kyu7L

Hello, first time post-er for a long time stalker of these forums. Thought I'd finally bite the bullet and make my first post a question to the generally well informed people of these forums. Any advice or information would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for the length of this post.

I currently ride regular on a 158 Rome Agent(185lbs @ 5'6). My board before this was a shorter 153 Rome Crail that was softer, as well as obviously shorter. No weight fluctuation occurred, just happened to use the height method before and bought the Agent used while using the weight method. I feel as if I'm an intermediate rider, who mostly rides mountain but likes to do a bit of everything on the ground and I'm interested in progressing towards park.

But here comes the brunt of the matter, this could all be skill and technique related, but I'm having difficulty adjusting to the new(er)board with my heel side when going down the steeper slopes. When I'm trying to transition from one edge to the next, putting my weight on my heels randomly causes my board to slip out from underneath me and I land on my rear end, so to counter this I started forcing the board to turn as in kicking my back foot either forward or backwards, as it seems to take too long to transition from one edge to the other. This makes all the steeps a bomb down the hill or nothing the only choice. Any know what might cause these issues? Simple control issues or something more?

I could get used to it, but as I will go be going to CO in the next couple of weeks and purchase a board out there while I'm at it. I thought I'd ask the pros if I should invest in a shorter board despite the weight or something with a bit more flex to learn to control it a bit better?

I am thinking of the Neversummer EVO 151-155. (Long time stalker like I said, love all the things that its supposedly capable of) I'll probably invest in the Proto next season as well to replace the Agent as it seems around the same stiffness as the Agent.)

In short: I occasionally slip on steep slopes during the transition randomly, while on my heel edge making me swing my back foot to carve on the blacks. Any reason this happens? Could it be the length of my board that gives me difficulty? And also, interested in hitting park and playing around the mountain. I'm short and heavy (5'6 & 185lbs) and having strange control issues, 151-155 Neversummer EVO good choice? Or stick with 158?

wrathfuldeity

Tell us more, riding how long, where, snow conditions, comfortable at speed, alright at straight line bombing....blues or blacks?

It could be that you are new to blacks and not comfortable with steeps and speed, thus trying to keep things in check by being too traverse or rushing the turns. Snow is a factor...if hard, packed, chopped or ice verses soft, untracked, or fresh groomed. Perhaps moving/shifting toward the tail too fast or too much, perhaps not sitting/dumping enough or not pulling up your toes. idk

However longer boards seem to want to takeoff or accelerate faster and are slower in turning...ie a bigger arch on steeps verses a shorter board will seem to stay under you and will be quicker to turn...ie. smaller radius...so it may be just an adjustment. With a bigger board on steeps it will want to do bigger arching/straight lining turns...thus speed and hang on. And on a shorter board you can pop from edge to edge and quick small radius turns...thus seemingly easier to control speed on steeps.

So it kind of depends on what you want to do...big straight line bomb or quick billy goat on steeps...both have their place that is somewhat dependent on snow conditions and skillz.

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AcroPhile

If you find it slipping out from under you on hard pack or icy conditions, it may be the 2 degree base bevel you have on your board. ... or at least a combination of base bevel and your riding style/ technique. Good for jibbing not so much on really steep terrain.

kyu7L

Thanks for the feedback!

Good things to keep in mind, mostly ride hard pack or icy conditions given that I board mostly on the East. I generally ride blues/blacks and really have no issues with speed, except when it gets sketchy with the conditions as the random ice patch appearing is never a fun sight to me. I would prefer the "billy goat" style as I like to look for features to jump or different things to adventure. I am just trying to find a way to choose a happy medium between bombing straight down and bleeding out all my speed, as it feels right now that I have no choice. (I have no problems on flat level or slow rolling slopes, just the steep areas where I feel the need to bleed a bit occurs)

What is the 2 degree base bevel?

ginofultano

If its only happening on steep runs, maybe your heels are touching the ground and lifting your edges. just a though.

Donutz

Does the board 'skip' or chatter before depositing you, or does it just slip like doing a falling leaf?

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Illegitimi non carborundum

Mountain Days: 30

kyu7L

After more consideration I believe it might be the slushy/icy conditions, still have no idea what exactly causes it. But its a sudden feeling of the board randomly catching and then it slips out like stepping on soap, so it may be my heel edge catching. Might need to reset my bindings to align with the board again.

Thanks again. Hopefully it'll get better with better conditions.

kyu7L

Sorry if I seem unclear about the matter, but it happens towards the end of the transition. To be as descriptive as possible, as I switch from the toeside to the heelside on quick carves, I'll transition my weight from the toeside to the heelside, and as my weight is about to finish transferring to the heelside, generally my backfoot or back of the board slips out. It generally isn't my front foot which feels strange but my backfoot at the end of the weight transfer. This has generally happens to me on a quick carving turns, I can't recall having this issue on a general heelside traverse.

I hope this information is useful in alleviating the problem.

mbesp

If it is slushy out there is a chance you could be getting some heel bite.
what size boots do you wear?

kyu7L

I wear a size 7.5 boot.