# Having Some Issues!



## Jason (Feb 15, 2011)

Private lesson. Spend the money now and have fun sooner.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

Jason said:


> Private lesson. Spend the money now and have fun sooner.


I took one at camelback and they seemed to not help me much. My guy just got me linking my turns and didn't really offer helpful advice. Any suggestions on a good place to get lessons in the Poconos? I am going to try to tighten the turns today on the slopes. All it takes is one bad fall for me to stop pushing my limits though. And with the icy conditions here any fall is a bad fall

Today is my first day back on the slopes since last season. Hope I retained a lot from last year!

I try to fall on my ass but sometimes I catch my edge and end up face planting or flying backwards and smashing my head. Good thing I have a helmet!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> I am not comfortable with speed, steep, or narrow terrain because I don't feel in control. How do I improve this?


Take more lessons, ride more steep and point it...get comfortable with speed. Last time out, I spent abt 2.5 hours with this 66yr old, his 4 time snowboarding. By then end he was pointing it down bunny and a narrow blue 12' wide cattrack...he had a lot more control...he was stoked.


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

Shift center of gravity downhill more, don't be scared. More front foot. Lessons with a GOOD instructor. Less back foot. Bend knees. Ride, ride, ride.

I'm still working on tightening mine more myself and am trying to follow this same advice. It works, just not overnight. Patience, persistence, perseverance, positive attitude. The "4 P's" as my uncle taught me in on my first elk bowhunt out west.


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## Jason (Feb 15, 2011)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> I took one at camelback and they seemed to not help me much. My guy just got me linking my turns and didn't really offer helpful advice. Any suggestions on a good place to get lessons in the Poconos? I am going to try to tighten the turns today on the slopes. All it takes is one bad fall for me to stop pushing my limits though. And with the icy conditions here any fall is a bad fall
> 
> Today is my first day back on the slopes since last season. Hope I retained a lot from last year!
> 
> I try to fall on my ass but sometimes I catch my edge and end up face planting or flying backwards and smashing my head. Good thing I have a helmet!


How long was the lesson? You could ask if anyone knows a good instructor in the northeast section on the forum. 

Do you have friends that ride? After I stopped failing, my friend told me just to follow him all day. He knew my skill level and pushed me out of my comfort zone (but no too far) and that really helped me progress.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

Assuming you are regular footed. Try initiating your heelside turns by shifting your forward knee toward the front of the board. Because your front foot is on an angle, this will flex the board and engage the sidecut. For your toeside, shift your leading knee toward the tail of the board and press your shin against the tongue of the boot, down toward your toes. 

In addition, *people who lack the ability to ride dynamically are often keeping their legs static or locked out the entire time*. Get lower, flex those knees actively extending the board into the turn and contracting out of it.
You'll notice more experienced riders doing the same thing when they get tired.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Not all instructors are equal. Keep trying till you find a good one! Also, if it was a group lesson, try springing for a private lesson or two! This way, _all_ of the instructors attention is focused on "your" needs. Not split amongst a group of 5-20 people! :thumbsup:


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

I went today and WOW! JUST WOW! I totally conquered the blues today by doing it without falling and doing it faster every time. I am going again this weekend and going to Vermont the weekend after to Killington! I have a feeling I am going to improve ALOT in just these 2 weeks. I have noticed I am doing the typically newbie move of putting my weight in the back foot. Any advice on how to correct that?

I am not used to bumpy terrain either and on this blues they were a LOT of bumps. I am not sure if they were moguls but it wasn't groomed very well in certain areas. It didn't cause me to fall I just dodged most of them and went over some of them. How does one feel stable hitting these at fast speeds? I bent my knees anytime I felt like things were feeling unstable. Someone mentioned feeling your shins against your boots?

Also I noticed a little heel lift that might be delaying my turns and causing some stability issues. I guess I have to tie my shoes tighter, with some adjustments it improved. I have a really big big toe and its smashed into the front of my boot with no room to move. So I doubt its the sizing of the shoe...They are Burton Raptors...

Also I am totally over my issue with narrow trails...I am not a 100% clean about it and there's a little nervousness but at least I can push through it now and it doesn't intimidate me.

