I ride a Prior 4WD 174cm with a 10.5m radius. Waist is 21.5cm. I use Raichle boots SB 423 (now LeMans) and Bomber Trenchdigger 2 bindings with Intecs. Binding angles are 50 degrees front and 43 degrees rear.
Having read many of the posts here, I'm wondering:
1) are my bindings too stiff
2) is my board's radius too small
to allow good Extreme Carving?
I can carve race-style - fast and mostly down the fall line. But, when I try to make rounded, complete turns, I find that my tail washes out frequently.
Any advice on setup? Or, am I handicapped by my equipment>
Can I EC with this gear?
Moderators: fivat, rilliet, Arnaud, nils
First I have to admit I can't get my heelsides laid out like the Swoard guys - I can drag my hip, but my shoulders aren't down there yet. Toeside I can get as laid out as I want, but heelside I'm still working on... So take this with a bit of salt.
Anyhow, I did my first hips-touching-snow turns (toeside and heelside) on a board with a 10m radius, so it's possible - but a larger radius makes it a bit easier. With the smaller radius, turns happen FAST so there's not much room for error... set up, whoosh, ride out. With a larger radius (my 'newer' board has a 13m radius, similar to Swoards) the turns are less abrupt, so they feel more graceful... set up, lean in, ride through, stand up, ride out. I think there's more room for error.
But I have to admit it could just all be in my head. You make larger radius turns, but you have to ride at a higher speed, so I'm not really sure the turn lasts longer - but it feels tha way. Anyhow, I definitely prefer the larger sidecut for EC.
The Swoard guys prefer non-Intec. I prefer Intec. I believe them when they say the extra flex is beneficial for EC, but I had trouble with toe-lever-style bindings releasing prematurely when landing HARD in the terrain park. So, toe levers scare me.
I ride 324s, which I think are the identical to your 423s.
And if I'm not mistaken, we both use a BMW 325ix to get up to the moutain. Another fine piece of equipment!
Anyway, my guess is that your wail-wash-out problem has a lot to do with technique and not much to do with equipment. It could be a lot of things, but personally I got around that by moving my weight forward - first by just leaning forward further while I carve, then by moving my bindings forward so I could go back to a more comfortable posture and still have the same weight distribution along the edge.
Find the point halfway between your bindings, and the point along the center of your effective edge. How far apart are those two points? IIRC, the Swoard guys recommend no setback at all. I run about 2cm setback right now but that is subject to change... I've been slowly moving it forward.
Anyhow, I did my first hips-touching-snow turns (toeside and heelside) on a board with a 10m radius, so it's possible - but a larger radius makes it a bit easier. With the smaller radius, turns happen FAST so there's not much room for error... set up, whoosh, ride out. With a larger radius (my 'newer' board has a 13m radius, similar to Swoards) the turns are less abrupt, so they feel more graceful... set up, lean in, ride through, stand up, ride out. I think there's more room for error.
But I have to admit it could just all be in my head. You make larger radius turns, but you have to ride at a higher speed, so I'm not really sure the turn lasts longer - but it feels tha way. Anyhow, I definitely prefer the larger sidecut for EC.
The Swoard guys prefer non-Intec. I prefer Intec. I believe them when they say the extra flex is beneficial for EC, but I had trouble with toe-lever-style bindings releasing prematurely when landing HARD in the terrain park. So, toe levers scare me.
I ride 324s, which I think are the identical to your 423s.
And if I'm not mistaken, we both use a BMW 325ix to get up to the moutain. Another fine piece of equipment!
Anyway, my guess is that your wail-wash-out problem has a lot to do with technique and not much to do with equipment. It could be a lot of things, but personally I got around that by moving my weight forward - first by just leaning forward further while I carve, then by moving my bindings forward so I could go back to a more comfortable posture and still have the same weight distribution along the edge.
Find the point halfway between your bindings, and the point along the center of your effective edge. How far apart are those two points? IIRC, the Swoard guys recommend no setback at all. I run about 2cm setback right now but that is subject to change... I've been slowly moving it forward.
-
nils
- Swoard founder
- Posts: 3043
- Joined: Friday 22 March 2002, 19:22
- Location: Lyon, France - Swoard team
- Contact:
Prior 4WD
Actually i demoed a 172 Axis from Donek at the SES.
It is overall a very good board, and am considering getting one for the missing gap between the swallowtail and the swoard. As for EC on it ( I assume there the 4WD has the same behaviour as the Axis, which might not be the case..)> I tried it with various different pressures on the groomed snow. It is carving very well, i did some EC turns without trouble when at medium speed/medium pressures. The problem is when you are really pushing hard with the board vertical, you reach the limits of the boards, especially the edge grip, very fast. I felt the huge difference with the Swoard there: On the Swoard you can push with no limit and the edge still grips, and on the axis you find the limits of edge grip pretty fast (when EC, because otherwise it grips well). It prevents you from really laying turns.
The problem also occurs with many other boards, and on those that are race oriented even, that are not meant to be ridden vertically, and put under pressure this way.
Hope this helps!
Nils
It is overall a very good board, and am considering getting one for the missing gap between the swallowtail and the swoard. As for EC on it ( I assume there the 4WD has the same behaviour as the Axis, which might not be the case..)> I tried it with various different pressures on the groomed snow. It is carving very well, i did some EC turns without trouble when at medium speed/medium pressures. The problem is when you are really pushing hard with the board vertical, you reach the limits of the boards, especially the edge grip, very fast. I felt the huge difference with the Swoard there: On the Swoard you can push with no limit and the edge still grips, and on the axis you find the limits of edge grip pretty fast (when EC, because otherwise it grips well). It prevents you from really laying turns.
The problem also occurs with many other boards, and on those that are race oriented even, that are not meant to be ridden vertically, and put under pressure this way.
Hope this helps!
Nils