check these out for getting low?

[Fleaman]

http://www.mdem.org/espacepublic/boardies/boardies2.htm

Definitely WTF!

[kjl]

Wasn't there a Warren Miller film with these in it several years ago? I remember seeing some other wacky things, too, including gigantic cubes with handles on the top (so you could do the same thing as these boardies things except your hand would be a foot off the ground instead of right next to it when you started to slide), and ski poles with slidey surfaces built around the grip, so you could slide with your knuckles on the snow if you were a skiier.

I imagine using one of those would cut down on dislocated shoulders while carving - I've definitely had some scary arm yanks when my hand encountered soft snow or a hole in the piste while in an unstable carve...

[Neil Gendzwill]

These were discussed before on the old board. They're a good way to hurt yourself IMO and promote bad technique (reaching for the snow).

[Jack Michaud]

These promote reaching for the snow, a bad habit. If you're properly angulated and you get low enough to lightly brush your hand along the snow, that's not a big deal. But bending over at the waist and <i>trying</i> to touch the snow like this guy puts you in an unbalanced position.
http://www.mdem.org/espacepublic/statistiques/images%20stat/image20.gif

[eddie]

Note in the picture that the person is on a softboot setup. Then, when you look a little closer she is following someone elses trench and that there is another "boardies" track higher up in the snow. It's a little easier to carve when in someone elses trench.

[willywhit]

I think the weasel even has the little trowels glued to the palms of his gloves.:rolleyes: and YES the weasel rips!

[philfell]

The stuff that was in the Warren Miller film was an idea by Boone Lennon, he made up all these excersises and gizmos to help cross over skiiers get into carving, the system was called "Quick Carve". It didn't take off very well, it taught people to carve very quickly but didn't teach them any control, people would get locked on edge and not be able to avoid people.