Jason I dont know anyone else that rides although I have taught the bare basics to a few friends hoping to get them into it. Had them do the 3 lesson package at Camelback but gave them lesson all day before that so they go the most out of it. Most of my friends arent interested because they couldnt handle the thrashing they got on their first day. LOL

I am excellent at heelside turns because I usually brake using heelside. My toeside I can initiate but while I toeside it doesnt feel stable. Feels like my edge is going to slip and I am going to fly backwards. Which is an awful feeling lol...I have a gopro and i am picking up a gopole so hopefully I can put up some videos for you guys to check out and see the issues in my form till I can get lessons. Definitely interested in doing a private lesson with an instructor around Feb.

All in all I am much more comfortable with speed now and was actually going pretty damn fast down the hill with stability. I was still turning but wasn't holding the turn and braking to bleed the speed. Felt uncomfortable when I did hit a certain speed but I will push harder next time at the slopes.

By the way the blues at BlueMT had loads of powder today and felt like I was in Stowe! Much better than that shithole camelback!


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

Toes smashed and heel lift could mean your boots don't fit your foot shape well. Can address it somewhat with foam/j bars, different foot beds. Check this link:

ShredSoles - Performance Snowboarding Insoles

Can also crank the strap on your binding more.

For technique, most beginners need to bend their knees a LOT more. When you think they are bent enough, you're probably still standing straight up. You can make yourself bend them more by leaning the highbacks more forward. In some cases, this can help with heel lift issues too.

If you have trouble on toe side turns, and you feel like it's because you always stop on hour heel side, make it a point to always stop toe side until you get more comfy with it.

Stay off the bunny hill! It's fine for learning to stand up on your first day. After that, it's just not going to get you anywhere. Find the steepest green or easiest blue and do it over and over. Keep your speed up. Not hauling ass, but fast enough that you don't screech to a stop everytime you think about getting on an edge.


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## JaNelleD (Dec 11, 2013)

Best advice I ever got:

Trust your edges.


Extra advice:

Point your hand where you want to go and your body will follow.

Bend your knees. Stay calm. Enjoy the ride.


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## 107/234 Driver (Dec 11, 2013)

I found that snowprofessor.com has some great video tutorials that my family used to progress their skills and confidence. Cheesy (on purpose??) but informational.


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## RiderWise (Dec 4, 2013)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> I went today and WOW! JUST WOW! I totally conquered the blues today by doing it without falling and doing it faster every time. I am going again this weekend and going to Vermont the weekend after to Killington! I have a feeling I am going to improve ALOT in just these 2 weeks. I have noticed I am doing the typically newbie move of putting my weight in the back foot. Any advice on how to correct that?


Awesome stuff, sounds like your making a lot of progress. Leaning on the back foot is usually a result of your confidence so getting in the habit of staying in the center can best be achieved by feeling for a centered stance while on an easy green and slowly build it up from there. Pay extra attention toward the pressure underneath your feet and keep it even. You can also get a good gauge of this be keeping your hands at the same height. Your rear hand will be lower and slightly heavier as there will be more blood in it if your leaning back.




SnowMasterFlex said:


> I am not used to bumpy terrain either and on this blues they were a LOT of bumps. I am not sure if they were moguls but it wasn't groomed very well in certain areas. It didn't cause me to fall I just dodged most of them and went over some of them. How does one feel stable hitting these at fast speeds? I bent my knees anytime I felt like things were feeling unstable. Someone mentioned feeling your shins against your boots?


Moguls are difficult for any snowboarder but there are plenty of ways to ride them more smoothly. You will need to be very fast so that you can navigate your way through, have relaxed legs to absorb those bumps (just like shock absorbers on a car) and have your weight stacked in a strong stance. Feeling for your shins against your boots is an indicator if you're standing over the toe-side edge in a strong stance. If you cant feel your shins against your boots on your toes this means your hips are back and your shoulders are dipping; not great for good balance.




SnowMasterFlex said:


> Also I noticed a little heel lift that might be delaying my turns and causing some stability issues. I guess I have to tie my shoes tighter, with some adjustments it improved. I have a really big big toe and its smashed into the front of my boot with no room to move. So I doubt its the sizing of the shoe...They are Burton Raptors...


