Okushiga snowboarder's petition

[ippy 66]

Id almost agree, but i should add that they cant. Thats kinda the whole point of the big bit on heelside turns. To look uphill on that turn almost guarantees an edge catch. Which you dont want... and we sure as shit dont want.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Or to whittle it down even more....

Skiers, NEVER approach boarders....stay the f@@k outta our way

[iiyamadude 6]

Gladly!

 

Just do your sitting on your bum out of the way, not right in the way of everyone at the top of a slope, ok?

[Tubby Beaver 209]

I don't do sitting.....anywhere on the mountain

[iiyamadude 6]

Good man.

 

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Just went through the thread again and noted the whole unpredictability of snowboarders.

 

Heres how it works for skiers who dont know.

 

ALWAYS WATCH THE HEELSIDE TURN.

 

A heelside turn is a blindside turn. If you are coming passed a snowboarder its generally safe to do so WHEN they are on their heelside and moving to turn onto their toe side.

You can also pass them on their toe edge (on their toe edge side) when they are going to transition on their heel edge.

 

I usually get caught out on this one though because people seem to thoroughly enjoy sitting on their toe edge for much longer than youd think so you both end up getting pulled into the trees waiting for the turn.

 

To be safe, you should probably never come round a snowboarders heel side on a narrow path if they are riding on their toe edge. Since the iron law of snowboarding dictates they must transition to their heel edge, and that this edge is a blind side turn, chances are theyre going to do it just as youre sneaking up to pass them (they cant see you at any point of the transition). In those situations its always best to just follow their toe side line with them until they turn off it. In fact its usually better to follow a snowboarders line and wait for them to drop off it (change edge) rather than try and head perpendicular to it if you can.

 

Snowboarding is pretty predictable.

 

- If you see someone riding on their edge, assume they are at the peak of their arc and moving to change an edge. Its just safer to assume that than assume theyve just started their turn and you have stacks of time to ninja past them.

- Check their back. For goofy riders (right foot leading) its on their right; for regular riders (left foot leading) its on their left.

The absolutely most dangerous edge change is to their heelside (goofy = turning right; regular = turning left). These are blind side turns. Thus for safety sake never approach a snowboarder on their blind side UNLESS that snowboarder is already on their heelside and transitioning to their toe edge.

- When moving to their toe side snowboarders can look up the hill. When moving to their heel edge they often cant. Thats why its their blind side.

- Watch the person riding for a few turns before making your move.

- If youre in a tricky situation and you cant read it, its better that you slow the **** down and try and read it.

 

- A special notification about Rats

 

Hows the terrain? And what are they wearing... sounds stupid but this is almost ironclad as well.

If there are side hits, the dude seems like they can ride a bit and theyre looking kinda stylish, chances are if theres a side hit, theyre gonna take it.

 

Again, thsi is why you watch the people in front of you for a few turns to ascertain what theyre prone to doing. But a side hit might come from nowhere... so you have other visual clues to look out for like style and dress. Are they buttering around a bit (sliding on their nose and tail and throwing out spins)? Chances are that theyll take the first side hit or powder stash theyll find. Prepare for it EVEN IF you have no evidence from their current line to the contrary. Assume they are lost park rats trying to get back their home and give them a lot of space for some seriously unexpected (and massively inconsiderate) line changes.

With these cats you have three things to watch out for:

1. Line changes. Popping into switch means your predictions are now screwed. Are they going to follow this line now? What if they pop back to normal?

2. Serious speed drops. When you start buttering, riding a wall or even pop into switch, youre going to lose a bit of speed (unless your switch is 100% and you just nailed the transition). This means youve suddenly got less time than you figured on your current line and timing calculations.

and 3. Dropping back into the line from a wall. These are notoriously tough to follow. Beware of these especially on a path. Im pretty bad for randomly bursting up walls and dropping back in (also, ill take side hits that put me on my toe edge which often means a blind side drop if i havent switched).

 

Basically any time i see a group of park rats in front of me hitting up the walls, the best thing is just to pass them when you can and get a bit of distance to do your own thing.

