# Powder Bindings Position Q?



## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Big difference. If you don't have a true powder board set those bindings back.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

linvillegorge said:


> Big difference. If you don't have a true powder board set those bindings back.


I ride a 172 Lib Skunk Ape, it's a big, wide surfboard, It's good in powder, I think the problem is ME, but again, I want to do everything possible to help me get better.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

Get those bindings all the way back, lean back and carry speed


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## 509-pow (Feb 22, 2011)

o ya it will be a huge diff. i have a 164.5 trice and when i set back the bindings it was like crazy how much it helped. my problem in pow is my weight. my big ass just sinks.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

509-pow said:


> o ya it will be a huge diff. i have a 164.5 trice and when i set back the bindings it was like crazy how much it helped. my problem in pow is my weight. my big ass just sinks.


swallowtail will fix that


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

ETM said:


> swallowtail will fix that


interesting…. I'm 225lbs, and I find myself sinking as well …






look at the tip of that board, always up … hmmmm might have to buy another board … 

how are shallow tails, on groomers, and non pow conditions… obviously you cant ride switch…


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## 509-pow (Feb 22, 2011)

realy? i might look into that but we dont have that many pow days for me to get one of those. i just hit 280 and dropping every week.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

On a groomer you wont even know you are riding a swallowtail. Its big taper that makes a board not want to carve as good. 
Minimal taper is needed with a swallowtail + shovel nose.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

looks like these guys are riding with positive angles on their bindings… that would be weird to get used to.


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## 509-pow (Feb 22, 2011)

that last video is sick. is there anything else that would help on pow days. like i dont know much about edges. i have a megnatraction board.


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## skip11 (Jan 28, 2010)

It will help, but mostly you just need to learn how to ride powder. I've ridden my 153 Lib T.Rice (centered or 0.5 inch back, I forgot) on a 25-40cm pow day on Whistler's bowls and did fine, granted a bit of back leg work.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

Them guys are rocking pure pow boards, swallowtail, shovel nose, massive setback and probably massive taper too.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

also the speed they are carrying has a lot to do with how well the are floating too.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

At 225# on a 172 Skunk Ape, you shouldn't be having any issues. Set the bindings back a little bit and make an effort to keep that nose up.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

AIRider said:


> interesting…. I'm 225lbs, and I find myself sinking as well …
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A couple of things to notice how he is generally pointing it and just surfing along...no slashes nor turns...just kind of rocking the edges and staying on the tail, the trees generally have more space and lower angle slope than Baker's; also the pow looks to be fluffier than we usually get.

As for your size on a 172 lib...should not be a problem to float, set bindings back...otherwise part is just technique of surfing...keeping your speed up and waiting for the turn to come instead of making it happen. In some ways Baker is a technical hill, i.e., steep, narrow, compact and lots of terrain to pay attention to...so you learn to aggressively turn....to be on the nose...turning for speed control and etc. There are no really big wide areas to just surf along. Thus its kind of a different thing...learning to surf for seemingly short 5-10 seconds blasts. A couple good things are often the snow is wet and heavy...so its more cream cheese surfing...which is great for about the first hour before it gets mobbed...then its chopped crap to ride. Or fluffy and it still gets mobbed but holds up better. The other thing is steep lines are good but you just have to balls up and point it. Part of the difficulties at Baker often visability is a issue, the steeps are steep and pointing it even in the deep fluff or cream cheese...results in hauling ass for a few seconds then shutting it down to negotiate some terrain or go flying off of some natty, stomping it and keep going...and the wide open bowls on gunners would be perfect but are often closed when there is lots of fluff and then you have the groomed canyon which is not great on a big poo board...while the less angled stuff seems a bit too slow to float. So under chair 8, austins, gunners, above the chute, stickies and north to peas can be good places to open it up and point it on some deep fresh before it gets mobbed out. 

In summary you got a fine poo board, speed is your friend...wait and build speed to make turns...And pick your lines wisely...and if you are going to stop, stop on the very steep so you can get going again.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

AIRider said:


> looks like these guys are riding with positive angles on their bindings… that would be weird to get used to.


Nitro swallowtail 196 That's Sestriere in Italy.
I ride a 158 A-Frame (Arbor) and I'm 140lb. On a deep day I set it all the way back and it turns into a surf long board. Love it.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

Your likely just not that used to powder yet. Are you riding sufficiently steep terrain, or stuff that has a mellower pitch? Steeper the better in powder, you want as much speed as possible, especially when the powder is deep. 

Does the Skunk Ape have rocker? That really helps.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Listen to Wrath. He speaks truth. Baker can be a bitch when it's crazy deep. That board should be plenty of board for pow surfing. Just keep at it and you'll figure it out.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

Hi guys, me again … So last week was another epic day at baker, but this time I moved my bindings all the way to the back, and you guys were right… Made a world of difference… 

here's how it all looked .. no more getting stuck


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

Thank you Wolf, and all the others in this tread, I feel like I'm getting better in powder, and will only improve with time spend in deep snow. I feel like I uncovered another dimension of snowboarding, totally different mechanics as opposed to groomers, and keeping my weight on the front of the board. 

