# Sadly Enough: Going Straight



## Guest (Sep 23, 2009)

Ive been boarding for several years now, Usually only get out 3-4 times a year, and is quite humiliating for me to ask this considering my experiance. Can go anywhere on the mountain, park, etc, but still have trouble going on a long flat run. I know to keep an edge, but usually what happens is I either:

A) Keep a slight edge, but ultimately end up doing a slight flatspin, asking to catch an edge,

B) Alternate edges every couple of seconds to avoid A, but end up slowing myself down. 

Obviously this makes me look like an idiot, considering Ive been boarding longer than some of my friends and yet have this problem.

Is there anything I'm missing (knees more/less bent or something?) or just time solves everything (In which I waited so long to ask this for)


Might be important to note I have yet to get set binding angles. I did duck for a couple years as someone told me (15/-15 I think), and now in some forward stance. Would poorly configured bindings (They arent poorly setup, but possibly for my specific ride style) contribute to this?


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2009)

I was just about to say I had the same issue, and fixed it by bending a little more. I was fairly stiff legged and when I tried going onto a slight edge, it just wasn't enough as stiff knees don't allow for much lean. 

Another problem I had was I wasn't keeping my shoulders parallel to my board enough, it would cause me to skid on my turns too much, and the board would pivot left or right further than I wanted. To maintain speed yet still doing small turns I did what Snowolf has suggested. Keep the shoulders parallel to the board, and use a bit of a carving technique where you simply lean forward, and lean back, without engaging the forward foot first. This stopped my board from turning left or right too much. 

He applied this in his Cat Tracks vid - trying to maintain speed while performing smaller turns. He shows you exactly what you need to do.
YouTube - Riding On Cat Tracks


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## TomNZ (Aug 10, 2009)

If I'm going fast on the flats I generally try to stay a little flexed (not totally upright, but not flexed like crazy either), keep my weight slightly towards my front foot, and perform really long, shallow turns. Basically leaning enough to lift my edge a couple of degrees, just to keep myself stable. As a general rule, you only need to turn enough to follow the natural curves of the track - unless it's totally straight of course. Keep your legs soft to absorb any little bumps and stop yourself from getting the wobbles. Doing this, I can go really far on the flats - it's very satisfying hooning past all the beginner snowboarders who ran out of speed and have to skate, or take off their board walk 

If you're drifting into a bit of a 180 when you're doing a lazy flat turn, it's probably because you're nervous and you're sticking your back foot flat, while turning slightly with your front foot. Make sure you're crouched and leaning into the turn with both legs. If you think you're going to turn sideways, then you probably will


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

another thing to check is if u have detuned edges or not cause if they are like factory sharp and u never got em detuned they can be realy grabby and make going strait a bit harder.

you don't need to detune much, but just a little bit to make it less likely to catch an edge, no need to take your whole edge off like your doing rails.


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## Milo303 (Apr 6, 2009)

I usually don't get on an edge for going on flats personally.... I was having some issues as well and my edges were my problem. Now my edges are duller and I don't get the random catching for no reason.

I'm a very stiff person in general and to bend the way that's needed is fairly difficult for me.... I've been working on my flexibility all summer and hope this winter will be easier.

But I would start by detuning your edges, and riding flat if that's what makes you comfy.


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## Guest (Sep 24, 2009)

I have roughly 15 full day sessions on my board, probably dulled enough? probably only hit a couple dozen boxes on it.

Can you elaborate on the accidentally flattening back foot / turning with front?


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## twin89 (Jan 21, 2009)

well even if you have some days on the hill i would get your contact points dulled a little if you have never done it before, and as well as completly rounding off your nose and tail cause u don't need sharp edges there and they can only cause problems. 

personally i find that i can go flat based when going strait, it jsut takes some practice.

when going on flats i personally find it easier to kind of relax on my back leg a little or at least take my contact points out of play, this may be bad technique but i have never had any problems with going strait and doing that.

i think what you are really supposed to (which will take a lot of practice, i can't do it) is acutally engage both edges at once. So if you are regular you will be ridding with you heel edge on your left foot and your toe edge with your right foot or vice versa. so one will be twisting their board to kind of ride on the rails of your board. i personally have had a very hard time doing this and find it much easir to go flat based and just be careful with your edges.

i think snow wolf could explain that technique much better, i have read him talking bout it before but i can't find the thread.


