[5150dhbiker]

Ok, so after years of focusing just on DH and moto stuff I finally decided to go snowboarding for the first time in 5 or 6 years. Got a little too stoked on it again and the next morning bought a new board, boots and bindings.

My problem is, I LOVE riding super steep stuff but can't jump or grind for s**t! To put it this way, I grew up in Colorado (moved out to CA when I was 15) and spent all my winters in Breckenridge. Favorite thing to do out there was to take the lift to the top and hike up to the bowls.

Annnyways, any suggestions about jumping and grinding? I'm fine doing drops to powder but can't jump a double or table to save my life! I always catch an edge and land on my face, looking like an idiot!

This will probably pose a problem too, I'm running a 163mm board since I'm 6'2" and don't think that'll work very well for park. Just going to occasionally ride a park, but hopefully mostly double blacks and bowls.


Not me, but this is the best run in Breckenridge

 

[boogenman]

Practice makes perfect. Terrain parks are gay.

 

[rideit]

Breck Sucks!

 

[blue]

O
Not me, but this is the best run in Breckenridge

That's not steep. Or deep. Or even fun looking. Thus, no care.

To answer your question: Don't ride park. Success!

Or, conversely, you could take a park class with an instructor. But the park, for the most part, is lame...mostly because of its denizens.

 

[5150dhbiker]

That's not steep. Or deep. Or even fun looking. Thus, no care.

To answer your question: Don't ride park. Success!

Or, conversely, you could take a park class with an instructor. But the park, for the most part, is lame...mostly because of its denizens.

Ok, I'll stick to other things. Idk, a lot of my buddies like parks and it gets kind of lame going off and doing my own thing while the rest of our group is together :~

And yeah, that's the part thats not so steep. The drop-in is a bit steeper. I just dont have the money to go helicopter boarding so had to stick with the bowls that I could hike in the area.

 

[.:Jeenyus:.]

as full-time a park rat (with the exception of powder days - duh): you just have to practice and make sure that you stay centered over your board no matter what you're doing. oh, and you have to practice. a lot.

 

[narlus]

That's not steep. Or deep. Or even fun looking. Thus, no care.

To answer your question: Don't ride park. Success!

Or, conversely, you could take a park class with an instructor. But the park, for the most part, is lame...mostly because of its denizens.

blue, stop giving Skrdshtls your login info.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>

Man... I hope that isn't you... 'cause that boarder is a fvckin' HACK!

 

[SkaredShtles]

blue, stop giving Skrdshtls your login info.

Dude... you're funny and infuriating at the same time.

 

[Leppah]

go practice some big mountain riding. That's more fun anyway. If you practice big mountain stuff, at least when you crash you won't always get hurt. If you do down in the park, more than likely it'll hurt more since it's all ice.
I ride a 168, i'm 6'1. They're way hard to spin. I wasn't ever good at spinning anyway. I just loved launching big airs straight or 180's. The bigger board is better for all mountain riding. You can ride the chop super easy compared to the little boards.
Keep your forward shoulder pointed downhill until you learn to relax. Try not to turn your hips when you go off a jump. If you try hitting a jump and you point your chest downhill, you're going to scorp. Just try being smooth. Try riding off jumps before you pop off them. And make sure that when you leave the lip, your edges are level. MOst of the time that'll help you out in a big way. The jump could be leaning a certain way, but you want your board flat when you take off. I'm talking about the way the board is leaning, not pointing.
You don't want your board leaning like this "/" or the opposite when you leave a jump. You want it pretty flat or you might slip an edge when you pop off.

 

[TheTruth]

I love big mountain. I also like the jumps off boulders into powder. I really want to race boardercross because I am very fast on a snowboard. But as soon as I get to table, double, or rail, I freak out.

 

[nauc]

practice practice practice

start small and work your way up to bigger jumps. youll get it

also, get a buddy to film your jumps, then you can go back and try and see what youre doing wrong

 

[Leppah]

I love big mountain. I also like the jumps off boulders into powder. I really want to race boardercross because I am very fast on a snowboard. But as soon as I get to table, double, or rail, I freak out.

I'm the same way. When i'm heading to a jump in the big mountain scene I can judge my speed better hauling a$$ through the chop than i can haulin a$$ up to some huge table top. I'd way rather do big mountain riding.
And yeah, i suck at rails. The last one i tried ended with me catching a front edge on it and being thrown down on the rail, smacking my cheek on it. Blah. Maybe it would be different if i had a park board with completely dulled out edges.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

Taking off flat = landing flat = riding away.

