# Boarder X Tips



## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

Today we had a boarder-cross race, very mellow course compared to what you see on tv but fun and challenging nonetheless, learned a few things during it and wanted to share. In case you're wondering...

16 and older division (i'm 31)
Quarterfinals = 1st place
Semifinals = 2nd place
Finals = 4th (6 man final)


*The start:*

Get the hole-shot! I found in practice that my start was better when my elbows were slightly bent rather than straight armed. Also if the start is steep, you may not want to pull as hard as possible, getting the board down on the snow and gliding down the drop in can help. I read about doing "half pulls" but I didn't specifically try that. Don't speed check if you just have rollers in front of you like we did. I was also packing down the snow in the gate, it was very warm and I wanted as smooth of a surface to launch from as possible. Timing is everything! Once you get on the course, stay low and keep your base flat, don't go edge to edge. Stay low, flat and straight. When I say low I mean wayyyyyyy lower than the position you'd normally ride in. Don't worry about bumping into other competitors, this is boardercross, it's going to happen. Keep your body quiet and let yourself gain as much speed off the start drop-in as possible.

*Rollers/Jumps:*

This is where alot of people were lacking, and the reason I got 4th in the finals. Do not just ride over the rollers, you want to absorb them with your knees and "pump" down the landing. If you don't know what pumping is, imagine yourself standing on a scale in your bathroom. If you push down on the scale the weight will increase. Just like that, you'll gain speed by that added force on the downside of the roller. Downhill is faster, uphill is slower, so you may also benefit from pre-olling. Don't try to ollie over the entire roller, you'll probably hit the top, but practice olling as you're riding up it, about halfway up depending on the roller size. The goal is to land on the top of the downside, to gain more speed and get rid of the speed loss riding up it.

The reason I lost time was because I was board-blocked on each side going up the roller (I didn't get a great start) and wasn't able to pre-ollie the first roller after the start, I caught a tiny bit off air off the top and that was enough to toss me back into 4th.

In the case of jumps it's a similar technique, time the take-off to land at the top of the landing. You're not gaining much speed in the air so use the landing as an extra hill. If you have to speed check to avoid overshooting it you can, the other competitors probably will as well. Stay LOW going off the jumps, and don't style over it. Pump down the landings and keep your board flat to the snow.

*Turns:*

You'll probably be going through banks/berms in the turns, and this is where alot of the accidents went on in our races. You have to judge the course, in our case it was best to start the turn high on the bank and cut down to prepare for the next bank (3 in a row, starting heelside, regular-foot). Don't try to keep the inside edge near the gates through the turns, the course will be getting icy or choppy and holding an edge throughout the turn will be difficult. Use the bank/berm, you'll maintain your speed and will be able to hold a line better. When you come out of the turn, pump again, no matter which way you go into the turn there will be some sort of downhill portion to it. If you're in a turn with someone and you're below them, dont be shy to tell them. We were placing hands on each others backs. DO NOT PUSH THEM you will be disqualified, just place your hand there and let them know you are there. Practice the turns a lot and find the bumps, ruts and best placement in the turn for the course you're riding. Hold your line and prepare for the next feature. You should be thinking about the course and plotting your line when on the chairlift or viewing area. Visualize yourself doing the course, it will help.

*Accidents:*

Gonna happen, don't care how easy the course looks when 6 people go into a turn that fits 3 people accidents will happen. Maybe not every race but when it happens it happens quick. Keep a close eye on the people ahead of you, if there's too many people going into a turn, you'll know it. Hang back and don't get caught up in the razor blade party. My friend went from last to 2nd (qualifying spot) because of a 3 man wreck in front of him. Think fast, it sounds stupid but I was a little tired before the race so I grabbed an energy drink to pep myself up, you're going to have to make very quick decisions at very high speeds so get a good nights sleep, eat well before the race and stay alert. One thing very important too is that if you wreck, get up and continue the course, someone else may crash and you can take their spot. Saw it happen on the lift, 2 separate crashes within 50 feet. It's also pretty class-act to finish a course even if you wreck.

