How to improve myself

[Lsstefan]

Hello fellow boarders.
I'm writing this to give praise to skiboards and also to ask some questions how to get better.
It's my second year aware skiing(i learned to ski when much younger, but now I understand how it works) and my first year skiboarding. I bought a pair of RVL8 KTP. Wanted some Blunts, but the European distributor was out. I'm still amazed I own something made by/dedicated to someone that writes here; hi Kirk
I love them, even though I may not understand it very well. I like how they carve, I like how they are wide and short, so much better than the skiis I tried.
I'm not one for speed, I play with a friend snowboarder who does tricks and stuff, so I'm trying to keep up with him. I am currently jumping small kickers, doing 360 on the ground and maybe some back riding(fakey I think it's called?). It's not much, but for me it's huge.
First run on the slope, a bunch of rocks were covering it and did this to the boards. My friend scratched his snowboard also.

My boots are Nordica NXT4 flex 80. They aren't wow boots, but then again I can't tell what wow boots are.
I'm not so fond of them because they make my shins and calfs hurt. So I was thinking of buying snowboard bindings and boots. But that's @600€. Would I be better buy some 400€ ski boots?
I found some Full Tilts https://www.blue-tomato.com/en-GB/pr...t=%2Bmin_price
Read they are light and stuff. I'd like some light boots so i can jump easier, I dont need huge flex for speed. Do you have any recommendations?
I'll try and fit a boot fitter, but regarding try and buy, there aren't many if any good boots stores here, so I'd rather buy online.
I also read about using some leashes for the boards. I have non releasable bindings, but I'll fall a lot and rather safe than sorry.
Found http://skimo.co/dynafit-leashes . Any other suggestions?

So that' about it, I'm trying to read more about the dos and don'ts and put them in practice. But if you have any tips for me, feel free to say. I'm currently looking for basic tricks, like 180 air and maybe some butters after I drink a little to not be afraid of falling.

Thanks for all guys, cheerios.
Stefan

[Fedfan]

Welcome!

Welcome to the forum and to the skiboard community, Stefan!

[Davelynam]

Hey Stefan,

The first step at getting better at tricks is to become 100% comfortable with general riding abilities. having full control on the ground will relate to your ability once you get in the air/on rails.
The next step is to know what tricks you want to learn, and study them. There is a youtube video for just about every trick. so watch some videos, and pay atention to the details: head movements, knee flex, arms, grabs, and so on. if you can get on a trampoline, do it! trampolines are a great way to learn what I like to call "air awareness." knowing where you are at all time in relation to the ground, and which way you need to be facing is crucial to landing a trick.
Keep your eyes open!!! All too often I see people who are new to jumps/tricks closing their eyes and hoping for the best...
Start small and stay in your comfort level. there will be times when learning a new trick that you will have to overcome the butterflys, but it shouldnt be something that you aren't already educated about. if you haven't taken the time to do you research and know what to expect, don't do it.
Commitment is soooooooo important when learning new tricks. you can't be 2 feet away from the lip of a jump and decide you're going to opt out at the last second. if you are riding into a jump prepared to do a trick, DO IT! if you've done you research and'or practiced on a trampoline, your body and mind are prepared to do the trick you're thinking of, so make it happen!

Riding in the park and learning new things is supposed to be a fun adventure. If you are trying to learn new things just to " keep up" with your friends, you may want to reevaluate why you're doing what your doing. This is something that took me a while to understand. There was a point that I relized I was trying too hard to get better at rails, and I hated rails. I ended up backing off from rails and doing the things I enjoyed (jumps). This is about who can have the most fun, not who can do the best trick.

If there are specific tricks that you want to learn, feel free to reach out to any of the RVL8 crew and ask them for help with your specific trick. If you cant find information online about how to throw your body to do a 540, or a flip, or whatever, feel free to reach out and I'm sure one of us could make a special video for you to show all of the parts of your trick.


If there is any other information you need or questions, or if I have completely missed what you were asking about, let us know.
-Dave
hashtag end rant

[Wookie]

.....First run on the slope, a bunch of rocks were covering it and did this to the boards. .....

Those base scratches don't seem too bad (I've seen worse). They likely won't impact your riding but if you want to clean them up you could ask your local ski shop to fill any deep gouges and then do a base grind. That should make them good as new.

....I also read about using some leashes for the boards. I have non releasable bindings, but I'll fall a lot and rather safe than sorry. Found http://skimo.co/dynafit-leashes . Any other suggestions?

