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  • problem on the flat

    I started out as a skiier who borrowed my daughter's second-hand salomon snowblades. After a couple of years I realised I needed something safer and more stable at high speed so last season bought some Head Big Easies. They are awesome on moguls and ice, eat up crud and powder, and are very stable at high speed. However, I find when on fairly flat areas such as tracks and ski-lift approaches they just will not run and grind to a halt very quickly: mad: (something the snowblades never did!). I accept I have to do some 'skating' but I never had to do this amount before. It's also embarrassing being overtaken by boarders and skiiers on a flattish track

    I am constantly fighting to keep the tips from turning in when straight running which is not helping. Has anyone else had this problem? Is it the weight? the binding set-up? my stance? (If it helps I am female, 5'4" and weigh 126lbs, age 59 but thats never been a problem before!)

    I would appreciate any help as the extra skating is wrecking my inner ankle bones.

  • #2
    Sounds like your boards need a hardcore wax job to the third power.

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    • #3
      hmmm...a possibility. I had 'em waxed at the beginning of the last week's ski holiday and it didnt make that much of a difference. I plan to have them done again before the next trip in 10 days time.

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      • #4
        Edges

        It sounds like your edges are biting in when you don't want them to. Learning the edges of a particular board for various conditions can definitely be tough. Experiment with different ways of standing and different weight distrubutions (how far you lean forward or back) in conditions where you find you're having trouble. Flatter areas, especially the ones around lifts, tend to be pretty packed and icy, so that's definitely different than the moguls and crud where you find the Head Big Easys to really excel. Just keep at it, but like I said, experiment. For myself, in flatter areas I tend to stand mostly upright, only a little hunched into the gorilla stance, except when I really want to conserve my speed in which case I get as low as I can with my hands on my knees (so I can stand back up again, I once got too low and ended up sliding into the lift area on my butt).

        The skating thing is weird, and I still don't have it completely down, but it does work really well for adding energy or getting moving on flat, slightly downhill, or very, very slightly uphill grades. My recommendation is to start on the flat or slight downhill grades, and start from being stationary and just see how long you can keep "skating." At first you'll constantly screw up, edges will bite wrong, you'll almost fall, or actually fall, but eventually it'll start to make sense. Eventually you'll be able to start skating while you're already moving, to add speed for whatever reason, which can be handy if you find yourself headed for a small uphill bit and don't think you have enough speed to get up without resorting to duck walking. And a bit of preemptive skating is far better than duck walking.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by mad bird
          hmmm...a possibility. I had 'em waxed at the beginning of the last week's ski holiday and it didnt make that much of a difference. I plan to have them done again before the next trip in 10 days time.
          Have you ever had your stance checked? There is a thing called 'Cant' that is the angle that your legs are in with respect to being straight up and down vertical. If you have a tendency to be knock-kneed, or bow-legged, then you might need to have your canting adjusted on your boots. Not all boots have this, and for those that don't, I think there is another aid to help compensate, but I'm not totally sure. It is possible, that this is the culprit, especially if you are knock -knee, I would think. Go to your ski shop to ask about it. Not all ski techs know what that means, so try to find someone with a bit of experience. Be sure to tell them you ride skis, so your riding stance is probably a little wider than they are used to seeing.
          I love the mountains - summer or winter! Hiking, Biking or Snow Riding - just can't be beat.

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          • #6
            thanks for the info...my skating is already pretty good...its had to be or I'd have had to walk. (There is also a style of skiboarding that I use on the right sort of piste that is similar to speed skating, very fast)

            I am coming to the conclusion its an edge thing. I am going to check my boots (Salomon Verse TF) for the cant setting. I originally had a lot of ankle pain from the boot rubbing. so had them set up by a guy who fits boots for the junior British race team. (I dont have knock-knees or bow-legs but I do have pronation - fallen arches or flat feet (childbirth has a lot to answer for). He put wedges to shift the ankle outwards and upwards. and also conformable insoles. I think you are right that the stance is different. I am going to tinker with the cant and insole bits as I think it must be pressure on the outside edge thats stopping the board running and turning it in.

            Its a bummer this age thing ! only consolation is I get half-price lift passes next year

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            • #7
              Originally posted by mad bird
              thanks for the info...my skating is already pretty good...its had to be or I'd have had to walk. (There is also a style of skiboarding that I use on the right sort of piste that is similar to speed skating, very fast)

              I am coming to the conclusion its an edge thing. I am going to check my boots (Salomon Verse TF) for the cant setting. I originally had a lot of ankle pain from the boot rubbing. so had them set up by a guy who fits boots for the junior British race team. (I dont have knock-knees or bow-legs but I do have pronation - fallen arches or flat feet (childbirth has a lot to answer for). He put wedges to shift the ankle outwards and upwards. and also conformable insoles. I think you are right that the stance is different. I am going to tinker with the cant and insole bits as I think it must be pressure on the outside edge thats stopping the board running and turning it in.

              Its a bummer this age thing ! only consolation is I get half-price lift passes next year
              Right.
              I love the mountains - summer or winter! Hiking, Biking or Snow Riding - just can't be beat.

              Comment


              • #8
                Just got back from my second day with the Snowjam 90's, my first skiboards and skating is also an issue for me. Not maybe the same as you though. I had always been very comfortable skating on regular skis and pretty good, I could uphill without poles about as fast as my freinds could walk. But when I switched over to skiboards I found I was slipping all arouund and getting nowhere. Embarassing in lift lines. I thought it would be easier because they look more like skates. Not so. Anyway I have improved somewhat by exagerating the side to side swing more. I guess that makes the edges bite a little more into the snow. When it's not working it feels like there are no edges at all. Which makes me feel confused about the wax comment earlier in this thread. How would waxing have anything to do with it? So me too, any suggestions about better skating technique?
                Which by the way I always though looked pretty snappy if done correctly (especially when passing snowboarders.

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                • #9
                  on flat ground i can usually get pretty decent skating speed going by just pushing off hard, then gliding on one foot, then swaying over alot and pushing off with the other foot, basically like i'm rocking back and forth slowly
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