The more I read, The harder it is to ride

[powell1.8]

It seems like the more I read about good form the more my riding suffers. Cross over, cross under, angulate, inclinate, drive the knees, hands off the snow, ect... I used to just go ride, now I think I think to much. I still feel good about my riding, but there is just so much info.

Does anybody else feel overwhelmed with info sometimes. I am hoping I am doing myself some good by learning what works better for me and against me, and that eventually my style will emerge better for having taken the time to experiment on the hill.

[lonerider]

Does anybody else feel overwhelmed with info sometimes.no :biggthump but then again I usually just ride more than read/post less when I feel like it.

[Linus]

I think after I ride

[Pat Donnelly]

and once you have the mental image of what's just right, have someone shot some video of you while you ride; still photos can tell a story too. This way you can see for yourself if you are actually riding the way you think you are.

[Jack Michaud]

it's true that if you try to implement everything all at once, you're probably going to get overwhelmed. Just concentrate on one skill until you've got it nailed. Then move on to the next.

[Zone]

and once you have the mental image of what's just right, have someone shot some video of you while you ride; still photos can tell a story too. This way you can see for yourself if you are actually riding the way you think you are.
I found that very useful (sort of like people think they are American Idol material until they get on film).
Also I found I improve faster following a good carver and 'feeling' their moves in my own body.
Theory is nice but a nice carve can't be smooth if you start thinking about individual steps. Your brain can't think that fast.

[Ray]

That’s what I always say, ride ride ride and than, go ride ride and ride...
I would rather go ride with a real good rider and learn directly from him instead trying to learn from reading. But that’s just me, everybody functions different. Go ride with someone who is REALLY good!!!
I would put riding before reading...

Jack is right, it's all about baby steps. Time will put it all together.

Ray

[powell1.8]

I do feel good about my riding, but with -20,-30,and -40 windchills lately I find myself not riding as much as I might like. I still think about riding, so I end up reading about technique and what not. I just though it interesting that my riding suffered for having done so.

I do agree there is no substitution for ride time. I'm just not as lucky as some I guess.

[mtnpig]

Pat says it all. Remeber this statement from the clueless and beyond? "Hey look everybody I'm tubed!", no your not pal look at these. After I attended some of those carve camps and saw shots of myself I decided what direction I needed to take. Less time in the spot light and keep those hands down ya flightless penguin.

[jtslalom]

Ride, ride, ride and ride some more.

[D.T.]

it's true that if you try to implement everything all at once, you're probably going to get overwhelmed. Just concentrate on one skill until you've got it nailed. Then move on to the next.
Like Jack said, pick one thing to work on at a time, work on it until it becomes second nature, then pick the next technique to work on. Information overload will just cause problems.

[RJ-PS]

Get over to alpinecarving.com and look at pics and vids of the riders that you want to emulate. As the saying goes...A picture is worth a thousand words. Moving pictures must be like a million then?

I also wholeheartedly agree with Ray, the degree to which you improve over time is directly related to the skill of the boarders you ride with often.

[carvedog]

Cross over, cross under, angulate, inclinate, drive the knees, hands off the snow, ect... I used to just go ride, now I think I think to much. I still feel good about my riding, but there is just so much info.

Does anybody else feel overwhelmed with info sometimes. I am hoping I am doing myself some good by learning what works better for me and against me, and that eventually my style will emerge better for having taken the time to experiment on the hill.

Lots of different ways to learn movement patterns that work the same.
Visual - following someone, seeing them do it, mimicking their body movement cues. etc.

Kinesthetic - Feeling different parts of your body and how it gives feedback to help you ride. Such as feeling pressure where your lower leg hits the tongue of the boot, feeling a pinch a couple of inches below the armpit on the downhill arm (pit). Kinesthetic cues.

Linguistic - Processes words to match experience on hill. You might talk to yourself ( sometimes out loud ) if you are this type of learner as you let words and word rhythm (my theory) be your guide.

