Newbie question - on the flat

I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get down
the blue slopes (Eastern) with wide turns side-to-side, staying on
alternating edges most of the time, but I have a problem on the
flatter areas. If my board is flat to the snow, it will slowly drift
sideways, catch the edge, and I get body-slammed. Ouch!

My question - on the flat areas is it best to barely use your edges to
prevent getting slammed? Am I doing something wrong that causes my
board to drift sideways. Am I missing something else?

Thanks a bunch,
Jack

"Jolly_O" wrote in message
...
I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get down
the blue slopes (Eastern) with wide turns side-to-side, staying on
alternating edges most of the time, but I have a problem on the
flatter areas. If my board is flat to the snow, it will slowly drift
sideways, catch the edge, and I get body-slammed. Ouch!

My question - on the flat areas is it best to barely use your edges to
prevent getting slammed? Am I doing something wrong that causes my
board to drift sideways. Am I missing something else?

Barely using the edges will do the job. With mileage, you
will be less sensitive to this problem, but the risk is there
whenever the board is truely flat.

Bob

On Feb 28, 3:59 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
"Jolly_O" wrote in message

...

I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get down
the blue slopes (Eastern) with wide turns side-to-side, staying on
alternating edges most of the time, but I have a problem on the
flatter areas. If my board is flat to the snow, it will slowly drift
sideways, catch the edge, and I get body-slammed. Ouch!

My question - on the flat areas is it best to barely use your edges to
prevent getting slammed? Am I doing something wrong that causes my
board to drift sideways. Am I missing something else?

Barely using the edges will do the job. With mileage, you
will be less sensitive to this problem, but the risk is there
whenever the board is truely flat.

Bob

What Bob said.

My question - on the flat areas is it best to barely use your edges to
prevent getting slammed? Am I doing something wrong that causes my
board to drift sideways. Am I missing something else?

Barely using the edges will do the job. With mileage, you
will be less sensitive to this problem, but the risk is there
whenever the board is truely flat.

Bob


Thanks a bunch, Bob. I feel pretty good going down the blue run, only
to be scared to death at the bottom of the run - knowing that this
should be the easy part. As you suggest, I feel certain that it will
come naturally as I get more time on my board. By the way, I'm a
50-year old newbie, and those body-slams hurt me more than those young
guys!

Much appreciated!

Jack

"Jolly_O" wrote in message
...
My question - on the flat areas is it best to barely use your edges to
prevent getting slammed? Am I doing something wrong that causes my
board to drift sideways. Am I missing something else?

Barely using the edges will do the job. With mileage, you
will be less sensitive to this problem, but the risk is there
whenever the board is truely flat.

I like to work on large, fast carved turns on the flat. You can
keep your speed up, and still challenge yourself. Just keep the
board on one edge or the other, and adjust your weight back/forth
for the cleanest carve. Play with the amount of edge also. The
goal is no skidding at all. It's great fun.


Bob


Thanks a bunch, Bob. I feel pretty good going down the blue run, only
to be scared to death at the bottom of the run - knowing that this
should be the easy part. As you suggest, I feel certain that it will
come naturally as I get more time on my board. By the way, I'm a
50-year old newbie, and those body-slams hurt me more than those young
guys!

Been there, done that. I was a few years older than you when I learned.
Get some good instruction so you know you are doing things right, and
you will love the sport. It'll never be as easy as skiing though - If you
get low enough to use your edges well and absorb bumps, your quads
will burn often. But it's worth it.

Bob

On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:56:52 -0500, Jolly_O
wrote:

I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get down
the blue slopes (Eastern) with wide turns side-to-side, staying on
alternating edges most of the time, but I have a problem on the
flatter areas. If my board is flat to the snow, it will slowly drift
sideways, catch the edge, and I get body-slammed. Ouch!

