The Search For Powder: Should You Go To New Resorts Or Return To The Same Place?
When it comes to choosing a resort for your snowboarding trip, there are many, many factors in play.
But what if you've found a place you like? How does the choice of new resort vs. old sit with the powder-hungry snowboarder?
You see, when it comes to parks, pistes, accommodation, night life and the like, getting the scoop on a place you haven't been to yet is relatively easy. There'll be videos of the park on Youtube, you can ask people in a forum, read a travel guide book, and check the official resort website...
But the search for powder? That's a different matter. The answers there are guarded a little more closely.
- Are you a snowboarder that loves to ride fresh powder?
- Is bagging a good powder day high on your holiday check-list?
- Do you understand the risks - are you safe when riding off-piste?
- Are you like the majority of snowboarders out there who don't get to spend all winter snowboarding?
If you fit the above profile, it's worth considering if you're better off returning to the same resort, rather than trying somewhere new?
Learning the landscape can take a long time - longer than the 2-week-per-year-shredder has available. But if you return to the same place, you give yourself the opportunity to do just that - to learn the mountains.
First up, you start to build an idea of the good spots close to the piste. Where's good to go if it dumps? In the least, you need a head-start here. Then there are the more concealed areas; they're still close by, but less obvious, less travelled. Ask around, observe people who look like they know what they're doing, explore, un-strap and check what's behind those trees...
I've seen both sides of this coin first-hand. Mornings in Fernie when we scored amazing lines thanks to Simon's knowledge. And I distinctly remember wasting a 30cm+ day in Morzine while I fumbled with a piste map deciding where to try next. Even just a little local knowledge can reap big rewards.
Beyond that, guides and instructors can be really useful for leading you into the backcountry; sometimes they're you're only choice.
It's no guarantee, but if you return to the same area, you will increase your knowledge of the off-piste and backcountry. Move that little bit closer to the insight of a seasonnaire, or local. Make friends, make an effort, use the same guides if they're good, glean what you can. Improve your chances in the search for powder.
Most importantly - be safe! Don't kid yourself when you're snowboarding off-piste.
7 Practical Approaches To Learning To Ride Switch
Riding switch is something that most snowboarders, at some point, aspire to. The process of learning switch however, can be a deterrent. Practicing switch is like being a beginner all over again, only this time, you can just turn around and rider perfectly fine in the other direction...
The nerves kick in when you pick up speed on the fall line. Lots of little falls. Then a nasty fall when you catch a backwards-edge. We all want to learn switch, but sometimes the investment required to do so seems a little high, especially as it eats in to our precious time away, and there's fun to be had snowboarding normally!
Unfortunately there's no quick-fix - making switch feel as natural as your regular direction takes practice. Here are 7 practical suggestions to aid the process of learning - to get you riding switch without it seeming too much of a drain on your snowboarding holiday:
1. Dryslopes and Snowdomes. For riding about, once you know what you're doing, dryslopes and snowdomes are a little short and a little tame. Nothing like the real thing. They're great for beginners though, and shredders all over the UK put them to good, freestyle use. And you can use them for switch, too!
The great thing about an artificial slope is that you'll be using it when you're not on holiday. Practice before you go. If you're close to a dendix or snowflex slope, especially the former, you may be thinking that the surface is pretty hard to ride on. And you're right, it is strange at first. But remember, if you can get your switch technique dialed on a dryslope, you'll find it a lot easier on real snow.
2. Bad weather days - don't waste them! Sometimes it's tempting to not go up if the weather's crappy. It's a whiteout, it's freezing, maybe even some dreaded rain? Don't waste the opportunity to snowboard. Sure, you might not be able to blast around the mountain if the visibility is poor, but you can put the beginner slope to good use. Get up there and practice your switch.
The same principal applies to the time you're thinking about heading down a bit earlier if the conditions aren't great. If you weren't going to be on the mountain anyway, you're not wasting your time learning switch. You'll get a sense of achievement, you won't feel like you've lost time due to the weather, and that beer in the pub will taste even better!
3. Return to some instructional material. If you've been riding for a while it may have been some time since you last watched an instructor go through the steps of learning to snowboard. But this is exactly what you need to do when learning switch - learn from scratch, step by step.
Not only will some instructional material refresh your memory of some of the exercises to use - this is a good time to review a correct riding technique.
4. Make use of easy runs. Naturally the easy runs on the mountain are a good place to start when learning switch. But you can also make a habit of always riding switch when on a green or gentle blue. It's a nice little rule to build some consistent switch into your riding; after all a green run isn't stretching you, you would have just been cruising. And if it's the type of run you would normally be jibbing around on, then it's great practice to land all those tricks switch...
5. Try "Ribbon" turns. Ribbon turns can be a rhythmic stepping stone on the way to full, linked turns. Here's an example:
- traverse across the slope on your heel edge, in your regular direction
- turn back up the slope on your heel edge, coming to a stop on the fall line
- move onto your toe edge and continue the original traverse direction, now you're riding switch
- repeat the turn back up the slope, and move back onto your heel edge
- when you get to the edge of the piste, start to traverse in the other direction and repeat the movements...
Ribbon turns are covered visually in the Snowboard Addiction Learn To Ride series. The good thing about practicing with ribbon turns is that you come to a stop on the fall line. So, when you transition to the next edge, you're doing so from a slow speed - just setting-off speed. And, you can confidently build up speed on the traverse because you turn back up the fall line. It's a great way to learn each phase of a full turn, and, half of the turns you make with this exercise are switch!
6. Race your friends! Racing your friends can be fun. Having a race where you all ride switch can be a lot of fun! The slight edge of competition is sometimes all it takes to give you the extra confidence required: to not keep your weight back; to tackle the fall line; to not side-slip when you come out of a turn before the next traverse...
It also means that the group is learning switch together. Remember to be safe. Don't race around on a slope that's too difficult, and don't race around if it's busy!
7. Learn switch early. This might not be applicable if you've already been snowboarding for a while. However, if you're still relatively fresh, perhaps just graduating from your first set of linked turns (the normal direction), now could be an excellent time to learn to ride switch...
For those who have been riding a while, snowboarding in their regular direction is very comfortable. Their body is already programmed to ride that way, so changing to ride the opposite direction can be a big change. What's more, because the gap between their ability to ride switch compared with their normal direction is so big - the temptation to turn back can be high.
Learn switch early because it can be easier! The steps required to learn linked turns are still fresh in your head and you're body is not yet too set in its regular ways.
Is A Catered Snowboard Holiday For You?
If you're considering different accommodation options and one of them is "catered" - take some time to think about how suited you are to the service. The reason: you'll almost certainly pay a premium for catered accommodation, so it's important that it's a good fit for your snowboarding holiday. This article will help you decide.
Features of a catered holiday
Most often, your catered accommodation will be in the form of a chalet, within which, the hosting staff will cater for your needs. Not every company offers the same service, but if you're new to the concept here's an overview of what to expect:
- Breakfast
- Afternoon tea (tea, coffee and cakes)
- 3 course evening meal + wine
- Transport to and from the slopes
- Assistance with things like organising lift-passes and equipment hire - they can have them ready for you
- More remote? Catered chalets tend to be bigger and therefore further from either the town or slopes, or both
Do you want these features?
Based on my personal experiences, I'm going to pose some questions surrounding the features of a catered holiday. It's horses for courses, so you may find yourself in agreement with my viewpoint, or you might have the exact opposite. The aim is to discover if you like catered holidays...
3 course meal every night. Do you want to eat a big meal every night? If so, that's great. Personally, this was the first thing that struck me: wow, I'm not sure I want all of that food again tonight. What's more, whilst you should expect the food to be good, you are eating at the same table every night, so it's not like sampling different restaurants.
There were definitely times when I would have been happy with a light-bite.
Drop-offs and pickups to/from the slopes. If you're further away from the slopes and town centre, you will most likely need transport. The daily transport service provided can be excellent! It is nice to step right from your chalet doorstep into a mini-bus and be delivered to the ski-lift. Similarly, you arrange a collection time for the end of the day and boom, there they are. Door to door service.
But it can sometimes be a double-edged sword. There will likely be restrictions on how late you can be collected; the staff are needed to prepare the evening meal. So there's a loss of flexibility here, if you want to make use of the collection service. First, you have to set a time to be collected. Second, you don't have the option to "stay out" off the slopes.
This time-table element is important. Meals and lifts happen at the same time every day. Other services may also revolve around staff shedules. For example, there was a restricted time window, before dinner, in which we could use the chalet hot-tub.
Mixing with other chalet guests. Chances are, you'll be sharing the catered chalet with other guests, people you probably don't know. This can be exciting, rewarding, fun, and sometimes not. What they likely all have in common, is that they're nice people. But it can be a mixed bag...
Does the chalet allow children? What will the age group be like? Skiers? Snowboarders?
All of the guests on our two week holiday were nice people. But they were mostly skiers, were a little bit older, and had a different mind-set. I had no problems socialising with them, I happily made conversation, which is fine. But making conversation over dinner for two weeks can get a little tiresome...
Excellent staff! This shouldn't be underestimated. The type of people who own and run catered ski/snowboard chalets lover to be in the mountains. And it shows. They can impart their local knowledge to you, giving advice and tips, suggesting good runs to try. They may even be able to help you with some guiding on the slopes? They're there to help. It's a great element!
Looking for budget? This may seem obvious, but it you're looking for a budget solution, a catered holiday isn't for you. You pay extra for all of the services: meals, cleaning, transport... Do you need them? If you're happy to sort out your own lift pass, find accommodation where you can get yourself to the slopes and sort yourself out for an evening meal - then you can have a snowboarding holiday for a lot less money.
Is a structured holiday for you?
Getting guests to and from the slopes, providing afternoon tea and then serving a 3 course meal, undoubtedly introduces more structure to the holiday; they need to operate on a time-table. The question is, how does this suit you? Do you see the structure as less hassle, a positive framework, and handy guidance? Or does it seem a bit restrictive?
To me, the structured nature of the catered holiday meant a lack of flexibility - a flexibility that I enjoy. Some nights we'll stay out from the slopes. Have a few drinks, grab something to eat and then make our way home at 10pm still carrying a snowboard. Maybe we'll rush back, get a shower and then head out for a meal? Or just chill in the chalet with some beers, chips and a french baguette, then jump in the hot-tub at 10pm...
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Almost all of my snowboarding trips have been "self-catered". I recently stayed in catered accommodation, in Morzine, France. Whilst I thought the standard and service was good, I'm not sure "catered" is my thing. Hence, this article was written from the perspective of a snowboarder who prefers the self-catered option. If you found the pointers in this post useful, subscirbe so you don't miss more good stuff.