It's like wow, this is fun. I'm learning and that's what's important. I still can't believe that it has only been a year and a half since I started. I'm am totally addicted and kinda sad this season is comming to and end slowly.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

AIRider said:


> Thank you Wolf, and all the others in this tread, I feel like I'm getting better in powder, and will only improve with time spend in deep snow. I feel like I uncovered another dimension of snowboarding, totally different mechanics as opposed to groomers, and keeping my weight on the front of the board.
> 
> It's like wow, this is fun. I'm learning and that's what's important. I still can't believe that it has only been a year and a half since I started. I'm am totally addicted and kinda sad this season is comming to and end slowly.


Watch it...Powder will make you an addict...and the only fix is more powdah


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

KIRKRIDER said:


> Watch it...Powder will make you an addict...and the only fix is more powdah


I know. I am monitoring the weather reports like a Hawk. \


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

KIRKRIDER said:


> Watch it...Powder will make you an addict...and the only fix is more powdah


when there is 8-9"+ work can fuck off, ill call in sick and i skip classes without even thinking about it. Powder is just too much fun! What sucks is its impossible to truly explain just how wonderful surfing a foot of pow in complete solitude to someone who hasn't done it. Its just one of those feelings.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

IdahoFreshies said:


> when there is 8-9"+ work can fuck off, ill call in sick and i skip classes without even thinking about it. Powder is just too much fun! What sucks is its impossible to truly explain just how wonderful surfing a foot of pow in complete solitude to someone who hasn't done it. Its just one of those feelings.


Ohh man, I couldn't have said it better myself. It's like explaining what sex feels like to a virgin.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

Those trees look perfectly spaced, for some pow surfing. I hate it when they're too dense, and I feel like I don't have enough time to change directions in time.


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> (yep! here I am talking smack about Meadows again.....)


oh ya, you sure steered me away from that resort. dont think i EVER want to go there after seeing the shots of great tree lines and deep snow..


my brundage video from last week. 








AIRider said:


> Those trees look perfectly spaced, for some pow surfing. I hate it when they're too dense, and I feel like I don't have enough time to change directions in time.


its really weird how when the trees are dense enough and the hill isnt quite steep enough you can REALLY get disoriented and lose the fall line. In the 4th shot of the vid i believe it was a thick part of brundage and i of course wanted to go straight down the fall line so I got the most amount of time in the trees, well i end up almost cutting across the glade and missing half of it because it dumped me on a cat track on the resort boundary and i couldn't really get back in. I did that TWICE in a row. after i knew i messed up I went back and did it again and even though i took a different path through the trees i still cut sideways across the glade and ended up almost the same place on the cat track. i was quite furious.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

AIRider said:


> Those trees look perfectly spaced, for some pow surfing. I hate it when they're too dense, and I feel like I don't have enough time to change directions in time.


But if you're late (or if it's windy as hell), that's where the pow still lurks.


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

2ft of powder is a nice dump, living in Japan we often get lots more than that of fresh so I am used to ring powder.

Thats pretty much all I ride (at least 70% plus).

The advice the others have shared is right on:thumbsup:. I usually set back a couple of notches on a big powder day here.

The more powder you ride the better you get, no substitute for practice, but in general leaning back a little and steering from the back with low angle gentle turns will help.

If the pow is heavy and wet then even on a steep slope you want to keep pointed down the mountain and just make low angle sweeping turns. I find with my intermediate buddies who come with me into the pow one of the biggest issues is the fear of pointing the tip straight down a steep slope. They usually try to turn hard and with too big an angle, the drag of the heavy snow slows them down so much they fall or get stuck. 

The powder acts as a brake and will slow you down so just point it. If there are lots of dense trees its much harder and I recommend getting used to powder in open spaces before hitting the trees. I love tight tree runs with powder but they also present a risk if you get it wrong.

Powder is snowboarding for me. Looks like next week will bring some fresh dumps to Japan and I'll be in the white room again.


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## FtCS4 (Dec 30, 2010)

linvillegorge said:


> But if you're late (or if it's windy as hell), that's where the pow still lurks.


Yup. Hid in the trees all day at Copper on saturday. Fresh lines nearly all day


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

I cant wait to get better and hide in the trees as well, I can hit some side trees for now, but nothing too dense or out of bounds... Jealous of you guys.


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## KIRKRIDER (Mar 18, 2008)

IdahoFreshies said:


> when there is 8-9"+ work can fuck off, ill call in sick and i skip classes without even thinking about it. Powder is just too much fun! What sucks is its impossible to truly explain just how wonderful surfing a foot of pow in complete solitude to someone who hasn't done it. Its just one of those feelings.


Totally agree.. I get insane when it starts to dump, and simply declare " I'm going tomorrow" which generally triggers a fight of sort with my wife (since I'm not working at the moment) I never ever experienced such a high in sports. and I have been rock climbing all my life. I get excited when I go climbing. But powder makes m e absolutely maniacal. I have to go.


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## AIRider (Dec 25, 2010)

KIRKRIDER said:


> Totally agree.. I get insane when it starts to dump, and simply declare " I'm going tomorrow" which generally triggers a fight of sort with my wife (since I'm not working at the moment) I never ever experienced such a high in sports. and I have been rock climbing all my life. I get excited when I go climbing. But powder makes m e absolutely maniacal. I have to go.


Amen to that. I stopped waiting for the wife to have a day off. Otherwise, I'd never be on the mountain.


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