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  • New Rider

    Hello everyone; I am new in this sport and this forum so just a brief intro. I was born in a country called Yugoslavia, a holder of an Australian passport and spending most of my free days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. I have 4 kids, all born in different countries (only one wife though). I am kind of like a skiboard - short and fat - 170cm with some 80kgs muscles (I like to say).

    I apologize for the long post but I thought it's the first time and I will be forgiven.

    I did not do any of these things when I was younger and I honestly don't know what happened so I started all this adrenalin kick. I started paragliding a few years back, then skydiving and now I am kind of trying to do speed-riding although I have never stepped on skis in my life before. I looked into options of finding small skis and that's how I came to skiboards.

    I came across skiboards.com website and got myself those Summit Nomad 99 with PH711 Snowboard Bindings with Riser Kit. For what I needed at the time I still believe that PH711 Bindings were a good choice - something light that I can carry with my ultralight wing and take off of the snow and land in snow as well. The weight was my primary consideration as well as having snowboarding boots for hiking up to mountains. Both options (PH711 and Rocker) were offered to me on skiboards.com with pros and cons of each however PH711 being lighter won.

    As any gadget addict I could not wait for those to arrive so started learning about this new sport and equipment after the purchase (as I normally do) to come across this website and some comments on quality of those PH711. I have to say that I tried these PH711 on a slope and they're not as firm and intuitive as Rocker Snowboard Bindings with Riser Kit. However, I am less than a beginner so my conclusions should be taken with a lot of salt. I found it difficult to maneuver with PH711 even on Bantams when comparing to Rocker. With PH711 you feel you are on skiboards; with Rocker you are part of it, if you know what I mean. So if a beginner wants to try to ride - I would as a beginner suggest Rocker (if snowboarding boots are consideration).

    After reading most of the posts here I thought that perhaps Rvl8 Bantam would be a good start for me as a total beginner on the snow. So I ordered them with Rocker Snowboard Bindings with Riser Kit. I knew however that I will outgrow these sometimes so I decided to get Rvl8 DLP just in case and Spruce 2013 Pro Prime Risers & Release Bindings to go with them (according to my interpretation of that table).

    Well I am in Garmisch right now and had about 5 days of going to the slopes - did some 50 runs down the slopes - half of it on a bunny hill and the rest mostly on blue and a few on red slopes. It's not going bad and my wife thinks that I improved dramatically. I do fall but for some reason I kind of love it - it makes me feel alive. I learned from this forum - ice = concrete = pain and I am trying to avoid icy slope at any cost but I did find it a few times. So it seems that the whole strategy of buying skiboards have changed and although I will try to use them with my paragliding equipment I am kind of hooked into the skiboarding as a sport.

    So here come my questions:

    First, I am doing these 'soft turns' very well which is I guess easy with Bantams so no major drama there. However I am really struggling with carving. I feel it's getting there but not as I would like to feel it. I find it difficult to keep the feet close to each other. So today I reviewed these boards comparison table on the forum again to find out that DLPs have "10" for carving whereas Bantams have only "5". Do I interpret this that carvig with DLPs will be easier than with Bantams? DLPs are only 1cm wider at waist than Bantams so I am hoping that the width will not be as much of a problem for a beginner?? Am I going here in the right direction? I haven't tried Nomads with Spruce Risers/Binding however I am thinking that DLPs could be a bit more stable (longer)?

    Second, I read this advice about detuning? Do I have to do this? I thought that this is if you want to go slower i.e., you have concerns with speed so you want to make the boards kind of slower? At the moment I am kind of happy with how these go.

    Third, with my height and weight - will DLPs hold me in powder? Of course I will not go between the trees and break my neck without first really learning these things but I'd love to try these in a fresh deep snow and see how it goes? Should I keep something like Sherpas on a horizon or DLPs would do just fine for now?

    Sorry for the long intro; I'll try to keep focus next time.