5 Reasons To Get Some Coaching On Your Next Snowboarding Holiday
Have you graduated from beginner status as a snowboarder? Been away more than a couple of times? Do you fall into that wooly category that goes by the name of intermediate?
As a snowboarder, when you move beyond the beginner phase, it's common to leave tuition behind - sometimes for good. You can get around the whole mountain, and you're getting pretty fast too. Perhaps you've started to get into freestyle, maybe you're even landing your first 180s, or even 360s? Switch is something you'd like to practice more, and you're definitely interested in trying more off-piste after a snowfall...
The above scenario describes a lot of snowboarders, and if it describes you, even just a little, then read on to find out why you should consider some lessons/coaching on your next trip.
1. Your general riding technique is important. Post-beginner, it's very easy to forget about your fundamental riding technique. Jumps, freestyle and fun stuff like butters can take ages to get good at, not to mention starting from scratch again to ride switch. And is powder simply a matter of leaning back?
The fact is, a solid snowboarding technique is at the foundation of all your riding. Chances are, if you haven't done anything to review or improve your technique since you were a beginner, there will be lots of room for improvement. Why get some lessons? Because that's what instructors are trained to teach - snowboarding technique!
2. You will improve, faster. You may have a good idea of the things you're doing wrong. You might have some good instructional material that's given you a few things to work on (great start!) The reason an instructor can benefit you if that they will be watching precisely what you are doing. The advice that they give you will be in response to a live, assessment of you snowboarding. That's key.
The benefit of even a single tip, one that hits the spot, shouldn't be underestimated. It may be one, specific element of your technique that is holding you back; correcting this can make a big difference! An instructor who is working with you directly is more likely to find this element, than you would be helping yourself.
3. You'll be motivated to improve. Coming out of a lesson, or lessons, you'll most likely have some concrete exercises to work on. Having someone provide you with some goals will motivate you to improve. There's also the bare fact that paying for the tuition will probably instill you with a desire to improve - you'll want to put the lessons to good use. The net result is you becoming a better snowboarder.
4. An increase in your confidence. Riding with a professional instructor will give you confidence. It's their job to snowboard, to instruct people how to snowboard correctly. It's reassuring to have someone like this watch your riding and help you out. What's more, as they help you to make improvements, you'll become more confident in your ability, and more confident to try more precise or more advanced riding techniques.
Your lessons may lead you to terrain that you currently struggle with; perhaps this is something you ask to cover with the tuition? Again, having the instructor to guide you will give you the confidence to tackle the more advanced terrain, and then to practice on it in the future.
Image from NonStop Snowboard.
5. Avoid stagnation - you want to improve! Snowboarding is fun, that's why you do it. There's no right or wrong when it comes to fun, if you're enjoying yourself, that's great. Becoming a better snowboarder is fun, for sure! Carving down wide, fast funs; surfing on fresh powder; cruising around the mellow slopes popping ollies, spinning and jibbing... A solid riding technique is at the centre of your snowboarding, improvements here will help to unlock other aspects of snowboarding.
Pushing yourself is challenging, rewarding, and fun! Get more from yourself, get more from your snowboarding. Consider getting some lessons.
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Being Safe On The Slopes: Who Has Right Of Way?
Last March, I had a collision on the hill, I sprained my ankle and that messed up two weeks of snowboarding. I'm going to start this article by saying: (a) I accept responsibility for the collision and (b) I'm glad that I was the only person affected - the other dude was ok.
Do You Know The Responsibility Code?
This got me thinking about right of way on the mountain, as well as some of the other issues that come under being safe on the slopes.
You're probably aware of the following rule: People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
This is actually just one of the rules, or guidelines, that form the skier/snowboarder responsibility code. If you have a quick search around the web, you'll find the list in a many different places, with slight variations, but essentially the guidelines are consistent. I took the following from About.com:
National Ski Responsibility Code:
- Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
- People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
- You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
- Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
- Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
- Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
- Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.
Let's look at a few potential problem areas with being safe on the hill.
A sudden change of direction?
In the collision that I mentioned above, I was riding down a red run. It wasn't particularly steep, more of a wide and fast run. I was practicing my carving and travelling fast. I was approaching a skier in front, who was making short, consistent turns. I planned to go past on his right hand side and was traversing in that direction to do so...
As I got close, the guy made a sudden change in direction. He swept a long way to the right; it seemed as if he was going to stop at the side of the piste. I was on a toe edge, travelling fast, tried to hammer the anchors on, lost the edge on the afternoon-bumps and slid into him.
Like I said above: the accident was my fault. I was travelling too fast to deal with a possible movement of a skier/snowboarder downhill of me. And as per the rules, it's my responsibility to avoid them.
But personally, I don't ride like that. If I'm travelling down a slope and decide I want to make a significant change from my current line, I look back up the hill. Why not? That's what you do when you're driving a car; if you want to move across into the outside lane you check your mirrors, look over your shoulder and then indicate.
There's nothing about that in the responsibility code. Should there be? Currently, the downhill skier/snowboarder has the right to move in whichever way they desire, providing they're already in motion. Personally, I think if you're on the hill, you should consider how your movements could affect those around you...
Looking up hill before setting off
Now this is covered in the responsibility code, and I think it's a guideline that more people should be aware of:
- Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
On busy slopes I constantly encounter other slope users who set off from a standing position, without checking what's coming down the slope. It's dangerous - they often set off right into someone elses path.
Some people might consider this rude, but when someone pulls out in front of me, I slow down and inform them that they should check up the hill first...
Not understanding park rules
It's one thing to follow the general responsibility code, but if a slope user decides to ride through a park, they should be aware of park ettiquette and park rules. The worst situation of people being unaware in this regard that I've encountered, is the Stash in Avoriaz.
Because in many ways it appears as a run, you get a lot of beginner and intermediate skiers (sorry, it is mostly skiers) making their way through the stash, zig-zagging as they go. Often they're not actually using the park features, they're just interested, which is understandable.
But, too many times I've seen a skier turn across the start or the end of a box or rail, with near-collisions being the result. They sometimes stand in front of a box, or at the end, blocking the ride out. I'm amazed that the ski schools will actually lead a convoy of beginners through the Stash, slowly, weaving in and out and around the features...
The rules in parks are different; skiers and snowboarders alike need to be safe when using them.
What do you think?
Have you been involved in any on-slope collisions? Were you aware of the responsibility code? Do you see people or groups with unsafe habits on the hill?
Missing Winter? Craving Some Pow?
Snowboard Go is a pretty sweet, snowboard blog, worth checking out. I like the feel of their site, but more importantly, I like their content. They've got some great articles on there, how-to's, reviews, useful advice...
However, the thing that I wanted to share with you is more visual in nature. This video in this post stood out to me instantly. If it doesn't make you crave some freshies, I don't know what will? Really nice riding style, nicely filmed (wonder what camera was used?), and it just makes me want to shred!
Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did:
Powder Mountain Perspective from Ian Provo on Vimeo.
Dendix Dryslope Can Have Its Uses: Learn To Snowboard?
There are some core, British snowboarders out there who regularly ride dendix slopes. They hit kickers and ride rails. I've got a lot of respect for these people - it's a tough surface. But this post is aimed at the beginner, someone who can't yet snowboard...
Learning to snowboard
So you've decided to try snowboarding? You're going to need some lessons. If you've already booked your first holiday in the mountains, you may be wondering whether it's better to learn at home before you go, or whether you should wait until you get to the resort - and learn on the real stuff!
There are some good reasons to learn before you go, and, if you live in the UK there are a few different types of artificial slopes to choose from: indoor snowdomes, snowflex dryslopes and dendix dryslopes.
Dendix is notorious for being, well, a little bit nasty. It's a "brush" surface that is made of tough, wire bristles, that point upwards, arranged in a hexagonal, or "diamond" pattern. Thus, it's a hard surface to fall on. Not only that, the diagonal arrangement is particularly effective at trapping fingers or hands when you fall...
So why would anyone want to snowboard on this stuff? Well, in my case, the only ski-slopes close to where I live are made of dendix. So when I decided to learn before my first trip to the French Alpes, it was my only real option. And whilst a dryslope like this is about as far away as you can get from the real thing, it can present a cheap and convenient introduction.
Basic instruction
I learned to snowboard on a dendix slope. I took an initial taster lesson, followed by a series of 4, 1 hour lessons. Here's a breakdown of the things we were taught.
Foundation 1 (taster lesson):
- Equipment introduction - the board, the bindings, how to use them, how to strap in, etc.
- Skating around - using your back foot to push you around whilst the front foot is strapped in. To get you across flat areas, this is called "skating".
- Straight runs - very gentle straight descent, from just above the flat, run out area.
- Side slipping - an introduction only.
Foundation 2 (4, 1 hour lessons):
- Side slipping - heel and two edge, straight down the slope.
- Traversing across the slope - in a side slip, practiced on both edges.
- Falling leaf - slide slip traverse with a direction change, staying on the same edge. Both edges.
- Straight into turn - starting near the run out area, ride straight down and start to turn on an edge. Both edges.
- Traverse into straight - starting just above the run out area, traverse across the slope and then adjust your weight and body position to start moving straight down the fall line, to stop on the flat. Both edges.
- Use of the button lift.
The first series of four lessons is designed to give you the tools to link turns - we were taught how to move from a traverse to point straight down the fall line, and separately, how to move from travelling straight down into a turn. Linked turns themselves aren't actually covered until Foundation 3, the next course.
I made the assumption that I should be able to turn by now, and, being quite keen, took the two elements of a complete turn to the big slope. After more than a few tasty falls going it alone, I started to link my turns together, progressing to making turns down the full length of the slope. I was ready for snow.
Silksworth dryslope, Sunderland (where I learned to snowboard).
Dendix - is it for you?
In my experience, it's attempting to link turns that brings on the most falls, and therefore the most pain. Linking a turn requires you to make the transition from one edge of the snowboard to the other. In the process, your board will be pointing straight down the hill, and you'll therefor pick up speed. The speed can be scary at first, and the aversion to the speed can bring on errors...
In the group of people that I learned with, just about everyone benefited from the first series of lessons. Side slipping, traversing, doing the two parts of a turn in isolation, near the run out area. They were learning the basics, well. However, just about everyone failed to progress to linking turns. Some didn't like the speed, and bottled the turn before pointing down the fall line. Others commited to their turns, but were put off by the pain of the falls.
Which leads me to the advice that I would give to those who have the option of learning on a dendix dry slope:
- If you're a fairly gentle person and/or you're not sure how well you're going to pick up snowboarding, I would probably avoid the dendix slope. The introductory lessons could definitely help you, but I wouldn't say they're a top idea. Learning on snow will probably be better at developing your confidence.
