# calf burn



## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

Do calf exercises, stretch, and stay hydrated.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Todd2002 said:


> i keep having extreme calf burn to the point i have to stop a short time down the mtn. i have it even going straight down the mtn and not turning. im running union bindings and a 172cm skunk ape.


How upright are you standing? If you try to stand straight up you may be putting tension on your calfs that shouldn't be there. With knees well bent and a proper stance you shouldn't have calf burn.

I think the healthy burn that you should have after a day of boarding is in your thighs.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

Todd2002 said:


> i keep having extreme calf burn to the point i have to stop a short time down the mtn. i have it even going straight down the mtn and not turning. im running union bindings and a 172cm skunk ape.


2 things I can think of. 
1. Are you getting heal lift in your boots?
2. Are you turning toeside by bending the needs or standing up like doing calf raises?


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

my upper leg isnt burning but my back leg cramps by mid day. calves burn every run. wondering if i have a stnce issue or high back setup issue,


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

no heal lift. even burns while going straight down the mtn.


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## thedru13 (Jan 4, 2014)

Have you adjusted your highbacks? Are the straight with the board?


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

riding union and have them set on 4. looking to switch to rear entry bindings next season. after riding at snowshoe for 3 days and seeing my friends half way down the mtn. before I'm in my binding.


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## thedru13 (Jan 4, 2014)

Talking about the actual angle of the highback not the forward lean. If you are riding with angles on your bindings your high back should be straight with the board. So look down on the highback. The top of it should be straight with the edge of the board.. Makes sense?


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

i have my high back tilted forward not straight .


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## thedru13 (Jan 4, 2014)

This is what I am talking about. Take a look.


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## stillz (Jan 5, 2010)

Are you making proper turns or kicking the back foot around like a rudder? Rudder turns will absolutely fry your back leg, especially the calf muscle.


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

Both. Using back foot as a rudder and using both front and rear feet to turn. Going to adjust my high back straight up and down to see if that helps any.


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## rambob (Mar 5, 2011)

Why are u riding 172 Skunk?? That board is for very big people riding very deep pow. That in itself would be a lot of work for a average sized person. Also, like the other folks said, your bindings are probably not adjusted right..... and possibly a boot issue.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

rambob said:


> Why are u riding 172 Skunk?? That board is for very big people riding very deep pow. That in itself would be a lot of work for a average sized person. Also, like the other folks said, your bindings are probably not adjusted right..... and possibly a boot issue.


^yup my exact ? 172 Skunk Ape in Tennessee? And what are your stats and boot size? Where ru riding?


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

6'3" 280 size 13 boot. i ride from snowshoe wv to small places like cataloochie ,nc . i bought the board after alot of the larger guys recommended it. i adjust my board high backs to the upright position. going to see if that helps with the calf burn. also seen that my from binding was not alined with the rear binding. this could have been giving me a little problem with keeping going on a strainght light while straight lining.


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

*thanks for the help*

Finally figured my problems out. Calf burn was due to high back tilted forward. Riding problems were due to setup of front binding being to far to the front edge. Causing my board to run caddy corner down the mountain.


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## tannersdad (Jan 9, 2013)

Todd2002 said:


> 6'3" 280 size 13 boot. i ride from snowshoe wv to small places like cataloochie ,nc . i bought the board after alot of the larger guys recommended it. i adjust my board high backs to the upright position. going to see if that helps with the calf burn. also seen that my from binding was not alined with the rear binding. this could have been giving me a little problem with keeping going on a strainght light while straight lining.


I live in central NC and ride the same places. I too am 6'3" and I weigh 255-260 with size 13 boots. I ride a 2013 Flow Merc 162W. Since most snow around here is man made, I think you could go to a shorter board. 172 must be a beast to throw around. It may not solve your calf issue, but I would think it would be less tiring overall. I would be interested in what other big riders think, as I want to upgrade my board next year, but I'm not sure if I should get a longer board. What I REALLY want/need to do is loose the 20-25 extra lbs around my belly!! :yahoo:


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## Tatanka Head (Jan 13, 2014)

I'm 6'4, 230 and sz. 13 and I ride a Jones mnt twn 161w. I only want a longer board on powder days...which this year has been limited to 4 days of decent pow. It does great for most of my off-piste/near piste and groomer days, so I can't complain at all. I am looking for a pow board (around 165-167), but with the winter we've had this year I just can't justify it. 

Also, for the big feet, I've found Ride to have the best foot reduction. K2 wasn't bad, but for some reason I wasn't impressed with Burton's reductions. Deeluxe also had great reduction on some boots, but they were too soft for me.


