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Having a blast!!!!

34K views 270 replies 36 participants last post by  Snow Hound 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi guys,

I'm sure this isn't the place for this but I wanted to share my joy!!!

(Moderators, please move if needed!!!)

Ok, so I have been going to my local indoor slope since early Feb and sure, I have improved and had some spills along the way but....

On Monday, I went and spent 2hrs just doing my thing, popping off a few small jumps and generally having a good time....

Then (wanting to get my technique right) I asked about coaching...
Well, they have a scheme on Tuesdays called "Life begins" for over 40's well, I just make that so I thought I'd give it a go....
Turns out that I was the only one on it and so I got a private lesson!! :yahoo:

Here's what we worked on...

Riding Switch,
Front leg steering,
Hops/pops traversing the slope,
Strong edge back-up turns,
Tail press,
Ollies,
Riding bumps,
Flatland spins,
and Frontside 180's....
All in regular and switch....

I did have a few MORE spills but one bigger one the has pulled my left Pec' but that will fix....

Anyway, before yesterday, I hadn't tried any of this and by the end of two hrs, I'm confident I can take it out on a regular session and practice away!
Although, I can't say enough how much having a coach has helped!
Not only to give me more to play with but also shows major weaknesses that I know I need to focus on...
Still, a good friend of mine says that pain is weakness leaving the body... BRING ON THE PAIN!!!:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
 
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#105 ·
Sure wish I had an indoor place local to me, did some online searching and the closest one to me here in Germany is 3 hour drive one way, the best one here in Germany is over 5 hours drive one way to get to. Looks like I wont be getting much time to ride in this summer, but when it comes to winter at the very least ive got access to a hill 1/2 hour drive away for playing, and 2-3 hour drive distance for resorts and such. You are pretty lucky to live so close to a place you can ride year around.
 
#107 ·
Ok, enough is enough! Bad ribs or no, I'm going back tomorrow! I just can't stay away any more!!!

I guess it's just in me now.... Was ther today, just to get some food from the cafe and there were so many dudes that must be just starting and most of them didn't have a helmet on and fell so much.... They will!

Anyway, I'm booked in for the weekender session so I can just free-ride all evening! :yahoo: I'm not gonna push it as my ribs are still sore but it should be enough to have a good time :thumbsup:
 
#108 ·
I was there today with my sister Katie and my better half Kristi (lander91). We'd have been messing around doing tripods and stuff just before lunch time. We'll be going to Friday night freestyle to play on the kickers/boxes too :)

There were lots of newbies around, some fresh from their lessons, but didn't see anyone out of control or anything :) You get some people who just turn up and have a punt at it, which is both scary and hilarious.

KillerDave - you haven't been on a Mavierix Ollies and Flatland course recently have you? We were on one end of April. Saw a guy going fast as he could with goggles on indoors completely sideways on his heel edge, going faster and faster - everyone waiting for him to catch his toe edge. He did :)
 
#115 ·
Board slide heaven!!!

I got another 3hr session in tonight and I did get some 180's in, a few 50/50's and got my first board slides too!!!

My first attempt at board slides were... Let's just say I'm glad I got some impact shorts! :dizzy:
My second go, I rode onto the box straight and pulled it round to about 45 degrees, coming out was sketchy at best....
My third run... Went in straight, pulled it round and got it to perfect 90!
Holding my posture along the rainbow box, I held the slide real nice until it was time to pop off the box, unwind and ride away whooping!!! :yahoo: I did that a few times and I'm happy!!!! I think I can move on to proper Frontside/Backside board slides??? For that I think I might need a little coaching???
I know it's not much but on a slope that's just 170 meters top to bottom I've spent ALOT of time on the lift.... Small steps I guess!?!?
 
#116 ·
:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
 
#119 ·
Got today Dave I've enjoyed reading this as I've just had my first lesson Monday and cannot wait for my next one which will hopefully be in a couple of weeks time I'm totally hooked and wish I'd been sooner, Im hoping one day I'll be confident enough to have ago at some ramps etc. I suppose confidence grows the more you hit the slope which I'm going to try and do as often as possible
 
#120 ·
Hi,

Are you in MK Milkybarben???

Deffinately keep up on the lessons!
It sounds like you have a more causous attitude than I do....
My confidence grows as a session goes on to the point where it exceeds my skill level and I end up hurting myself!

I was on the park night on Friday and man it was awesome! The park shaper had set up all three boxes in line to make one long box about 30' long!!!
The 1st is a slope up, short flat and a slope down...
The 2nd is dead flat and the 3rd is a rainbow....

I asked one of the coaches how I should hit it and of course he said a little faster but dead straight... So, I rode over it nice and quick and plumb straight...
WOW! I got a real kick out of that so I hit it again only when I got to the 1st flat I kicked it round to a front board slide... At the speed I had going, that was a little scary!!! The coach was coming up the lift and said he wishes he video'd it!!! Wo-hooooo!!!! :yahoo:

Then I hit the jumps... Did the small two fine but then when it came to the bigger jump, completely miss judged my speed and landed heavy on the top... No biggie... Just a bit hard... So the next run.... WAY to much speed, landed on my ass so hard I now have a bruis on my chest where my chin hit it and a big ass pain in my neck....:dizzy: Again!!!

