# A Noodle Harder to Carve?



## SnowMotion (Oct 8, 2010)

Cycle4Fun said:


> I'm riding on a Rossi Trickstik noodle. The board allowed me to quickly learn to link turns and progress quickly . The area where I am struggling now is a carved turn. My tail keeps washing out as I come about 45 degrees to the fall line on any turn other than a very very shallow carve. Washing out is more pronounced on my heal side.
> 
> I'm riding +15/-9.
> Getting on the edges at the same time
> ...


Not sure b/c i cant see it but it may be that your transferring your weight to your back foot through your turn (very common on toe to heel turns). This will allow your heel edge under your front foot to disconnect and your back foot to follow. I came back from an injury to my front foot heel and found myself doing this out of pain when riding hard on my front foot. The boards will feel different but you should be able to do it on all of them. Definitely try out the NS they are a great board to carve with and fun freestyle all over the Mt!


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

I'm sure my technique needs help. Hence the private lesson at killington vt next Sunday. I only have a 250 ft. Vertical in Akron oh and wanted an actual slope to get lessons beyond the two beginner lessons I took in January. The two trips out to holiday valley in NY this year were so icy a lesson would have been a waste.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

250 vert? That's gotta be hard to learn on, 4 turns and your at the bottom


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## SnowMotion (Oct 8, 2010)

Nice a Private lesson will go a long way! Just make sure you get an experienced instructor. To do this when you book your lesson ask the person for someone who has taught there for a while and is good with intermediate riders. If you can learn an instructors name from a friend or just call the resort before hand and talk to the ski school and tell them you want him/her and they will get paid more and be happier to teach you.


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## SnowMotion (Oct 8, 2010)

HoboMaster said:


> 250 vert? That's gotta be hard to learn on, 4 turns and your at the bottom


Might be nice to not have to speed check.


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

HoboMaster said:


> 250 vert? That's gotta be hard to learn on, 4 turns and your at the bottom


Boston Mills / Brandwine: Trail Map

For a beginner they are good hills. Easy terrain to learn on with short lift lines. Once you can link a turn with confidence it loses it's luster.

The resort did create a decent park section. If you like rails and jumps you could have fun. If you like speed and are trying to progress outside of the park it's tough. 

I was always bored after 2hrs. 

And it's about 5-6 shallow carve attempt turns and you are done.

Here's the thing though. A ski hill I could go to after work is better than no hill at all!


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Holy shit. 250' vert? Props to you for sticking it out. To be honest, if that's what I was stuck with, I'd probably just find a new hobby.


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

SnowMotion said:


> Might be nice to not have to speed check.


You still had to speed check around the kids who are constantly falling and the dirt.

Gotta watch out for that DIRT patch.

In all fairness. Boston Mills did a fantastic job on the hill this year given the weather we had. Worst winter I can remember. Everyone else seemed to like it.


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

linvillegorge said:


> Holy shit. 250' vert? Props to you for sticking it out. To be honest, if that's what I was stuck with, I'd probably just find a new hobby.


Decent resorts like 7 Springs PA, Peak and Peak PA, and Holiday Valley are only 3 hrs away.

I've skied for 10 years and switched to snowboarding this year. Remember I learned on this hill. You don't need a big to fall on your butt.

I don't plan on getting a season pass next year now that I can turn. $300 isn't worth the money. My fiance and I can spend another weekend in NY for that much.


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

SnowMotion said:


> Nice a Private lesson will go a long way! Just make sure you get an experienced instructor. To do this when you book your lesson ask the person for someone who has taught there for a while and is good with intermediate riders. If you can learn an instructors name from a friend or just call the resort before hand and talk to the ski school and tell them you want him/her and they will get paid more and be happier to teach you.


Thanks for the feedback. I figure the private lesson will be money well spent. It's twice the cost of a group lesson, but I get individual attention. I can tell the instructor where I want to go and he can help me get there.

That's better than trying to compete for attention with 3-5 people.


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## Cycle4Fun (Feb 22, 2012)

Snowolf said:


> As with anything, a new technique will feel weird like writing with your other hand. Just keep playing around with the movements and I suggest take the each separately. Play around with just the flexion and extension for awhile. Then, play around with just the fore-aft movements for awhile. Eventually, combine the movements in your carved turns and see how things feel....:thumbsup:


Thanks for the advice SnowWolf. Unfortunately, I can't practice anymore this season. Our hill has closed due to terrible weather all year. I'll keep your advice in mind. Mostly though, I'm going to listen to the instructor named _Sabina_ or _Forest_. Until I take that lesson though, I'll practice getting up on that edge well.