Last but not least, have fun with it. If you and someone get first and second, toss out a high-five. Not only will it make the races more fun but if you're riding with a friend, meeting new people, and just having a good time it will take away the nervousness. Being nervous can lead to mistakes, mistakes mean losing or worse, a high speed crash. Case in point, my friend at the start said the guy behind me in 3rd in the quarterfinals made a mistake into the first turn and launched the berm like a kicker...you don't want that.

I left out waxing tips because it goes without saying. If you're racing you want a fast board, doesn't need to be explained. Refer to the waxing guides on the forums if more info is needed.

If anyone has anything to add to this please do so and I'll edit this post. Sorry if this seems lame to post, but it might help someone out there.


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## H2O(s) (Dec 4, 2009)

Legit post. What board are you racing, not an X8 I'm guessing?


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## karmatose (Dec 21, 2009)

Very cool. Thanks for the info!

This is something I really want to try next season and will take all the advice I can get!


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

H2O(s) said:


> Legit post. What board are you racing, not an X8 I'm guessing?


Thanks 

Nope I am running the X8, 155, it has a wicked fast base, in fact the first time I rode it properly waxed it scared me. Way faster than any other board I've ridden or owned. I may be investing in a race-freeride board next year as I'd like to pursue this a bit more. 



> Very cool. Thanks for the info!
> 
> This is something I really want to try next season and will take all the advice I can get!


Sure thing, let us know how it goes! We may have one more race at the end of the month if there's enough snow so I'm going to race again.

Edit: Should be noted I was also the smallest rider in the finals. Right now I weight about 145 soaking wet, and am only 5 foot 9, the rest of the racers were over 6 foot and were riding much longer boards.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Here's all you need to know about BX get an outside position pull out first and make sure to hard turn in front of everyone so they fall. When going around a turn take the inside and make sure to hit someone on the outside so they fly off the course. And finally don't be afraid to land on someone.


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## H2O(s) (Dec 4, 2009)

BurtonAvenger said:


> Here's all you need to know about BX get an outside position pull out first and make sure to hard turn in front of everyone so they fall. When going around a turn take the inside and make sure to hit someone on the outside so they fly off the course. And finally don't be afraid to land on someone.


Pretty sure you copy&pasted that from a roller derby forum, if such a thing exists.


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## Straick (Feb 28, 2010)

BurtonAvenger, your desicription of Boarder X sounds a lot like the king of the hill competition in Out Cold.


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## FLuiD (Jul 6, 2009)

Straick said:


> BurtonAvenger, your desicription of Boarder X sounds a lot like the king of the hill competition in Out Cold.


"Good evening. You all know the rules of King of the Mountain. Rule number one: you do not talk about King of the Mountain. Rule number two: there are no rules." 

That movie had some funny parts for sure! To the OP...Congrats, sounds fun. Where was this at?


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

Thanks, was a blast! This was at my home resort, a small resort called Brandywine. One of two "buy one pass for both" Boston Mills/Brandywine, Ohio Valley.


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## Straick (Feb 28, 2010)

Just thinking of Out Cold has me watching it again. Makes me wish I could ride like they do. Guess practice will allow that. Only remaining problem is finding someplace like that to ride.

P.S. You forgot about rule one being more of a guideline.


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

Few photos of the race (sorry can't post actual images, they are on the resorts site for sale)

Thats me out front, my friend John in 2nd...

PhotoReflect - Boston Mills Brandywine Resort - 3.7.10 Skier Boarder X at Brandywine

Me in the green bib, this is what I mean about avioding the crashes..

