Days of practice to do EC

[eaglefly]

My first poll, hope it's gonna work..

Definition of EC according to the website:
Extreme carving consists in sliding down a piste linking and lying all the turns. The board is sliding, placed vertically on the edge, without skipping, and the rider is brushing the snow with his whole body.

So how many days on snow did you need to do that?? I'm not talking about 'just frontside' or 'just backside' laid turns. And it does not include time spent on watching P&J videos

1 day is about 6 hours

[Hans]

It still isn't mine. May be I am not practicing hard enough. I am just having fun on all of my boards. That's the only thing that counts for me anyway. And if I will ever succeed in Ecing, well than that's nice, nothing more nothing less.

I am also having fun by seeing others succeed in this EC thing.

Céline, nice poll...

[eaglefly]

I am just having fun on all of my boards. That's the only thing that counts for me anyway. And if I will ever succeed in Ecing, well than that's nice, nothing more nothing less.
I am also having fun by seeing others succeed in this EC thing.

yeah me too but the thing is that I'm pretty sure I will have the best of fun with my Swoard when I succeed in Ecing properly otherwise I kinda like the 'flegmatic' style too these days

[Hans]

.......is that if you want to maintain or reach ECing you need a lot of practicing. And the days I am in the snow are just too short to only practice ECing

I know there has been a lot of writing about this stuff. But may be some masters of Ecing can give us starters some golden rules to pick up fast.

[harald]

Celine,
How fast you can do ECing depends on a lot of things. First condition is to be in very good physical shape. Then having courage or guts. And then that you definitely want to do EC and not give up, even if you have had some very bad days falling and doing everything wrong. I would also believe that not being too old is an advantage but it is never to late to learn. Consecutive days on snow is definetely an advantage and also practice with friends that can comment on each other. If you are so lucky to live close by a decent slope it is better with 6 days by 2 hours a day than 2 days by 6 hours. The conditions usually are better in the morning as we know. Finally, talent, feeling for snow and coordination, matters. I have a friend (lot younger than me) that learnt EC almost at once when he tried. We other and less talented (and not so young) have spent weeks, not to say seasons, but practice helps for all of us.

[skywalker]

Hi eaglefly.

To be honest, I don't think that there are many people, who are able to answer to your question at all. I have seen very very few practicing proper EC like you described. Of course there may be many who feel like beeing able to do EC, but from outside, it's only a few. So common answer should be "indefinite / still practicing".

This would be my answer, too

skywalker

[eaglefly]

Yeah I know it depends on many things... but it's just a poll you know...facts welcome too!

@skywalker, you are right; let's say ^chabuduo yi yang^ ^almost the same^^ (rule number one here in China...) if it is not as perfect as described in the definition or like P&J, it is still ok of course
My point by using the definition was mainly to refer to 'linking turns and laying down on FS and BS'.
Don't be too modest riders, poll is anonymous

[Whitey]

Céline, there should be an option "Several seasons". That is what it takes, and learning will never end...

[Alex]

I think that the following options would be better!
-1 or 2 season
-3 to 4 season
-1 life
-2 lives
-I can't do EC yet but I feel it's getting better..almost there

I think that EC learning curve rises slowly ... many movements to be synchronized together...needs time

[István]

I think first one has to earn enough experience and skills to do carving even on steep / difficult terrains. To simply put it: one has to have confidence in carving. Without the basics it is a way different story.

Then in case you have the right equipment and someone that helps with good instructions, I think the basics of EC (push-pull, rotation, and confidence to dive in heads first into a turn on a steep icy slope...) can click in relatively quickly.

Then starts the never ending refinement process. I think that has no time limitations.

As for myself I have to admit that it took me almost 2 seasons (30-40 days) to reach a point where at least the basics clicked in. I am counting this time interwal from the time I bought proper equipment and started to consciously focus on EC. Since then I am trying to further improve step by step, which will hopefully last for the next 30-40 years...

I guess others might succeeded way faster. And there might be others who did not even reach this point even in more time due to lack of a good instructor and/or equipment and/or guts.

What has helped me a lot was watching the videos over and over again, switching to slow motion, analyzing the small moves. I personally found it much more helpful then reading the instructions. The other thing that helped me a lot is to watch other riders, both skilled and less skilled ones. You can easily spot out the mistakes others make, so you can use those to identify and correct you mistakes.

I hope the above answers your question, other than that I'm affraid I could not choose any of the above options.


Cheers

[nils]

I have had the same approach...took me about two seasons to pick up rotation and pushpull...now i'm still fighting with back arm and its been 5 years now....
Vids help to vizualise mentally what has to be done and at what timing...then its training training training alone and with feeback from others...

Nils

[vkrouverk]

Have to agree with last posters: this count is probably not in days, at least for riders like me, who get 1-2 weekly trips to mountain during season.
I bought my Swoard in Dec 2003 and I still don't think that I can EC. Of course my riding days per season is between 10 and 15 in average (in one season it was something like 30 but this is an exception) so I have probably ridden with Swoard 50-60 days max. First week in each season will be "recalling" of basic technique and edge feeling, only after that (iff I manage to have more trips to resorts) some progress can be observed. This is me of course (who couldn't carve decently before buying Swoard anyway and from land flat as pancake so no riding genes in my body) so it doesn't necessarily apply to others and by no means feel discouraged by my posting.
Anyway, my personal target is to learn decent EC by the time I will be in retirement (i.e. in next 25 year) or pick up other hobbies if one can't snowboard in Europe anymore (due to global warming ). I heard that knitting is gathering popularity

[Bence]

Equipment also could really make a big difference in the speed of learning.

Last year in Zinal I've got more EC-feeling in 30 minutes with a proper wide and long board under my feet than in the previous two days with my own F2.

[István]

Correct. The 2 things that can really accelerate the development - or I would rather say without these you will not succeed:

1. Proper Equipment - and don't get me wrong here, I am not saying you have to have the top notch fancy stuff, but it makes no sense to try to learn EC with an equipment that was built for something completely different. It is an other thing, that most probably very good riders could EC even on an ironing board...

2. The 'DARE' factor - if you don't have the guts to take a leap of faith and dive into the deep, you will never get there.

Both of the above will give you a kick start and the rest will come naturally. At least this is how it worked for me.


Cheers

[skywalker]

Correct. The 2 things that can really accelerate the development - or I would rather say without these you will not succeed:

1. Proper Equipment - and don't get me wrong here, I am not saying you have to have the top notch fancy stuff, but it makes no sense to try to learn EC with an equipment that was built for something completely different. It is an other thing, that most probably very good riders could EC even on an ironing board...

2. The 'DARE' factor - if you don't have the guts to take a leap of faith and dive into the deep, you will never get there.

3. The better your carving technique is before you try to do EC end the braoder your "carving toolbox" is, the faster and the easier you will learn EC.

skywalker