# How Do I go straight and fast Without faceplanting?



## Guest

I try to go straight but the board starts sliding flat all over and i will either catch my heel edge or toe edge and eat shit? any help


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## jegnorge

try to do it at slower speeds.


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## Guest

Ride on an edge.


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## rasmasyean

http://www.snowboardingforum.com/tips-tricks-instructors/24603-flat-base-help.html


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## maf05r6

You have to stay on an edge a little bit. Riding flat will help you to catch an edge as you've found out.


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## Vlaze

You do not need to ride on an edge to keep it straight, that is false unless the matter is you have not used a gummy stone or diamond stone on your edges to get rid of burrs. When I got back into boarding I was lazy and got it sharpened once in two seasons, never cared to read into the edge maintenance and like you, my board had a mind of its own on flats unless I was on the edge.

Use a gummy stone, make sure your edges are burr free and keep at it at slower speeds until you are comfortable on it. It takes time balancing and becoming comfortable at higher speeds having control of the board. If you don't control your board, it will control you. It does also help to have at least a 1+ degree base bevel instead of 0 degrees but isn't necessary if you maintain your edges.

I have no issue charging down runs flat on my board without engaging the edge whatsoever and that's for both camber and rocker style boards.

*edit* 

One more thing I want to add it make sure you have equal weight over both feet. Based on my experience I find beginners-intermediate sometimes even more advance still put more weight on their rear foot preferring it for control over their boards when turning when you use it like a rudder instead of using the front foot to lead. I'm guilty at times of doing this myself. This will make it a lot easier for your board to come around on you when you're trying to go straight. I told some friends this year the same thing when learning how to get off the lift; once he put more weight on his front foot getting off the board stayed straight so he didn't have it come around on him to fall over. Same is true when trying to hold a straight line; make sure you have equal weight distribution or maybe even a little more on the front.


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## Tarzanman

Depending on the kind of terrain you are riding on:
If the snow is relatively smooth (groomed) then point your board straight down the mountain and put some serious bend in your knees. The idea is to stay just loose enough to 'absorb' the small shunts and movement (on the 'yaw' axis) from small edge catches. 

You will still be more unstable than riding on an edge, but you will pick up speed. Depending on the slope and conditions, you might want to weight the back of the board slightly. YMMV



Notoriousmlg said:


> I try to go straight but the board starts sliding flat all over and i will either catch my heel edge or toe edge and eat shit? any help


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## Grizz

Vlaze said:


> You do not need to ride on an edge to keep it straight.


While technically true, I think in the OPs case using a little edge (99% flat 1% edge) would be the quickest and most effective way to solve their problem.

As a side note, I've noticed when most people "feel" they are running the board flat they actually have a little edge engagement.


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## The_Guchi

practice edge contol............


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## Guest

*fairly new to boarding*

i have the back carving down 
can't seem to grasp the toe carving - any tips on how to do it without eating snow?


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## The_Guchi

mellybelly said:


> i have the back carving down
> can't seem to grasp the toe carving - any tips on how to do it without eating snow?




snowolf has some great stuff for beginners here - snowboard-lessons-video

nice thread jack


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## Guest

awesome thanks! ill check it out!


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## Tarzanman

Be careful charging straight down the mountain without an edge engaged. I was on a lift a month ago and saw this dude hauling down a groomed blue. It wasn't very steep but the board was flat and he was clearly on a mission to carry as much speed as possible.

By time I pointed him out to my roommate he wiped out in a huge cloud of powder.


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## Tarzanman

That transition can be tricky to get down... I say this because I forced myself to ride switch for a couple of runs and that was the 'weak link' with linking my turns.

Commit to the direction your board is going in and don't be afraid to weight the front foot some. Practice!


mellybelly said:


> i have the back carving down
> can't seem to grasp the toe carving - any tips on how to do it without eating snow?


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## Deviant

Tarzanman said:


> .
> 
> Commit to the direction your board is going in and don't be afraid to weight the front foot some. Practice!


Yes, for the love of god don't lean way back. We all see it everyday, the kid that's hauling balls down the hill standing on his back foot. We just turn our heads, watch and wait for it to happen


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## Guest

thanks guys!
hopefully i get it down soon!


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## SchultzLS2

mellybelly said:


> i have the back carving down
> can't seem to grasp the toe carving - any tips on how to do it without eating snow?


Just lean forward.

And why ride flat? Bombing hills isn't that fun.


