20th ExtremeCarving Session, 2023: Feedback, pictures, etc.

[Swoard team]

The 20th ExtremeCarving Session has just finished, this Monday 30th January 2023.

This anniversary has been a blast! The weather and snow could not have been better. Lots of participants, old timers who came back, new riders, a great atmosphere, a big party, a tombola, gifts, a lively stand, free lessons, a reserved slope in the morning, extremecarving in hardboots and softboots... Wow!

Thanks to all the participants and the staff!

This topic is UNDER CONSTRUCTION and will be completed progressively and quickly (we promise!) with pictures, including the group photo, and of course the video of which we could see a first version on Saturday party.

We are waiting for your feedbacks below. Don't hesitate to post some pictures (including of the party, for which we only have video footage).

Thanks, see you soon!

The Swoard team


--- UPDATE 02.02.2023 ---

Here is the group photo on Saturday:

Picture in high resolution: click the image (5.9 MB)

More pictures are coming soon...

[Capykiller]

First of all,
it was my first time in Zinal and was really glad to be part of the 20th anniversary. After a long car drive we arrived in Zinal and I was enchanted by the nice village, the small chalets and the winter landscape.
Next day we were rewarded by great weather and very good slope conditions. The new cable car got us up to the base quickly.
First time le col: really nice for the first hour, later I did avoid laydowns because of the trenches dug deep into the slope by the enthusiastic riders. Regarding the riders I was blown away by the amount of great snowboarders. The high level of riding was inspiring and motivating at the same time and did a big support for the overall spirit of the session.
The party in the evening was great fun and the additional information about SWOARD history were very interesting. Nice to see Nils and all the boarders from the beginning of SWOARD.
I had so many nice conversations with different people from all over the places, great.
Also nice to see people from other communities who joined the session.
Thanks to all the people organizing the event and giving all their lifeblood and dedication to make it a memorable session.

[Capykiller]

Some more fotos...

[Swoard team]

The group photo from Saturday was added in the first post!

Sunday's photo will follow soon, along with others.
Participants will be able to access all the pictures.

The Swoard team

[Kimi]

Despite the long driving distance from the Eastern to the Western part of the Alps : it was definitively worth visiting Zinal. I guess as the vast majority of riders at the ECS as well as in this forum, my idea of carving was inspired if not very much created from the Opus videos and I wanted to join the ECS sessions since then.
However, riding narrow boards in different rider communities, I always found excuses for not coming to Zinal During a recent session in Ischgl we joked about coming to Zinal piggybacking on Claire and after leaving another session at the Kronplatz: I finally drove to Zinal

Long story short, it was a great experience with some personal highlights:
- incredible snow and wheather conditions in a small but truly nice resort
- great runs with Claire, Peter and many others on Barthelemy, Le Col and a slim but carveable slope on Durant or so , as well as on a perfectly groomed Le Col with Claire, Patrice, Arnaud and many others on Monday
- 130+ carvers plowing one reserved slope in the morning as well as during the birthday party
- history and background since beginning of the 90'ies ranging from JN towards proper shoulder and hip rotations

Enjoy the winter and maybe see you again somewhere in the mountains,

Kim

[Claire Faits d'Hiver]

Already one week old....

What a memorable session! Great weather, great people and great slopes...huge!
It was a pleasure to see all of you racing down the slopes in search of the perfect turn in a brilliant mood
3 days of carving in luxury conditions with a plethora of strong riders. I could again draw inspiration for the rest of the season. Thanks

Thanks to the Swoard staff, you guys are the best! How lucky we are to have such a team that brings us together every year! And who cut on his time on the slopes to allow us to test the boards, to give us lessons, to take pictures and to give us a lot of good advices.
The organization was perfect, as usual

I had the opportunity to test the Stoke as well (thanks Edouard, for your precious help in setting up the board and your advice). I loved the ultra fast edge change (despite the width of the board), the easy control and the carving feeling on the Barthélémy. I would have loved to test it in some powder, but hey! You can't have everything

Oh and now I found my favorite slope in Zinal (especially for the little challenge it represents on the top), the Valentine (which is called the Crête on the slope map)....the proof (for those who doubted it) that the Swoards turn very short...

Can't wait for the ECS 2024!

[slayer]

I loved the ultra fast edge change (despite the width of the board)

Exactly this. I was not expecting that. I was expecting something less agile than the Dual I have. Instead, I found something far more versatile. I do not know if it is because of my size 46 feet on shallower angles, or the shorter length, but the transitions and stable carving were ...surprising. I am not good yet on heel-side, but toe-side changes were just effortless...

(maybe a need for an even wider EC hardboot board, I wonder?)

I was driving a 162 M, although my weight would indicate an H, it was already out. I was happy enough with the M.

Wish I had more time on it to develop the heel-side.

I made a video of the heroes Pascal and Taro, and the ability to switch from carving to speed-check as chase-cam was also rather nice....that video is coming soon...

regards,
Slayer

[slayer]

ECS 2023 video:



Taro and Hilti

Please drop a like to promote soft-boot carving!

[sylvain]

So nice!

Thank you for this moovie and congrats to the extremcarvers.

[ward]

Hello,
I would like to be updated by mailing(list) about the events, especially the Zinal event. Can I subscribe somewhere?

For a few years (one week a year) I started carving on a Swoard pro board. Before that i was carving on skis.
I can not do EC, I think its something with having guts. But want to learn.
Maybe there even is a person in the Netherlands who would like to do an indoor session sometimes.

Please respond in personal message of possible