If you're taking off on an edge, you're going to meet the floor.
If you land on an edge, well, that's going to suck too.

Just go mellow into it. I used to teach a lot of park lessons, and the biggest thing is just finding your happy place. And buying a helmet.

 

[Leppah]

Taking off flat = landing flat = riding away.

If you're taking off on an edge, you're going to meet the floor.
If you land on an edge, well, that's going to suck too.

Just go mellow into it. I used to teach a lot of park lessons, and the biggest thing is just finding your happy place. And buying a helmet.

I agree on all accounts.

 

[iandude94]

I second that helmet statement. I went off a 15 foot step-down and only went 14 feet. last thing I remember is looking at the top of the landing in the air and then all of a sudden I was at the bottom of the landing on my chest. According to my friends I bounced on my board then flipped and landed on my head on the landing. Good thing the battery on my new helmet cam died the run before, cause it would be completely destroyed if I had it on.

 

[5150dhbiker]

Cool, thanks guys! Gonna go try that this weekend. Raced some DH yesterday so got a break next weekend and gonna try some small jumps to see how things go.

 

[rockofullr]

skiing is betta

 

[boogenman]

skiing is betta

Yes it is

 

[Leppah]

To each his own.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

My problem is, I LOVE riding super steep stuff but can't jump or grind for s**t! To put it this way, I grew up in Colorado (moved out to CA when I was 15) and spent all my winters in Breckenridge. Favorite thing to do out there was to take the lift to the top and hike up to the bowls.

youre a good candidate to get into backcountry. no lift lines, lift tickets, crowds, groomers, moguls, little kids, $8 cheeseburgers, bro steez fashion show, no ski patrol, no nothing that cuts into the experience. did i mention FRESH TRACKS, complete quiet(except maybe WHUMPH ), walk and ride where few ever set foot, get tricked into getting excersize earning those turns.
get yourself a set of snowshoes(better yet a splitboard), beacon, probe, and a shovel and start looking around for some partners. in the meantime read some books about avalanche safety and look into taking a class. buy any guidebooks you can for your local area, even some mountaineering ones are helpful. just remember backcountry is dangerous. avalanche danger is very real, and there is nobody to watch your back except your partners and vice/versa.


Helmet is a MUST!!!! after getting KO'd bad you WILL wish you had been wearing one. i learned that one the hard way. don't think youre safe because snow is (sometimes) softer than dirt or pavement. also there are objects lurking beneath the surface everywhere.

 

[DirtMcGirk]

I spend about half my time at a mountain and half my time in the back country.

If you get into walking for your turns, please be smart. Every year around here we loose a couple people. Like was said above, beacon, HELMET, probe, shovel.

And more importantly, the knowledge of how to use those things. If you're in the mountains you can find a class or two, or get certified, on how to be avy safe, if there really is such a thing. Who knows, the life you save might be your own.

Also, when you stop getting scared out there, its time to stop. You get cocky in the back country and someone will have to clock in for you and leave your obit. Be smart, stay safe.

 

[Leppah]

I'm thinking he's going to have to learn how to ride pow before he goes out and ventures into the back country. I don't know if you guys get powder like us, but it's hella hard to learn how to ride in it. Put in the time and practice and it's way worth it. That's all i'd want to board. But i can't even afford to go anymore. The local mountain (Snow Basin) is over $60 a day now. Blah.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Snowboarding powder is hard to learn?

That's pitiful.

 

[blue]

Snowboarding powder is hard to learn?

That's pitiful.

srsly...lean back. is not tough.

get avy certified before venturing out into the bc. most people here won't go with you unless you're at level 1.

that said: there's avalanches in taw-ho?

 

[Mr.Bishop]

I've always felt that its OK to have a mixture of on-hill skills. No reason to say "park is lame" because there isn't always snow to be ridden.

Pow and big mountain are sweet, as is BC riding. But riding park can be a blast when you're just looking to horse around.

Don't let the haters tell you one thing or another is lame... try it all.

And practice makes perfect. Start on the super small stuff and work your way up - don't go too big too fast. No shame in playing around with some mini-shred.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

get avy certified before venturing out into the bc. most people here won't go with you unless you're at level 1.