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## laz167 (Nov 27, 2007)

The best thing for riding long flats for me is...Knees slightly bent, relaxed is the key, body parallel to the board (no upper body twisting)..thats for your body. As for the board what I do is I ride half the board flat, meaning the front half of my board is flat while the back half is twisted. I do this by keeping my knees slightly bent and with my rear heel I dig the heel edge into the snow. This will give you an edge hold. Just keep your front foot flat and your rear foot(toe lifted) to twist the board. I also have the task this year to teach my GF who can't ride flats.. Good luck.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Just bend your knees/squat with your back straight/pelvis tucked/tilted forward...how? by tightening your butt...buns of steel; hips and shoulders stacked/inline directly over your ankles; keep your knees loose...how to have loose knees?...focus tightening the muscles just above the knees...not your whole upper thigh/legs; shoulders closed/parallel and shift your hips toward the nose (just an inch or so...to weight the nose)...then your tail will follow the nose and not swing around and catch an edge. That way you can ride fairly flat based, keeping up the speed for the flats and know that you can handle any irregularites in the snow/trac without gettin tossed.


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## arsenic0 (Nov 11, 2008)

Yup when i am going flat i keep a very slight edge and duck down nice and low...helps me stay more balanced over the board.


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## MunkySpunk (Jan 7, 2009)

I thought this thread was going to be about Sedition. :laugh:


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## Flick Montana (Jul 9, 2007)

MunkySpunk said:


> I thought this thread was going to be about Sedition. :laugh:


Win.

Thanks to all who participated.

/thread






Seriously, though. You should always keep a little bit of an edge and it shouldn't slow you down too much. I always alternate back and forth ever so slightly and I don't usually have problems. Maybe your board needs a good waxing.

Bottom line, there is NEVER a reason to flat base. Personally, I think it is dangerous to you and other boarders if you do it fast. And you're far more likely to crash unless you have some serious core control and you can keep it straight.

Just hunker down low, and stay slightly on edge. If you're not making it through like that, I don't know what else to tell you. Buy and oar.


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2009)

How often do most people transition to the other edge? Once every 1/2/3 seconds or just as it seems fit?


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## j.gnar (Sep 4, 2009)

rlstoner2004 said:


> How often do most people transition to the other edge? Once every 1/2/3 seconds or just as it seems fit?


it really depends on the speed you are carrying and what you are trying to accomplish. when im going fast i do short quick carves if i want to slow down a bit and maintain control, when im just cruising i do long slow carves just because thats what feels the best. its all situational really.....the only time im ever riding 100% flat on my base is when i hit a flat section of the mountain and i dont want to lose speed by sitting on my edge or carving(usually through the newbie park). you arent supposed to ever ride flat but its almost impossible for me to catch edge with BTX :thumbsup:


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## Flick Montana (Jul 9, 2007)

rlstoner2004 said:


> How often do most people transition to the other edge? Once every 1/2/3 seconds or just as it seems fit?


I transition very quick on flats. It can almost look like I'm about to lose it. But it's the best way I've found to keep control and stay loose.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Really when going straight on flats at nearly flatbased, its about being balanced and centered on all 3 axis...forward/aft, toeside/heelside and in a netural twist (head,shoulder and hips paraelle with the board) position; with your hips slightly shifted forward to weight the nose...the toe/heel side is done with flexing the front ankle (gas pedal)...its a really quick and subtle transition cause you are basically riding flat and don't need a bunch of power or body leverage that would involve driving the knees or hips....and head, shoulder and trunk should remain netural and quiet. A good practice is to ride 1 footed down a easy mellow bunny slope....if you can do that you can ride flats with basically a flatbase. Btw riding flatbased is a bit of a misnomer because you are really weighting the nose...to demonstrate or experiment...go down the same mellow bunny slope and weight the tail and notice how squirrly the board is and that the tail wants to swing around to the front (thus probably catch an edge and get tossed)...but when ever your board feels squirrly and you are about to get tossed, just shift your hips toward the nose and it will immediately feel more stable. In summary riding straight in the flats takes being in a "proper netural form", then just using subtle light movements and keeping relaxed. Watch experienced riders straight line the flats or cattack...it seems they hardly move or put in any effort, its very subletle and they keep up their speed...and they are comfortable/relaxed at speed...lots of folks are not really quite comfortable going fast...its a mental thing. Once I kinda of figured this out, 1 footed skating going short distances improved greatly and riding flats is now not an issue. Sorry about the rambling.


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2009)

to me that makes sense in theory, but practically I can picture my heel edge lift dropping down and because I'm on toe - off I go on a tumbling mickey flip. Would take some time and tinkering to perfect I guess.


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