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#1
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Stuck in a Rut
Well, I seem to be stuck in a rut, and I'm hoping to draw on the
experience of others in this group. This is my second season snowboarding, and I don't really know where I'm at with my riding right now. I don't know what *level* I'm at--advanced beginner, maybe? I mostly ride in Southern Colorado where there's pretty much always good snow--powder, or a few inches of soft choppy stuff (what is that?), and always good snow in the trees. I don't particularly enjoy the bigger resorts in Summit County, due to all of the people-traffic and lines. I primarily enjoy Blue or Blue/Black runs without either no moguls or at least spread out, low profile bumps. I like to go fast, and I think I can carve a decent line (my tracks are definitive, S-shape and thin). I try keep my side-slipping to a minimum, and only when I need to scrub speed. I enjoy riding through sparsely populated tree areas. I'm not good at moguls or real tree runs--I'm a thin guy (6'1", 160 lbs) with a stiff, wide board. I've been hitting straight jumps and rails the terrain park, but I enjoy finding kickers along/amongst the trees a little more. My question is, what next? What should I work on? It's fun to go fast, it's fun to work on long carves when the resorts aren't crowded, but, what else? Anyone else been stuck at this point? I know there are a lot of experienced riders on this forum, so, what am I missing out on? Thanks Eric |
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#2
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Eric wrote:
My question is, what next? What should I work on? If you're not interested in tricks, push yourself with the terrain. You say you're not good at moguls - ride them! You say you enjoy blue-black terrain - get yourself on something harder! Not good at trees, either - ride some more of them! Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Are you crashing at all? No crash, no learn. Or are you looking for technical tips on overcoming these things? If so you might have to get a little more specific. Neil |
#3
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On 25 Feb 2005 12:07:08 -0800, "Eric" wrote:
My question is, what next? What should I work on? What do you want to do, ultimately? If you want to get good at moguls, about all I can suggest is practice. You'll eventually stumble upon "finding a rhythm", which is what moguls are all about. Look where you're going, but try to have your next couple of turns planned at all times. This can be frustrating, but eventually it'll click. I'm not reliable yet, but I've made definite progress this year. I think riding switch is also an important advanced ability, if for no other reason than when you get into trouble -- and you will if you're adventurous -- you'll have a much better chance of getting out of trouble. Ultimately, no matter which way you might be thrown, you'll have the skill to ride it out. Needless to say, if you want to start spinning, riding switch is a requirement. Around here, that choppy stuff is frequently referred to as "crud". -- Robert |
#4
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Neil,
I don't think I'm solely looking for technical tips, I'm more interested to see what kind of riding the users of this forum enjoy...maybe to gain a little direction from other's experiences. As far as pushing myself, you're probably right...I've grown comfortable with my riding (and not crashing). I've searched the forum for mogul techniques...my board seems to be a little unwieldy on some of the tighter tree and mogul runs. I have a hard time lifting it for quick turns and maneuvering it in tight spots. Does anything about my setup blatantly suggest I'll have problems attempting to tackle either of these aspects of my riding? Board: Ride Mountain 163 (replaced by the Yukon) Stance: Goofy Binding Settings: -9/+15 duck foot Height: 6'1" Weight: 160 lbs Vans Switch Compatible Boots: I use them with strap-ins and step-ins with no forward lean because the boots are too stiff. Thanks Eric |
#5
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Eric wrote:
Neil, I don't think I'm solely looking for technical tips, I'm more interested to see what kind of riding the users of this forum enjoy...maybe to gain a little direction from other's experiences. I like any sort of riding that's not in the park, especially bumps and steeps, often combined. I'm usually the only snowboarder anywhere near the steep bump runs. My normal ride is an all-mountain alpine board with 45/40 angles and hard boots, and this year I added a Tanker 200 which I ride at a little lower angles. Does anything about my setup blatantly suggest I'll have problems attempting to tackle either of these aspects of my riding? That's quite the radical duck stance. I really can't comment too much on the duck thing as I don't do it and it just doesn't look functional to me for the sort of riding I like to do. But there's lots of good riders who make duck work for them so I've given up on being overly critical of it. Maybe others can comment on the board itself - IIRC some of the Rides are pretty stiff. But if you've only been riding two years I don't think it's like you're sucking because you're not doing as well as you'd like in bumps and trees. Neil |
#6
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Neil Gendzwill wrote:
