Ever tried to keep up with a good snowboarder ?

Trencher wrote:Quite right bandit.

ellistine, where do you think the ski industry copied the modern ski shape from ? BTW great pics.

Sadly, the reality is that in most resorts you don't see skiers or boarders carving :(

Trencher

Thanks Trencher, I take no credit at all, I simply stand and watch, amazed. Of course, 2 plankers around this bit of the Valais don't want to be overshadowed by this stuff, so they have their own little event.
http://www.zinalfreeride.ch/Home/HomeSommaire.html

There are flags hanging out of apt windows already :mrgreen:
Some snowboarders take part, though it's mostly skiers.

freezywater wrote:

Trencher wrote:BTW I'm the skier on this occasion.

oops :oops:

I'm on a snowboard this time

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6952438631162390395&hl=en

View My Video

Trencher

nice :P

never seen such an empty slope or lift!

carona wrote:
nice :P

never seen such an empty slope or lift!

It's my private run. There's a couple of bouncers at the bottom to keep the riff raff off the lift ).

Really though, I love -20 February days (midweek) when everyone else has lost thier keeness to brave the cold. The snow is great and only a few people to share it with.

Trencher

bandit wrote:

ellistine wrote:It's not very often that you see a snowboarder pulling purely carved turns. Certainly makes the line closer to that of skiers.

You clearly spend your time in the wrong resorts :D

I see quite a few from time to time..... http://www.extremecarving.com/news.html

Actually those guys are in town now, their bash is over the weekend I think. Just watching some of them I think it's a bit sterile really, like most things pushed to any kind of extreme it becomes a parody of itself, there's a point at which a carve turn goes too far and you're basically falling over and that's all some of them do really.

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:

ellistine wrote:It's not very often that you see a snowboarder pulling purely carved turns. Certainly makes the line closer to that of skiers.

You clearly spend your time in the wrong resorts :D

I see quite a few from time to time..... http://www.extremecarving.com/news.html

Actually those guys are in town now, their bash is over the weekend I think. Just watching some of them I think it's a bit sterile really, like most things pushed to any kind of extreme it becomes a parody of itself, there's a point at which a carve turn goes too far and you're basically falling over and that's all some of them do really.

There are definitely two main styles of snowboard free carving. They are usually referred to as "extreme or euro carving" and what is becoming known as "bomber style", an exaggerated form of that used in snowboard racing. One is very inclinated, the other very angulated. what's very interesting with the extreme carving is that edge pressure is maintained with no angulation.

The extreme carving ise is referring to has some great exponents and some not so good. It requires a very steep pitch because so much speed is lost in the turn.

There are also some technical differences in the use of rotation.

In the carving community we have given up arguing which style is better and many people practice both styles, often depending on conditions.

Trencher

Trencher wrote:
The extreme carving ise is referring to has some great exponents and some not so good. It requires a very steep pitch because so much speed is lost in the turn.

That's why they come here, we've got some very steep slopes for them :D

ise, you could get your board out, I'll bet it's ages since you went snowboarding :D