# Knees and Forward lean.



## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

I have been riding for 6 years now, mostly alone. A long time surfer/rider friend joined me...and observing my riding gave me two key advices. Best advices ever.

A little forward lean in your bindings help a lot reducing that back side carve chatter, and engage that front edge faster. I avoided it because it eats up your calves faster, but I'm a fan now. Better turns, more responsive board.

*Tuck that back knee in, after the apex of your turn.*He noticed my tendency to open my back kneee toward the tail of the board, when squatting in the middle of a turn, especially heel side...Probably for stability, mostly for bad habit. Even with both positive angles ( +18+12)

Tucking it *IN* instead, (as he suggested) toward the center/nose of the board made the tail follow the nose in a much more correct and efficent way, eliminating yet more chatter and making my heelside carve as good as my toeside one, Add stability and style.

And one more:
I waxed abundantly 2 days ago, but scraped less...( usually I would scrape until almost nothing comes off, leaving a thin, well spread layer of wax.) 
This time I did just one strong passage (with a new scraper) leaving quite a bit of wax on the board... a nice even greasy layer that I conditioned with brush and cork. the board was FLYING on the windblown powder and on the slush-like frozen pow later. Best waxed base ever. So Scrape less, fly more.


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## PanHandler (Dec 23, 2010)

scrape less? Uhm...naw dude.

wax should be IN your board, not ON it. Scrape that shit all the way off.


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## snowfiend (Jan 20, 2011)

yeah it's probably just your imagination, the wax is supposed to be in the pores not on the surface


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

PanHandler said:


> scrape less? Uhm...naw dude.
> 
> wax should be IN your board, not ON it. Scrape that shit all the way off.


Dude man..I'm a maniac of waxing. I have been for the past 4 years. I used to scrape the hell out of it. I don't know if the sintered just absorbs and wants more...but leaving the board much greasier than usual (and having those snow conditions) made me slip trough flats and mini - hills I ALWAYS was short a couple of pushes.

I zipped trough them yesterday.
I'm not saying you don't have to scrape. I Do lay once and press the hot wax twice.,.that leaves a very even layer to start with. ONE deep pass with a sharp scraper did it for me. Wax was still plenty and very well conditioned in and over the base.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

snowfiend said:


> yeah it's probably just your imagination, the wax is supposed to be in the pores not on the surface


That could be too...and some vegetables readily available here in CA...But I'll stick with it. Greasy board for me


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## snowfiend (Jan 20, 2011)

i mean if you feel good about it go for it its not like its doing any real harm


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

I know...give it a try. How much do you scrape? I saw the Youtube video you posted about the cristian cunt...GAWD I want to kill her with my old board


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## bamfb2 (Mar 16, 2011)

pawlo said:


> A little forward lean in your bindings help a lot reducing that back side carve chatter, and engage that front edge faster. I avoided it because it eats up your calves faster, but I'm a fan now. Better turns, more responsive board.


Are you talking about carving heel side? How do you get forward lean in your bindings that way? Trying to curl your toes upwards towards your shins? I understand the concept of forward lean in the bindings when carving toe side.



> *Tuck that back knee in, after the apex of your turn.*He noticed my tendency to open my back kneee toward the tail of the board, when squatting in the middle of a turn, especially heel side...Probably for stability, mostly for bad habit. Even with both positive angles ( +18+12)


The one caveat I can think of is if you have a really flexible board. If it's a super loose board, tucking that knee in too much can cause you to wash out.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

People wax? I gave up on that bullshit. Also forward lean is for people that can't bend their knees or are riding half pipe.


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## fattrav (Feb 21, 2009)

BurtonAvenger said:


> People wax? I gave up on that bullshit. Also forward lean is for people that can't bend their knees or are riding half pipe.


Fuck! You are always one upping on something aren't you;

I dont wax
People send me new boards
My Mom died
Tall Tees are for gays
My knees sore
Forward lean's for trail slaves & pipe dicks

Look man, some people don't get to board everyday on a new board and roll through the park f'ward lean set to zero


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Wah someones upset they're moving to the desert.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

bamfb2 said:


> Are you talking about carving heel side? How do you get forward lean in your bindings that way? Trying to curl your toes upwards towards your shins? I understand the concept of forward lean in the bindings when carving toe side.
> 
> 
> 
> The one caveat I can think of is if you have a really flexible board. If it's a super loose board, tucking that knee in too much can cause you to wash out.


The A-Frame is one of the stiffest ALl mountain board you can find. Forward lean makes your calf push on the back of the binding soooner, because of the angle, and your edge engages sooner. Not too much..Just enough to carve perfectly. _ I do ride with both pos angles_ generally 21-18 for carving 18-9 for all else


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## fattrav (Feb 21, 2009)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Wah someones upset they're moving to the desert.


Nah, im moving to the swamp part to mate with koalas and hunt wallabys.


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## baconzoo (Nov 12, 2010)

*Use what works...*

I wax all the time. (scrape any wax build up off and brush it)
I use my forward lean maxed out.

I'm always the first one down.


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## keyaspectsoach (Nov 11, 2010)

bamfb2 makes a good point:



bamfb2 said:


> Trying to curl your toes upwards towards your shins?


Not sure about the massive + angles but if carving is all you wish to do then + angles on both front and back the way fwd.

Have a look at the following article I've just written about heel to toe turns and the good old highbacks and how using the toes is actually more efficient. 
How to make turning on a snowboard easier - stay off those highbacks! | Key Aspects Coaching



Snowolf said:


> I ride with little forward lean myself and don't like having much. As for the tucking in the back knee; this is more for people with forward stance angles. It really does very little with a duck stance and using the front foot is where the most effective steering comes from. A surfer will naturally tend to concentrate more on the rear foot due to habit.


Snowolf, have you ever experimented with driving both knees in towards each other at the end of a carve turn. then just before switching edge drive them back out. POP..!
Normal riding stance, cruse on a blue run with a fair amount of speed with nice wide open carves, try to stay centred, not to much front and back foot steering going on and give it a go. I know it's not really 'traditional' but defiantly fun. Would be good to hear your thoughts!


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## bamfb2 (Mar 16, 2011)

Interesting post, key. Thanks.


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