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snowangel. 
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Post subject: tips for riding powder succesfully
 Posted: Jan 13, 2008 - 06:59 PM
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Joined: Nov 12, 2004
Posts: 1563
Location: serre chevalier, france
Status: Offline
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Hey
every year there is a thread with someone who hates powder.
So i thought it might be nice for everyone to put up their tips for riding powder, hopefully with out spending 30 mins digging yourself out.
Maybe one of the mods could make it a sticky?
Here are my tips,
wieght more to the rear of the board, either set back binding back or put more weight on the back foot.
be loose at the knees, bend into lumps and bumps as you see them coming to absord the 'bounce'
Look where your going, avoid flat bits and small dips, remember speed is your friend.
i'm sure there are more and i'm sure others can elaborate on what i've said.
Your tips please  |
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MattR
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Post subject: RE: tips for riding powder succesfully
Posted: Jan 13, 2008 - 07:11 PM
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Joined: Oct 30, 2004
Posts: 2306
Location: Sweden, look, snow!
Status: Offline
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don't lean too much until you have your confidence and practice sorted!
spent lots of time digging the missus out when she decided to try and carve/turn on powder........... |
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Markland
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Post subject: RE: tips for riding powder succesfully
Posted: Jan 13, 2008 - 07:31 PM
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Joined: Nov 24, 2007
Posts: 776
Location: Manchester
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| well i had loads of powder one day at the top of the mountain in bansko and i was in a lesson and ended up riding it ok then ended up in like 2ft or more of fresh powder which took me ages to get out of and my instructor thought i had fallen down the side of the run. because he couldnt see me due to the funpark ramps i was inbetween. i managed to ride out of it somehow by like jumping and sliding a little then fall over and get up and jump again. keeping the lip of the board far away from the white stuff really helps. |
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Dangersquirrel
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Post subject:
Posted: Jan 13, 2008 - 08:04 PM
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Joined: Feb 02, 2006
Posts: 986
Location: Rother-hammer
Status: Offline
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Ah, powder... Mmmm...
Ok, here goes, these are all thing you can try if you're having trouble staying up in powder and have, unfortunately, mastered the scorpion flick:
Go positive with your binding angles, narrow your stance, set your bindings back, speed speed speed, avoid trees, use the right board, use THE HOLY TRINITY, stand tall and lean into your turns like you're carving, carry more speed. More SPEED!
The other thing to note is that if there's powder then there's an avalanche risk. It's difficult when powder is more addictive than crack but try to use your avalanche education. If you don't have any avalanche education the use a guide! The conditions in the US and Canada mean they're having a load of IN-bounds avalanches at the moment.
News |
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snowangel.
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Post subject:
Posted: Jan 13, 2008 - 09:11 PM
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Joined: Nov 12, 2004
Posts: 1563
Location: serre chevalier, france
Status: Offline
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i scorpioned the other day, its not just the unconfident or unexperienced that do it.
just losing balance can send you off in all directions. Didn't stop me hiking back up to get another line afterwards mind.
conditions in france at the mo are awesome and with more onthe way this week, some one out there might find this usefull |
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snowangel.
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Post subject:
Posted: Jan 15, 2008 - 08:58 PM
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Joined: Nov 12, 2004
Posts: 1563
Location: serre chevalier, france
Status: Offline
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another tip.
if your running out of spead and there are other tracks around, use them to get your spead back up then go get your freshies once your faster! |
_________________
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Chalet holidays in Serre Chevalier 1350
Accommodation in les 2 Alpes
www.coolbeaniez.co.uk
unique hand made beanies
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philw
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Post subject: Re: tips for riding powder succesfully
Posted: Jan 20, 2008 - 10:57 PM
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Joined: Nov 30, 2004
Posts: 224
Location: uk
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My 2p. Not necessarily in agreement with the above...
(a) First off, you need to ride balanced.
People will tell you to weight your rear foot, but that's a really, really bad idea. First off you'll burn your back leg away in one run flat; second, you can "weather vane" the board, but that's about it. You need to ride balanced on the board or you won't be able to turn it.
(b) Ride a powder board.
Don't ride a board designed for a half-pipe or a park: you'll sink and everyone will laugh at you. A couple of weeks ago I saw a kid who'd managed to get into a helicopter with a park board. He was flying stand-by, and the operator screwed up and didn't check his board. Of course he couldn't make one turn in bottomless powder. The tail guide had to walk this guy down through 1,000 vertical meters of waist deep. That cost him the best part of a thousand dollars... it's cheaper to buy or rent a powder board, and a lot less humiliating.
(c) Don't over turn.
Ride the fall line, don't be afraid of speed.
(d) Read the terrain.
You can't walk in bottomless powder. You can maybe paddle your board if you have the technique, but it's exhausting. So look where you're going before you go and never walk. If you don't know what you're doing, let someone else ride it first. That way you'll have their track as a reference, and you'll find it much easier to avoid the flats. Worst case, ride their track to help keep your speed up.
(e) Learn how to paddle.
Take one foot out of the binding, and use it as a paddle. Nothing else works, unless you like crawling through waist-deep.
(f) Stances.
What works in the park or pipe doesn't work in the back country. Most people who ride back country don't use park stances; it's a different deal. Think hard about duck. Start with the board's defaut stance and only move it back if you're actually perling. Good riders can and do ride centered on powder boards (which have default stances that are in any case slightly back).
(g) Don't look down.
