chomps1211

Correct me if I'm misinformed about this, but the snow conditions will make a world of difference in how squirely "flat basing" feels as well won't they? I mean on gouged & cut up hard pack or icy groomers, you've got more (...features?) looking to snag or engage your edges without your consent, right? So any lapse in concentration or technique can result in punishment! Plus, when riding flat based on hard pack like that, unless you are pressuring an edge, the running edges of the board are not really in contact with anything to help stabilize your tracking? Is this an accurate assessment?

The few times I've been able to ride in a couple inches of "Fresh",.. where the running length of the board was actually "In" the snow,.. riding flat seemed much more stable & controlled, and not just when bombing straight out!! (...bombing being a relative term for a NooB like me!)

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You're only Young Once,.. but you can be Immature FOREVER!!!!
2012/13 Season;
(48) days out!

golfer1659

It has a ton to do with conditions. East coast VS West Coast..........


If there is any ice you do NOT want to flat base. If it is choppy conditions you do not want to flat base. (normally east coast)

Now if you are first tracks and its deep powder then it is not nearly affected as much. (alot of times west coast) I just lean back and float until I reach a speed where small carves are needed.



When I am bombing it, I always keep on an edge BUT the board is always pointed directly down hill. Now the only time I will flat base is right before a roller and I want to ollie it, even at that its just for a second. Full control is ALWAYS seen on an edge for the most part because from flat base it takes a longer period to engage a turn especially in TOUGH situations, ie: unknown rock, big patch of ice, fellow skier/snowboarder thats just on the other side of roller/hill that you cant see.........

Where I snowboard in VT it is usually choppy conditions...........

BoardWalk

Get more air, you can't catch an edge when you're flying. I tend to use oldmates technique, forward and loose.

BoardWalk

Words that I live by, of course I'm a big pussy...

Donutz

yeah, but no matter how hard I flap, I still come down eventually. That's when things go bad...

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Illegitimi non carborundum

Mountain Days: 30

dice

I think it also has much to do with the type of board you are riding!

I can flat base my Travis Rice at high speed on ice no issues! My Kessler Ride is even better & faster when flat based - with KST tech I often flat base it (little break) after a big long massive speed push.

Having said that, I took out a Nitro Pentera on a demo ride the other day and can tell you the board was very twitchy! Had to have it on edge most of the time and was much harder to flat base (flats and cat walks)!

So I'd say board have something to do with it as well as technique.

All the best.

Cheers...

Backcountry

I kept catching edges last time I went up and I was getting so mad

chomps1211

LOL,.. anyone got a .gif of an airborne boarder "flappin" their arms like crazy!!

...just can't get that image outta' my head!

__________________
You're only Young Once,.. but you can be Immature FOREVER!!!!
2012/13 Season;
(48) days out!

tylerkat89

X2 Depends on your board. Carving will help you keep command/maintain your speed. When I see people carving down the blacks, I end up bombing past them the bottom half. Having a Mervin's BTX sure does help. You just need to be comfortable transferring your weight from back to front when engaging carves back to flat basing. Different types of cambers on a board make the difference as to how you can approach this

Casual

+1 for this, I flat base a lot and I just stay really loose. I think its something you need experience for and you need to know when to load up an edge and be able to do it quickly or you could die nobody likes dying. Definitely need to keep parallel to your board and not fight it.

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