I don't think this is a requirement for going backcountry everywhere. should you know the practices and theory of avalanche safety before entering the backcountry? of course. does this mean you have to be avy certified? no. going above treeline or on steep zones, medium or greater danger day(if you should be there at all), avy cert is definitely a good thing to have. I think an understanding of what to do and what not to do as well as a feeling of self preservation is more important than a full certification that you can brag about. not to discount it, but you shouldnt let the lack of avy 1 stop you from enjoying the backcountry. but if a gaper goes waltzing into the backcountry on the wrong day without knowing what they are doing, where they are going, or realizing the consequences it can be death for sure. knowing your equipment and knowing how to use it at the drop of a hat is almost more important than carrying it at all imho(practice).

 

[Damo]

I love how boarders are 'each to their own', yet skiers seem to have a 'if you don't ski you suck' attitude.

I live in a ski resort. I have 16 different guests arrive every week. Every week I get asked "Do you ski or board?". You know straight away they are bigoted skiers. My answer is always "Yes, of course I do". I actually do both.

I mainly snowboard because I have surfed all my life. Moving from an island in the Pacific where surfing every day is the norm to inland Europe in the middle of the Alps, was a huge change. Snowboarding was a great substitute. Boarding will always come before skiing for me.

Skiers, get over yourselves.

[/end rant]




As for how to jump? Until you start spinning, Dirt is right. Keep your body weight centered in the air (go for a grab if you can, this connects you with the board and stabilises you), land flat based and weight evenly spread. No weight needs adjusting front or back at this point in your career. Stay relaxed. A stiffened body is going to crash.

Follow someone who knows into a jump. Match their speed and stance. Much like in mtb, this helps you get a feel for the speed needed for a particular jump.

There is nothing wrong about not being able to ride park. If you love steeps, ride steeps. The park will always be there when the snow is shiite for practice.

 

[Mr.Bishop]

I love how boarders are 'each to their own', yet skiers seem to have a 'if you don't ski you suck' attitude.

I live in a ski resort. I have 16 different guests arrive every week. Every week I get asked "Do you ski or board?". You know straight away they are bigoted skiers. My answer is always "Yes, of course I do". I actually do both.

I mainly snowboard because I have surfed all my life. Moving from an island in the Pacific where surfing every day is the norm to inland Europe in the middle of the Alps, was a huge change. Snowboarding was a great substitute. Boarding will always come before skiing for me.

Skiers, get over yourselves.

[/end rant]

Sorry - I'm afraid I'm going to have to go ahead and say that snowboarders are every bit as juvenile about this issue. As a matter of fact, the companies that support snowboarding are even re-inforcing it.

Burton anti-ski hat (notice graphic of skier with crosshairs over them)
http://www.burton.com/mens-hats-beanies-slouchy-dts-beanie/221425,default,pd.html?dwvar_221425_variationColor=002&start=29&cgid=mens-hats-beanies

Rome anti-ski hat (featuring the oh-so mature "skiing sucks" text)
http://www.planet-sports.com/en/category5_6/product55770/product_info.html

Interview with Danny Kass
http://snowboarding.transworld.net/2008/09/04/10-questions-with-danny-kass/

Best quote: "Are halfpipes an endangered species?
Halfpipes are not an endangered species but you do have skiers trying to take part of snowboarding&#8217;s history. I only like watching 2-3 skiers ride the pipe: Tanner and the C crew. A few years ago it was all snowboard parks and now you have a parallel competition schedule. If we don&#8217;t fight for what we started, people will take it over."

Ad for HCSC:

Those are just a couple of examples. Many skiers (especially the younger ones) are completely fine with snowboarding - even love it and embrace it wholeheartedly.

It seems as though some of the older folk (on both sides of the fence) are the ones who haven't given up on this silly debate. I'm just surprised that the people at the snowboard companies would let themselves get so old school as to try and revive the hate.

The real problem in snowsports is overall declining numbers - forget what you put on your feet. Overall participation numbers have been stagnant - and even slightly declining over the last 10 years. I think if you go back 20 years the decline is even worse.

 

[Leppah]

i love how people act like they just learned how to ride powder by just "leaning back". Come on. You know and I know that all boarders have ragdolled through powder and had plenty of tiring times pulling themselves out of it. You aren't kidding anybody. Haha. "lean back". Right. Two inches of powder on top of crust isn't what i'm talking about. I'm talking about riding a foot or more.

