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I feel like far too many people think they can carve when they actually can't. Some of them are great in the park but they can't carve properly. Carving is harder than it seems, and it requires a lot of practice,technique and self-criticism. My tip is if you see anything but a fine line behind you on the snow you are not carving (unless you are riding on really deep pow). What are your tips?

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My tip? Enjoy yourself - Do it safely and don't get too hung up on the technicalities. Unless you're very lucky you've probably forked out serious money for your gear and the transport and the time on the mountain so make the most of it and enjoy yourself. Who cares if you're a slider or a carver or you're idea of a flat out balls to the wall run is someone's idea of a joke, so long as you're having fun.

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>I was riding pow with Kumapix`s japanese friends yesterday and i don`t think they cracked a smile. lol.gif Maybe that's because you were sliding instead of carving - they were probably mortified about being on the same mountain as you.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Oyuki kigan:
I was riding pow with Kumapix`s japanese friends yesterday and i don`t think they cracked a smile.
just got an email from one of them saying 'yesterday was fun! let's go again sometime!'
confused.gif
those 3 are not a very expressive or decisive bunch lol.gif
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Ohh great poombah, please enlighten us with your tips on the easy carving and other carnal pleasures.

 

A boarder friend of mine is sooooo close, but just can't seem to get it to click. If he gets it, he'd be so much more fun to ski with because he wouldn't get tired at 2:00pm and could ski more terrain with the rest of us.

 

"Tipping is not a city in China."

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I guess it depends on what you put the focus on. If you just want to have fun then I guess doing anything in the wrong way works as long as it's fun. For me it's a matter of both having fun and constantly improving, so I care for doing the things right while at the same time having fun.

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What's hard about it? You lean one way, then you lean the other way, and when you get back on the lift, you look down and there are S-bends all the way down the piste with just the slightest sign of slough at the outer edges. Nothing to it.

 

I was never the greatest snowboarder by any means, but I just found carving easy, even if the conditions for it weren't always there.

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db le p -> 100 % agreed.

 

Ocean11 it could be that indeed you are carving very well, and you are gifted to find it really easy. But I recommend to have some one at some point, a knowledgeable instructor or snowboarder, look at your style and criticise it for you. Maybe you'll find that some of the movements you are doing or the stance or other things can be improved. It's really hard to assess yourself without someone who looks at you while you are snowboarding.

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Carving and linking carved turns on well groomed (but not steep) slopes is a skill any intermediate snowboarder should be able to master. Increase the gradient or chop up the snow and it separates the men from the boys as it were. But honestly, who cares? If you're enjoying what you're doing then you've acheived the aim of snowboarding. If you enjoy pushing yourself and getting anal about how perfect your technique then great. If you enjoy hanging out with mates and crusing around the resort then that's great also.

 

Carving is only one of several ways to ride a board - as SG said on another thread yesterday, it's whatever rocks your boat.

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Coldcat - Mate, I reckon it's a real measure of the relative skill of a rider. Being able to carve as opposed to straight line or tail slide, down a steep (I'm thinking 35+ degrees) slope takes genuine ability - it's not something I can lay claim too I'm sorry to say. It's so much easier (and less tressful) to ride down the steeps in a bit of powder or soft snow.

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There is carving, and then there is carving well.

 

I had been riding for about 14 or 15 seasons when i took my level 2 instructors test. I arrogantly thought that i had my technique down and the carving section would be a breeze.

 

Well, it turns out that i am not as good as i thought, and after 17 seasons, am now looking at turning and carving again as a beginner.

 

When i started riding, boots had zero support, and most people rode with their knees together to compensate. Watch some old Craig Kelly footage, you`ll see what i mean.

 

I still was using it even though new boots eliminate the need for that stance, and i am again learing how not to stand like an embarressed Jr High girl when i carve.

 

Snowboarding is still a new sport, and there is yet noone that had done it beyond 30 years. There is still ALOT of technique to be refined and developed.

 

And hey, if it is too easy, try it switch.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Oyuki kigan:


I still was using it even though new boots eliminate the need for that stance, and i am again learing how not to stand like an embarressed Jr High girl when i carve.


.
HAHA GREAT ANALAGY OYUKI SAMA! lol.gif
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Hey oyuki, don't take offense or anything, I'm just saying this cos I think maybe you don't know it and you'd like somebody to tell you: if you are using a japanese computer the apostrophe is on top of the 7 key (shift + 7).

 

As for carving I am from Europe and over there they are almost obsessed with technique, I feel. To the point that maybe it stops being fun. I think it's important to learn properly a sport because when you do it right it's also more fun, and also because you can prevent injuries derived from wrong position, stance... from happening to you. I don't like however to take anything so extremely that it stops being fun. I believe it's possible to develop a good technique and have fun at the same time on a board, in fact as I said a better technique leads to more enjoyable ride as well as more beautiful style. A lot of people who are posting on this thread seem to think that if you care about technique you have to sacrifice having fun. Not really.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by coldcat:
As for carving I am from Europe and over there they are almost obsessed with technique, I feel. To the point that maybe it stops being fun.
thats the impression i get from japan sometimes. ever look at a Japanese snowboard mag? They consist of 3 main types of articles.

1-Advertisements

2-fashion reports

3-How-to explanations.

Who the fukk needs (or wants) a layback slash explained to them!?!
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