If you're not interested in tricks, push yourself with the terrain. You say you're not good at moguls - ride them! You say you enjoy blue-black terrain - get yourself on something harder! Not good at trees, either - ride some more of them! Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Are you crashing at all? No crash, no learn. yeah, I agree with that....try riding some black diamonds (single) before the season is over, you won't regret it. then it'll be a great point for you to build off for the start of next season. you're definitely not a beginner. somewhere in the catch-all intermediate group. sounds a lot like where I was about a year or two ago. some days I still feel like I'm intermediate, and don't do a whole lot of technical park stuff. but I know I can take about any run that most resorts have to offer so I'm more like on the lower level of what some would call advanced. well we've all been there, just keep riding and you'll get out of it. I swear :-) good luck, bri -- * enjoying the karma * remove LKJSDFJSD from address to email |
#7
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On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 15:25:50 -0600, Neil Gendzwill
wrote: That's quite the radical duck stance. I really can't comment too much on the duck thing as I don't do it and it just doesn't look functional to me for the sort of riding I like to do. But there's lots of good riders who make duck work for them so I've given up on being overly critical of it. If you look at the team pages of the various vendors, you'll find the vast majority of park/pipe riders with a duck stance. I'm experimenting with it now and enjoying it. Changing from 30/20 to 27/-3 or 24/-6 has given me more confidence somehow. In particular, I have an easier time transitioning to toe-side turns. Maybe others can comment on the board itself - IIRC some of the Rides are pretty stiff. Not compared to a Donek, but the last time I tried a Timeless it was certainly pretty stiff. I wonder if Eric's board may be a bit long for moguls and tight trees. Do you get the feeling like the board is just a little too fast for you in these situations? I get that with my Donek Incline 160. I demoed a Salomon ERA 158 and absolutely loved it in the steeps and moguls, but it didn't give me the speed I like on the groomers and flats. I do not yet know if there's a single board that will give me both, but I'll continue my quest. But if you've only been riding two years I don't think it's like you're sucking because you're not doing as well as you'd like in bumps and trees. No kidding! This is year 6 for me and I'm just getting there, though I started at the relatively advanced age of 39 and have to be a little cautious with the aging body. -- Robert |
#8
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Robert Stevahn wrote:
I wonder if Eric's board may be a bit long for moguls and tight trees. At 163 I seriously doubt it. I mean, the moguls were all made with skis longer than that and to me that's what counts, length-wise. Besides it's not really a very long board. But it may well be overly stiff for him as a 160 lb intermediate - that's why I asked others more familiar with Ride to comment. Also it's wide-waisted and he's got a very splayed duck stance, so getting from edge to edge quickly will be an issue. Neil |
#9
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Eric wrote:
My question is, what next? What should I work on? The question is, "Why do you board?". Boarding is a means to an end for me. I like being outdoors. I like being physically active. I like being "backcountry". Boarding is a way for me to do that while adding some thrills that an activity like x-country skiing does not have. (I did a lot of XC many years ago.) I need to improve my skills to get into the type of terrain that I want to experience. When I can do that then I have a planet (the parts with snow) to explore. Unfortunately I cannot gain certain skills at the local hills, which means improvement might be slow in coming unless I take more trips to a place like Colorado. Some day I might be too feeble from age to get outdoors, but so far in 49 years I have not tired of being outdoors. Dean |
#10
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"Eric" wrote in message
oups.com... Well, I seem to be stuck in a rut, and I'm hoping to draw on the experience of others in this group. This is my second season snowboarding, and I don't really know where I'm at with my riding right now. I don't know what *level* I'm at--advanced beginner, maybe? I mostly ride in Southern Colorado where there's pretty much always good snow--powder, or a few inches of soft choppy stuff (what is that?), and always good snow in the trees. I don't particularly enjoy the bigger resorts in Summit County, due to all of the people-traffic and lines. I primarily enjoy Blue or Blue/Black runs without either no moguls or at least spread out, low profile bumps. I like to go fast, and I think I can carve a decent line (my tracks are definitive, S-shape and thin). I try keep my side-slipping to a minimum, and only when I need to scrub speed. I enjoy riding through sparsely populated tree areas. I'm not good at moguls or real tree runs--I'm a thin guy (6'1", 160 lbs) with a stiff, wide board. I've been hitting straight jumps and rails the terrain park, but I enjoy finding kickers along/amongst the trees a little more. My question is, what next? What should I work on? It's fun to go fast, it's fun to work on long carves when the resorts aren't crowded, but, what else? Anyone else been stuck at this point? I know there are a lot of experienced riders on this forum, so, what am I missing out on? Thanks Eric Seems like you're doing really well so maybe just keep doing more of what you're doing now. And ride more trees, increase your general and boarding-specific fitness level, learn how to tune your board, learn to ride switch, ride different mountains, find a group of riders (including skiers) to hang with that push your limits, have someone take video of you riding and break down your technique afterwards, enter a boarder x or slopestyle comp. Have fun and follow your muse. Chris |
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