- If you're fairly robust and/or keen to give yourself a head-start before arriving in resort, I would definitely consider some lessons on dendix. They're cheap in comparison, you will get a head-start, and there's a chance you'll need fewer lessons away, if any at all. Don't get disheartened if you don't manage linked turns. Do make sure you take measures to avoid injury (see below).
- If you're used to taking knocks and always get stuck in with activities, I don't see a reason not to learn on dendix. It's fun and cheap. Protect yourself from the surface, be ready for some falls, and get linking your turns. Don't cheat by pushing the back foot out - pay attention to the instructor; you should aim to not need lessons on your first trip...
Safety tips for riding on dendix
The ski slope will have their own rules concerning clothing, for example, "gloves must be worn at all times". Be sure to follow the local rules. Consider the following:
- Mitts. Wearing mittens will make it less likely to trap a finger in the dendix because your fingers become a single unit. I spent some time (after learning) riding my local dry slope. I took some old snowboarding gloves and taped the fingers together with strong tape. It worked well.
- Butt protection. If you've bought some bum-pads ready for snowboarding, use them on the dry slope, they'll help a lot.
- Helmet. Again, if you've got a lid, use it. The bristles are hard and a helemt will protect your head!
- Don't wear the brand new snowboard outerwear you've just bought for the holiday. It will get damaged really quickly on dryslope. Wear stuff that's old and tough, something you don't mind ruining.
Photo from podgy_perception on flickr.
Be Careful: Are You Kidding Yourself When You Go Off-Piste?
January 2004, it's my second ever snowboarding trip, a two week holiday in Chamonix. It was a powder day, blue skies, my brother and I were keen to do a little hike to get some fresh. Around the back of Le Tour, we followed the boot pack from the top of the lift, away from the piste and took a look around. There was a nice bowl, untouched, it looked perfect. He went first, then me. We both got some really nice powder turns - my first taste of the fresh stuff. Awesome...
And we got more nice runs in that day. But looking back, on that bowl especially, we took a risk that neither of us really understood. There were lots of people heading in the direction that we went, but no one had dropped into that particular area. It wasn't a huge bowl, but it all converged into one depression, like the deep end of a pool. One of the sides was quite high, and had fresh snow on it. And there was a bit of a wind lip on the edge that we started from.
You get the picture? We knew very little about backcounty safety. Sure, the risk was probably quite low. It was a powder day with a bit of fresh, but it hadn't been snowing for two days straight and we weren't looking at 60cm+. But still, that bowl wasn't a smart idea.
Powder's where it's at, but how much do you know?
Powder is appealing to all snowboarders. Some hike the backcountry on split boards, others search for the most snow-laden resorts, craving the fresh. If you haven't been snowboarding that long, fresh powder can be extremely exciting, you have to change the way you ride. It can change a holiday. And for some, there's a chance you haven't yet had the opportunity to ride in fresh snow, but you hear it's like surfing!
Snowboarders want powder; the deeper, the fresher, the better.
But how much about avalanche safety do you know?
Let's be clear. I'm not talking about bobbing off to the side of the piste into some deep stuff, getting some fresh turns (or face-planting) and then jumping back onto the piste. If the resort has runs open, and there's a space between two pistes that are close to each other, and it isn't roped off, that's cool.
I'm talking about a powder run. Perhaps you've spotted a face on the chairlift ride, you'll need to hike up the ridge to get to it, or maybe duck under a rope. The type of slope that makes you ask "I wonder if I'm allowed to ride there?" The lure of off-piste.
In this situation, you need to understand the potential risks involved, both to yourself and to others. Consider:
- You may be inexperienced. If you lack experience/knowledge, it may be the case that you simply don't know if you're allowed to ride there, and/or you don't know whether or not it's safe to ride. You make an uneducated decision; a total risk.
- You may be seduced by the snow. It looks so good, so fresh, so enticing that you convince yourself it's ok. It won't happen to me.
- You may have false confidence. Others have gone this way. You can see some people, you can see the boot pack, it must be safe. You base your confidence on unknown people.
If you're starting to venture off-piste, don't kid yourself into thinking it's safe. If you're unsure, if you have questions, if you think it's a risk - you shouldn't be doing it!
How to increase your knowledge and safety
Of course, you still want to ride that fresh pow! Here are some ways to increase your safefty, giving you access to the deep stuff.
- Read up. Buy a book or look around on-line. You can't rely on this alone, but it's a good way to start because it gives quick, cheap access to the basics. I've only got two books; The ABCs of Avalanche Safety is a decent starting point.
- Use local knowledge. Talk to the ski patrol, they can give guidance and useful information like what the weather has been like during the season. Get familiar with the avalanche risk scale so you can check the avalanche risk board in resort. Make sure you understand the local rules for going off-piste. What is classed as out of bounds and what does it mean to duck under a rope?
- Safety gear. If you're heading off-piste and into the backcountry, you need to have the right safety gear. Each rider should have an avalanche beacon (transceiver), a probe and a shovel. If you don't own one, there are often places that let you hire them in resort. Make sure you know how to use your beacon and probe! In the past, I've used the beach to practice…
- Hire a guide. If you can get a group together to make it affordable, get a guide for the day to take you off-piste. It's safe, they'll take you to new places, and you'll learn from them. It's a good introduction. Here's an example of a backcountry tour we did in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.
- Try cat-boarding. Similar to hiring a guide, with cat-boarding you've got a qualified team taking care of the safety-factor. You get the added bonus of being driven up hill, and the terrain will be entirely in the backcountry. The downside is the cost. Here's a report of the day we spent cat-boarding in Fernie.
- Avalanche safety course. There's no substitute for doing an avalanche safety course. Unfortunately, that's second hand advice - I haven't taken one of the training courses, yet. My trip to Laax in 2007 was the turning point for me wanting to look for good, fresh lines. Since then I haven't been in un-controlled terrain without a guide...
Boom: This Is Sick!
I wanted to post this video of fellow shredder Zak, his brother Blake and their mate Skinny; it's class!
First up, the video. It was filmed over 3 days at the White Elements park in Grindelwald, Switzerland. There are loads of nice moves in there. Sweet method, nice box work throughout, sick frontside board down the rail, backside 3 and 5 off the big kicker - really smooth, a couple of lipslides, loads of cool bonks and jibs... It's just good!
The park looks nice, and the boom guy is pure funny 
It's such a shame about Blake's acl injury at the end!
Second, the camera. The other thing that interested me about the video was the camera used to film it: the Nikon P6000. That's a (high-end) compact stills camera, in this case being used to record video, with the wide angle attachment. Given that it's a pretty small camera and its primary aim is to take photos, I'm impressed.
I'm not totally sure what resolution the video is recorded at. Is it HD? The tech-specs for the camera seem to point at it being 640 x 480. Either way, I think the video looks good. And here it is...
Citizens of Shred
Zak and his brother Blake started a blog to document their season in Switzerland: Citizens of Shred. Photos, videos, experiences, all good stuff for a blog. As well as Switzerland, they travelled around Europe some, and Zak finished the season in Whistler. Not bad! There's a bunch of interesting stuff on their if you fancy checking it out.
One thing you really should look at is their latest shred edit, from the Horstman Glacier Park in Whistler, July 2010. More good shredding, the park looks tight and it's another nice edit!
Snowboard Club UK Travel Insurance Review: Part 2
In part 1 of this review, I explained that I was making two claims from my travel insurance: one for a delayed departure at the airport and one for missed snowboarding days due to a sprained ankle.
Both claims have been fully resolved now, so I'll give a quick review of how that went...
Delayed Departure
Our flight with Easyjet was cancelled, so we were re-scheduled for the following morning. The policy in question has a standard rate for delays based on the amount of time that you are delayed by. This makes the claim process very simple. All we needed was a letter from the airline confirming the cancelled flight and reason for the cancellation, fill in the claim form and we were done.
There was no compensation for additional travel to and from the airport, or for the money wasted on the first night of the accommodation; but to be fair, the policy is quite clear with regards to delayed departure, so no complaints.
From the time that I submitted the documents to them, the claim was processed and a cheque sent out to us in a short amount of time, around 2 weeks in total. For the first 12 hour period, each person is compensated £30. Each full 24 hour period after that adds an additional £20. We were delayed around 14 hours, and were therefore compensated £30 each.
Lost Snowboarding Days
I sprained my ankle of the second day of the holiday. The result was that I didn't use my lift pass for 8 of the 13 days it was valid for. I also had a doctor's fee, a perscription fee and a receipt for some medical/sports tape.
I wasn't quite sure how the claim for my ankle injury would progress. I had a print out from the ski-lift company showing which days the lift pass was used (it actually logged every lift I used). I also had a form from the doctor, showing a perscription for medication, along with an official receipt for his charges.
As I mentioned previously, I'd asked the doctor if I he'd given me all the documentation I needed to show my insurance company I couldn't snowboard. What he'd actually given me was the documentation necessary to recover his charges. I didn't have anything that recorded the date of the injury, or anything that indicated the injury would prevent me from snowboarding.
That made me a little nervous.
However, they didn't question anything. They did send one of the doctor's forms back to me because I hadn't signed it, but apart from that, they just processed the information and sent me a cheque with a value of £370.
This second claim did take a little longer than the first. I remember making one call to ask how the process was progressing; all in all I'd say it took around a month, maybe 5 weeks.
Conduct
Every persons that I spoke to was helpful, clear, and they knew the policy details well.
Conclusion
This review has a narrow focus - the two claims that I made. I don't want to make too general of a statement about the SCUK / TGIC insurance, because each claim process will be different, and unfortunately you often don't find out how good the insurance is until you want to make a claim.
This is what I will say:
- I still think the policy wording/coverage for off-piste snowboarding and park snowboarding is very good.
- The coverage for departure delays is simple and clear, but a little on the short side. £60 for a couple to miss the first night and first full day of snowboarding?
- I was impressed with how they handled the ankle injury. I did my best to present as much information as possible, and they took onboard everything I'd told them.
- All of the staff that I spoke to on the phone were good.
In summary, I will continue to use the Snowboard Club UK Travel Insurance.
Could A Package Snowboard Holiday Help You Out?
Unfortunately my plans of going to Breckenridge next year have fallen through. However I have still be thinking about it, and one of the thoughts that crossed my mind was the use of package holiday company...
Everytime that I've been to Europe, except for one, I've hand-rolled the trip myself. I think this is fairly common place with snowboarders; afterall, there isn't much to organise, all you need is a flight, a transfer and some accommodation. You can buy your lift pass on the first morning at the ticket station. Easy.