Heel lift will definitely cause some delay but it's not a huge problem for beginners provided it's not too much heel lift. Good boots are commonly considered the most important item, even before your board, by many snowboarders as aching or un-responsive boots can make or break a good day on snow. I'd suggest looking at getting new ones if your feet don't fit properly and make sure you get them in person so that you can try them on.




SnowMasterFlex said:


> Also I am totally over my issue with narrow trails...I am not a 100% clean about it and there's a little nervousness but at least I can push through it now and it doesn't intimidate me.


Great stuff on this, confidence will allow you to loosen up and ride a lot more strongly and smoothly. Keep attacking those areas you struggle with and push yourself, it'll make you a much better rider in the long run.:thumbsup:




SnowMasterFlex said:


> I am excellent at heelside turns because I usually brake using heelside. My toeside I can initiate but while I toeside it doesnt feel stable. Feels like my edge is going to slip and I am going to fly backwards. Which is an awful feeling lol...I have a gopro and i am picking up a gopole so hopefully I can put up some videos for you guys to check out and see the issues in my form till I can get lessons. Definitely interested in doing a private lesson with an instructor around Feb.


This indicates to me that it make be as a result of your stance on the toes. Try the whole shins into your boots thing when doing toe-side turns. It will feel un-natural at first as keeping your hips forward when balancing on your toes is not natural to all. Practice it on an easy green run at first then progress it from there.


Keep it up Flex, it's great to read about riders who have passion like yourself. :yahoo:


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

RiderWise said:


> If you'd like any more help with your technique, feel free to test out some of these coaching forms. They're free to use and you'll get feedback from a professional instructor.


It's cool that you're offering advice on the forum, but you don't have to spam your site at the end of each reply. You already have it in your signature. If your advice is good and people like you, they'll visit your site.

It comes off very sketchy when all your posts end with a sales pitch to visit your site. It's kind of like "oh cool, he's actually offering decent advice... oh wait no he's just trying to spam seo links to his website."


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## RiderWise (Dec 4, 2013)

Yes well fair play. Now looking at it again after posting it did look spammy


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> Also I noticed a little heel lift that might be delaying my turns and causing some stability issues. I guess I have to tie my shoes tighter, with some adjustments it improved. I have a really big big toe and its smashed into the front of my boot with no room to move.
> 
> *check the boot faq sticky, its not tightening...its fitting*
> 
> ...


have fun....


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

Would it help if I posted a youtube video?

I have one from my gopro helmet cam but its not my best run of the day. My gopro died on my best run 

I am going to Killington this weekend and I bought a X-SHOT gopole. Which will hopefully give you guys a view of my feet and what I am doing with my board. I might get lessons at killington but its kind of pricey there.

Any good write ups on how to tune your board? I knew I could move the highbacks but don't know what it will do for me exactly. My stance is -15, 15...I had a forward stance in the past but couldnt snowboard properly with it. Sometimes I feel an odd stretch in my knee in my current stance. Not sure how to adjust my board properly. How tight should my boots be tightened? I have heel lifts from my old Burton Raptors I can pop into my new boots if I have to. In any case if my boot needs to be adjusted I can get them stretched at my local shop. I think they are okay though....

I got fitted at a ski barn and the girl assured me that the size shes giving me is the right size. Man my toes were jammed up so tight in there it was painful to board and they never packed out. So I bought new boots last year before I went to Vail last year.

The current boots are the same type of shoe just a bigger size. So much better!!!! I think I am just not tightening them properly or inserting my foot in there right. I usually just wear regular socks but I invested in some proper ski socks now!


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> Would it help if I posted a youtube video?
> 
> I have one from my gopro helmet cam but its not my best run of the day. My gopro died on my best run
> 
> ...


If you're gonna shoot video, do it with somebody filming you. The last thing you need is to worry about is your go pole. (that's what she said)


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> Would it help if I posted a youtube video?
> 
> I am going to Killington this weekend and I bought a X-SHOT gopole. Which will hopefully give you guys a view of my feet and what I am doing with my board.


Always  Boarding advice is 100 times easier and more accurate when we have some footage to figure out exactly what's going wrong.

Don't take that self view of your feet though, it's a lot more helpful to see your footage from 3rd person so we can see what's going on with your whole body.