    Cheers,
    Nenad

  • #2
    First off: Welcome. Very nice to have another new member find this community and join in. This is a great group with a lot of very helpful and knowledgeable riders. Also, riding styles, tastes and abilities on here are really diverse. From freestyle to backcountry to groomer cruising ... it all gets covered in here somewhere.

    I'll try to address your questions a bit from my perspective, but I'm still a relative beginner with only a few seasons under my belt so my input is likely not the best you'll receive. I'm sure others with more expertise will jump in soon.

    Carving: This took me about two seasons (around 15 days of riding or so) to figure it out. When it clicked for me was when I started dipping knees and hips to the inside of my turns... allowing my knees to bend a bit more and rolling the boards over on edge instead of trying to pivot or smear the boards around at a flatter angle. I remember the first time I felt the edges "hook up" and track a nice clean arc without any side-sliping down the fall line. For me, I had to feel it to get it. Having others tell me how to do it and watching them... it just did not sink in. Once I felt it the first time, I tried to develop some muscle memory on dry land by adding some drills into my workout routines. I'd stand with my feet together, bend my knees and dip them to the left, rolling over on the outside edge of my left foot and inside edge of my right foot. Then, extend my knees a bit, come back to center, bend knees again and dip to the right, rolling on the outside edge of right foot and inside edge of left foot. I'd do several reps of this back and forth getting used to bending and extending and dropping knees to the left and right. Then, I actually put my feet in my boots, clicked into the bindings on my boards and did the same thing on the carpet with my skiboards on. Next time I went up on the slopes, it was automatic.

    Detuning tips and tails: I've never really done it much. Usually just take a gummy stone across the edges from about one inch in from the end of the running length out to the tips. Many people on here feel many of the boards are really "hooky" without some detuning. It's never really bothered me or thrown me off too much.

    Size of boards: You are likely to get all kinds of different advice on that one. Skills and tastes vary sooooo much on here. I experimented a lot over the last 5 years and have been on everything from Tanshos all the way up to Sherpas. You may have to do the same until you find what you love. With that being said, there are many riders on here who absolutely love, love, love the DLPs and ride them in all conditions. Longer boards like the Sherpas certainly provide more front to back stability in variable conditions and in pow and chop, but I've watched guys ride KTPs, Revolts and Slapdashes in knee deep pow better than I ever could. My weight runs between 185 and 190 lbs and I've ridden pow and chop on DLPs in the past. It was a lot of work and I likely did not look very graceful doing it but it can be done ... even for heavier riders. I heard someone on here say once that on the shorter boards it is all about a combination of skill, aggressiveness, taking a steeper line and not scrubbing speed.

    Hope this is somewhat helpful. Like I said, others will likely join in to provide additional input.

    Have fun and once again ... welcome.
    Skis: Armada JJs, Armada Magic Js and Icelantic Keepers
    Bindings: Marker Griffon, Look Pivot
    Full Tilt Boots
    Past: Revel8 Tanshos, KTPs, Revolts, DLPs, Condors; Spruce Raptors, 120s, Sherpas

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by eusebio View Post

      First, I am doing these 'soft turns' very well which is I guess easy with Bantams so no major drama there. However I am really struggling with carving. I feel it's getting there but not as I would like to feel it. I find it difficult to keep the feet close to each other. So today I reviewed these boards comparison table on the forum again to find out that DLPs have "10" for carving whereas Bantams have only "5". Do I interpret this that carvig with DLPs will be easier than with Bantams?

      bantams will carve easily even for a beginner, they are just less stable at speed and have less edge grip since they are shorter then DLPs

      DLPs are only 1cm wider at waist than Bantams so I am hoping that the width will not be as much of a problem for a beginner??

      Width should not be an issue at all

      Am I going here in the right direction? I haven't tried Nomads with Spruce Risers/Binding however I am thinking that DLPs could be a bit more stable (longer)?

