# [EDGES] Flat Spots on the Hill



## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

Hey guys, came here to ask for some tips about riding straight alternating edges.

Most of the time that I am on flat, and uneven, terrain I was going straight with the board flat, but today I started putting a little bit of pressure on my toes, then flat, then heels, then flat until the falling line starts to become more steeper.

BUT, always has a BUT, there are some parts that it's really narrow and, at this moment, I am not comfortable to make the movements that I do when the terrain is a little bit wider.

So, you guys have any tips? (this is another thing that I am going to work with my Instructor)
The narrow part that I am struggling is also a little bit steeper, so right now I am heel sliding almost to the bottom part of the fall line and then go straight to get some speed to pass through the flat part.

I am using this YouTube video as reference because it's quite similar, but just more steeper.:


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

Searching over the forum I found this:



> "Imho, the problem is that you are not weighting your nose enough...you are probably in the back seat and thus the tail of your board wants to swing around heelside or toeside (remember the weighted end wants to go first). So when you trying to go straight in the flats and in the back seat...then when you change edges they catch...BOOM. To correct this, merely shift your hips forward/sideways toward the nose...just a bit to slightly have more weight on the nose...an inch or so. Then you can rock your heels and toes back and forth to change edges and maintain a straight glide. And as long as your nose has some weight the various minor ruts and bumps on the flats won't throw you if you are relaxed and loose enough...with good form...,i.e., knees bent, closed shoulders, straight back riding in a neutral position with a slight weight on the nose. Weighting the nose also helps when you are hauling ass and the board seems squirrely...which merely means your weight is too much on the tail."


Link: http://www.snowboardingforum.com/ti.../33463-noobie-question-straight-glides-2.html


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

ahh...its also all in the creepy basement vid...except rocking the ankles


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

In part, that's why I did the vid...is because alot of movement and body position for a newb is hard to see when a person is moving with abunch of baggy clothes....and did the tape thing to highlight the movements.


You are moving in to the mental aspect of riding...alot is a matter of perspective...narrowness/wide and speed...and then there is managing anxiety, imagery/visualization, expectations and managing energy/focus/mindfulness flow.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

Yeah was going to say weight your front foot, make sure your body is in a nice neutral position (i.e not causing any rotation) and stay loose - I see you already have these tips covered. 

It is possible to go perfectly straight with an edge slightly engaged (I prefer toe edge) - I'm not 100% certain how I'm doing this though (maybe someone can help out?) My guess would be that I'm using a touch of body rotation to counter the sidecut trying to turn? Never really thought about it before but it's interesting.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Snow Hound said:


> Yeah was going to say weight your front foot, make sure your body is in a nice neutral position (i.e not causing any rotation) and stay loose - I see you already have these tips covered.
> 
> It is possible to go perfectly straight with an edge slightly engaged (I prefer toe edge) - I'm not 100% certain how I'm doing this though (maybe someone can help out?) My guess would be that I'm using a touch of body rotation to counter the sidecut trying to turn? Never really thought about it before but it's interesting.


It's by keeping your weight over your heels while you pressure your toes. That's why it's easier on your toe side.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

You need to feel the pressure. Only apply slight pressure on one side won't cause the board to turn.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Snow Hound said:


> It is possible to go perfectly straight with an edge slightly engaged (I prefer toe edge) - I'm not 100% certain how I'm doing this though (maybe someone can help out?) My guess would be that I'm using a touch of body rotation to counter the sidecut trying to turn? Never really thought about it before but it's interesting.


Lol, I just tried to think of how I do it and... not sure as well :laugh: Need to monitor tomorrow on the board


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

It's been snowing in Central Alberta since this morning, light snow but enough to accumulated around 1 1/2 inches.

I am not sure if I am going to my local hill tomorrow, I am still recovering from some injuries (nothing bad), but this fresh snow is calling me.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

just remember whenever you're in teh flats that you can go straight while still keeping pressure on one edge or the other. 

as long as you're mindful about being on one of them, even the slight pressure is all thats needed, its losing focus and letting the board flat base that causes these kind of wipeouts you had. 

if the board is flat as flat and you aren't intentionally weighted, it doesnt take much for one edge to downhill dig, causing a scorpion


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

The other really key thing to success on flats is to make sure you keep your hips and your shoulders inline with your board. 

We are so used to facing square to the direction we are traveling that we don't realize we are "squaring up" on our board and before we know it the scorpion bites.