However, when we went to Fernie, Canada, back in 2008, the group bought a package holiday from Inghams. Having never been to Canada before, the package was appealing: browse through the accommodation options, pick one, and you're all done. We didn't have to think about anything. Airport parking, the flight, the transfer, all sorted. And the lift passes delivered to us. What's more, if there are beginners in your group you can arrange equipment hire and lessons at the same time also.
And the price was good too. Inghams actually have some pretty good destinations to choose from, and as they also cover Breckenridge, it was one of the options I was considering. On that note, the choice of resorts in the States is quite small; their selection of Canada ski holidays is better, with the likes of Whistler, Banff, Lake Louise and Fernie.
And this is what got me thinking. If we were going to Japan, or Breckenridge, I would consider using a package holiday provider. They can help with the unknown, and my previous experience of using Inghams was great, absolutely no complaints. Yet if we were planning a trip to Europe, I'd be much more inclined to make all my own arrangements, piecing the trip together myself.
What do you guys think? Do you use packages, like the pre-made Ski holidays from a company like Inghams, or do you prefer to set up everything yourself?
Why You Should Snowboard On A Glacier During The Summer
Have you ever thought about going snowboarding in the summer? Or is the concept of snowboarding on a glacier during summer totally new? It can be great fun, so read on to see if it could be suited to you...
What to expect
A mountain glacier will hold snow all year-round. Not all resorts have a glacier, and not all glaciers are conviniently accessible by the regular ski lifts. That said, there are plenty of suitable resorts to choose from.
For resorts that do have access to a glacier, it's typically a "small" area compared to the full, winter resort, perhaps serviced by one or two lifts. Often, there'll be a run or two, and then the park. You'll still use the bottom lifts to get you "up" the mountain, high enough to get to the glacier where the snow is, but on the journey up you'll be passing over grass and dirt.
The number of hours available during the day is limited compared to winter snowboarding. You're probably looking at around 4 hours, perhaps from 8:30 - 12:30. Early on the snow tends to be hard, bullet-proof, as the top snow has hardened over night. Being summer, the conditions are usually warm and sunny, so as the morning progresses the snow softens and gradually becomes slushy around 12 - 1pm. Consequently there's a sweet spot when summer snowboarding is the perfect arena for freestyle progression: good to ride on, a little softer and so good for confidence, and the sun is out!
Why snowboard during the summer?
Personally, if I could only do one, I wouldn't ever trade a summer trip for a full on winter trip. However, I have made three trips to summer/autumn camps, and each time was excellent. If you've got some spare time and spare money, here are some reasons to give it a try:
- Get your snowboarding fix, during the summer. Short of going to New Zealand, this is a good option to get your shred on, mid-way between winter seasons. A year is a long time to wait!
- Mix snowboarding with the summer! Snowboard in the morning then come down into the resort for the afternoon and enjoy the summer: skate, outdoor swimming pools, BBQs, sit on the balcony in the sun and drink beer... The perfect mix?
- Freestyle focus. Apart from the ski race teams, summer snowboarding is all about freestyle. Consequently you'll find the park teams put a lot of effort in and produce good parks.
- Freestyle progress. The soft, summer conditions can give you the confidence to try new stuff and progress. And with a limited snow area, you'll be investing all of your time in the park.
- A bevy of freestyle camps to choose from. Most glaciers will have a handful of camps operating in the area, ready to take you in and teach you new stuff. And you'll be in a group of like-minded people.
The freestyle focus is key, and I think the the option to join a good camp, sessioning a good park is a plus. As such, I asked the people at Snowboard Addiction to add their views on why it's a good idea to join a summer camp.
Snowboard Addiction run summer camps in Whistler. For more information you can check out their camps website.
Why join a summer camp, by Snowboard Addiction
- Amazing weather, bluebirds most days.
- The chance to really progress your park skills. Because it's on a glacier it's mainly park riding as opposed to free-ride.
- In Whistler, you need to be a part of the camp to access the killer park. For example, on the Blackcomb glacier there is a public area with
some park features and stuff. Then there is the massive Camp of Champions park with heaps of sick lines as well as a giant airbag. - The opportunity to get some quality freestyle-specific coaching. If you sign up for a lesson during the winter it's hit or miss whether you'll get a good coach. If you sign up for a summer freestyle camp, you know you'll be getting quality coaching.
- You get a fun, camp experience, meet heaps of new people and have people to ride with every day. Because it's summer there're lots of other activities you can do after snowboarding: skateboarding, going to the lake, golf, paintball, etc.
- Goggle tan
- Nice soft snow so you can throw down without worrying about hard, icy landings.
- Lots of features that you may not see in the winter at your local park.
Is it for you?
It's not a like-for-like experience with winter snowboarding, in fact, it's quite different. Reduced ski-area, reduced time on the hill, but a great focus on freestyle. Mix that with fun, summer activities, and it might be an experience that's perfect for you?
Home Sweet Home
I'm at home now, I've been released from hospital, it feels great.
That's not to say that my time in hospital was horrible - I was very impressed with the overall experience and the staff were excellent. However, toward the end of my stay, the last 4 or 5 days or so, I was ready to come home, the boredom was kicking in. In total, I was in hospital for 15 nights, I've been home since Thursday afternoon...
So what's the state of play?
The worst injury was to my right femur, which was describe as being shattered. I desperately wanted a copy of the xrays, both before and after the surgery, but was told that wasn't possible. I did get to see them though. Before the operation, the bone was completely snapped in two, separate places, and there were additional cracks and fractures. It looked a mess.
The after-shot shows a metal pin running the full length of the femur - longer than a 12" ruler - with two screws at the bottom and one at the top, holding it all in place. I think they dislocated the femur from the hip, stuck a camera in on the inside of my knee, made an insision at the hip and then fed the metal pin down the middle. My understanding is that non of the metal work is coming out.
So I'm on crutches. There's no cast, not even a bandage, the leg is essentially fixed. It just needs to heal. It's 0% weight bearing - and it could be 3 months before the physios even start me applying any pressure to my right leg. It's gonna take some time.
Early on, before the operation
Apart from a number of cuts and bruises, and an ear that needed gluing back together, the other injury was a fractured skull. As I understand it, the doctors have been happy for a while now that this isn't going to cause me any problems. My left ear has been full of dried blood for the whole time, and the plan is to leave it that way, for the time being at least, while things heal behind the scenes. The worst part of this are the headaches. Most often in the morning, it's annoying, and they tell me the healing process could produce headaches for a month or two. Bummer. But I do get the feeling it's improving...
After the operation I required two blood transfusions. I also acquired a blood clot in my lungs. The latter is troublesome because I'm now on a 6 month course of warfarin, to prevent further clots.
Whilst the accident itself was unlucky, I do think I've been lucky in the outcome. It could have been a lot worse. I'm home now, I can get around the place on my cruches, slowly, and I can start to do some of the normal things that people do day-to-day. That feels good.
Leg in traction, before the operation, very painful!
I'm probably going to be off work for the next two months. It might be a little less, it could be a little more, but that's the current estimate from my doctors.
And Snowboarding?
Unfortunately next season is out, for sure. It's probably going to be in the region of 12 months before I can do contact-style sport, but perhaps a little sooner. I'm assuming this includes snowboarding, and I don't have any reason at the moment to think that I'd be prevented from shredding in the future, but I guess I'll have to wait and see. The currrent trick list is on hold
So for now, I'm physically, out of action, there'll be no tales of my own snowboarding. But I do plan to keep writing - so stick around. And finally, thanks for the comments on the previous post, they're much appreciated.
Cheers, Gav
Gav out of action
Hey all. Just a quick note from Mal here, one of Gav's mates here in the UK. Wanted to let you know that Gav took a pretty bad tumble earlier this week, but off his bike rather than his board. I'll hand over to the man himself for the gory details; reads a bit like a police incident report, this:
On Monday night, I had a collision with a car while out training on my bike. It happened around 9:30pm, but I don't remember anything of the impact or what happened between then and the following morning.
It was a pretty nasty crash:
- cracked skull
- smashed ear
- broken femur (multiple breaks)
- Surgery on the leg
Following the surgery, I've been on a couple of drips, morphine, oxygen, antibiotics, and have had a blood transfusion.
Of course, I'm keen to get better and get back to writing on here, to talk more about snowboarding and how this injury might affect the current trick list!
For my part, feel free to get in touch via the comments on here; I'll make sure Gav hears them all.
Cheers,
Mal & Gav.
Good Stuff * 2
In a round about way, I ended up finding the following video on Vimeo. It's a few different cuts, filmed and edited by a guy named Jake (Jacob Parish).
I wanted to share it, so I contacted Jake to ask a few questions and check that he didn't mind. Here are some details:
In the snowboard video the rider is Andy Kantola, a friend from my hometown; I had taken a trip to see him a couple winters back. He lived in Park City and I lived in Burbank California, attending video editing school. I shot it on a Panasonic DVX100b with the 24PA frame rate setings. It was shot in and around Park City Utah, with an ending in Copper Mountain Colorado. His profile was mostly shot in Charlevoix Michigan... Hometown
There're a few reasons that I really like this video. The first thing that grabbed me is the video quality. It's good, it pulls you in. One of things I asked was what he'd filmed it with - a Panasonic DVX100b - just looking at the camere you can guess it's decent, and it shows. Then there's the editing. Lots of creative ideas, different perspectives of a shot spliced together nicely, I think it's impressive.
But it's not just the filming and editing, I enjoyed the snowboarding too. The rider, Andy, definitely has some moves, and I think sequence of cuts shows him progressing. The back-country section is really good - there are some really interesting lines in there with nice style to boot. Combined with creative filming, I think the overall result is pretty sick!
Anyhow, here's the video, take a look and enjoy...
Having “The Fear”: Part 2
A while ago I posted about having the fear, in particular, me losing my confidence and ability to ride kickers.
This happened back in January 2009. When I returned to Morzine this year in March, I was dead set on correcting what had gone wrong. I was determined to get my confidence back and hit the Chapelle Park kicker line, again and again. It was a strange feeling: part of me wanted to go to a different resort so that I couldn't hit those jumps, the other part didn't want to consider any resort other than Avoriaz, because I felt like I had to conquer the fear...
But it didn't happen. After spraining my ankle pretty badly on the first day, I didn't really snowboard after that. Obviously I was disappointed to miss out on the snowboarding, but equally bad was missing the chance to tackle the confidence issues.
And so the fear has lingered.
Here's how it goes: I'm riding at a jump and I want to go slower. Consequently my platform for take-off is all wrong. I'm assuming here, but I think the result is that I sit back, away from the jump, and end up with my weight over my heel edge. Straight airs just don't work like that. I'm totally off balance in the air...