      Longer increases stability but the longer you go the more clumsy the board. So you just have to decide how long is right for you.

      Second, I read this advice about detuning? Do I have to do this?

      Nope detuning is only done if you find the tip or tail grabby.

      I thought that this is if you want to go slower i.e., you have concerns with speed so you want to make the boards kind of slower? At the moment I am kind of happy with how these go.

      Third, with my height and weight - will DLPs hold me in powder?

      They may not be ideal, but you already have 3 boards, you should use them and get some experience before you increase your number of boards.

      About the carving issue and soft boot bindings. PH711 Bindings will never be able to carve and are severely limiting. Rocker bindings should be able to carve well because the highback has wings and a third strap. GGO binding also has the critical side wings and 3rd strap, and is the most rigid design out of the 3 for more control.

      Sounds like you are also using standard hard shell ski boots, they will of course carve great and will not have any issues like a softboot binding could have.

      This is my favorite tutorial video for carving, they really demonstrate stance by putting your hands on your knees, and actually pushing your knee to initiate the carve.
      Oh and welcome to the forum.


      www.skiboardbindings.com GGO Co-Founder

      Check out a review of our bindings http://www.skiboardsonline.com/forum...ad.php?t=13031 (Thanks Rob)

      My setup:
      DLP/Ktps (randomly switch)
      Condors, not rockered (powder/crap conditions board)
      GGO soft boot bindings
      Ride RFL Snowboard Boots

      Comment


      • #4
        I believe it is a good idea to de-tune your tips if you want to do spins, otherwise I would leave them alone unless you have problems. It's a quick fix if you carry a stone with you.

        The equation of the length and width of a board providing the right amount of speed, control and maneuverability is something only you can work out on the slopes. And it may change over time as you progress.

        The most important aspect to controlling your boards is your connection to them, so make sure you have a boot binding set up that gives you the best feel.

        Welcome to the board.
        Just these, nothing else !

        Comment


        • #5
          Guys, thanks a lot with the responses. Let me try what you have suggested and will let you know how it goes.

          Cheers.

          Comment


          • #6
            Here is a good thread on tip and tail detuning: http://www.skiboardsonline.com/forum...ead.php?t=5556. I detune the tips and tails on my boards and find it beneficial.

            Here is a good video from Sofa Ski School that has a good exercise for carving. This same exercise, and its positions, work on skiboards.



            If you are looking for longer boards (than the Bantams) you might want to try these vintage boards that are in limited quantities but still available. The reason I am recommending these is because they have a softer flex than the current boards, which some less experienced riders who are not doing park riding might find better than the current stiffer flexing boards.

            http://www.skiboardsonline.com/p/rvl8_alp06.html

            http://www.skiboardsonline.com/p/rvl8bwp08.html
            In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
            Think Like a Mountain

            Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Bluewing View Post

              If you are looking for longer boards (than the Bantams) you might want to try these vintage boards that are in limited quantities but still available. The reason I am recommending these is because they have a softer flex than the current boards, which some less experienced riders who are not doing park riding might find better than the current stiffer flexing boards.
              Thanks for the help. I have a pair of DLPs (110cm) - haven't tried them yet. Are they different to those 'vintage' ones you're suggesting?

              Comment


              • #8
                Welcome!! I use old boards with ski boots so can't help you too much. Maybe just to say..stick in there you'll "get it". Everything will eventually come naturally and it'll be awesome. Definitley good advice mentioned above...vids too. Do you inline skate as well? Helped me a ton when I first got started to get better feel of what it was going to feel like on the snow. Try some "blading" in your free time. You'll only get more and more comfortable carving and it'll be a blast when you get the point you can hit double blacks, steep as hell but so much. Good luck and happy new years!
                er
                Snow Line Mike Nick Pros - Line FF Pro "red" bindings - Atomic Hawx 80 boots
                Street Razor Cult 7

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