Keep your entire body inline with your board.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

Oldman said:


> The other really key thing to success on flats is to make sure you keep your hips and your shoulders inline with your board.
> 
> We are so used to facing square to the direction we are traveling that we don't realize we are "squaring up" on our board and before we know it the scorpion bites.
> 
> Keep your entire body inline with your board.


This would have been my assertion also but I was corrected on another forum. It depends on the riders stance - if a rider has a forward stance then their neutral body position would be more open and forward facing than someone with a duck stance.

The key is to have a neutral body position, one that asserts no turning forces on the board. For those that ride duck (most of us) this indeed means hips and shoulders in line with the board.

Sorry for the pedantry. I'm sat around waiting for snow.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Oldman said:


> The other really key thing to success on flats is to make sure you keep your hips and your shoulders inline with your board.
> 
> We are so used to facing square to the direction we are traveling that we don't realize we are "squaring up" on our board and before we know it the scorpion bites.
> 
> Keep your entire body inline with your board.





Snow Hound said:


> This would have been my assertion also but I was corrected on another forum. It depends on the riders stance - if a rider has a forward stance then their neutral body position would be more open and forward facing than someone with a duck stance.
> 
> The key is to have a neutral body position, one that asserts no turning forces on the board. For those that ride duck (most of us) this indeed means hips and shoulders in line with the board.
> 
> Sorry for the pedantry. I'm sat around waiting for snow.


To add more confusion: I've duck angles but a very fwd body position and the board still rides as straight as I want it to go :happy: 

I've monitored today on purpose. It's the angle/tilt which makes the board on edge ride straight or turn. On edge but low tilt: straight. More tilt: turn. Body position didn't matter; straight legs, knees bent, fwd oriented, aligned, backwards... tilt: turn, less tilt: straight. And tilt is controlled by feet/ancles.

OP, begin with "proper" body positioning first as @Oldman mentions. As long as not all body parts are used to work independently this will ease the process to gain first edge control. But after that? Fool around  Get your feet to independently - automatically - control the edge, no matter what your upper body does. Go straight, just slightly on edge and swing your arms, look backwards, stand up straight then bend knews, crouch as low as you manage, hop a.s.o. every other handfull seconds. Your feet will learn to compensate the odd movements above bit by bit.


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

For all replies above, thanks. Today is the best day to try, lot's of fresh snow, but I need to save a little bit of money.

About neutral body position, I am still trying to make sure that I am on neutral position (just like the creepy basement video), but my shoulders are really close and inline with the board (I tend to use +15/-9 and next time I will try +18/-9).

Front shoulder:
Always pointing where I'd like to go, respecting body dynamic to make turns, more aggressive movement when needed and more relax when cruising.

Back shoulder:
Normally following the tail, where my back hand helps to keep inline with the board.

Hips:
Controlling my center of gravity together with my knees. When I started working with my hips and knees kind of together I started doing turns more easily, and I realized the combination of these two, using your shoulders to keep you in a good square, helps a lot in your position, aggressive or relaxed.

Foot:
Here is where I believe that I need to work more. I am almost sure that if I start trying more gently pressures I will tend to understand how my upper body movement is reflecting on my foot pressure on the board.

So, thanks again, one day after other


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

Keep an edge locked in at all times. There's no shame in making a speed check skid every once in a while. When deciding how much speed you can control on something like that you have to balance the bummer of getting stuck in the flats with potential inconvenience/harm/death that comes with going off the edge of the trail. If you dump too much speed and get stuck then grab onto a skier.


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

So yesterday I went to my local hill and:

*Flat parts with the terrain even and almost on even conditions:* I rode straight with no problem, but I had to move my weight a lot to the front, to keep and/or get some speed, my back foot was pressing considerable the toe edge, and my front foot was flat and being used to direct me throw the flat part (pressing the necessary edge and moving my front knee to initiate a small turn). The good thing was that I left behind a lot of other boarders, of course, the board is almost brand new, but more or less 5 or 6 boarders I left behind because of my speed and how easy the board was sliding. In one part of my local hill I hit 42km/h doing this with total control of the board.

*Flat parts with terrain in not so even conditions:* in this situation it seems that my back foot want to go to the front (seat back problems probably). I ride regular, so my back feet was trying to move to the front by heel edge (imagine yourself in your stance, then your back foot wanting to go to the front by you heel edge). When this was happening and avoid to have a huge fall, I simply moved my weight to my toe edge and started to make a little long turn on my toes avoiding getting an heel edge because my not so correct body posture (in one moment I will fix this).

Here is the Trace link: Trace


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