Looking back, it's actually been a long time since I was regularly riding park jumps. 2007, probably? I think a big part of the problem is that I'm rusty. For example, when we went to Castleford last Friday, I was hitting the kicker. For the indoor slope, it was fairly decent. Not big, but ok.
And I sucked on it. I'm not going to say that the fear was kicking in, although in the back of my mind there was something making me put too many speed checks in, but I was just bad. Sometimes I was taking off on my heels a bit, and when I was flat, my timing was off, I couldn't ollie at the lip. The result was a load of straight airs with bad balance...
How am I going to get better?
Get comfortable. As I mentioned in the previous post, I was considering quitting that kicker in favour of rails and boxes, when a friend told me to keep at it. And that's what I did. I decided to stop thinking how badly I was doing, and just ride the kicker. Just keep hitting it.
And a few positive things happened:
- I enjoyed myself. I was having fun despite being considerably worse than I've been in the past.
- I actually got a couple of really nice airs - a mute tail bone and a silky smooth ollie come to mind.
- I got that feeling of repetition. Just doing it over and over, and getting comfortable. That's the place I need to be.
At this stage, the stop worrying about being bad was key. I stopped expecting to be able to ride the jump how I used to be able to ride kickers, and just got on with it. The jumps were bad but I was landing everything and not having negative thoughts on approach.
So my plan is to do more of the same. Reset my idea of what I can do, and just ride kickers. Get comfortable. Get in that place where the next thing I try is a small addition to something I can do over and over. I need to get back in a state where I can improve, rather than worrying about getting it all wrong...
The Benefits Of Riding With Your Friends
The last few times I've to Castleford, I've been snowboarding with my friend, Ian. There have been others in the group, but we've been the core two, there each time...
...In the past, way back in 2006, I spent a good handful of Friday nights driving down to the snowdome, on my todd, shredding, and then driving back. It was great fun, and, these semi-regular visits to an indoor slope improved my riding no end.
Now, I'd say that I'm a fairly motivated person and as such, I don't mind snowboarding by myself. Even so, I always took opportunities to ask people stuff, say hi, go for a drink afterwards, because at the end of the day, snowboarding alone is fun, but with friends it's better.
And they encourage you. And you encourage them. And that can make a big difference.
...OK, back to the recent sessions. I've been snowboarding for much longer than Ian, so, where possible I've been helping him with some freestyle pointers. Not just advice though, I've been challenging him to try new stuff. Why don't you try that backside as well? or Try a mute grab. Just stuff like that. I think it helps, and it's fun too.
But on Friday night the help was coming the other way. I was seriously sucking on the kicker, which by the way, was pretty decent. It wasn't just that I was riding bad, I was losing my confidence. The doubt was creeping in. I had a cheeky slam, decided I was lame, and was planning on riding rails and boxes for the rest of the night.
But Ian suggested that I keep hitting the kicker. Just keep hitting straight airs. Go for a basic grab, whatever, just keep riding it and get your confidence back.
So I decided to take the advice. I wasn't going to at first, but I did. I ended up riding the kicker all night long. And I still sucked about 90% of the time. But I felt good about it. Someone was pushing me to keep doing it. And that's exactly what I needed.
My timing was still off, even at the end of the night, but I'd stopped worrying about it and was feeling more confident. And this spread to the rest of my riding. I was more confident trying the frontside boards that I'm working on. I tried some change-ups. Total failures, but I tried them anyway.
Half-way in I was annoyed at how lame I was being. A bit of encouragement, a bit of pushing, and I was back on track. We had a class time.
Riding with your friends can make a big difference.
First Video Evidence…
I was at the Castleford snowdome on Friday night and it turned out to be a good session. They're running off-season prices, so the freestyle night costs £28 rather than £35. They're also running a loyalty system that kicks in after 3 sessions, giving you the 4th session for free. Nice. What's more, the slope tends to be quiet in the summer so waiting for the lift or a feature doesn't really happen...
Snowboarding on Friday made me think about a couple of things. First up, how riding with your friend(s) can have a really positive effect on your snowboarding. Second, how to get yourself out of a rut when you hit a lack of confidence/lose ability you used to have. I'm gonna address each of these individually later this week...
In the meantime, although it's really short, I do have my first bit of video evidence contributing to my trick list. I'm starting to feel way more comfortable trying frontside boardslides. On small rails I'm taking quite a bit more speed. I've also got them down on the slightly longer and higher box - which you'll see in the video below.
Target. There's a 10m rail at Cas' - I think this will serve as a good benchmark for my ability to do front boards. They often have flat downs too, and a bunch of other jibs, but for now, I'm aiming at the 10m rail. A nice smooth fs boardslide - all the way to the end - if I can do that, I'll consider the fs boardslide crossed off the list.
Anyway, here's some progress so far. It's a tiny clip from my iPhone. I only took one, so you've got to ignore the first part where I mess it up on a small rail, but the second box is showing some useful progression...
Practical Tips And Ideas For Filming Snowboarding
Thinking of buying a camera to take away snowboarding? Already got one? Here's a collection of ideas and tips for those who enjoy recording their snowboarding exploits...
Using the camera on the hill
Camera Size. Some people like to ride with a pack, others don't mind, and there are some, like myself, who positively don't like it. Whatever your stance on this is, the size of your video camera is going to effect (a) how often you take it on the hill, (b) how you carry it when you're using it and (c) how much it hinders your riding when you're not using it.
A bigger camera has the potential for higher quality images. A smaller camera will compramise on aspects like the lens, how much light it can get in, but in return will be more portable. My current camera has the handy quality of fitting inside my jacket's goggle pocket. I like that a lot. It's not perfect, but it means I don't need a pack.
Camera Shape. Think about the ergonomics of holding the camera. The majority of the time I hold the camera in a "follow cam" position: pointing at the subject with an extended arm rather than holding it up to my eye. The traditional handy-cam shape isn't particularly suited to this, whereas the newer file-based camcorders seem well suited.
Camera Handle. It might be worth considering a handle for your camera. They're pretty easy to make (example 1, example 2), and, depending on the shape of your camera it can make it much easier to hold when snowboarding. It may also enable you to wear gloves and still hold the camera safely...
"Follow Cam". Filming a moving subject, whilst moving yourself. It can give you the shot you want, but be sure to practice first. You'll need a bit of self-calibration to know where you're really pointing the camera. When your friend asks "did you get that?" and you're thinking "yeah I did!" - you don't want to discover that you were actually filming the sky.
Get your friends to learn the basics. Two of the worst things: they stopped recording when they thought they were starting, and, they filmed you but the resulting video is terrible. Make sure your mates know the basics of your camera: how to check that it's recording, how to zoom all the way out if they're following you and how to turn it on and off.
"Go!" If you're in a group and everyone is taking a turn, spend a few moments to agree a system of when to "go". It can be really frustrating if you're sat around a corner, you can't see anyone and you're not sure why they haven't arrived yet. Walkie talkies can help in this situation, but sometimes they're a bit of a fiddle.
Technical choices
Wide angle lens. I'd say this is almost a must, especially if you film follow-cam. If you're moving and the subject is moving, keeping them in frame isn't always easy. A wide angle lens helps, a lot. Unless you're really into high-quality video, you should find a budget wide angle lens to be more than enough...
Helmet Cam? You may have no interest in a helmet cam, but if you do, don't forget the option of attaching a remote lens. A video in input on your camcorder could give you the option to connect a "bullet-cam". Keep the camcorder in your pack and attach a remote lens somewhere in line with your line of sight (or point of view). It can remove the need to buy a separate, self-contained helmet cam.
If you're thinking of a self-contained helmet cam, be weary of cheap helmet attachments. I tried a helmet cam from the ATC range, the 2000, and although my first impressions of the camera were reasonable, in actual use it was dire. Although I haven't tried one, I believe the more expensive VholdR cameras to be better. Sometimes you get what you pay for...
Consider also a multi-purpose action camera - something like the GoPro HD Hero - that's small, can be used with a helmet attachment, or simply used as an ultra-portable on-hill camera. You'll be compramising quality compared to a regular camcorder, but something this small might end up being in your pocket every day!
Recording format. When it comes to the choice between miniDV, hard disk and solid state, I like the latter. With solid state memory getting bigger and cheaper, it's a good option for snowboarding: it's a compact option, it's quick to transfer files and the recording won't "skip" or "jump" during use. MiniDV is still a great format for flexibility and high-quality. Don't re-use your tapes - it's not worth missing valuable tricks becuase the tape messed up.
Why Snowboarding Is Better Than Skiing
Each to their own. There's no right or wrong. I get that. This is my opinion.
It used to be the case that snowboarders on the mountain were the minority. That's not the case anymore. I don't have the stats, but I think it's fair to say that both disciplines are big. And these days skiers and snowboarders alike ride the same terrain: piste, parks, pipe, powder, street rails...
...and I find myself asking the question: why do people bother skiing, when snowboarding is simply better?
Freestyle and powder
Let me qualify that statement above. I know that both skiing and snowboarding are fun. I'm not taking that away from either, nor am I trying to invalidate skiing as being fun, exciting, challenging, etc.
What I am talking about is freestyle and powder.
To be honest, it's freestyle that I'm really getting at here, but even with powder I think snowboarding is the better choice. I mean, snowboards were invented to ride powder, to float in the fresh stuff, to give that surf-like feeling... Let me demonstrate both points, freestyle and powder, with the following video:
You can't get that flex and pop on skis
Snowboarders take a lot of their tricks from skateboarding. The design of a snowboard, combined with your body position when riding one, allows you to ollie. You can load up the nose or tail and pop out of it. This flex mechanism is at the core of so many snowboarding tricks. It's what makes the freestyle opportunities almost endless.
You just can't get that on skis.
Rails, grabs and switch...
Think about 50-50'ing a rail, nose-pressing a box, tail-slides, change-ups... Skis on rails and boxes don't make sense to me.
And then there are butters, nollies, boned out grabs. Tweak it. You might convince me that one or two ski-grabs look ok, but come on, compare that with a slow backside 180 tail grab, or a boned out stale-fish shifty.
And there's switch, too. In my mind, riding switch on a snowboard opens up tricks. It adds to the freedom of snowboarding. When you land switch, you're still snowboarding, just in the other direction. It's the same principal. That's why I ride with +15 / -15 binding angles. I like the symmetry of switch.
