How to improve technique?

[Tomba]

Finaly I have some video to post: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TaIEgHAb7Q

As you see I still have to learn.

I figured out a front carve, I just have to practice and improve it, flex my knees more, bend body less etc...

Real problem is, that I can`t get myself to carve on the back. Any mind tricks, tips, advices?

Thanx for any help.

[Snegorez]

As you see I still have to learn.

yes you are right!

In my opinion, you should start from basic position,
and follow to technique description step by step.
https://www.extremecarving.com/tech/tech.html
Perhaps basic elements seems too boring but they are the key to improve your technique.

[Tomba]

I read everything writen on extremecarving.com pages about 20 times. But thanx anyway

The intention of the post above was to get information what exacly am I doing worng, and what is OK, etc...

[Snegorez]

sorry, you do not have base to lay down yet.

It doesnt matter how many times you have read it.
Can you do basic rotation turns both side like example?
Can you show push pull like this?

your backside shows unfortunately no you can not yet.

sorry for my criticism.

but... perhaps somebody tell you "just relax and lay to backside down!" and it would help you more than my words I will be happy

[Arnaud]

Before to try to lay down turn, you should practice a lot to understand and master the push & pull technique which is the base of extremecarving. In the video it seems that your legs are blocked.

[frunobulax]

Sorry if I'm too honest..
You're trying to do the third step before the first one.

You're right, bending your knees and keeping your upper body upright on toesides would help. Keeping your hands out of the snow, too.
And you could work on your body position on heelsides, try initiating the turn with bending the knees and so on.

But that's not the point. IMO it would be best for you if you join a group of carver or come to a meeting, for example the WCS the upcoming weekend. There you could also take some lessons.

What you're doing right now is the hardest of all ways. Not very promising. And possibly dangerous. Right now you haven't mastered the basic lessons of carving and you're already trying to do laydowns. You cannot control the board, so you are very likely to fold the nose and have some really painful crashes. even without that you could hurt your hands or shoulders because you use your arms to support your weight on toeside turns.

Please stop learning from the book. And don't expect that reading in a forum can help you. A good instructor can help you, but only on the slope.

[manuchill]

just like Arnaud (and Snegorez) said, you need to first work on proper push-pull technique and rotation

these 2 are vital for good understanding and executing the technique as told by patrice and jacques

bytheway, it's good to have such movies as you did because it's easier for this community to direct you and help you to move forward

[benttech]

stop touching the snow!!

its one thing that helped me to learn. do everything to avoid touching the snow. and work on your rotation, as your body is nearly parallel to the board on heelsides which is very bad.

[Tomba]

Ok thanx for all the constructive critisism-that is exacly what I hoped I will get.

I got my swoard in the middle of this winter, and the video above is my 8th day of trying to do some EC turns.
I learned everything I know, from EC.com...and because I have only freestyle frends...this forum is the best I have at the moment to make some progress on my riding...

But that's not the point. IMO it would be best for you if you join a group of carver or come to a meeting, for example the WCS the upcoming weekend. There you could also take some lessons.

What you're doing right now is the hardest of all ways. Not very promising. And possibly dangerous. Right now you haven't mastered the basic lessons of carving and you're already trying to do laydowns. You cannot control the board, so you are very likely to fold the nose and have some really painful crashes. even without that you could hurt your hands or shoulders because you use your arms to support your weight on toeside turns.

Please stop learning from the book. And don't expect that reading in a forum can help you. A good instructor can help you, but only on the slope.

I am aware of that, but I can`t find EC instructor near enough (Slovenia). The only lessons available around here are freestyle oriented...
I will try to find time to join at least one EC camp next year, as for this year the season is ending.


PS: Why don`t some of you guys (that really know a lot), make some video lessons for us, beginners. This short videos on EC.com contain far to little information to safely learn EC without instructor (which are again, not behind every corner).
I (I am sure that I am not the only one) would buy it for sure...

[harald]

I think Evgen (Ben) is working on such a video at the moment. See another post at the Forum. What I learned from Ben is to go really deep when initiating the turns (pull). You are totally straight during the turns. Find a flat where to board is not moving. Go as deep as you can, less than 90degrees on the back leg so the tip of the board is bending from the snow (pull), then stretch forward, hanging in the bindings so the tail of the board is bending from the snow (push). Repeat several times and then do the same thing when traversing a very easy slope. Good luck.

[frunobulax]

As far as I know there's a vivid carving community in Slovenia. Hmmm.. maybe you could contact Jani Goltes for getting in touch with the other slovenian carvers.
Another idea: I have seen quite a lot of Slovenians on the Katschberg, which is my personal favourite carving resort and that of many snowboarding friends of mine, esp. from the vienna region.
I was told Katschberg is very near from Slovenia esp. from the Ljubljana region.
Maybe you come to a meeting (probably next year, this years Katschi season is almost over). There we could give you loads of advice.. and Zirbenschnaps

[Zanci]

http://snowboard.si/tabla/
Pridi na tablo in pogledaš zmenkarije in ti z veseljem dam/dajo kak nasvet če pridš z nami furat.

And yes, slovenian carving scene is pretty big, especially when we have our own (and the best for me) Sense snowboards.

[Mazyk]

i agree with Zanci, slovenian carving scene is pretty big, i think we have more than 100 hardbooters (with 2M pop.) and knowledge level is pretty high too.
we organize EC session every year (this year third time in a row).
this year was the most successful I think, we had very nice weather, around 40 carvers, 4 manufacturers/sellers of snowboards (SG, kessler, goltes and Sense). All in all, very successfull carving day.

some videos:

[Tomba]

Thank you all for advices, I am already in contact in some Slo EC masters, and we will meet on the slopes if weather holds...

.. and Zirbenschnaps

I don`t know a lot of German words, but this one I do - and like

[frunobulax]

That's how the forum should work! Great!
Wish you lots of fun and improvement and maybe we meet on the slope someday.