> > Originally Posted by Cycle4Fun
> > KillingtonVT,
> >
> > Just saw a post regarding never summers and saw you're at Killington. I'm heading to Killington this weekend and want to take a private lesson at the intermediate level.
> ...


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

Cycle4Fun said:


> I don't plan on getting a season pass next year now that I can turn. $300 isn't worth the money. My fiance and I can spend another weekend in NY for that much.


uuhhh $300 for 250 ft of vertical shit? i would do what he says V



linvillegorge said:


> Holy shit. 250' vert? Props to you for sticking it out. To be honest, if that's what I was stuck with, I'd probably just find a new hobby.




but yes, carving a park noodle is harder and ALOT more tiring. My dedicated all mountain/pow board (with stiff bindings) is fairly stiff and very responsive. it takes almost no effort to turn and make adjustments. It also helps that its a wide board. Also its very stable in chopped pow and general choppy snow. It just eats the ruts and bumps and cuts through and flys over them when hauling ass down a diamond or carrying a lot of speed when landing a natural jump. I truly believe my new board this year has made me a lot better all mountain rider just because it is so stable, so responsive, so comfortable with the K2 bindings, and i can go a lot faster without getting bucked around. ALSO on the flip side of the subject my buddy has a k2 world wide weapon, and we swap every now and then because i like playing around with a park noodle. However first time taking it down a decent black diamond (didnt even have much soft snow on it) about half way down i had to sit and catch my breath! I have never had to do that before, but it just took SO MUCH work to man handle this board into doing what i wanted it to it wore me out after one run. If i got a board like that i would never take it out of the park, just too much work.


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## srdeo (Jan 29, 2012)

As long as the surface is smooth you should not have too much trouble carving any board. Difference would be with park board you are not going to be carving at high speed so try it on flatter run. You will need some speed but not alot. In a way it may help you since your board will run out of edge hold before your legs give up. 

And like snowwolf said enter the turn with more weight on the front leg and exit the turn with more weight on the rear leg (gradually shifting thru the turn). 

I dont know about other people but or me heelside turn is much difficult edge so it washes out easier.
If you are not having problem entering the turn you should be able to figure it out pretty soon

Read what snowwolf wrote and try it, you should be able to fix it in no time


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## AAA (Feb 2, 2008)

Cycle4Fun said:


> Is part of my problem that I am trying to carve a park noodle?


If you're just learning to carve, no. A soft board will initate a turn easily, and at slower speeds and lower edge angles, won't wash out. It might even be ideal in the learning phase. As you advance, head to steeper runs, go faster, and get more aggressive with higher edge angles, a soft board will hold you back because it WILL chatter and has too much longitudinal and tortional flex to be stable. That point may come much sooner than later.


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## srdeo (Jan 29, 2012)

Also experiment with forward lean. You may need more. (left and right do not need to have same amount of forward lean either). 

Since you are washing out at the end of the turn, I would put more lean on the back binding compared to fornt binding. It will help you put little more pressure on back foot when you are doing heelside turn. 

More forward lean will generally make heelside little more responsive.

Also after trying all the advice you got on this thread, please post what worked and what didnt so other people can benefit from it.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> Holy shit. 250' vert? Props to you for sticking it out. To be honest, if that's what I was stuck with, I'd probably just find a new hobby.


Before moving west I used to drive 3 hours and pay a fair bit for a slopeside hotel to have the right to ride all 720' of blue mountain!!! Actually small hills can be good if they're full of high speed lifts and good terrain. I cut my teeth learning to board at blue. I remember seeing Jay Peak for the first time and thinking it was like something out of a movie! lol


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## srdeo (Jan 29, 2012)

Blue mountain (Canadian one) is not bad for a small hill (alot of high speed lift). At least they have alot of runs (alot of short runs). And i think they have decent park and good food

Short runs are good when you starting out tho it doesn't tire you out as much.
Its too bad Toronto does not have bigger mountain. It's plenty cold enough to have a good season.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

srdeo said:


> Blue mountain (Canadian one) is not bad for a small hill (alot of high speed lift). At least they have alot of runs (alot of short runs). And i think they have decent park and good food.


Yep, 4 six-man high speed lifts to pump people up the hill. A lot of resorts in the west could learn from Blue Mountain! There are a few parks from what I remember, and lifts dedicated to the parks and learning areas. Tons of outdoor hot tubs, relatively cheap accomodations on the hill if you shop around...


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