I sware this is turning into the "How many ways can Dave hurt himself" thread...

This weekend is the Deffinition FreeStyle course but I'm not sure I can make it...

Maybe I can do part of it??? And do the rest next month????
 
#122 ·
No dave I'm in carshalton and go to Hemel hemstead which is only an hour away and I'm happy to say I'm heading back there tuesday and Wednesday so hopefully have some more knowledge behind me at the end of the 2 days

Once I've got some experiance on the main slope I'll deffinatly have a go at some ramps etc
 
#130 ·
This, of course is all very true!



I'm never too worried about looking stupid and I have been told that if I'm not falling, I'm not learning or trying hard enough but....
It bloody hurts somtimes!!!

I think it's in my head, I analyse my run after I get home and and I seem to feel too fast so at the very last second before take-off, I scrub off speed and either don't make the jump and land way short or land wide open and crash....

I sucks getting hurt and that's why I need coaching! I'm 40yo now and seeing some of the kids doing 540's, grabs and even back flips makes me wonder what I've been doing with my life???

Man I hate those kids!!! ;-)
 
#133 ·
Well, that wasn't too bad after-all....
SnoZone Milton Keynes run a special night once a month call "Park Strife"
It's like a regular park night but they set up a sound system, play some very loud tunes and run extended hours.
Anyway, I was going to take some pictures of the set-up but my phone died!
I didn't do too much but I was jumping much better and didn't even fall.... Much... ;-)
The kicker was a good size for an indoor slope and I took the safe route... I saw how others were hitting it, looking to see where they were dropping in from how much pop they were giving it and so-on...

The boxes and rails were the same, they had some crazy stuff going on like pipes sticking out like a kicker, did that! :thumbsup: a 2" wide metal post also sticking out at maybe 40 degrees.... Did that! :thumbsup: the also had some high rails and stuff the I didn't want to do, well, I did want to but I don't think I'm ready for those....

In short, I had a great time and now I'm up for work at 5:30 and ache like a achey thing... It's all good though! Great night!!! :)
 
#134 ·
AGghhh!!!!...

Ok, It's been a while since I last posted and yes... I am still having a blast but...

On Saturday, My local slope had a special park night and they had set up and combination box they call BOXZILLA!!! :giggle: Photo's to follow....

Anyway, I made my way to the top of the slope and had a run down to warm up a little, back to the top and went through my run in my head... Ok...

Pipe jump, bigger jump - front 180 and then BOXZILLA!!!

This is where it all went wrong.....

I lined up perfectly, great posture and got on to the first section (battle ship (slope up, flat and slope down)) On the slope down, my board seemed to suck down and stop, catapulting me through the air!! I landed on my front slamming my legs onto the edge of the second part of the feature another 10-15 feet away!!!

I thought I'd smashed my knee and shin but although they bled, my knee is just very swollen and bruised as is my left shin but not so bad...

So, this is the second time my board has done this (sucked onto the feature) only the first time, I cought it...

I did stay and keep going and I did hit the BOXZILLA a few more time and cleared it fine so I don't know what happened???

Has anyone had the same thing???

BTW, my board has just had a full service including a few repairs and base grind. I used it on Tuesday and it was great, no park, just ground tricks, carving and so on... It was a great day!!! But not so on Saturday! :dizzy:

Any help or advice would be great??? Maybe it's me doing something wrong??? :dunno:
 
#135 ·
Yes, i think it is something to do with the feature itself and the wax or lack of it on your board...

It can and does change throughout a session considerably, this is, i assume due to the amount of wax transferred from boards to boxes, thus making it slide more as the day goes on...

I may be wrong, sure someone will come along and correct me... Hehe
 
#137 · (Edited)
Its happened to me quite a few times and typically on a warmer day were the snow would melt on a box causing a suction or lack of air between the two flat surfaces. From my understanding, the easiest way I can explain it is... have you ever had a cup or plate on a flat table and it seem suctioned to the table due to condensation and a wet surface.

If you feel it start to suck to the feature, try to lift the board a little allowing air to separate the two surfaces.

Plus, when you wax you're board the last part is very important. I use a scotch pad and rub cross ways to allow venting.
\\\V/// that pattern
 
#139 ·
Thanks guys, I reall was thinking it was just me getting it so wrong! This should be a simple run in, line it up and ride it out but man, I can get it wrong and bust myself up!!! Donutz, I too stand tall… I think if I lower my center, I will stand a better chance of countering it if and when it happens again???

Anyway, here are some pictures… the 1st is our little slope… You can see the BOXZILLA in the lower right side, the 1st section after the small flat is where it kicked me off and I landed at the end of the middle flat just before the rainbow.









I know my briuses are not so bad but this is how it looks today…. The body heals and I live to ride again!
 
#145 ·
Donutz, I too stand tall… I think if I lower my center, I will stand a better chance of countering it if and when it happens again???
It's all upside. You have more control, you're less likely to get tossed, and if you do bail you have a better chance of falling like a bowling ball instead of like a tree.
 
