what works and what doesn't?!

Post by **A carver from Holland** » Tuesday 1 October 2002, 8:34

Hi J&P,

I have checked out your website several times (including the movies ofcourse). Big compliment! The information is very clear and direct...

I have been snowboarding for over 8 years now (also used to be an instructor). I am now at the point that i control all techniques, and therefore have no more challenge in my snowboarding, until i visited your website!!!!

I have question: i am currently riding a Nitro CAM (167cm with a radius of about 7m) with Burton Ice boots (great boots because of the back spring and many adjustments) and F2 race titanium (intec). I have a small toelift and a heellift (including lateral canting). I have not had the chance to put your technique into practice (going to Tignes in a few months). I also ride a Thiais Skwal Carve 173. Is it possible to use your technique on the Nitro and also the Skwal? As you may know, the binding angle of the skwal is like 88/85. Do you have experience with riding this kind of hybride?

Many thanks for your reply and keep up the good work! It's a bummer not many people carve these days...

Greetz,

Arjan

Post by **rilliet** » Tuesday 1 October 2002, 10:26

Hi Arjan,

Thank you for the "Big compliment!"

Our push pull technique can be used with any gliding gear: snowboard, skis, skwal, skateboard, rollerblade, surf, etc...

But laying down turns need adapted Equipment.
The board must be able to carve verticaly on the edge.

The 7m radius of your Nitro is already a strong handicap.
High feet angulation that obstructs full and fluid legs movements too.
Canting is not good, because during the EC turn, the board is so much bent, that it makes the canting by itself.

I think your Burton boots and F2 bindings should be OK for EC.

Do you have experience with riding this kind of hybride?

No, the narrowest board I rode is a Scott (about 18 cm waist width) and it was horrible for me! I couldn't move my knees properly, I couldn't vary the board angulation during the turns (the knees axis is not properly oriented)...

Jacques

Post by **A carver from Holland** » Tuesday 1 October 2002, 10:32

Jacques,

Thanks for your reply!

Riding the Skwal results in similar turns as with Extreme carving. Since the board width is so small (only a bit wider that the width of a hardboot), it's really easy to put it on a 90 degree angle. The only downside is the fact that the bindings have standard canting (much toelift and much heallift) and you can only do a 5 degree angulation left or right (measured from pointing towards the nose).

I also read the discussion on the hardboots. I really advize to use Burton Fire or Ice, since there are many adjustments to be made (forward lean, lateral flex, adjusting the sensitivity of the spring, etc.).

Question: i am considering to buy a F2 Speedster RS (radius is 13m). I assume this would be an ideal board for EC?

Arjan

Post by **rilliet** » Tuesday 1 October 2002, 11:21

Question: i am considering to buy a F2 Speedster RS (radius is 13m). I assume this would be an ideal board for EC?

Unfortunatly not. This board is for sure an excellent race board, but much too narrow (less than 20 cm) for EC turns.

You can read this thread to get informations about narrow race boards.

This is why we will probably launch our own EC boards production.
More info here.

Jacques

Post by **pete** » Friday 4 October 2002, 20:57

hi carver from holland..
I'm a french carver (17years old, 6years of alpine snowboard) and I also skwal.

I also ride a Thiais Skwal Carve 173. Is it possible to use your technique on the Nitro and also the Skwal? As you may know, the binding angle of the skwal is like 88/85. Do you have experience with riding this kind of hybride?

As i just said few days ago in the french section, IMO, while riding a skwal, you HAVE to use the same technic... for me that was instinctiv. (i rode skwal before i knew this site). Other frenchspeaker skwalers agree.
I think that the skwal could be a real good help for learning the EC technic.

Which one is the carve 173? How old is it?
I have a panther 178. (3 axis) so that's a lil bit different from the other skwals and also wider!

regards, pete.

Post by **A carver from Holland** » Monday 7 October 2002, 7:38

Hi Pete,

I have the red one with the white circles. It's less than a year old. I am even considering to buy the 183cm for extreme carving. Last weekend i rode my skwal and tride the EC technique....with extending your body in the turn, the presure on the edges become less! Or i am doing the technique wrong, or the technique is not made for a skwal!

What's your experience?

Arjan

Post by **pete** » Tuesday 8 October 2002, 0:56

ok, i see, that's the 173.
i have the panther 178.
well for me skwaling was pretty instinctive and i didn't think at how i was doing it... sorry

Post by **A carver from Holland** » Tuesday 8 October 2002, 7:56

Hi Pete,

So what's your technique with the skwal? Do you push your front knee into the turn (backside) and the back knee with a frontside turn? I am looking for sites which describes the technique, but even the Thiais site does not provide me with this information. Any ideas?

Arjan