SnowMasterFlex said:


> Any good write ups on how to tune your board? I knew I could move the highbacks but don't know what it will do for me exactly. My stance is -15, 15...I had a forward stance in the past but couldnt snowboard properly with it. Sometimes I feel an odd stretch in my knee in my current stance.


Yeah, I've got a bunch of tuning tips here - Waxing & Tuning Your Snowboard/Ski Gear - Snomie.com - they need a little updating but there's a lot of tuning blogs on a variety of topics there.

As far as boot tightening goes though, that's personal preference though. Some people do their boots tighter, some looser, some mix it up and do the bottom half loose and the top tight. It really changes up depending on the person.

You definitely want to relatively snug though, but beyond that it's a lot of personal preference on tightness.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

Jed said:


> Always  Boarding advice is 100 times easier and more accurate when we have some footage to figure out exactly what's going wrong.
> 
> Don't take that self view of your feet though, it's a lot more helpful to see your footage from 3rd person so we can see what's going on with your whole body.
> 
> ...


lol thats what she said...

Going to see if I can get my cousin to wear it on his head. Or when I go with my friends the next weekend.

My only issue with my boots is the heels lifting a bit causing delay in initiating my toe side turns. I am guessing to fix that I should tighten the top more than the bottom? And move my highbacks a little bit more forward to force me to bend my knees more. The highbacks I believe were also tuned by the girl that gave me the overly tight boots.


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

If you have heel lift I'd recommend going to a bootfitter and asking to get some j-bars for your boots. It helps to lock your ankles into your boot and they're pretty cheap to make.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

Jed said:


> If you have heel lift I'd recommend going to a bootfitter and asking to get some j-bars for your boots. It helps to lock your ankles into your boot and they're pretty cheap to make.


Any shop should be able to help me with the j bars? I ordered these off Dogfunk


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> Any shop should be able to help me with the j bars? I ordered these off Dogfunk


Yeah, they're just foam inserts that get stuck into your shell to fill the space where your ankles keep slipping upwards. Ask around local snowboard/ski shops for a good bootfitter and they should be able to direct you to someone who can do it for you.


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> Any shop should be able to help me with the j bars? I ordered these off Dogfunk


It's not rocket surgery. Haven't you ever stayed at a holiday inn?

Use freezer/masking tape to hold them in place where they will cup your ankle bone around your Achilles' tendon. Put the on and test. Move them around until it's mama bear just right. Shred.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

Can you guys tell anything from this video?


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## Madbob14 (Feb 28, 2013)

Since you bought Burtons, you can call Burton rider services and they will mail you free J bars


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

You're taking the video yourself, meaning we can't see you at all, correct? Going to be pretty hard to give much feedback 

What I think I see happening though is that you have basically 3 positions: toe slide, point straight, and heel slide. Can't see what you are doing with your body obviously, but your transitions are quick and jerky. If I had to guess, I would say you were ruddering with your back leg, then just sliding on either toe or heel to scrub speed. You're going pretty slow as well. None of that is meant to be negative, just observations on what your doing.

If you watch someone who is fluid and carving, you will see that they are very dynamic. Move weigh front/rear, bend and straighten knees, as they move through the various parts of each turn. Again, with no real idea of what you look like, I would still bet that you are too straight up, and too much on the back foot. You will need to learn to weight the front foot to initiate a turn, and get low. If you think your knees are bent enough, bend them a lot more. If you think your centered on the board, put more weight on your front foot.

Try to make it a point to ride on an edge instead of slide on an edge. You can do a simple excersize to practice it. Get on one side of the trail. Stand up on your toe edge, and ride to the other side of the trail at a 45 degree angle down while concentrating on leaning into your boots with your knees very bent, weight centered, and the heel edge off of the snow. When you get to the other side, stop turn around, and to the reverse: lean into the highbacks, knees bent, weight centered, toe side of board off of the snow. You should be traveling inline with the board, not scraping snow. Look back at your line, it should be pencil thin and sharp, not 2 feet wide and washed out.

Once you can do that comfortably, work on making a curve instead of a straight line, but with the same pencils line as before. No scraping.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

You are correct in your assessment! You think I can benefit from a lesson at killington?

I was smoother in my last few runs of the day as well as going much faster.


