Question on Technique!

Hi Neil

I re-read your book at the start of every season, and hope to make it 
to one of your courses one day. Meanwhile, I have something that is 
perhaps more of an observation than a question. If I were to phrase it 
as a question, then the question would be "why is this?" - but I 
already have a theory about that too.

Anyway: I first discovered your web writings and bought your book in 
the spring of 2008, towards the end of my first "comeback season" 
after the birth of my son. So for a few days then, and all last 
season, I was really trying to learn and work pressure point 
technique. I think it's working, and my confidence and the fluidity of 
my riding have improved immensely. It's not fully there yet - I still 
feel some skid in almost all my turns except on very easy ground, and 
I still get episodes of Back Thigh Burn when I get tired and stop 
paying attention to proper technique. But it's getting better.

(Are scraping noises on hard pistes inevitably a symptom of skidded 
turns, or do they happen anyway even if you're carving properly?)

But here's the interesting thing: I also took to heart your advice 
about learning to ride switch, and I try to put in a few turns 
"backwards" whenever I find myself on a very gentle slope. It's roving 
difficult, but I'm getting to the point where I can link three-four 
turns before I either lose my nerve, forget to look where I'm going 
when I'm riding heelside, and/or just fall over. But n the course of 
those three-four turns, it quite often happens that on a toeside turn, 
my edge *really* carves, the board rails round and I'm going uphill, 
surprised, before I really know what's happening. This, I assume 
(apart from the surprise and going-all-the-way-round-and back-uphill 
bit) is what a *proper* carved turn feels like, and it's a feeling I'm 
still sadly unfamiliar with from my non-switch riding.

My theory about why this is: I'm learning riding switch from scratch 
using pressure point technique, without any previously learned riding 
habits, so I can actually carve better - for the tiny bit of riding I 
can sustain so far - than I can riding "forwards" with the residue of 
old bad habits.

What do you think?

regards
Alan Little


My Reply.

Hi Alan,

You have raised some interesting points and show a good awareness of what you're doing.

here's some answers to your questions.

Hope it helps!

With regards your question on skidding and working the pressure points!

The board is designed to turn in an arc if it runs along the length of its edge. How the boards if then flexed dictates the shape and radius of the arc. In order to run the board along its edge cleanly the edge change must be made in line with where your momentum is going at the point of edge change (so rolling the board over into the new turn rather than rotating it).

If there is any rotation during the entry to the turn there will be a certain amount of skidding through out the arc which needs to be controlled.

Most of the time we try to control our speed by the line we take (where we point the board at the exit to the turn. Imagine riding a bike down a steep open slope with out brakes and controlling your speed by how much you turn, you'd be surprised how much you have to turn back up the hill). Occasionally however if our speed is too great for the arc we need to make we can loose/scrub off some excess speed through skidding.

Skidding is not necessarily wrong, but with regards freeriding we are a lot more efficient with the terrain we ride if we can control our speed by the line we take and match our riding to the terrain.

The back thigh burn you mention is normal. The end of the turn is made through bending the back of the board (A and D in the book) and there is also a lot more pressure to deal with at the end of a turn than at the beginning, hence the rear thigh generally does a lot more work resisting forces.

On a hard icy piste where the edge grip is lessened it is sometime harder to flex the board into the shape needed to execute a smooth carve and so some skidding might result.

In order to make perfect carves on hard snow you need to be really balanced and focused on the feeling you're getting through your feet and over your edges. Its all about timing the pressure movements to fit in with the feedback your getting from your board.

With regards your question on riding Switch!

This is partly correct, you're learning from scratch so having to work on correct technique a little more. Also, and this is probably the main reason, when you're riding switch you are probably not rotating into your turns, which is a habit that from what you have already said I bet you do with out really noticing. As you are lined up better on your toe edge switch the board is in effect able to work naturally and so indeed it will carve an arc so long as you are able to balance over the edge. In order to work the shape of the arc you need to be in a position were by you can flex the board along its length from tip to tail.

I often feel that I ride technically better switch than forwards as it makes me more conscious of what I'm doing through my feet.

In summary then!

My advice to you is to really think about the line you ride. Make sure that the line you ride is controlling your speed effectively.

Most snowboarders don't turn enough, especially on their toe side turns as they leave their body facing down the hill and look straight down the slope and hence don't finish of this turn effectively. This brings too much speed into the heel side turn which then skids more or skips out.

Most riders thing that their heel side turn is their weak link were as actually its the badly finished toe side turn that over loads the heel side turn.

Most riders actually finish off their heel side turn more effectively (and have to as there is excess speed to get rid of from the toe turn).

Get the right line and everything will come together. Your speed will be managed effectively giving you more time to work on perfecting your technique and as you'll not be accelerating out of turns too much you'll be able to roll your edge change rather than rush it.

Hope this helps!
Neil.