With skiing, it just doesn't make sense to me. I've seen really talented people skiing backwards towards huge jumps, looking awkwardly over their shoulder, then they pull an insane trick. It's really impressive-
-But skis weren't designed to be ridden that way. I know you can get twin-tipped skis and all that, but it seems like a fudge to me. A hack. It's difficult for sure, but your body is working in the opposite way, like driving a car in reverse.
Snowboarding is better suited to freestyle (and powder)
If you like freestyle and jibbing, I can't see any reason to choose skiing over snowboarding. The snowboard is simply a better tool for the job. I understand that if you can already ski, you might feel inclined to stick with it, to not throw away your investment, to learn freestyle on skis. And that's fair enough. But let's be honest, snowboarding is better suited to this stuff.
I'm not saying freestyle skiers don't have fun, don't do gnarly and technical stuff. They do. I just think snowboarding is better in this arena. It looks smoother, there are more options, it's more styled. Just look at the video above. It's better.
When it comes to fun, there's no right or wrong
I don't want to tell anyone how to have fun. Nobody can do that. I said at the start that this is my opinion – please feel free to contribute your own with a comment...
Second Session At Cas: Putting The Garden Practice To The Test
Just over a week ago I made my second trip of this year to Castleford. I was really keen to put to things to the test: my use of the balance rail and my use of the trampoline. The goal, as per the trick-list, is to make frontside boardslides and nose/tail grabs part of my repotoire.
History
I mentioned recently that I've never achieved a nose-grab before, ever. You're gonna have to take my word for this - I can't show you that I've never done one before.
As for the frontside boardslide, I have been able to do these in the past, just not very well. If you want an idea of what I mean, this video from Laax has an example at the start, and one near the end, and this video from Avoriaz has one or two mixed in. Long story short - I've been able to do them on small, low boxes. No rails. Nothing past beginner.
Progress?
OK, I've gotta admit, that in the case of the nose-grab, I was hoping to write this post with the news that I had nose-grabs on lock-down. I was hoping to say that after getting a load of grabs on the trampoline, they were easy. Whilst the progress was good, it wasn't quite that good.
First of all, the park layout included nothing more than a small, "rookie" kicker. Not a good start, but I didn't want to let that put me off. As it happens, the first time down the hill, I made a small ollie on said kicker and grabbed the nose. I didn't tweak it out or anything, but all four fingers were wrapped around the nose of the board - sick!
I was stoked. But after that I started thinking about it too much. The next attempt I missed it, and then the one after that, and again... I couldn't get the grab. It was a little frustrating, but I went back to the approach of just boning the back leg down without going for the grab, to try and get the timing back.
It helped, for sure, I got another two grabs, not as good as the first one, but nose-grabs none the less. The best two actually happened right at the end of the session. I popped a nice, clean ollie, good amount of pop and locked two fingers onto the nose. It was clean. The next run marked the best grab of the night - not as good pop - but a full on grab that was timed properly, allowing me to tweak my back leg whilst holding the grab. Awesome!
So that's a lot of detail into my nose-grab attempts, I know. But remember, I've never made a nose-grab before, ever. After one session on the trampoline I clocked up 5 grabs on a mini kicker. That's pretty good! Like I said, I can't say that the trampoline put them on lock for me - I missed a lot of attempts - but it did set me off.
As for the frontside boards, I improved. I haven't leap-frogged my previous ability, but compared to my first session at Cas' this year, where I didn't make a single one, I'm back on track.
I had one or two really nice examples on a beginner box. Nice flat base, sliding the full length of the box, riding off regular - good. There was a small beginner rail too, super low, fairly wide for a rail, and I was successful on that two.
I'm still hitting these boxes/rails at really slow speeds. I just don't have the confidence to hit them faster, or to hit bigger and higher features. But that will come, I'm sure...
On a slightly different note - I was making a 180 onto one of the larger boxes with a 180 out. That felt nice! Although I should add that it was really hard to stop rotating once I'd landed on the box.
No Video...
Sorry, no video this time. That kinda sucks. It feels a little like I'm claiming the nose-grab without being able to show it, but we were just enjoying riding and Ian's little camera wasn't working out to well. I do plan on getting some little bits of video to show progress toward the trick-list, but to cross something off the list does require video evidence, which I will get...
How To Use A Trampoline To Improve Your Snowboarding
I've put together a video showing my first usage of a trampoline, to improve my snowboarding.
If the concept of using a trampoline to help your snowboarding is new to you, then here's the idea. Bouncing around on a trampoline, whilst strapped onto a snowboard, gives you a lot of goes at grabbing your snowboard while in the air; a lot of practice. And that's a lot of practice where you don't need to think about the jumping part. Well, that's the theory anyway...
For myself, I'm most interested in the nose grab, and along with it, the tail grab. I've been snowboarding for a while now, and whilst grabbing indy, mute, melon and occasionally stale-fish are within my reach (haha), I've always found the nose grab impossible. Literally, I've never achieved a nose grab snowboarding. Ever.
Some people seem to find the nose grab easy. I want it. I recently had a technique presented to me in the Snowboard Addiction freestyle tutorials: to first practice boning your back leg down, without attempting the grab. Get comfortable at that and then try for the grab. Being really keen to try this out, I wanted to put the trampoline to the test: use this approach on the trampoline - and then try it on snow.
A few quick points about the video:
- The video starts showing my first bounces. I was unsure how it was going to turn out, would it be useful, would it be hard, would it be safe etc? So I really wanted to show what it was like the first time.
- The video was accidentally filmed without auto-focus, so I'm sorry if it's blurry at times. I would have done it again, but like I said, I wanted it to be a true reflection of my first go.
- Whilst I do advise using tape on your board edges to protect the trampoline - it's been a hassle getting the tape off my board. I used cheap tape, which might have contributed to this.
- The video concentrates heavily on my desire to learn nose-grabs. Depending on your current ability, I'd say the trampoline can be useful for all kinds of things. Basic grabs, rotations, trying regular rotation and counter-rotation, shifties, etc.
- Be safe. Start small, be controlled, and, be prepared to get tired, it's hard work!
As always, feedback and questions are welcome. Enjoy...
Breckenridge 2011 – Parks?
Colorado is most definitely a destination high on my list, and as it happens, Breck has been put forward as our destination for next season. Sick.
However... right now there isn't much movement behind the cause. There's general acceptance, but the group hasn't gotten together to make plans, to check out accommodation, pick dates, check the flights etc...
It's not set yet.
In the meantime, I've been pondering over the park facilities. Yes, I've heard that the parks there are top notch, and, reading around a bit more seems to confirm this. But I always think it's hard to know what a park is really like until you ride it...
...In this case, Breck1080 does a pretty fine job of laying out the 5 different parks & pipes. Pictures for a lot of the features and a good feel for the layout and quality of the park. It looks well groomed! Park-lane in particular looks like a long-park, one that you could make a real run through.
I wonder what the rest of the place is like? It's highly regarded for sure, but, everyone has their own slant on a mountain. Are there many natural hits? Can I score some good powder lines on my first visit? I wonder if it would suit me?
Here's a taste of TH taking advantage of the bigger features:
My Boots And Bindings Are Looking A Little Tired…
There's no doubt about it, they've both seen better days. I need some new ones. At least, I think I need some new ones?
But there's something nice about using something 'till it's done. Running it into the ground. Like, these are "my trusty old boots".
What is that? Is it, value for money? Sentimental attachment? If it ain't broke, don't fix it? Whatever it is, even though the sole on one of my boots is coming away and the straps on my bindings are all torn, not to mention one of the buckles keeps jamming, there's part of me that's reluctant to change them. Just keep using them, they're working.
It's strange because there's a strong culture of "this year's gear" in snowboarding, and I don't mind admitting, I do like buying new stuff. In fact, regular readers may be thinking that I recently bought some new bindings, the Union Contacts. And they'd be right, I did. I replaced the Drake MLBs on the grounds that the buckles weren't working out. But the Unions didn't work either, so after returning them to the shop, I've been forced to use my old bindings again, and they're doing ok...
Value for money?
I started to add a few things up in my head - how much use have I gotten from the boots and bindings. I know for sure that I was riding the 32s in Chamonix at the beginning of 2006, which is when this blog started. The bindings came one week later (that's a snow-week), so roughly, they've had equal use.
Between then and now I've had approximately 84 days of snowboarding, maybe a shade more. So it's in the region of 12 weeks, which I don't think is too bad. For the seasonnaires out there a full season may well be longer than 3 months, but, taking into consideration all the packing and travel this kit has been through, I'd be confident saying they would last a full season.
Is that value for money?
What's the oldest snowboarding gear you've got?
Update: Garden Practice, Shredding And Twitter
It's been a busy few days. Shortly after deciding I wanted to get on a trampoline, Mike hooked me up with his mate, and the next thing, I was bouncing around while strapped onto a snowboard. Good timing given the shred session I had planned for last night (Friday).
Also in preparation, I got the balance rail out on Thursday evening. It's been a couple of weeks since I last jumped around in the garden, and I didn't want that to be an excuse for the practice not working out how I hoped it would.
And then there was the snowboarding last night at Cas'. It was a good session, despite the not so excellent park layout. One nasty slam, a near miss and some healthy progression. I took some video of the trampoline action earlier in the week, so I'll post that up and then cover the details of how the balance rail/trampoline action worked out for real...
In other news, I've signed up with Twitter. Today was actually the first time I've ever been to the Twitter website; it's not something that I've been interested in, or, to be honest, seen as being useful.
So what's changed? Well, I'm curious for one. It might be fun? I guess the main attraction for me is to separate out my random thoughts, or small thoughts, from making their way into a blog post that's lacking in substance. So do I need to tweet those thoughts? Probably not, but like I said, I'm trying it out, I'm not sold yet.
So if Twitter is your thing - you can follow me on Twitter.
If it's not your thing, well, I don't blame you, but don't hate on me either for giving it a go
Should You Get Lessons Before Your First Snowboarding Holiday?
So you're getting set for your first ever snowboarding trip. Maybe you're in a group with others who have snowboarded before? Perhaps it's new to everyone? A key question is, when do you plan to have your lessons: get started before you go, or leave the lessons until you arrive in resort?
The main drawbacks of getting some tuition before you go are time and money. Snowboarding holidays aren't cheap and your first trip is no exception; lessons in advance are only going to add to the cost.
There are a couple of other concerns too. You might get hurt as you take your first steps - nobody wants to be injured before they even get there! You might be put off - not everyone takes to snowboarding straight away and if you're not picking it up as quickly as you'd like to, you may end up feeling down...
But there are some excellent reasons to start learning sooner rather than later:
- Let's say you are picking it up quickly, your instructor is impressed. Day 1 of your holiday and you're off! No need for lessons in resort, you're out there, trying new runs, getting quicker, straight away.