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

tannersdad said:


> I would be interested in what other big riders think, as I want to upgrade my board next year, but I'm not sure if I should get a longer board.


About 2 inches taller but same weight as you. Feet are 14/15. I run a 166w without any problems on Michigan groomers. I've toyed with the idea of going to a 169 or 170+ for powder days, but the 166 gives me plenty of stability in general conditions and is still easy to turn. Just depends on if we can keep having winters like this where powder days aren't as uncommon as they used to be. 

Bottom line is that I only wish my board was a bit bigger on deep pow days, but even then my board is more than adequate. At a 162, you might find a 165 or 166 will give you a bit more stability for speed on groomers and will likely help you on pow days compared to what you're currently riding (but I don't know how often you get those).


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## thedru13 (Jan 4, 2014)

Man I feel like i am riding a kid board... LOL. I am 6'2 205 and i ride a LibTech Lando 160. Foot is a size 12 but i go down a half size in boot. Still having boot issues so IDK if that is the best plan.. That being said Glad you got your calf issue resolved.


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## tannersdad (Jan 9, 2013)

trapper said:


> About 2 inches taller but same weight as you. Feet are 14/15. I run a 166w without any problems on Michigan groomers. I've toyed with the idea of going to a 169 or 170+ for powder days, but the 166 gives me plenty of stability in general conditions and is still easy to turn. Just depends on if we can keep having winters like this where powder days aren't as uncommon as they used to be.
> 
> Bottom line is that I only wish my board was a bit bigger on deep pow days, but even then my board is more than adequate. At a 162, you might find a 165 or 166 will give you a bit more stability for speed on groomers and will likely help you on pow days compared to what you're currently riding (but I don't know how often you get those).


Thanks Trapper, I have never ridden in powder on the slopes here in NC, Va, or West Va. Not saying it could not happen, but it's a crap shoot. Thanks again.


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

Went to winter place Monday while the storm was coming through with six inches of powder. The 172 skunk ape loved it. Road like a dream. Made a real difference when hitting the deeper stuff and while making it over the long flat areas at winter place. I would leave my friends when there boards and skis would sink in the powder. Bombing the diamonds were a blast.


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## tannersdad (Jan 9, 2013)

Todd2002 said:


> Went to winter place Monday while the storm was coming through with six inches of powder. The 172 skunk ape loved it. Road like a dream. Made a real difference when hitting the deeper stuff and while making it over the long flat areas at winter place. I would leave my friends when there boards and skis would sink in the powder. Bombing the diamonds were a blast.


UGH! Winter Place is the worst I've been to. Definitely not laid out with snowboarders in mind. I made 2 trips there this year. My first and my last! How far are you from Boone NC? Beech or Sugar are much better places to ride.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Todd2002 said:


> Finally figured my problems out. Calf burn was due to high back tilted forward. Riding problems were due to setup of front binding being to far to the front edge. Causing my board to run caddy corner down the mountain.


Glad we helped, how far forward was your highback angled? It should have some forward angle to it, and the more forward lean you have, the more it forces you to ride with an aggressive, athletic stance.

If you're getting calf burn from the highback, it may suggest that you need to work on bending your knees more!


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## Todd2002 (Jan 22, 2013)

I'm actually closer to sugar and beech than winter place. But the snow quality at sugar and beech stink. Winter place is second behind snowshoe which is the best within reasonable driving distance. 
Calf burn is gone after moving high backs from a 4 to a 0. More athletic stance was achieved after adjusting my bindings to a wider stance and moving the front binding where it should be in line with the edge of my board like it should have been. When I went to move it my binding screws were loose. Lucky I was checking everything. It could have turned out bad.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Todd2002 said:


> Calf burn is gone after moving high backs from a 4 to a 0. More athletic stance was achieved after adjusting my bindings to a wider stance and moving the front binding where it should be in line with the edge of my board like it should have been.


Yeah, by athletic stance I mean your body positioning, not your actual board stance. Pretty much all new snowboarders, and most experienced snowboarders try to stand up too much!

There's a reason the boots, bindings, etc. are angled forward. Knees bent, doing a partial squat is a much more stable stance where your body has room to react to the terrain, and keep pressure on the edges.

Here's a post I made in another thread about bending knees. http://www.snowboardingforum.com/tips-tricks-snowboard-coaching/52820-can-you-give-me-input-my.html#post563745

Best setup advice we can give for FLAD (forward lean adjustment dial) is to lace up your boot, put it in the binding, strap it in moderately, and then adjust the FLAD so that the highback is making contact with the boot, but not putting any pressure on it. That should be a good starting place, and you can adjust from there.

If you want to work on carving, you want SOME forward lean.


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