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Tips for controlling speed on steeper runs?

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(@lukejuras)
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Joined: 10 months ago
Posts: 5
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eds run

This is "Ed's Run" at Whitefish Mountain. The top section is about 38% slope, the mid is closer to 34%, and the bottom mellows out to 30%. This was late afternoon, so the snow was pretty choppy but still reasonably soft. I want to be able to carve this from top to bottom. I believe in my soul that it's possible, even when the conditions aren't perfect. Pencil thin, 180 degree turns is my goal, zero brakes. What do I need to do to get tighter carves on steeper runs like this? Once it got out of control, I was basically holding on for dear life and trying not to run into my filmer. I did pretty well, but I had to hit the brakes like 4 times.

Burton Custom X 162W, Burton Ions/Step-ons, +30/+15 stance.

[Video coming as soon as I figure out why it says "Error Unknown Error"]

This topic was modified 1 week ago by lukejuras

   
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(@lukejuras)
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Joined: 10 months ago
Posts: 5
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Wild Cherry
(@wild-cherry)
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Joined: 11 months ago
Posts: 337
 

@lukejuras Very impressive carving!  Especially considering your equipment, the steepness, and the late day chop.  Plus, you're not even touching the snow, which is way harder!

To control your speed better you just need to slow it down.  At every transition you have an opportunity to carve a little higher up the hill and drop some speed.  You may need to take up more space to do this so put your turns closer to the side of the run and leave yourself space to turn uphill.

Also,  you're maxing out your equipment.  Those Custom X have a tight sidecut radius; you're trying to turn the board too wide.  That leads to chatter.  Turning it tighter would demand higher edge pressure than that board and interface can handle, and that also leads to chatter. 

The solution I found for carving production boards on steeps is to keep it slow and keep the turns tight.  Slow down on every turn to the minimum speed that board requires to initiate.

An alternative solution is the down unweighted turn, but that's not my style. 

Three other tips:

1. Exaggerate that inside arm lifting up on toeside, you're doing it, do it a bit more and drop the knees to the snow to angulate higher and  turn tighter.

2. Exaggerate the hip shift: bring those hips further towards the nose on heelside.   I want to see the back hand touching or hovering over the front knee and I need you to get it there by twisting at the hips, not by reaching from the shoulder or elbow.

3. Get some better equipment if you can afford it.  You'll need more width at least to drop those knees and angugulate the board higher without booting out.  Metal would crush that chop too.  And your interface is too soft for the kind of edge pressure you can produce.  Boot stiffeners and straps are indicated at a minimum, but a rear entry binding like the Flow NX2 coupled with a pair of Ride Insanos would make that run feel way easier.

You're doing great, keep it up!

 

I'm just slaying...


   
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