- Let's say you're struggling a little. At least now you've got a head start in resort. Alternatively, you might decide to take some more lessons before you go. Either way you've increased the likelihood of "getting it" on the real snow.
- Iron out mistakes. You started riding regular but it turns out you're goofy. The board you were using is too long, this shorter one makes all the difference. It can be hard to know what's wrong as a beginner, and some mix-ups can cost you a lot of time. Who wants to spend the first three days riding the wrong way? Getting clued up before you go can make your real-holiday run more smoothly.
Linking those turns
Most likely your first holiday will be "a week away"; 6 days on the snow. The thrill of linking your turns from the top to bottom is undeniable; it's a major achievement for every beginner snowboarder. Getting over this first hurdle opens up the mountain to you, you can explore. It's an amazing feeling.
But it's not easy, not to everyone. Having some lessons before you go can increase the chances of you nailing your first linked turns, of getting a real taste of snowboarding. And let's face it, it might be another year before you're back in the mountains!
What’s Next? A Trick List? A Trampoline?
Last summer, I didn't snowboard at all. Since the end of this year's winter season, I've clocked up one session on an indoor slope. Yeah, it's only one, but that's an improvement on last year and assuming nothing changes, I'm heading down to Cas' again this Friday. I'm hoping this off-season will be one in which I learn a few new things...
So what's next? The norm for me is to have a list of things that I want to work on, tricks, mostly. In the past that list has been fairly long, maybe 7 or 8 things on there. Right now I'm gonna keep things small; keep the list well focussed and do-able. I want some results.
First up, the frontside boardslide. It's a key trick for me. Back in 2007 I was starting to get it. Cue a couple of years of not really hitting rails and it faded away. It came back a little in 2009 when I made numerous runs through the Avoriaz Stash, and now it's gone again. I want it.
The balance rail is my ticket. Sure, I'm not expecting some bouncing around in the garden to hand me the trick on a plate, but it's motivating me. A bit of positional help, some confidence, it's set the scene for me learning this trick. The target - a smooth looking front-board on camera.
Next up, nose-grab and tail-grab. The nose interests me the most, but both of these are grabs that have continued to elude me. Why are they on the list? Well, to begin with, they look so good. A backside 180 with nose, or a frontside 3 with nose. I just love that. Even just jibbing around the piste and tweaking out a little nose grab. So sick. Who wouldn't want to be able to do nose grabs?
But I've also got a plan; a plan to learn them when previous attempts to "just try and grab it" have failed:
- On the hill, taking guidance from the Snowboard Addiction lessons, I'm gonna try boning the back/front leg out, without grabbing. Get used to holding a balanced position in the air, whilst boning the back foot down and bringing the front knee up. Just get comfortable doing that.
- Off the hill, I want to get on a trampoline. Tape the edges up, strap in, and start bouncing around. It's something I've wanted to try for ages, and, after building the balance rail why not make the effort to try a trampoline too? They're supposed to be helpful with grabs...
For now, the target is comfortable nose and tail grabs, straight air.
And the last thing to go on the list, a stretch target, is a shifty backside 180. They look cool and it will bend my mind a little.
The list. So here it is, my short, work-in-progress trick-list:
- Frontside boardslide
- Nose & tail grab, straight air
- Shifty backside 180
GoPro HD Hero Preview: Is This The Next Camera You Should Buy?
The first GoPro camera that I encountered came under the guise of a helmet-cam. I own a helmet-cam. It's not a very good one, in fact, I'd say it's poor. There are a couple of helmet-cams that I've seen that are clearly better than the one I own, and, whilst the GoPro cameras aren't strictly helmet-cams only, they do cover this area.
In fact, GoPro class them as "wearable sports cameras". I'd be interested to know how well the GoPro serves as a helmet cam? Just looking at it, the shape doesn't seem particularly suited to mounting on your head. But, the sucker-device is supposed to be excellent, which is good because the last thing you want is the camera falling off without you knowing!
But I like it as more than just a helmet-cam. In general, there're a whole load of accessories and different mounts availble, which I suppose is what constitutes the "wearable" aspect. What I really like about it though is the size. It's tiny. So easy to fit in your pocket, which I think is an excellent quality for an on-hill camera, on the grounds that it can remove the need to ride with a back pack!
Clever mounts and housings don't mean much if the video ends up bad. Well, the GoPro HD has been brought to my attention twice recently, and each clip that I've watched has been impressive. It seems good quality for such a small package and the wide angle lens appears to be, well, pretty wide.
Check out pro shred, Tim Humphreys. Apart from being amazed at the silky snowboarding, the footage quality is good. In his words: "First day out riding with my new GoPro for a few hours at Mammoth. Best 350 bucks I ever spent."
And here's Eddie Wall, filming his dad, I think:
The Official GoPro® Store is pretty nicely laid out and the specs for each product are presented well. So when you're trying to work out the difference between the helmet option and the naked option, or how much video you should expect at different settings on a 32GB card, everything you need is there. Here's a snippet:
GoPro's HD HERO Naked is the world's highest performance wearable 1080p HD video and still photo camera. Professional quality 1080p / 960p / 720p HD resolutions record at 30 and 60 frames per second (60 fps in 720p). Record up to 2.5 hours on a single charge and up to 9 hours total on a 32GB SD card (not included).
I'd really like to get hold of one of these cameras, not just to review myself, but to use on my snowboarding trips. From what I've seen, it ticks a lot of the boxes that I'm interested in. In the meantime, this following video provides a good, honest review of the camera, covering a lot of the details. Check out how small it is! The video's fairly long, but if you're interested in the GoPro HD it's definitely worth watching:
And as a follow up, this video attempts to show the quality of the video produced, on the lowest setting. I'm not sure why, but it makes me a little skeptical as to the difference between the quality settings - something I'd like to see with a fair, side-by-side comparison.
So, is the Go Pro HD Hero a good example of a small, wearable, solid state HD camera? From what I've seen so far, I think yes...
Backcountry Saftey & Riding Powder Instructional Series
I get this news letter as part of the Snowboard Addiction subscription update program. They let you know when there's new material coming along, like the introduction to buttering and the advanced flat land tricks - both of which have been good.
Anyhow, this one caught my attention for two reasons. First of all, my interest is definitely peaked by the promise of some pow-riding instruction. I've come to expect good things from the SA crew, and as back-country tips aren't something you see very often, I'm keen to see what they've got to offer.
Second, I really like it when you see someone else genuinely excited by what they're doing/have done. The clip below shows their filmer, Ryan Kenny, sharing his thoughts on scoring some pretty sweet lines. Apparently this was filmed while they were making the backcountry instructional series. So I know one thing for sure, they made it in a good location! Check it out...
Snow Search Japan: WSG Media
I've just gotten a copy of Snow Search Japan, a guide book covering Japan only, from the makers of the World Snowboard Guide.
I've not had the chance for a full read yet, but after flicking through and reading a few choice sections, I'm encouraged. For a while I've had the opinion that a world-wide guide book is going to struggle to provide the detail that some people are looking for; there's just too much to cover. Focussing on single countries, regions, shared lift-pass areas or perhaps even specific resorts allows the publisher to provide more in-depth knowledge, but it's at the expense of resort-coverage.
So not only does Snow Search Japan offer more focussed information, it's also targetted at a country that for many has a lot of questions that need answering.
I skipped straight to the section on Backcountry and Off-piste - something I'd like to know more about in Japan. Then I looked at a few of the resorts... Like I said, I haven't had a full read yet, so stay tuned for the complete review...
MiniDV vs. HDD vs. SD Card (Solid State)
A while ago, late 2006, I wrote about the choice between miniDV and HDD camcorders.
Back then, I liked the convenience of not needing tapes, but was concerned about the HDD skipping when filming snowboarding (follow-cam). Plus, the HDD camcorders were still relatively new so they were more expensive than their similar, miniDV counterparts.
But what about now? Solid state, or flash, memory is getting bigger and cheaper all of the time. Are the suped-up SD cards removing the need for hard disk drives? Or do HDD models still have a place in the market? How does the choice between miniDV and HDD/SD feel now?
Some things that I know
OK, so I'm kinda outside my comfort zone writing about this stuff. At the end of the day, I'm interested in good quality video that's suitable for the snowboarder's environment. So here are some of the things that I think I know.
- DV, digital video, records at 720 x 576 pixels, for PAL systems. That's what my current camera records at. MiniDV cassette tapes are used for recording DV. DV was designed for recording to tape, so if you're considering a camcorder that uses miniDV tapes, you're probably looking at 720 x 576 resolution.
- HDV, high-definition video, has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (720p) or 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080i/1080p). Perhaps a better description would be "higher" definition, as I'm sure there's more to come. HDV records to cassette tapes too. It just seems that it's more common to see camcorders that use hard disk drives or flash memory for recording...
- There's no quality difference between HDD and solid state; one is bigger and cheaper, the other has no moving parts and is faster.
- Recording format aside, the quality of both the lens and the chip/sensor are going to play a big part in the final quality of the video.
Some things I don't know
Like I said, I'm not totally sure that I'm on firm ground here. There are still a bunch of things that I don't know...
- MiniDV records raw video and HDV is compressed. Is that right? Or is it that the direct file-based storage of HDV is compressed, and, if you record HDV to a cassette you get raw, HD video?
- Can you get consumer level HDV camcorders that record to tape? Or is that reserved for the higher end stuff? Are the manufacturers choosing to push HDD and SD card storage at the consumer level?
- Is there a correlation between the size of the sensor and the final display resolution? For example, I've seen a camcorder that is capable of recording to either DV or HDV, how does that work?
- Has the camcorder market confused the terms? It seems to me that they use "miniDV" to mean standard DV, even though a miniDV cassette could be used to record HDV. And they use "HDV" to mean high-definition video recorded to file based memory, even though HDV can be recorded to tape cassettes...
- Has the editting software changed much? Are the files recorded onto either HDD or SD card easy to edit once they're on your computer?
So what's there to choose between?
The choices that I'm interested in are:
- No tapes: HDD or SD card?
- Tapes: DV or HDV?
- Finally: tapes or no tapes?
No tapes: hard disk drive or SD card? So let's say I like the convenience of not needing tapes. For snowboarding, I like the solid state memory. I've not used a HDD camcorder before, but I've used MP3 players with hard disks and they can skip at times. I'd hate the recording to skip just as your friend nails his best trick of the trip - or even worse, if I'm the one being filmed And I imagine that the HDD camcorders respond less well to taking knocks or being dropped.
Trading off the storage size. OK, so opting for the flash memory means less size, 120GB hard disk or a 32GB SD card. I think that a 32GB card should supply around 70 minutes of HDV video, which should be more than enough for a day on the hill. And besides, you can always swap another one in if you run out of space.