 

[Leppah]

It seems as though some of the older folk (on both sides of the fence) are the ones who haven't given up on this silly debate. I'm just surprised that the people at the snowboard companies would let themselves get so old school as to try and revive the hate.

I'm with you on this one.

As far as the hats go............I'm sure they were looking for something that would sell.

 

[blue]

i love how people act like they just learned how to ride powder by just "leaning back". Come on. You know and I know that all boarders have ragdolled through powder and had plenty of tiring times pulling themselves out of it. You aren't kidding anybody. Haha. "lean back". Right. Two inches of powder on top of crust isn't what i'm talking about. I'm talking about riding a foot or more.

Yes, 'cause growing up/working in the Wasatch means I've never ridden in anything more than three inches of fresh. Powder on a board doesn't get hard to learn unless you're in very tight trees, IMO. Just keep the front floating and you're gold. Not like that's come in handy yet this year though.

On the skier/boarder issue, I get the same thing Damo. I'll be riding the gondola up where I'm working this season and always get the "Do you ski or board?" from tourists. I'm not sure why it's such a big deal. I do both, and like each for different reasons (though I'm a much better snowboarder than a skier).

 

[Damo]

OMG. Is that a Manimal quote??

Those are just a couple of examples. Many skiers (especially the younger ones) are completely fine with snowboarding - even love it and embrace it wholeheartedly.

It seems as though some of the older folk (on both sides of the fence) are the ones who haven't given up on this silly debate. I'm just surprised that the people at the snowboard companies would let themselves get so old school as to try and revive the hate.

The real problem in snowsports is overall declining numbers - forget what you put on your feet. Overall participation numbers have been stagnant - and even slightly declining over the last 10 years. I think if you go back 20 years the decline is even worse.

I actually fully agree with you. I snowboard. But I tend to go out more with skiers. Boarders and skiers equally annoy me. I have no preference for either except for what I ride myself.
I take a step back and realise that the majority of my riding buddies are, in fact, skiers. I have plenty boarding mates as well however. Go figure.

I just laugh at the narrow views of others. My skier mates are always trying to convert me. I, however, never try to convert anyone. Except bladers maybe.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip> Boarders and skiers equally annoy me.

Have you ever considered that maybe people in general annoy you? They do me.

Oh - and quit being such a whiny Frog.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>

The real problem in snowsports is overall declining numbers - forget what you put on your feet. Overall participation numbers have been stagnant - and even slightly declining over the last 10 years. I think if you go back 20 years the decline is even worse.

I fail to see why this is a "problem"...

 

[DirtMcGirk]

Yea, we haz da slides here in Ta-ho. Every year we have a few, and once in a blue moon they'll get someone.

I got hit by one in Utar. Before I had my cert too. I was 19, young, dumb, and full of cum. A real blue flame special. Now I've got some certs, spend some time every year getting the new infos.

Riding powder on a board is like sex. On skis it takes a little more talent. Give me my 177 and let me loose on deep days.

Can't we all just get along? I hate skiers and boarders equally. Forget love, hate is where its at.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip.

Riding powder on a board is like sex. On skis it takes a little more talent.

Yeah. Riding powder on skis is like PORN sex. You gots to have a little more skilz...

 

[DirtMcGirk]

I dunno. I made a porn once. There wasn't a lot of talent involved, and at the end it sounded like someone made love to a rhino with a land rover.

All things like this being equal, I'll stick to my board.

 

[SkaredShtles]

I dunno. I made a porn once. There wasn't a lot of talent involved, and at the end it sounded like someone made love to a rhino with a land rover.

Ok... like PRO porn. Not that amateur $hit.

All things like this being equal, I'll stick to my board.

That's fine. I'll try not to take you on TOO many traverses when we ride...

 

[rockofullr]

Ad for HCSC:

LOL that's a funny add, one of my best riding buddies works there in the summers.

Oh and by the way, it has been mathematically proven using the G.N.A.R. system (Gaffney's Numerical Assessment of Radness) that skiing is way sicker than boarding.

P.S. I ride with plenty of boarders and we love giving each other crap for being skiers or boarders. I bringing it up cause it always gets people going. Seriously though, in the end we are all just RIDERS.

SQUAW Valley for life!