From my experience you are lucky if you can focus on one primary cue and a secondary cue at the same time. If you are trying to do several at once it could too much.

For me the kinesthetic feedback cues work best. I focus on one at a time until it justs feels great and then move on. If it doesn't feel great don't do it.

:biggthump

[powell1.8]

Kinesthetic - Feeling different parts of your body and how it gives feedback to help you ride. Such as feeling pressure where your lower leg hits the tongue of the boot, feeling a pinch a couple of inches below the armpit on the downhill arm (pit). Kinesthetic cues.

Linguistic - Processes words to match experience on hill. You might talk to yourself ( sometimes out loud ) if you are this type of learner as you let words and word rhythm (my theory) be your guide.



Now I have more to think about, thanks.

Actually, I went out riiding today and it was so cold my brain froze, so I couldn't think to much about riding. Everything felt great. I was actually using your kinesthetic approach, but just didn't know what it was called. Works great.

[Jrobb]

I've always been one of the people who can't read about it and then apply that to motion. I ride up on the lift and I see people doing this and that, and even the people I know I'm better than I try to visualize me in the same situation and I can't figure out how I transfer from one edge to the next...it gets so bad by the time I'm about to get off the lift, I feel like I can't visualize a turn. But as soon as I touch ptex to snow crystals, my body takes over and I just do...kind of Jediesque.

I haven't carved hardboots yet...next weekend ...but I'm a damn good soft boot rider and aside from tricks, I'm comfortable enough to think about daily chores, or eat on the ride down. It's only when teaching people (friends) that I learn the most about my style and how I do things.

Funny, I've been doing cross over and cross under for years...never knowing that's what it's called...angulate, inclinate I've been doing that too for a while. They're just terms to describe motions and relate to others...it sounds more difficult than the words make it sound. I'm not saying carving is easy...just that it's very easy to over think the whole event.

In any event, just take one piece of info with you to the hill and work that. Once you get it , move on.

J

[Peter Vu]

When I first started HB, I was surrounded by ~ 10 other carvers and that was a very frustrating experience. :angryfire
I was swamped with feedback and each carver was breathing down my neck to make sure that I followed THEIR tips. :smashfrea

Bottom line: avoid the big carving group and stick with one good carver. :biggthump

But that's my 2 cents.

[Jim]

Try to focus on one carving change at a time, even if it is only for one run. Then adopt it if it compliments your style. Go to the next one after your new change is committed to muscle memory.

[Rob Stevens]

Peter Vu... That avatar is ******* SICK!

Most people learn by watching and doing. The whole reason this site exists is because people don't have much time for those two things and are left with the weakest of the learning methods: Talking.

It's better than nothing.

[Zone]

Funny, we were debating whether that spray is a Swoard trademark.
No flaming please, just I rarely see other spray of that magnitude on other pics/boards. It may just be EC technique, not the board.

[todd]

Peter Vu... That avatar is ******* SICK!

... The whole reason this site exists is because people don't have much time for those two things and are left with the weakest of the learning methods: Talking.

It's better than nothing.

Except for those of us at Snowmass this morning. Great group of about 25 riders hit the Burn with avengance (sp). We had between 2 - 5 inches of powder on top of firm groomed.

What a kick.

After 3 hours of this, my legs are toast!

By the way, for the visual learner this event is awesome. What a great chance to watch a variety of great riders. What a blast!

[carvedog]

Except for those of us at Snowmass this morning. Great group of about 25 riders hit the Burn with avengance (sp). We had between 2 - 5 inches of powder on top of firm groomed.

What a kick.

After 3 hours of this, my legs are toast!

By the way, for the visual learner this event is awesome. What a great chance to watch a variety of great riders. What a blast!

That kind of teaser is useless without pics. :mad: Bring on the pics. I am a visual learner. :freak3:

Reminds of day here that we had an early morning, very light snow fall on top of perfect groomed. So when you laid it out, you would actually go under the bow wave? Prow wave? Nose wave? of snow enjoying the perfect cord underneath. It was completely surreal. One of the funnest days carving ever.