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> You are correct in your assessment! You think I can benefit from a lesson at killington?
> 
> I was smoother in my last few runs of the day as well as going much faster.


Don't know killington...never been there.

With the right instructor, yes, lessons would be beneficial. Just following someone doing controlled linked carving turns helps a TON because it teaches you the path you should be tracking down.

Try my ride on an edge without scraping slow drill, it will definately help as well.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

kaborkian said:


> Don't know killington...never been there.
> 
> With the right instructor, yes, lessons would be beneficial. Just following someone doing controlled linked carving turns helps a TON because it teaches you the path you should be tracking down.
> 
> Try my ride on an edge without scraping slow drill, it will definately help as well.


I know I can carve across the hill just have to work on balance. I'm visualizing transition from heel to toe what exactly is happening there? And how do I bleed speed while in a carve if I need to? I'd feel more confident if I knew that if needed speed can be bled.


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> I know I can carve across the hill just have to work on balance. I'm visualizing transition from heel to toe what exactly is happening there? And how do I bleed speed while in a carve if I need to? I'd feel more confident if I knew that if needed speed can be bled.


You can always just weight your rear foot a little and change from a carve to a slide to scrub speed if you have to.

But in reality, just the act of carving, if done properly, will control your speed. The tighter and quicker you turn the slower you go. It will be a lot faster than you were going in the video. Just takes time and practice to get comfy with it, no magic there.

There's a lot of things that are required to make the transition smooth without ruddering your back foot. Essentially though, transfer weight to front foot, torque board so front goes flat while rear is still on edge, transition weight to center and allow rear foot to go flat as the turn progresses, and here's the part that can be a little scary...end up on the opposite edge before the board comes around and then ride the carve on the board's sidecut. It's going to feel like you're leaning downhill, because well, you are, at least for a little while.

Snowboard Basics: Linking Turns - YouTube


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

Take it for what it's worth, but for myself, my ears have proved to be a pretty valuable tool in learning to control my turns. Maybe it's more pronounced on man-made snow, but the sound of a carve versus a ruddered turn is significantly different, it helped me by associating the feeling of a carve to the sound.


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## SnowMasterFlex (Dec 10, 2013)

The Deacon said:


> Take it for what it's worth, but for myself, my ears have proved to be a pretty valuable tool in learning to control my turns. Maybe it's more pronounced on man-made snow, but the sound of a carve versus a ruddered turn is significantly different, it helped me by associating the feeling of a carve to the sound.


So here's a question, most of my time snowboarding I am going to be carving right? When would my ruddered/skidded turn come in handy? Or is it some completely useless nonsense I have taught myself.:laugh:

On my last run I think I was starting to carve but now that you guys have made it clear what I am doing wrong. I am going to pay more attention.

Thanks by the way guys! You guys are awesome!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> So here's a question, most of my time snowboarding I am going to be carving right? When would my ruddered/skidded turn come in handy? Or is it some completely useless nonsense I have taught myself.:laugh:


Trees, and avoiding a gaper would be the top 2 of a million that come to mind. Crushing tight tree runs is all about using every form from falling leaf to carve. Ruddering is the easiest way to bleed speed without taking up any space along the fall line (read: dodging trees and humans). Once you become proficient with front foot control and varying weight distribution through turns (most easily learned by feel by bending the knees, lowering the hips and pressuring the front foot throughout as your weight shifts through turns), the ruddering becomes more efficient and subtle at the same time.


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

SnowMasterFlex said:


> So here's a question, most of my time snowboarding I am going to be carving right? When would my ruddered/skidded turn come in handy? Or is it some completely useless nonsense I have taught myself.:laugh:


There are some situations where you can't carve that well (eg - steep terrain with sketchy/rough snow, tight tree runs) where you'll tend to skid turns and that's perfectly fine.

Carving is great, but it's not a 'You must carve all the time!' type of deal. You pick and choose when you need to carve and how much of a pure carve you want to do vs. how much skidding you want to do.

For example, sometimes I might just be relaxing and playing about on blue runs. I might do a few carve turns here and there, a few slightly skidded turns, a few tricks etc. etc.

You mix things up based on how you feel and what your goal is at the time. There's no set rule saying you have to carve at every chance possible. A skidded turn can be fun too!


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