 

Remember the iron rule of the ski field: If theyre downhill from you, youre the asshole if you collide. EVEN IF theyre being douchy idiots radomly changing lines. Its still your responsibility to pass them safely and at an appropriate place even if that means reducing your speed a bit, reading their line and waiting for a convenient and safe place to get the hell away from them. EVEN WHEN a douchebag park rat wannabe (me), flies up a wall, then drops speed and youre holiding your line and speed, pops back into the terrain... its still your job as the person uphill to recognise what the hell is going on and expect the return back to their line. (Youre still uphill of them since theyre travelling slower, and youre both on a collision course. If you were downhill of them youd have passed them).

 

Its annoying dealing with boarders who leap at side hits, but then again so are people who think because youve climbed a wall that you now no longer exist... Weve got two fekking choices. Up or down. Once we hit the peak of the arc WE ARE COMING BACK DOWN. We dont have an engine, we have gravity. Where the **** do you think we're going? Sorry, er ranting... Basically pay attention. Even if its park rats on side hits, who are the WORST, its still your job as the person uphill to figure out when its safe to pass. And this might mean delaying and slowing down once in a while.

 

There you go. Public service message for people terrified of snowboarders.

 

ETA:

 

I forgot to mention these cats:

 

Beginners.

- Again this falls under the whole WATCH THEIR LINE FOR A FEW TURNS. You can spot a beginner very easily. Are they side sliding and taking up half the width of the path? SLOW THE **** DOWN.

 

I cant stress this enough. Slow down around beginners. They are massively unpredictable if only because theyre probably gonna catch an edge and land exactly under your feet. You screaming past them almost guarantees they crap themselves and land on their face. Treat them like the terrified easily startled children that they are. They dont realise that this line requires speed to not have to unclip, they dont realise that they really shouldnt be side sliding a path thats about three boards wide. They just wanna explore the mountain and are having fun doing it (even if they just destroyed all the good snow on that red run by ploughing their way down it because it was a bit too steep for them after all). Best way to ride safe near them is to a) give them a MASSIVE berth or b ) slow down. Not all that complicated.

Ippy,

Think I am in LOVE!!

That has to be the most sensible snapshot I have ever read.

 

And for what it's worth - I'm not sitting on my butt either - especially not below line of vision or in stupid bottlenecks. It is however possible to STAND on two planks in equally stupid locations....like at the bottom of a lift ramp...

 

I still think decent instructors who school new students on this stuff from the getgo is the best way forward.

[hellyer 216]

Invaluable information Ippy for us two plankers, particularly -

 

"To be safe, you should probably never come round a snowboarders heel side on a narrow path if they are riding on their toe edge. Since the iron law of snowboarding dictates they must transition to their heel edge, and that this edge is a blind side turn, chances are theyre going to do it just as youre sneaking up to pass them (they cant see you at any point of the transition). In those situations its always best to just follow their toe side line with them until they turn off it. In fact its usually better to follow a snowboarders line and wait for them to drop off it (change edge) rather than try and head perpendicular to it if you can"

 

Armed with you helpful hints I will now be more confident in approaching a snowboarder from behind on a narrow cat track and stealthfully bump them over the edge

[tokabochi 9]

[anything 6]

Invaluable information Ippy for us two plankers, particularly -

 

"To be safe, you should probably never come round a snowboarders heel side on a narrow path if they are riding on their toe edge. Since the iron law of snowboarding dictates they must transition to their heel edge, and that this edge is a blind side turn, chances are theyre going to do it just as youre sneaking up to pass them (they cant see you at any point of the transition). In those situations its always best to just follow their toe side line with them until they turn off it. In fact its usually better to follow a snowboarders line and wait for them to drop off it (change edge) rather than try and head perpendicular to it if you can"

 

Armed with you helpful hints I will now be more confident in approaching a snowboarder from behind on a narrow cat track and stealthfully bump them over the edge

 

somehow my ski boots & bindings have the ability to eject snowboarders from both of their bindings (flow) in a single close pass. has happened twice now.

but if i go toe side i'm going to miss out on all the fun