[Vahur]

Funny, we were debating whether that spray is a Swoard trademark.
No flaming please, just I rarely see other spray of that magnitude on other pics/boards. It may just be EC technique, not the board.
Nah, it depends from board angle and speed IMO. Da magnificent sprays I've seen recently happened from narrow plasma board in last EC session:
Antti with Plasma (http://carving.grewu.org/gallery/ecsIV/ecs0402/dsc_4632.htm)
Another pic (http://carving.grewu.org/gallery/ecsIV/ecs0402/dsc_4661.htm)

[Peter Vu]

Vahur,

Thanks for the nice link for ECS07.
Also thanks for providing the answer to DrZone question.
We don't have the luxury of having 170 carvers emulating EC at our local hill so your feedback helped a lot. :biggthump

Wait, we are getting OT here.... :smashfrea ;)

[D-Sub]

Nah, it depends from board angle and speed IMO. Da magnificent sprays I've seen recently happened from narrow plasma board in last EC session:
Antti with Plasma (http://carving.grewu.org/gallery/ecsIV/ecs0402/dsc_4632.htm)
Another pic (http://carving.grewu.org/gallery/ecsIV/ecs0402/dsc_4661.htm)

:biggthump:biggthump:biggthump:biggthump:1luvu:

awesome pics!

[neil sunday]

when learning a new technique, think about linking the drills or the technique you want ot work on, so one drill naturally leads into the next... for example- i am not going to tell my kids to work on their arm positioning one minute and the advance to a lesson on driving with the knees the next. i will work from the head to the feet or vice versa. as long as they can build from one lesson learned to the next. we have a 4 run coaching warm up drill that my team does. it allows the rider to progress from the ground up- and by the fourth drill or training exercise they are ready to tear up the moutain...

[Miguel]

It seems like the more I read about good form the more my riding suffers. Cross over, cross under, angulate, inclinate, drive the knees, hands off the snow, ect... I used to just go ride, now I think I think to much. I still feel good about my riding, but there is just so much info.

Does anybody else feel overwhelmed with info sometimes. I am hoping I am doing myself some good by learning what works better for me and against me, and that eventually my style will emerge better for having taken the time to experiment on the hill.

That's funny! I've often felt the same. It's amazing the amount of contradictory information I've read on this forum. That's not to say the info is incorrect but it sure can be confusing at times. More than one way to skin the proverbial cat, I suppose. I'd have to say the most straight forward and useful information I've read about carving has been over on Scott Firestone's site, The Carver's Almanac. You only get one opinion over there! :biggthump

http://www.alpinecarving.com/

[ARCrider]

and then ride some more.
Practice makes perfect. heard that before?
as for pics
find some that show what you want to achieve, print them and adorn your fridge, workplace or wherever for that daily visual reminder.
I had a pic of JJ Anderson carving hard posted on my fridge a few winters back.
Worked for me
and if you can ride with better riders and be coached that's the best.
recreational racing helped develop my riding in a hurry too.

like Jack said baby steps and don't think too much.

[2board]

Snowboarding to me is all about playing with the board. Don't get caught up in questions like "where should my shoulder aligned when riding?". Just try different alignments and see what works for you. Play with the board by moving your body different ways and seeing what you like and don't like. Don't get stuck reading about technique and right and wrong ways to ride, just figure out what works for you.

[powell1.8]

I strongly believe that I learned to snowboard watching snowboard videos. In like 1990 Nitro released a promotion video which was the only video I had ever seen with someone really carving, with hardboots. Whoever it was I remember them being pretty smooth. I watched that movie humdreds of times. Wish I still had it. Anyway, at the time I was the only person I knew that was really into carving, more than tricks, so that movie was my only reference. It helped more than anything I have ever done.