Picking up snowboarding this year, looking for insight

[finboy]

Appreciate the speed check advice! Getting video footage of my riding has really helped me better understand exactly what I need to improve.

[mr2mike]

An instructor told me that advice in high school and it was a game changer.
Went from landing half of my crappy jumps to landing consistent and going bigger and spins a few days later.
Like someone unlocked a new feature.

[cam_wmh]

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On a ride for jake day, found a decent deal on a deep thinker. I’ve heard this is NOT a board for beginners and can huck you if you’re not on point with form. Happy to report that it worked exactly as hoped, more float in powder and way more confidence on edge. My process is fun but at a 157 and very loose I have struggled to keep a carve locked in. I got 11 runs in at Louise today, and the only issue was some slight edge catching in the last run as I was absolutely zonked.

Solid board. I have a Free Thinker, and have ridden each new deck for the last few. It doesn't have that aggressive of a sidecut, so makes sense you're good to go. I imagine the stiffer DT vs process, is why you're feeling more confident.

[finboy]

Day 25 in the books today, beautiful bluebird day after a foggy/rainy night. Certainly made for a skating rink morning but the positive temperatures are helping get something salvageable out of the snow. Jump practice continues, still getting comfortable with speed lead up, learning the timing for an ollie, and landing depending on the fall line. I suspect jumping will be a much longer term thing based on how slow progress goes.

Form, I think I am really going to need to work on strength training and flexibility in the off season. My form is quite ugly, I don’t like the look of my riding when reviewing video, weak core, poor balance on edge, etc. I think there are a lot of muscles that are weak from an office worker lifestyle, and more muscles that haven’t had to do any of these kinds of motions before. Over all I’d love to see more flow to my riding and looking a lot looser, its not really confidence at this point so much as limitations on what my body can do.

Photo of the day


One jump on a foggy afternoon


Attempting to charge a bit more, less rear foot steering but looking like a hunched over old man, gotta get that hip and knee flexibility sorted

[sxtasy]

Your progress and determination is awesome, nice work!

If I can offer constructive criticism, you are definitely hunched over too much. It will make you off balance and cause edge washout and make it difficult to land jumps. Focus on your form, think of it as practicing your form for a squat. Upper body is upright, doesn't move around a whole lot, lower body is doing most of the work with the bent knees acting as shocks and providing edge control.

Great thread, looks like you're having fun

[finboy]

Advice appreciated, I’m definitely starting to see where stronger core, back and glutes would really help neutralize my stance and allow me to stay more upright comfortably. Upside is that this totally gives me good motivation to get back in the gym besides “it’s the healthy thing to do”

[finboy]

Day 29? Had a great day at sunshine, looking like I should pass 30 days on hill based on the long term forecast. I’ve also got enough edge control to make a good pace down the ski out in sunshine, but might have had a minor mishap in spring conditions



Thankfully I have a brand new version of this board in the mail in a 157, I’m going to see if a good waxing will fill this in.

Anyways, had some blue skies on angel in the morning, didn’t suck

[cam_wmh]

Take it to the Tune Shop in Banff. They’ll fill it and base grind it.

[ExtraSlow]

Any shop can fill that. No big deal. Hell you can DIY it yourself with very good results.

[finboy]

End of season I’ll take both my wife and my board in for a tune and wax to tuck them away for the season? Any shops to avoid locally? I’ve been using abom for wax jobs when I want a good job (still learning, my jobs suck but work in a pinch) but for a tune I’m thinking I want a reputable place.

[finboy]

Update, 380ish(?) days since my first lesson last christmas, spent the last 10 days at whitewater in Nelson and am rounding out 19 days this season to dial things in. For those inclined, best follow cam we could get going through some black diamond trees, learning powder and trees has been the goal of the trip and feeling much more comfortable with both. I will be buying a lot more safety gear for out here (beacon and radio at least), it gets hairy pretty quick and the rescue heli was doing some laps looking for someone inbounds today.

[sxtasy]

Looks like some great conditions. Powder and trees are my favourite days. Tree runs are good practice to pre plan and commit to the line you're going to ride.

You got yourself a powder, swallow tail snowboard? Nice.

[finboy]

Surprisingly less powder and more all mountain, I picked up a Korua pencil for deeper days and it floats muuuch better. nose design plays a big role and the endeavour is more prone to submarining then the Korua, which has a much more pronounced spoon on the front.

[mr2mike]

Get your eyes up, look further out, it might help plan your route through the trees. Then you can get the board moving so you're not spending as much time perpendicular to the trail.

Get the nose pointing downhill more. Don't be afraid to fall in that deep pow. Hitting a tree isn't a death wish. Those branches will stop you. Worst case, you ding your board up on the trunk.

You're progressing.

[finboy]

Appreciate the feedback, treewells are deep there at the moment and this video was in the back of my head so I was definitely taking conservative lines.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmppV..._web_copy_link

[mr2mike]

Yes. Those can definitely suck you in too when you get close.
Going with a friend helps.
I don't think there's a big risk of soffocating in there but I've been stuck before. A friend taking your board off then you wiggle around and get out. Cold and exhausting.

[BavarianBeast]

Conditions are getting really good up in Big White. Getting ready to send some gnarly shit soon!

[finboy]

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Conditions are getting really good up in Big White. Getting ready to send some gnarly shit soon!

I am so looking forward to your baldface review. I got a chance to talk to some local guides and people who know that terrain and am using their recommended runs as a basis for building my backcountry skills up.

[finboy]

Out in Nelson for 8 days, doing my AST-1 and hopefully a splitboard workshop with John Buffery. Threw some new studded hakk’s on the van to get out here, only needed snow tires for about 10 minutes through the whole 7.5 hour drive, but might be on kootenay pass for the ast course. Added bonus, might go do some laps with an old school beyonder next weekend depending how things work out.

Travelling for snow, will do what is needed to get to 50 days strapped in this year

[BavarianBeast]

Hit me up if you come out towards Kelowna, I’ll show you some goods! Looks like a good storm system coming this weekend for the interior .