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## SPAZ

K1tt3n5 said:


> Ride on an edge.


/thread.
you cant ride without an edge unless you are buttering.


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## Tototundu

SPAZ said:


> /thread.
> you cant ride without an edge unless you are buttering.


im a newbie so bear with me. what is buttering?


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## Guest

u shouldnt being going down a hill straight anyways u need 2 learn to carve. and when u toe side carve make sure u keep on leaning when u do it, it may feel wierd at first but it just takes some practice


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## Guest

Tototundu said:


> im a newbie so bear with me. what is buttering?


Idk how well I can explain it, but I guess you could explain it with its kinda like balancing on the nose of you board and spinning. A lot of people do it just messing around or going to the park. If anybody has a better way of expalining please do.

Also and for the original question in this thread, you deffinately need to learn your edges to ride straight, its the key piece i guess you could say. I learned from riding "backseat" even though you arent supposed to ride like that i learned to ride my heal edge by riding backseat and as I got better I stopped backseating it, maybe that would help you?


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## Guest

Backseating is hard as hell not to do when first starting.


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## Guest

K1tt3n5 said:


> Backseating is hard as hell not to do when first starting.


Yes it is, but the results from backseating it are deffinately a learning experience (especially in the park)


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## Guest

MreeceW said:


> Yes it is, but the results from backseating it are deffinately a learning experience (especially in the park)


pain? or something good?


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## Guest

K1tt3n5 said:


> pain? or something good?


I personally think its something good out of pain, ya know the realization of "hey that kinda hurts lets not do it like that again" so i guess both


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## wrathfuldeity

pain could be "stupidity leaving your body"

















really....get in the front seat and drive


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## Guest

wrathfuldeity said:


> get in the front seat and drive


That would be a reaction to the stupid leaving your body :thumbsup:


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## Guest

SPAZ said:


> you cant ride without an edge unless you are buttering.


what on earth do you mean? unless i am missing something obvious, this is nonsense. i can ride a flat board - no edge - without buttering.

alasdair


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## krazykunuck

snowboard slang

that will help you.


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## rasmasyean

Tototundu said:


> im a newbie so bear with me. what is buttering?


You bend your board as in applying butter to toast.

YouTube - GROUNDTRICK MOVIE 08?09?


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## rasmasyean

K1tt3n5 said:


> Backseating is hard as hell not to do when first starting.


I find it easier to ride flat when shifting most of the wieght to the front foot. The wobbles will then happen most on the tail like how a "dart" is heavy in the tip.


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## n2i1c3k7

Vlaze said:


> You do not need to ride on an edge to keep it straight, that is false unless the matter is you have not used a gummy stone or diamond stone on your edges to get rid of burrs. When I got back into boarding I was lazy and got it sharpened once in two seasons, never cared to read into the edge maintenance and like you, my board had a mind of its own on flats unless I was on the edge.
> 
> Use a gummy stone, make sure your edges are burr free and keep at it at slower speeds until you are comfortable on it. It takes time balancing and becoming comfortable at higher speeds having control of the board. If you don't control your board, it will control you. It does also help to have at least a 1+ degree base bevel instead of 0 degrees but isn't necessary if you maintain your edges.
> 
> I have no issue charging down runs flat on my board without engaging the edge whatsoever and that's for both camber and rocker style boards.
> 
> *edit*
> 
> One more thing I want to add it make sure you have equal weight over both feet. Based on my experience I find beginners-intermediate sometimes even more advance still put more weight on their rear foot preferring it for control over their boards when turning when you use it like a rudder instead of using the front foot to lead. I'm guilty at times of doing this myself. This will make it a lot easier for your board to come around on you when you're trying to go straight. I told some friends this year the same thing when learning how to get off the lift; once he put more weight on his front foot getting off the board stayed straight so he didn't have it come around on him to fall over. Same is true when trying to hold a straight line; make sure you have equal weight distribution or maybe even a little more on the front.


sorry, but what are burrs


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## Mr. Polonia

n2i1c3k7 said:


> sorry, but what are burrs


when u file the edge of any metal, u will create these sharp, irregular inconsistancies on the edge.

These burred edges are really sharp and if u dont run a gummy stone or diamond stone along the edge after you sharpened it, it will cuz erratic behavior of your board while riding.


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## Lives2fly

If I ride flat - accross traverse sections or whatever - i just lean forward, keep my shoulders in line with the board and apply a little edge if i need to turn the board for any reason.

correct with your edges then then let the board go flat again.


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