Tapes: Standard definition (DV) or high definition (HDV). Let's say I like recording to miniDV tapes. Is everything out there high-definition now? The thing is, more pixels doesn't necessarily give you better quality video - if the rest of the camera is poor you're gonna end up with a poor image. But if you've got a decent lens and a good sensor, then why not have HD?
At the consumer level, for recording to tape, I'm more interested in a good, all-round package. I don't want the HDV badge at the expense of the other components.
Finally: tapes or no tapes?
As a snowboarder, I like the no tape option, specifically the SD card option. My previous concerns over the non-miniDV route were skipping, robustness and cost. Solid state memory eliminates the first two, and, now that the HDV market has matured the cost of a high-definition camcorder has come down some.
Is quality still something to consider? At the same price point, will I get better images on miniDV? I don't know. And editing: do the file-based cameras provide something easy to work with, like an .avi, or are they propriatary formats?
It's a big topic and my knowledge isn't that great, so please add a comment if I'm missing something or have simply got it wrong!
How To Use A Balance Rail To Improve Your Snowboarding
I've put together a simple video showing how I'm currently using the balance rail I built, to improve my snowboarding.
The balance rail can help primarily with your jibbing: rails and boxes. You can work on your body position and balance on the rail as well as the movements used to get on and off. However, the balance and rotational movements used in jibbing rails will transfer to the other areas of your freestyle snowboarding, including flat land jibs, side hits and riding kickers.
I'm not claiming to be an expert at this. It's an idea I picked up from the Snowboard Addiction lessons and I'm just playing around with some of the things that they cover. You'll see in the video that I can't do all of the things that I'm trying, my body position isn't always correct, etc. So this isn't coaching, it's more like a demo of using a balance rail.
There is some commentary included Sorry about the background noise, which makes it hard to hear some of what I'm saying. If you want to ask any questions, as usual, just drop a comment below...
Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-505: Review
I was asked to write a review of this Nokia Bluetooth Headset, which is advertised as offering convenient on-the-go access to music and calls for those with an active lifestyle. I've got two questions: is it any good? and, is it of use to snowboarders?
Note that this review is based on use with an iPhone.
The basics
Getting connected. This was easy. I turned it on, switched on bluetooth on the phone and then allowed the connection. Easy.
Sound quality. The sound for listening to music is pretty good actually, certainly better than I was expecting, although this is the first bluetooth music setup I've tried. If I was being critical I'd say the base is a slight weakness, but overall, the sound quality is a plus.
Cutting out external noise. The in-ear buds are pretty snug and as such, physically keep out a lot of background noise. The headset has "advanced digital signal processing" technology, designed to cut out external noise, such as wind. It's hard to know how much the DSP contributes, but it's fair to say that external noise is blocked out well.
Physical controls. There are two main buttons: play/pause and answer/end. They're a little fiddley at first. There's too much resistence on them to just push in with your finger; you end up pushing the bud further into your ear and that's not comfortable. I found that I need to use my thumb and fore-finger. It's not a big compaint, it just makes it a little more "fiddley" to pause or answer a call...
Taking a call. To me, this was the simple task that the device had to do well, and it works nicely. If you're listening to music and you get a call it's one touch and then you're connected. The caller's voice sounds clear, your voice is clear (apparently) and you can adjust the volume. Nice one. When the call ends you just press play to set the music away again...
Device dependant features. The functionality of the headset is constrained by the device that it's paired with. For example, with the iPhone I can easily adjust the volume of the track, but couldn't get it to skip forward to the next song.
All pretty good.
Using it actively on the move
So how active can you be?
My first comment here is the lack of adjustability to create a custom fit. The headset is light-weight and the buds fit nicely into my ears; it's comfortable to wear sitting down or even walking. But the (small amount) of weight for the unit is at the back of the band, so it's doesn't work well when running for example - it just wobbles up and down. That's a no-go.
Headgear compatibility. The headset doesn't fit with a snowboard helmet and sliding a beanie over the top doesn't work. Add in your goggles and there's little chance anyone is going to use this on the hill.
With these two factors, for anything like snowboarding or skateboarding, it's just not practical.
There are certain activities, those where the head is relatively stable I suppose, in which the headset will sit still and be comfortable. Cycling sprung to mind straight away. I could keep my phone in the pack, listen to music with no wires getting in the way and if I get a call I can answer it while cycling - hands free! But there are a couple of problems here. Most cyclists wear a helmet and, it's not always safe to listen to music while riding along.
The gym perhaps?
Conclusion
The concept is good: wireless access to your music and calls meaning that you can be "hands free". What's more the sound quality is good and external noise is blocked out. It does this bit well.
I'm struggling to think of an active pursuit that would really benefit from the hands-free access, given the limitations of the headset's physical shape.
It may be more appealing to those regularly "on the move" - perhaps taking calls walking in the city, stood up on a busy train or tube - listen to decent music with easy access to calls...
Snowboard Addiction Freestyle Lessons Review: Part 2
Snowboard Addiction provide a whole load of instructional snowboard lessons. This is part 2 of the Freestyle Lessons review. Part 1 provided an introduction to the content included in the course, which is extensive, along with some initial impressions of the material. In part 2, I'll comment on some of the stand-out bits of instruction, my favourite sections, who I think will benefit from the lessons and what my overall opinion is.
(Some of) The Best Instruction Included
The key thing that sets these lessons apart from others is the detail the instructor provides when explaining tricks, and the way in which the information is presented. Crystal clear instruction, all the bases covered, plus practical steps to improve. Here are some of the things done really well.
- Rotation vs. Counter-Rotation. The difference between the two is fully explained and remains a continual theme throughout all of the lessons, helping you to better understand both jibbing tricks and jumps. If this concept is new to you, try reading this post and then check out the Snowboard Addiction lessons: your feestyle will improve straight away.
- Spotting your landing. There's good attention given to this, very useful for backside 180s, frontside 360s and dropping off rails/boxes. Where to look and when.
- Setup for kickers. There's a lot of practical guidance given to setting up for kickers: speed, setup-turn, edges, platform for take-off, wind-up and pop. These concepts are applied from beginner to advanced jumps, helping from straight airs through to 7s and 9s.
- Jibbing basics. Great practical steps to take you from 50-50 to boardslides.
- Advanced jibbing. Good explanation of change-ups, showing different combinations, both with rotation and counter-rotation.
- 16 types of 180! Regular, switch, toes, heels, rotation and counter-rotation. The foundations for many tricks to come.
- Intro to buttering. Excellent for people new to buttering, showing correct body position aswell as excercises to improve your technique and become comfortable with basic butters.
My Favourite Bits
The balance rail. Simple idea, easy to build, and effective. I've made one and can feel the benefit already.
Jibbing: frontside boardslides. I've always struggled with these, and without knowing it, have found frontside boards easier using rotation. Add in the balance rail, stop looking down and I'm on my way. I also really like the change-ups and 180s in/out for boxes and rails.
The intermediate jumping lesson has good guidance for shiftys and grabs; especially interesting to me are the nose and tail grabs. I haven't tried those techniques yet (nose/tail), but having never managed to make a nose grab, I've now got something concrete to try. Shiftys into 180s have also really impressed me; before these lessons I've never understood how to do them, and it's the same principal for tapping/bonking something and then spinning out the other way. Now I know how to work on these.
Who Will Benefit From These Lessons?
If you're new to freestyle I absolutely think you will benefit. 100%. These videos start with the basics and fundamentals then work upwards. They'll set you on the right path with loads of practical tips and useful insight straight away. You can be confident that the lessons will cover your progression for a long time!
If you're comfortably stomping 5s and 7s, and riding rails is second nature to you, you may not need this freestyle course. I'm not saying that you wouldn't (a) enjoy them and/or (b) get some practial use from them, as they do contain advanced tricks; they're just not as essential. You're probably progressing with strong peers.
Less than this and I'd say yes, the lessons will be extremely useful. There are plenty of advanced freestyle techniques covered and you will benefit. Even if you can spin 3s for example, the techniques covered will help you progress to 5s and 7s, and/or take you current jumping to bigger kickers.
If it helps, consider my level. I'm not a beginner to freestyle but I don't have a huge bag of tricks either. There are some example of my riding in Laax, Fernie and Morzine on this site. When I watched these videos I was instantly impressed. I learned new concepts, had things explained in a ways I hadn't previously thought about and was motivated to progress my freestyle. I'm stoked to have these videos, they're great for me and I'll continue to use them.
Overall Impression
The Snowboard Addiction freestyle lessons:
- cover a big range of tricks from beginner upwards
- provide complete coverage for each trick, paying attention to small details
- present the instruction in a crystal clear way
- provide practical steps and excercises to progress
They provide by far, the best freestyle intruction that I've encountered. I can't recommend them highly enough.
Format: What Have I Got?
I have the freestyle lessons in download format; it was easy to get them soon and I wanted to put them on my laptop and iPhone. Since then I've joined the Subscription Update Program - they give you all of their new material as it comes out. So far there's been an introduction to buttering and a board setup guide. As mentioned above, the buttering intro was very good; I'm looking forward to the advanced flat-land tricks, and I think there may be an off-piste lesson coming along, which sounds great.
Check out the free lessons on the Snowboard Addiction website to get a feel for the quality of the instruction.
How To Make A Balance Rail To Improve Your Snowboarding
The idea of a balance rail was presented to me as part of a series of instructional videos. The aim: work on your balance, body position and movement without actually being on the hill. Improve whilst you're at home. That sounds good, doesn't it? So how do I get one?
Actually there's not much too it. I popped into a builder's merchants on the way home from a shopping centre and bought a single, 3.0m length of 4" x 4". No planning required. The cost was £7
3m might seem quite long at first, but it's probably the right length overall for what you need. I ended up cutting off two, 40cm segments into the car park as it wouldn't fit in the car in one piece.
The design, as you can see in the pictures, is pretty simple. After taking off the two supports (40cm each) you're left with around 2m of usable rail, which is a good length considering the size of different snowboards out there.
Nothing to it:
As far as the construction goes, I used a few 4" nails for each support. Longer probably would have been better, but they were the longest I had in the shed and I was keen to give it a try, and so far there haven't been any problems.
And there it is - a balance rail. Easy really; once you've got the wood you can put it together in 15 minutes. Now all you've got to do is use it...
About afterbang
Hello, my name is Gavin Hope; I really like to snowboard. Afterbang is a snowboarding blog: reviews, articles and resources to help snowboarders, with a dose of my personal snowboarding experiences mixed in. More...
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