For leashes I like:

Coil leashes like sold here at SBOL -- http://www.skiboardsonline.com/p/snjmproleash.html
Bungee leashes like these from Bokoda -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EEB9048

It looks like both products are sold out but it gives you an idea of types and what other riders are using. Given the simplicity of leashes it may be easier (and cheaper) to craft your own leashes. If you are shopping for leashes look for "snowboard leashes" and by two.

--------------------------------------------------

As for improving your skills on the mountain I have always found these tutorials useful. Don't worry about the fact that they are in Japanese (I think) just the video is enough to pick things like body position and the like:

Ground Tricks -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNFt-LOBfyQ
Big Air -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6VLG4b_xz0
Fakie Riding -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlHX5BfZWV8
Jumps -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7J-qlPwJac
Boxes and Rails -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zTCxkFr0hk

I'll also agree 100% with Dave's comment of "Start small and stay in your comfort level" -- This is the best recipe for success. You will find over time that your comfort level grows naturally.

[CrazyBoy-1]

Hey Stefan,

The first step at getting better at tricks is to become 100% comfortable with general riding abilities. having full control on the ground will relate to your ability once you get in the air/on rails.
The next step is to know what tricks you want to learn, and study them. There is a youtube video for just about every trick. so watch some videos, and pay atention to the details: head movements, knee flex, arms, grabs, and so on. if you can get on a trampoline, do it! trampolines are a great way to learn what I like to call "air awareness." knowing where you are at all time in relation to the ground, and which way you need to be facing is crucial to landing a trick.
Keep your eyes open!!! All too often I see people who are new to jumps/tricks closing their eyes and hoping for the best...
Start small and stay in your comfort level. there will be times when learning a new trick that you will have to overcome the butterflys, but it shouldnt be something that you aren't already educated about. if you haven't taken the time to do you research and know what to expect, don't do it.
Commitment is soooooooo important when learning new tricks. you can't be 2 feet away from the lip of a jump and decide you're going to opt out at the last second. if you are riding into a jump prepared to do a trick, DO IT! if you've done you research and'or practiced on a trampoline, your body and mind are prepared to do the trick you're thinking of, so make it happen!

Riding in the park and learning new things is supposed to be a fun adventure. If you are trying to learn new things just to " keep up" with your friends, you may want to reevaluate why you're doing what your doing. This is something that took me a while to understand. There was a point that I relized I was trying too hard to get better at rails, and I hated rails. I ended up backing off from rails and doing the things I enjoyed (jumps). This is about who can have the most fun, not who can do the best trick.

If there are specific tricks that you want to learn, feel free to reach out to any of the RVL8 crew and ask them for help with your specific trick. If you cant find information online about how to throw your body to do a 540, or a flip, or whatever, feel free to reach out and I'm sure one of us could make a special video for you to show all of the parts of your trick.


If there is any other information you need or questions, or if I have completely missed what you were asking about, let us know.
-Dave
hashtag end rant

That's about as complete an answer as you'd want, and I've highlighted what I feel are the most important points. Never, ever, ever try to bail out on a trick. You'll end up just getting more hurt than if you had followed through. And skiboarding is all about fun. I too wanted to do cool tricks in the park early on, but I realized that I wasn't good at it, and I wasn't having fun. I discovered that glades are my preferred playground, and I've concentrated on becoming a better rider there.

Most of all, don't be afraid to ask for help on something specific. There is a wealth of knowledge on this forum, and the members are always happy to try to help.

[Lsstefan]

Woah, thanks for all the replies, you guys are awesome.
Dave, I didn't express myself properly, sorry about that. I'm not trying to keep up with them as a chore, I feel motivated by them to not be afraid to try more stuff. Usually I dream and think about what I'm.going to do, but on the slope I'm afraid of falling(broke my hand tripping over a slipper with my roller blades...that's how unlucky I am). So yeah when I see my friend do a butter or jumping, I say "ow yeah, well if he can do I can do it". I'm always last at the bottom, but I never try to keep up with them, I'm doing my routine and learning.
Yesterday we made a kicker on the slope and the first time I jumped I was leaning back and I fell when landing. I laughed so hard. Loved the air hang sensation.
I know how to rollerblade and ice skate, so the moves are not hard to understand, I just need to be more smooth I guess, my boards sometimes get stuck in snow when turning and I fall.

I'll check all the links you gave me, thank you.
I read that the best boot is the boot that fits you, but we don't have huge ski shops here for me to try a lot of them, but let's say I'll get a hold of some, what would a good all round flex be? I've never been in a park here, and prolly won't, we don't have wow parks. I usually use the slope for tricks and jumps. 90 for all purpose use? I'd also try to get some lighter boots, read FT are @2kgs. I don't care for brands, I'd rather have no name with performance, than the other way around.

Thanks for all suggestions.
Good snow to you all.