DrProphet

Hi all, Bare with me pls as i am a newbie forum-user as well as a newbie boarder.(6 months) Thinkin i need some pro advice. (I've had 4 lessons in the UK) Anyways, i Just got back from my 1st boarding hol in Austria where i got beaten up by the Alps My main problem was the fact that alot of the blue(beginner) pistes they had there, were pretty narrow, pretty flat/ low incline, and pretty close to some STEEP edges. Well this kinda led me into some rather straight 'n fast runs which in the end became a chore. I didn't really have the room to keep my speed down, so ended up frustrated, which i've already learnt isn't a good recipe for a good days boarding. I'm pretty sure i'd have been fine, but alot of the time i found myself with my board flat on the ground and eventually the inevitable would happen. An edge would catch n i'd be on my ass...AGAIN. I did try to stay on my heel or toe edge, but this was hard work...especially doing 6 or so hrs of boarding every day. I'm currently on my 1st board. A Ride Prophet 156. (had some strange looks when telling people this is my first board) gotta say, it does seem alot stiffer than other boards i've tried. I'm 6ft, and 165lbs if that helps. Someone did mention about my size vs. board size affecting the 'effective edge'. i think i understood this. kinda. Hope i've come to the right place. I'm hoping to sort this prob out, cos i've just found the BEST fun in the world, and i wanna do it ALOT!!! Thanks in advance. P.s. tried some wide red runs 'n loved 'em P.p.s. I'm 32, why did it take me so long to discover snowboarding

Snowolf

I feel your pain...cat tracks are the new snowboarder`s bane. Honestly it gets much easier .....really. The way to manage speed on these things is to flip the tail out and skid, then straighten back out. Basically, you will learn to ride on a very low edge angle and when speed gets too much, you will go into a quick heel or toe turn and agressively push the tail out and skid it to bleed off speed.

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DrProphet

Thanks Snowolf. Just the info i needed. Hopin to get back out on the mountain in a few weeks time, i'll let ya know how it goes. Startin to realise there's alot more to learning this than just linkin a few turns. I also plan to spend alot of time at my indoor slope between now n then...it's all about board time, right?? Thanks again.

Snowolf

Yeah, becoming a good rider is 95% time "behind the wheel" Good instruction gives you the info and the model for what you want to do, but only through riding, and practicing will you get the feel for it. Speed management is, I think, the most important thing for the new rider to master. Once you can do that, all the other skills are learned much quicker.

As you are riding down the cat track, try to think of it like a two lane highway and try to imagine a centerline. You will try to ride so that you are doing lots of very shallow turns within your "lane" at the widest part of the turn, you can skid your tail to bleed off speed, then turn back towards the other side of your "lane" and do the same thing. Watch out for getting onto your edge with both feet too early when the board is pointed straight down the cat track as this will cause you to loose your balance and just sort of fall over. Initiate these shallow turns by gently rotating your shoulder to place it over the edge you are turning to and flex the ankle and knee to apply pressure to that edge with only the front foot. Only after the trun has begun do you apply pressure with the rear foot. Also try to work on over turning when on a cat track. I would say not to allow your board to turn more than about 45 dgrees off center. You don`t have a lot of room and if you steer across the track too much, you won`t have time to turn it back. Skidding these turns bleeds off speed, so don`t be afraid to skid that tail..ONCE the turn is established.

The main reason you objective is to try to stay withing a half width of the track is to leave room for other traffic to pas. If you are consistently staying within that zone, your riding behaviour is predictable to other people and they can get around you without any conflicts. If you make a mistake and see you are going to need more room, keep an eye out behind you for traffic; just try to be aware of your surroundings.

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DrProphet

hey, went boarding last night at me local indoor slope. Damn, them conditions are awful. Even worse, since experiencing the real thing. But they do seriously need to sort it out. Looks more like a sloped skating rink than a board/ski slope :s...well anyways apart from that, had a wicked night. didn't fall on my first run (unheard of), didn't fall more than twice (unheard of) And i even tried a few of jumps off a small kicker, and landed all 3 (it's a miracle) so, yeah ya could say i'm havin tons o fun. Didn't get a chance to put your advice in2 practice due to limitations of slope (ie. pretty much just one consistent gradient) however i did do some pretty straight runs and used the skidding method to bleed off speed. Seemed to work pretty well, can't wait to try it on the real thing. Thanks again, dude. Think i may have to do the U.S. next year