PhotoReflect - Boston Mills Brandywine Resort - 3.7.10 Skier Boarder X at Brandywine


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## dharmashred (Apr 16, 2009)

Awesome tips. My boy is doing his first Ruggie BX this sunday and has somehow convinced my dude (he's 31 also) to do it too. My little dude wants me to do it, but I'm not really interested in crashing...unless of course I'm the only "Master" woman, then I can just fuck around on the course by myself...but that actually doesn't mean I still won't crash... :laugh::laugh::laugh:.

BX8 - Did you actually _avoid_ the crash or is this an example of what not to do?? 

Great post dude. :thumbsup:


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

dharmashred said:


> Awesome tips. My boy is doing his first Ruggie BX this sunday and has somehow convinced my dude (he's 31 also) to do it too. My little dude wants me to do it, but I'm not really interested in crashing...unless of course I'm the only "Master" woman, then I can just fuck around on the course by myself...but that actually doesn't mean I still won't crash... :laugh::laugh::laugh:.
> 
> BX8 - Did you actually _avoid_ the crash or is this an example of what not to do??
> 
> Great post dude. :thumbsup:


Yeah I did everything I could to avoid it, the 2 other riders collided and went high, the guy in the purple bib (in the 2nd pic) hit the guy in front of him, he tried to recover but couldn't, hit my board and it kicked my tail out which sent me high (as you can see in the pic) I recovered and made it through. If you follow his edge lines in the snow with mine you can see the point at which we hit.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

H2O(s) said:


> Pretty sure you copy&pasted that from a roller derby forum, if such a thing exists.


No I quoted the bible of boardercross assholes and so it said from Palmer 4:20 Taketh out every thine asshole at the gate and thee shall nab they vagina at the end.


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

BurtonX8 said:


> Thanks
> 
> Nope I am running the X8, 155, it has a wicked fast base, in fact the first time I rode it properly waxed it scared me.


Great info...just gotta ask you something.

My X8 is probably just as fast as my custom X when i give it really good wax jobs, But my X8 is one yr older than yours and my edge angles are 1 and 1 so i was wondering did u tune your edges...especially your base edge to a higher angle like 3 to give you more glide when ur flat basing??


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## Mr. Polonia (Apr 5, 2009)

damn it X8,,,,where da hell r u?? answer my damn question!:laugh:


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## Deviant (Dec 22, 2009)

Mr. Polonia said:


> Great info...just gotta ask you something.
> 
> My X8 is probably just as fast as my custom X when i give it really good wax jobs, But my X8 is one yr older than yours and my edge angles are 1 and 1 so i was wondering did u tune your edges...especially your base edge to a higher angle like 3 to give you more glide when ur flat basing??


Hey sorry man I didn't see this till now, and yeah I beat a guy on a Custom X in the semifinals, lol.

I'm assuming the edge angles from my year to yours is the same. When I took mine to the shop I said for them to tune it to whatever it was stock. I don't know the specifics on the grip and rip edge tune burton talks about but I didn't do anything special before the event other than a warm snow wax and scraped in the parking lot  I really wasn't taking the event seriously, I mean before hand other than just practicing pre-olling, till I got first in the quarterfinals, then it was game on. In retrospect, I would guess more of a base bevel would've helped, but had no problems with it being "catchy" at all.

BTW, your X8 is one year newer than mine, not older. I met a guy near the end of this season that has the same weird feeling about the board being difficult to butter. It's not just you, although a little ollie into it and I can flex it like a mofo. It's just that initial flex point is weird.



Snowolf said:


> Good post... I like riding the course after the comps here at Meadows are done. Not into the actual competition, but I do enjoy blasting through the course...:thumbsup:


Thanks. Yeah they had part of the course made the day before (no gates up, and wasn't closed off) and we were goofing around riding it, but it was like a death-trap that day. You'd come over the big second roller only to see a family of 4 on skis snowplowing it into the first banked area. (BRAKES!)


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## Camor (Jan 28, 2010)

Man that looks like tons of fun. I got to try this next year when I'm 31 haha


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