#141 ·
That is funny.... Not your injuries, the fact that someone thinks the parks indoors are better than there outdoor parks i mean... ;)

They only last a day tops, then are wiped out and rebuilt, unlike the parks on hills that certainly in Norway get bashed and lucky to be reshaped once a week...

I say that in jest of course, we get them done twice a week... ;)
 
#142 ·
Our park stays open Thursday to Saturday most weeks and they groom it every night on park nights and they half way through the week.

I can't wait to get to the real thing! I know the longer runs alone will be worth the trip! Our slope is timy at 170 meters top to bottom!!!

Anyway, my legs are still a little sore but are on the mend :thumbsup:
 
#147 ·
Weve done it!!!

Hi folks!

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know the leg is much better! Still not 100% but almost! :)

Anyway, I just wanted to share some good news...

WE'VE BOOKED OUR FIRST SKIING/BOARDING HOLIDAY!!! :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

I/we are so excited! We are off to Andorra over Christmas.

It's a small resort but perfect as none of us (my wife, daughter and I) have never been on a mountain in the winter!

I am also booking onto a freestyle course Definition Snocamp at my local so when I get there, I can rip up the park with some confidence... :dizzy:

I've bought a camera and hope to get some footage of me playing, thinking of mounting it on the tail of my board???

Can't wait!!!:yahoo:
 
#148 ·
Awesome news... Have fun...!

I am counting the days for the snow to return, spent the morning today at the slope going through the ordering for new rails and park design for when it does hit us...

We are maybe 4-6 weeks away now...!!!
 
#150 ·
No not running the slope, just doing part time for park design and maintenance...

Why would you want to work at a slope, and then not have time to enjoy it...

Haha

We will have3 or 4 parks this season, with them being rotated for change every 4 weeks over the course of the winter each park will be changed 3 or 4 times for variety and progression which will keep people returning... It is all about the cost versus the rewards by returning customers which should increase as a result...

It also means the snowboarding school progresses in a different way as the parks will be of varying difficulties allowing for quicker advancement according to ability within the school set up...

Been 3 years trying to get this implemented at our resort, and hopefully they will see the benefits that allow us to push for more next year...

Today was mostly about new features they are ordering in, but we are having them made to different colour codes the same as the hills are for difficulty so we can actually mix and match on some hills but make it very easy to see difficulty level...
 
#151 ·
Sounds awesome!
I would love to live near or on the mountain and your work shapes the fun others have so my hat is off to you sir! :eusa_clap:

I sounds like a great way to spend your time....
I really can't wait to get to the real thing!
Just not sure what to expect from "real" jumps???
 
#153 ·
My take is that "age is a state of mind" Either that or I keep referring back to my mental age! :laugh:

None of my regular friends Board.. Well, One used to but since hi broke his leg on the last day of a 3 month trip in Canada, his board sees more dust than snow! :dunno:

Anyway, there are a good bunch up at our indoor place so we all play about, but I've not really got into a group as such...
 
#154 · (Edited)
Hi, it's me again....
Just had to share this with you...
Last Thursday 31st October, we went to the Ski and Snowboard Show in London.

While we were there we spent some time on the stand for Andorra (we are going there for our 1st snow holiday)
And my daughter said she wanted to have a go at snowboarding on the slope the had set up...
We... She was only doing side-slipping but she loved it...
When she was done she whispered in my ear....
"Daddy, I have a secret... Don't tell mummy but I want to do snowboarding now!" lol... Who am I to say no? Lol!!!

Also... I picked up a new board!!!


The shame is, I've hurt my back so I've not ridden her yet! :-(
Anyway, I might go out Tuesday???

Really looking forward to working on my freestyle with this baby!!! :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:
 
#155 ·
Awesome...!!!

I was going to fly over for the show, but time (and money) meant i couldn't... So i missed the 1st show in the last 5 years... :(

On a flip note, did you get the day case at the show...??? Bit of advice with that, i had one, try and tape something a bit thicker into the ends folded over, as you may find that after a bit of use, your edges will cut through the material making it worthless, i used mine for 1 season, and it was cool, but this was a let down in the design of the product...

I used some gaffer tape and it went through that as well, my suggestion would be some offcuts of leather and glue it in folded...
 
#157 ·
Got to go for a ride earlier in the week and the LibTech is ALOT easier to butter than my Signal! And ALOT faster!

It's also easier to carve including across ice and holds well doing that! I guess it's the Magne-traction edges???

One thing about buttering though...

As I'm still on a learning vibe, Is speed a friend when buttering???
I'm not talking about crazy speed, just a good amount or, should I pull it back I little and run slow to start???
 
#158 ·
go alittle slower to start so you can press and get the feel for getting your body over your tail and nose as you play around, and turning your body to initiate rotations/etc. That way, if you catch an edge while playin' around you won't slam so hard ya see stars......lol

as you get more confident, you can dial up the speed.
you will know as you go...
good luck and this thread has been fun to read and follow your journey.
:)
 
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