New alpine rider, heelside problems

[vizsyn]

Hello all!!!

I just started today, first time EVER on an alpine setup, and I need some help/advice.

After a number of runs, I seem to have the frontside/toeside edge dialed in. I am now able to carve quite confidently and with power on my frontside/toeside edge with absolutely NO skidding, on occasion even managing to do a few deep carves that have gotten very close to fully laying down, and successfully recovering into position to transition into the backside turn!

That's where the problems start...

Even at moderate to low speeds, for some reason, on the backside/heelside edge, I am not quite able to get the tail to hold the carve cleanly, it has a very strong tendency to break free of the arc, and my intended backside carve degenerates into
into to a wide skidded turn While I have been largely able to get down the slope with very few falls, my heelside turns are lagging behind my toeside turns.

I am definitely paying particular attention to my rotation form, and I can tell that this new forward angled stance is making it rather difficult for me to properly exert enough rear heel pressure to get the tail anchored into the carve. I will stay on the mild slopes for my first day and try to figure this out. It may be problems with my baseline/neutral body position, body mechanics, something, grrrr!

I will try to get a friend to take video of me next time so you more experienced alpine gods can better help this poor former softbooter achieve carving nirvana

HELP HELP HELP

Joe aka "vizsyn"
Your most humble EC Padawan learner

SWOARD ECarver G4 161M
HEAD Stratos Pro with Arnaud ACSS green+silver springs
Bomber TD3SW Yellow ERings and Yellow E-Pads

164cm height
64kg weight(unclothed)
Goofyfoot 54degs front 47degs back(no overhang, Pokkis Fuego Test)
Stance width 460mm, centered

[l-ju]

HI joe,
Welcome in this new exciting world of carving.
You will have pleasure for many years, there are so many thing to discover.

Getting a video of your ride will be the better way for us to help you.
It's seems that your set up is correct (board, bindings, boots, angles and so on)

By reading ou, I think that you're skidding because of your position on the board... it looks like a rotation (or counter-rotation) issue.
It's clear that you need a minimum speed to carve on the edge, if you go too slow it will be difficult to keep the edge and carved. On the other side, I strongly recommand you to stay on slopes not too steep at the beginning. Try to select a slopes with a steepness allowing you to carve without forcing you to control too much your speed.
After that spend one or two days focused on the body rotation. This is really the key.
Try to get the right starting position as discribed on video tutorial.
To launch your turn everything is starting with your shoulders and even before that with the direction you are looking at. Think to look at the place you want to go (the opposite side of the slope) and your shoulder will follow this direction.
When this point is acquired ... the board will follow this direction by itself.
At the first time of your training you can help yourself by keeping your front arm straight forward with your hand directed up, as you've got a ball inside. (the hand at the same level of your look).
When you've got this position... you only have to direct your arm at left or right, by this way you will generate a nice and appropriate rotation. (I hope it's clear )
When the rotation will be acquired ... we can move forward with the next step.
The next important thing is that you need to be patient and don't try to burned the steps.
It will take time to get the rotation as a natural move. When it will be the case... you can try to learn the push-pull.

I'll strongly recommand you to film yourself and share it to get some feedbacks. The other good thing to do is to go riding with other people having the same goal... or come in europe for carving sessions

Maybe my comment is totaly out of the scope and you are more advanced ... if it's the case, forget it !
I'll try to follow the topic, but I'm not always available to do that. Other people will add their comments and help you.. I'm pretty sure of that.
Think to check the existing topics in the forum and tutorials ... and spend time on videos. It's a very good teaching method also.

Last point : Think that you should have the same pressure on the both feets ! This is very important !!!

Enjoy your ride and keep us aware of your progress.

Cheers,

julien

[vizsyn]

Hi Julien!

Thank you for taking to time to offer tips and advice! While my first day on an alpine setup was quite challenging, I will tell you that I enjoyed myself immensely. Since day one, I was always drawn to the simple beauty of carving, much more so than attempting wild tricks. I only wish that I went alpine a LOT sooner. Seeing the extremecarving videos of Jacques and Patrice was the final push for me to learn more about the world of alpine snowboarding. So, here I am...

Although the backside carve proved to be more difficult than I anticipated , I found that I could easily perform frontside carves . Oh, that felt GOOD!

Your advice definitely makes sense, and I understand why you are stressing the importance of the Swiss rotational technique . Ever since I stumbled across Extremecarving/SWOARD, I have made it a point to totally re-train myself using the rotation principle. I can definitely tell you that my riding on a freeride board with softboots has really improved after I became aware of the evils of counter-rotation. I admit that I still have to constantly remind myself to apply the rotation technique to my riding , and to beware of my old counter-rotation habits . It has not quite gotten truly instinctive yet...

I will be on the slopes again tomorrow, I will have a friend record some footage of me so that you (and hopefully more) will be able to pinpoint flaws and erors in my body position/technique. I realize that I have so much to learn...

[olive]

Hi Joe,

If you havn't seen these 2011 videos from a Swoard EC instructor, gathering Patrice and Jacques' tutorials from 2002, they might be helpful to you:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9046&hilit=ben+video



It shows very well how to learn the right movements, step by step, so you can "catch the train" at whatever level you are.

Hope this helps!

Olivier

[vizsyn]

Hello Olive!

Thank you for the link... Along with Jacques and Patrice, I have definitely researched evgen(BEN), he is a masterful rider. I have also watched this instructional video that BEN put together so many times that I can see it in my sleep



Of course, understanding mentally what should happen is one thing, getting my body to translate it into actual motion has proven to be more challenging than I anticipated(at least for the backside carve)

At this point in time, I will definitely work on improving my form performing basic rotational carves on a moderate pitch to try and solve this backside issue. I am clearly NOT ready to attempt linking full EC.

A video will come soon, possibly as soon as today so you folks can see what I might be doing incorrectly.