Don't know where the nose of your board is? Good, it doesn't matter. In any case different boards ride at different heights. It doesn't matter, just don't look down.
(h) Don't sit down or fall.
No really: these are the most exhausting things you can do, especially if you do them in the wrong place. Sitting down is like taking your goggles off... never, ever do it. If you really must sit down, then do it on a steep slope and gently ease your body into the slope. That way you can get up and off again without using a lot of effort. Better is to just lever the tail of the board into the slope and rest on that. If you must fall, do it somewhere steep so you can easily get going again.
(i) Don't stop.
If you stop you have to get going again. If you must stop, do it somewhere steep (ok, bear in mind avalanche risk etc etc of course).
(j) Fall creatively.
Well fall so you can get up. It's easier than it sounds... you have a fair amount of momentum when you crash, use it to get your board where you need it to be to continue. Maybe you can probably ride straight out of a crash anyway, but even if you can't manage that you don't want to burn effort wallowing about in deep snow.
(k) Obviously watch out for tree wells.
Easier than it sounds.. shape your turns so you're not going to crash into a well, and if you do crash, make sure you go in board first.
(l) Banked turns
I'd be very wary of thinking about this as a technique. I think you're best riding centered on your board; if you try deliberately to bank then you may well get your self out of position.
(m) Face Shots
Breathing can be an issue if you're getting a lot in the face. Rhythm is the key. You may well need to slow down if your wave blocks your vision. This can be dangerous near trees, so try to break when there's plenty of room.
Um, what's a "scorpion"? |
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eldi
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Post subject: RE: Re: tips for riding powder succesfully
Posted: Jan 20, 2008 - 11:16 PM
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Joined: Oct 18, 2004
Posts: 1079
Location: London
Status: Offline
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scorpion = when the edge of your board hits you in the back of the head - eg your body bends into an arch (backwards). it can leave you needing stitches if you aint got a lid on
yeah other pplz tracks can be very handy
Also go prepared - some water is a good thing to carry coz if you do have to dig out its thirsty work.
Also make sure you are equipped - eg shovel transceiver and probe - and know how to use them
Dont ride in big big groups - 4 is enough and dont traverse across the top of your mates.
Ride one at a time if you can - so you can spot each person dropping in and making it safely out at the bottom
i am sure there is more but thats my 2p worth for now |
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shaneo
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Post subject:
Posted: Jan 23, 2008 - 05:36 PM
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Joined: Dec 30, 2006
Posts: 179
Location: Billericay....Essex
Status: Offline
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So what is the best techinque to use if (after all this) you still fall over in the deep stuff and need to get yourself out and going again
I had problems with this on more than one occasion while i was in Le Tour last week. |
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snowangel.
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Post subject:
Posted: Jan 23, 2008 - 05:49 PM
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Joined: Nov 12, 2004
Posts: 1563
Location: serre chevalier, france
Status: Offline
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practice practice practise.
some people cant afford a pow board, i never have a problem with just transfering weight on to the back of my board, but then i'm an experienced powder rider, its my preference, and my board is long! Generally in the pow i'm uncatchable! |
_________________
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Chalet holidays in Serre Chevalier 1350
Accommodation in les 2 Alpes
www.coolbeaniez.co.uk
unique hand made beanies
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shaneo
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Post subject:
Posted: Jan 23, 2008 - 06:12 PM
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Joined: Dec 30, 2006
Posts: 179
Location: Billericay....Essex
Status: Offline
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I can ride powder (just) will be easier when i upgrade my board for next season.
Its just the digging myself out and standing up/getting going again i have the trouble with.
I have, on occassion, had to unstrap myself and walk out of it coz i just couldnt get up or get going again....its bloody knackering! |
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thejuicydangler
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 01, 2008 - 03:03 AM
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Joined: Dec 13, 2007
Posts: 3
Status: Offline
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I've been having a few problems when coming off in the powder of late. Might try the paddle technique tomorrow when I go out. Took three steps away from where I'd fell last weekend and sank up to my neck. Took about 40mins to make it to the nearest run  |
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AdamTheSmith
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 05, 2008 - 12:10 PM
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Joined: Nov 25, 2007
Posts: 21
Location: Peterborough
Status: Offline
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| Oh, powder memories... ear to ear grins... good stuff. |
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MattR
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Post subject:
Posted: Feb 05, 2008 - 12:47 PM
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Joined: Oct 30, 2004
Posts: 2306
Location: Sweden, look, snow!
Status: Offline
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shaneo wrote:
Its just the digging myself out and standing up/getting going again i have the trouble with.
I have, on occassion, had to unstrap myself and walk out of it coz i just couldnt get up or get going again....its bloody knackering!
If you can get into a 'sensible' position, just drag snow underneath yourself, makes a compacted snow 'seat' or platform you can use to get going again. In really deep powder it'll take ages tho! |
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boardsick2008
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Post subject:
Posted: Mar 06, 2008 - 09:55 PM
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Joined: Feb 24, 2008
Posts: 48
Location: gosteworld
Status: Offline
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| the original fish shape was great for riding pure deep powder, with its wide nose, short tail and fish tip profile for turning through pow. saved your back leg. but - it was a disaster as soon as you hit hardpack, ice, thin powder over hard crust, or on a piste. or slush. you just couldn't turn, slow down or stop quick enough. havn't tried the revised model with the longer tail. tried it with the P1 carbon bindings. |
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