How do you do ice?

[keepTheSport]

As i'm learning and progressing with push-pull beginning to become second nature, I was wondering how you carve on hard-pack or ice?

Example, what I've learned is that if I push into the snow a little I cut my speed a little, if I push harder, I dig deeper into the snow and I can cut a lot of speed...

..well the other day I was doing the above and then suddenly I hit an icy patch whilst I was pushing into what I thought was still snow...my board made a scraping sound as it went from underneath me. This happened every time.

On another occasion the whole slope was icy/hard-pack and I eventually got the hang of it by not really pushing on the board...

So how do you carve ice/hard pack?

[joemzl]

Main thing: you need a sharp edge - a real sharp edge.
You won´t get it in a shop, only by doing it yourself with a diamond file.
Best is, to use it every day if the slopes are icy.

[Abrax]

During the season there were some classes on our local slope.

We did as usual, we came in, taken the lift and... Something was different. There was a pure ice. I mean not a hard packed snow but Ice ice - simply ice covered slope. No skiers, no snowboarders, just us and a few other persons. I don't know, maybe 8 persons and our 6 snowboarders who came there to learn how to EC.

First impression of my students: It's IMPOSSIBLE to ride, so let's give them back tickets and go home. They are crazy - the slope should have been closed.

My first impression: I've never ever seen anything like this. But I didn't go to the mountains to simply get back home did I?

First run. Yes, true that's ICE. No snow there. Pure Ice. First statement to the students: Guys it's not Ice. it's extremely hard snow...

So what happened next?

1. Try to get lower. Much lower. No, not enough, lower than low.

2. Most important - be easy with your muscles. Don't press hard but gently apply force to the edge.

3. Make longer carved turns to controll speed, and don't force yourself to get laid completely - these conditions are not good enough!

4. While you are carving be low. Don't push completely but just 80% max. Leave the 20% for any edge loss to be able to push into the snow (sorry : ICE) .

5. Ride gently extremely smoothly and don't try to lay down.

The result was very surprising to all.

My student's have discovered that even in such crapy conditions we can still find fun in this sport!

Finally we were able to go very low, but it was like going laid to the elbow not more.

Week after this there were soft snow and the conditions were very weak -> you know this well loose snow, not keeping your weight... So the students were told to carve low, gently and smoothly AGAIN. This time having in mind that the board will NOT react in this same moment when they will ask it to react Just a bit later. So don't fight the board to turn - wait till it will start turning itself.

The week after in more or less good conditions my students were 200% better than before those lessons! They did tell me that now they can feel what is happening under their feet. They were so satisfied!

So regarding to your question: We do it carefully, easy and smoothly. Extremely smoothly with sharpest edges in all the season. We do not fight for the EC, we "just" carve where nobody else is carving

Cheers,
Abr

[keepTheSport]

Thanks guys for tips

I'll look to get a diamond file.

Abrax, what you say about going smoothly makes sense. The one day that I spent on hard-pack and ice, I was the only snowboarder carving (at least not skidding) all the way down the slope. However, it took me until mid afternoon to get the right pressure and balance.

How do you manage unexpected patches of ice/hard pack,? Is it just one of those things that when you know how to carve ice that your body suddenly reacts and goes into ice-mode?


Haha..I like the little white-lie...it's not ice, it's hard-pack snow....hehe

[Abrax]

How do you manage unexpected patches of ice/hard pack,? Is it just one of those things that when you know how to carve ice that your body suddenly reacts and goes into ice-mode?

This is exactly what I was meaning by "be easy with your muscles. Don't press hard but gently apply force to the edge. " . It's hard to describe. It's the "mode" in which your muscles keep pressuring the edge but they are prepared to ease the pressure once you hit anything or strengthen the pressure if you start losing the edge.

Usually all the students apply way too much tension to the muscles and then they are blocked and unable to react fast enough. When you intentionally release this tension (please keep in mind that I don't mean the strength applied to the board but the inside muscles tension) everything is so easy and so smooth

PS: Heh, there are NO UNEXPECTED patches or anything -> LOOK AHEAD not just in front of your board!
PS2: There is no difference between standard mode and the ice mode once you succeed with the ice! Once applied it is there forever - tension is away and you start carving like you've been doing it since the beginning