# Flat base help



## Mr. Polonia

riding flat based takes some time to perfect.

It is easier to flat base on park boards because they are
1- softer
2- more forgiving
3- the angle of the base edge is higher, therefore it doesnt catch the snow as much

But the thing u have to learn is to keep your shoulders and head constantly *In Line* with your board and pointing downhill.

wherever your shoulders twist, is where the rest of your body will follow in one quick motion.
first your head, then your shoulders, then your arms, waist and eventually your board, resulting in an edge catch.

Try it slow on greens and keep everything in line:thumbsup:


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## Grizz

KISS, you could just not ride flat based. 

Why do you want to ride flat?


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## jpb3

Bend your knees. Seriously, bend your knees until you think your squatting enough and then bend them more.

If your properly aligned and bending at the knees you can pretty much point it anywhere and "flat base", the exception in when your going slow when traversing etc..


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## Mr. Polonia

Grizz said:


> KISS, you could just not ride flat based.
> 
> Why do you want to ride flat?


when u ride flat based epecially on long green flats, then this will actually make u go faster, because more of the base is exposed where the wax will help you glide, and edge riding actually creates more friction.


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## Guest

Thanks guys going back to the mountain Thursday gonna work on it some more.


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## rasmasyean

Other than edge tuning your board to raise the base edge off the ground and detuning tip and tail, I found that putting more weight on the nose helps. In effect what this does is make you tail more "loose" or "flailing" rather "dig in" on imperfect wobbles. I mean, not to the point of doing a nose press, but maybe like 80-20 or something? You can try that and tell me if that works for you at what weighting.

Unless you have a park-like board or tune, it might still wobble a bit depending on the terrian so it's a matter of attaining "corrective" balance via practice so this doesn't freak you out and throw you off.


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## Grizz

Mr. Polonia said:


> when u ride flat based epecially on long green flats, then this will actually make u go faster, because more of the base is exposed where the wax will help you glide, and edge riding actually creates more friction.



With a very slight edge engagement you will eliminate all the problems of riding flat based and still have 99% of the speed.


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## Grizz

Snowolf said:


> *PIVOT:*
> For flat based riding this one is key. Since you don`t want to edge, you really can`t turn. The only way to keep your board straight and aligned with your trajectory is to pivot it. Unwanted pivot on a flat based board is a wicked edge catch waiting to happen. The idea here is to ride as if your are doing a 50/50 down a box. Keep hips, shoulders and head aligned with your trajectory and the board will follow. Rotate out of this state at all and the board will pivot.
> 
> As Grizz points out, if the rider maintains a very low edge angle, any possible speed loss (in a few conditions) is well worth it because the rider does not have to juggle all of these board performance issues. Another benefit is if your are on an edge, you really don`t have to ever worry about catching an edge.


Wolf, What I'm really getting at you've outlined very well above. 

If the main reason to ride flat based is to keep up speed, wouldn't a pivot (skid) be the last thing you want to do for a direction change. 

As we've talked about before, it is possible to have the nose flat based for speed and keep the tail slightly on edge through twist. I think in most conditions this allows you the best combination of control and speed while crossing the flats.


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## baldylox

People always say that riding flat based is faster.....yet I am always passing them high on edge carving the flats. High enough to carve a thin rut but not high enough to really flex the board. :dunno:


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## Guest

Thanks snowolf that really helped


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## Mr. Polonia

cifex said:


> People always say that riding flat based is faster.....yet I am always passing them high on edge carving the flats. High enough to carve a thin rut but not high enough to really flex the board. :dunno:


not to start a war, but in my case, i pass people on flats while flat basing as others are on their edges, including skiiers who r pumping away. i learned how to perfect this lost art.

Then again i take my waxing to the next level...

flat basing works really well on hard pack where its harder to catch an edge and it will help u go faster. On the other hand like wolf said, during spring conditions its better to use a slight edge, and all the dirt and crap in the snow will actually slow u down if flat based.

Its all rider preference, On my softer X8 i flat base on flats, but on my harder Custom X, i do the Longitudinal twist like Grizz has mentioned:thumbsup:


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## Shadowrat

My brother and i had a lot of fun over the weekend at stratton seeing who could make the longest traverse without pushing. riding flat based definitely seemed to be the key in those conditions. hardpacked, icy, some crud.

this is only my second year riding. i remember trying to do this last year and constantly catching edges and ending up on my ass or face. luckily this year was different. I guess i improved a lot over the summer (go figure)

I noticed a couple of things that i think helped me this time. first, i'm just a lot more confident, and confidence makes me looser. i'm much better at absorbing little bumps and riding out the jitters and drifts that the board takes as crud and things push it around. Second, i noticed that my feet were making tiny tiny little corrections. When my front or tail would drift, my foot was just sort of instinctively putting some pressure on the right edge to bring it back in line. i wasn't digging in or anything, just very subtle weight shifts on my front and back foot. They both sort of worked independantly to twist the board. i noticed at some times i was presuring the toe on front, and the heel on back to keep myself going straight.

They don't seem to be the kind of adjustments you can do conciously either. I think it's more about just being comfortable on the board and instinct and muscle memory. After enough riding, your body learns how to keep itself going in the right direction.

I also noticed that the second day we were there, the greens were freshly groomed. on that surface, riding flat didn't seem to work as well as maintaining a little edge. oh, my calves were killing me.


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## Guest

Mr. Polonia said:


> when u ride flat based epecially on long green flats, then this will actually make u go faster, because more of the base is exposed where the wax will help you glide, and edge riding actually creates more friction.


Friction, ironically, is what makes you go fast. It heats up the snow, making a base of water which you glide on.


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## Grizz

no u said:


> Friction, ironically, is what makes you go fast. It heats up the snow, making a base of water which you glide on.


Or slow if you have the wrong base structure and wax. It's a fine line with friction.


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## Mr. Polonia

no u said:


> Friction, ironically, is what makes you go fast. It heats up the snow, making a base of water which you glide on.


thats not what i was talking about...there is more friction when the steel edge touches the snow as opposed to the waxed base.


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## Mr. Polonia

Like grizz said, a poor job on the base can and will slow you down.

A highly polished edge will also help in going faster, thats why they have extra fine grit stones for competitive races


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