rad than it is
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Masque, almost natural really
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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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Masque, sounds scary, knowing my clumbsyness I'd end up smacking myself in teeth with my knees or worse with the board 
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Swirly, digging the edge in always worked for me but I was on a carving board and very careful not to have boot overhang. Are your bindings overhanging the heel edge? That might make it a lot more difficult to engage the edge.
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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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nessy, my boots don't overhang by enough to ever give me a problem getting the edge in when riding, I'll have a look when I get home, the board's out for some repair work before the EoSB. When you say carving board do you mean an alpine style board? If so I might have some questions for you.
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| Swirly wrote: |
| nessy, my boots don't overhang by enough to ever give me a problem getting the edge in when riding |
But when you are lying down on the snow any kind of overhang at all will make it difficult to engage the edge.
| Swirly wrote: |
| When you say carving board do you mean an alpine style board? If so I might have some questions for you. |
Yep. Fire away.
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nessy, That could be the problem then, the back of the bindings althogh well above the edge do overhang, visualising I can se this being a problem when sliding down on my back, picking my feet up more and bending my knees may adjust the angle of the edge to prevent this happening next time.
What made you go for an alpine board then? I spend most of my time carving on piste (unless there's fresh powder) and am not interested in the park and quite like the look of the freecarve boards, however, I'm not sure if I'm ready to take the plunge for a whole new set up or just to go for a slightly longer stiffer all mountain board that I can use on anyday relagating my current one to poor snow days.
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Swirly, hard boots are more customisable and I have problem feet. I also have no aspirations to do freestyle and alpine carving looked pretty fun. Also back in 1996 hard boots were quite common here in Switzerland. You could buy them in the supermarket.
Most recently I have been riding a Swoard Extremecarver ( www.extremecarving.com ) not with any great style mind you. With a 23cm waist it is actually quite a versatile board, permitting 40 degreeish rear foot angle, and goes quite well in powder. I also have a Radair Tanker 182 which is a great piste and powder 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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nessy, The alpine boards definately seem a more European (mainly Swiss, German and Austrian) thing and it's definately something I aspire to in the future, that said I'm not sure I'm a the level to move up and I've never seen any of the kit in the UK.
The extremecarving website looks amazing, I've never seen riders get so low in the turn so one day hopefully . Their philospopy on turns seems to mirror that of mine and Masque, in aiming for just that perfect thin line with a motionless body.
Thanks for the link.
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| Swirly wrote: |
| nessy, I'm not sure if I'm ready to take the plunge for a whole new set up or just to go for a slightly longer stiffer all mountain board that I can use on anyday relagating my current one to poor snow days. |
Swirly, if you want an awesome all-rounder but is an absolute beast for carving, try a Ride Timeless...you may have already, but they are just awesome for long sweeping carves and can still be thrown around off-piste or for nippy short turns when you need them. Just a really solid, stable and stupidly fast board.
I want to change my board next season but will need something to match the Timeless at least, and give a bit more too, not sure what yet!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Robbof, That's one that's on my shortlist to demo, depends what I can get my hands on at the EoSB.
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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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Well worth a look, I am riding 2 different boards at the minute, the Timeless 161 and an APO Source 164 (Softer for big powder days), but I keep going back to the Timeless as it feels like nothing else for stability at speed - whatever the conditions.
Good luck with the test.
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You know it makes sense.
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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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Robbof, on a serious (ish) note have you tried one of those boards that have a skate/small ski attached to the underside of it?
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Poster: A snowHead
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rayscoops, No I haven't, they look pretty nuts! You?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Robbof, nope, still trying to get better on the old board really
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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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rayscoops, Think I'll stick with what I know!
How long have you been riding?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Robbof, this is only my second winter on snow so about 40 days boarding and no skiing, prior to this I lived in warmer climates and scuba diving was my preference for thrills.
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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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| rayscoops wrote: |
| Robbof, prior to this I lived in warmer climates and scuba diving was my preference for thrills. |
How does Swansea compare to that 
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rayscoops, Good work, best of both worlds eh? I have done a bit of diving (Got my Open Water), but have a preference for the snow really, although I will have a dive when on a hot holiday! Always good.
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Another vote for the Timeless here, I love mine. It's pretty old now (2002? - japanese brushstroke graphics) and maybe next year I'll retire it and get a new one.
Interesting reading, this, as I had a similar fall for the first time ever down the steep front face of the Grands Montets - it was almost solid ice with massive moguls. Lesson one is that we were stupid to try, and should have asked about the conditions first, and lesson two to never try this kind of thing in a t-shirt - I have awful 'road rash' from the ice all over my back and ribs.
My other half almost went the same way before getting on his toe edge and was calling to me to do the same as i started to seriously gather speed, I managed to flip onto my front and kick the toe edge in enough to stand, having gone about 70-100m
I don't think we could have done any of the above manoevers as it was just too steep and icy - I was on my heel edge with my knees bent etc but just bouncing around the moguls and there was nothing for the edge to grip. I'm going to give the flip up a go next year though!
Anyone have any advice for what to do in this situation on steep ice?
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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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| firebug wrote: |
| Anyone have any advice for what to do in this situation on steep ice? |
point the board straight down the mountain and try and find some snow to brake on, trying turns on ice is a great way of taking a fall.
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I've got to say, It was an awesome fall.
I was in stitches laughing when you slid past me at quite a decent speed, my stomach went when I didn't think you were gona stop in time though! 
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FAQ
must remember to get a leash this time !