This is a standard newbie issue. I still remember "the fear" on
flats, and I leant 15 years ago :-)

Wherever you can use an edge, use it. If you truly have to run flat,
keep your weight on your front foot.
--
Champ
neal at champ dot org dot uk

Champ wrote:
On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:56:52 -0500, Jolly_O
wrote:

I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get down
the blue slopes (Eastern) with wide turns side-to-side, staying on
alternating edges most of the time, but I have a problem on the
flatter areas. If my board is flat to the snow, it will slowly drift
sideways, catch the edge, and I get body-slammed. Ouch!

This is a standard newbie issue. I still remember "the fear" on
flats, and I leant 15 years ago :-)

Wherever you can use an edge, use it. If you truly have to run flat,
keep your weight on your front foot.

For those really long flats where turning isn't an option (unless you like
to walk), you don't need to resign yourself to a slow rotation followed by
body slam. Try pivoting the board to keep the nose pointed in the right
direction. I tend to favor rotating with the back leg around the front,
but wouldn't get too caught up in the details if the result is right. Most
of the time, just thinking 'forward' is enough input.

I also tend to favor equal weight, shifting as necessary to overcome changes
in terrain.

Also worth considering is how you are getting down the slope above. While
most people will get down an intermediate slope after a few days, there are
some techniques that leave you in a better position to handle the run-out.
Look at the people around you who are styling both the steeps and flats,
and pick something to emulate.

Originally Posted by Champ

Wherever you can use an edge, use it. If you truly have to run flat,
keep your weight on your front foot.

I asked this exact same question about a year ago, with just a few days under my belt.

Champ's "front foot" advice is the same I received, and it's right on! Just got to practice-practice-practice and you'll get a really good feel for it. For a time there, I was challenged more by flat "Green" runs crowded with other beginners, than I was on steeper terrain.

The slams will quickly subside, you'll get more comfortable with speed on the flats, and before you know it you'll be shooting through flats without a second thought. Just keep working at it, and get the weight foreward.

On Mar 1, 6:25 am, Jeremy wrote:
Champ wrote:
On Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:56:52 -0500, Jolly_O
wrote:
I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get down
the blue slopes (Eastern) with wide turns side-to-side, staying on
alternating edges most of the time, but I have a problem on the
flatter areas. If my board is flat to the snow, it will slowly drift
sideways, catch the edge, and I get body-slammed. Ouch!
This is a standard newbie issue. I still remember "the fear" on
flats, and I leant 15 years ago :-)
Wherever you can use an edge, use it. If you truly have to run flat,
keep your weight on your front foot.

For those really long flats where turning isn't an option (unless you like
to walk), you don't need to resign yourself to a slow rotation followed by
body slam. Try pivoting the board to keep the nose pointed in the right
direction. I tend to favor rotating with the back leg around the front,
but wouldn't get too caught up in the details if the result is right. Most
of the time, just thinking 'forward' is enough input.

I also tend to favor equal weight, shifting as necessary to overcome changes
in terrain.

Also worth considering is how you are getting down the slope above. While
most people will get down an intermediate slope after a few days, there are
some techniques that leave you in a better position to handle the run-out.
Look at the people around you who are styling both the steeps and flats,
and pick something to emulate.

This is something that gets better over time. IMO, a lot of what
happens is the board just begins to catch a bit and you can feel it.
This causes you to react, which in turn causes the actual fall. With
more experience, you get used to how the board feels and then tend to
ignore what previously would have caused you to flinch and wreck. It
still does happen though and it's always possible with the board flat.

The other thing you may want to do is make sure the very leading part
of your edges are de-tuned. This means dulling the edge for a bit.
That will make it less likely to catch. Any sharpen/wax shop should
be able to do this for you.

Jolly_O wrote in
:

I'm a beginning boarder, with four days under my belt. I can get
down

even on flats I ride on edge and usually use toe side (my choice).
one thing that will help you greatly is to make sure your board is
well waxed. Speed = more edge = less riding flat and subject to
body slam when edge catches. I regularly pass skiiers on the
traverses now which I never could do my first year or two boarding.