# Riding Critique / Humorous Edit Also!



## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

...Then again, you might find all of it fairly humorous!! 

Leo agreed to do a little "chase cam" work for me on Saturday at our little local hill! The first clip is pretty much just a short straight edit of several clips that I was hoping to use to get some general feedback on my riding. Balance, stance, switch riding etc. ...any glaring problems or mistakes you notice! (...only ones I really noticed were in the butters footage.) I chose to get footage of me trying to butter my Arbor cambered board because it's the hardest to lift, especially riding regular.
The straight riding is being done on what passes for a short black run @ our local! (...yeah, I know, but it's all we got!) The flat light and the fact that I goofed & left the camera set to wide doesn't help either! You can't really tell how steep it is, where it drops into that pitch or even judge just how fast I'm going. Not too terribly fast,.. but I wasn't creepin' down it either!

The buttering stuff was all done on a green. It still looks pretty clumsy, but when I'm riding the Garage Rocker, I can get the nose of that thing up pretty high,.. regular or switch. so I'll keep working on it! Any tips appreciated! Especially on getting the pressed turn to complete a spin around to switch or reg. Having trouble getting it to finish! :dunno:






This second clip is something I put together after watching the buttering footage & thought that along with this music, it turned it into something pretty hilarious! Especially with Leo's Kind & Thoughtful intro! Hope you get a laugh out of it!






:laugh: Thanks for looking in!


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

My favorite part is the intro "Old Creepy Guy Butters" by your camera man.

It was a bit hard to see, but I think if you took a similar video on some more challenging terrain, just a bit steeper, your faults would become more apparent.

I had trouble seeing if you were carving or skidding. It looked like you were carving while going across the hill, but skidding in the actual turn. It could be due to the slope of the hill and lack of speed, but ideally, for a full carved turn, you would be traversing the hill going to the right on your toes, and switch to your heels while the board is still pointing right. Then you ride that heel edge all the way around, 180 degrees, until you are pointing to the left side of the hill. The sooner you get on that edge that will take you around in the turn, the easier it is to plant the edge and actually carve all the way around the turn, vs. locking in the carve after the board is already pointing down the hill.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Nice vids! Love the tune in the second one... You looked comfortable turning, and you could tell from the video you had good speed. Only thing you'll want to work on if carving is your thing, is getting the edge up even higher to really start digging a trench. On your toe side push your knees into the slope, and on your heelside bend your knees and get your butt down!

The other thing is I know they always train people to have calm arms, but it almost looked like you had a zombie upper body lol. I'm probably dead wrong here but I like to use some arm motion as a counterweight. On my toeside I point them out towards the slope to get shift my weight further off centre (and if I hit rough terrain I can pull them back in to regain my balance), and then on my heelside I bring them in closer to my body. Kind of like thrusting movements! Ha! :laugh:

Also, the buttering always looks like you favour your heel edge. You get the nose up and then the board starts turning away. One thing to work on would be to hold the nose up without turning at all (unless that's what you were trying to do).

As you can tell from my vids I fall a lot too, so not sure I'm the one to be taking advice from! But they look like fun nonetheless.


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## Clayton Bigsby (Oct 23, 2012)

You're doing just fine, everyone has their own style and over time you'll figure yours out. I've been riding with the same guys for 27 years and I can tell each one of their riding styles, as a matter of fact I was up at Stevens Pass Washington a couple years ago riding up the Southern Cross chair, I was watching this guy riding the powder under the chair, when I thought I recognized his style, so I yelled his name and sure as shit, it was him. The crazy thing was I haven't seen or ridden with him in 15+ years, but he still had his old style and he was still riding his old school 1650 Terry Kidwell :bowdown:


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## Clayton Bigsby (Oct 23, 2012)

Is that first video really a Black diamond run ? It's better then nothing, but I'm sure glad to be living in the Northwest. You'll need to do yourself a favor and head out west.


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## grafta (Dec 21, 2009)

-------------------Get rid of the backpack!--------------------


Seriously though, I'm with poutanen. Your upper body is almost too calm. I think it's the terrain, or lack of... its so even and groomed it lets you ride very very static.

I like it how natural the small bit of switch looks :thumbsup:


-------------------Get rid of the backpack!--------------------


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## seriouscat (Jan 23, 2012)

Looks pretty smooth. I am disappointed to see no pedobear suit though. Just saying....


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## IdahoFreshies (Jul 9, 2011)

Those weren't really black runs were they?

I agree with everyone else. At the point when you can ride that smoothly and static in the upper body normal and switch you need to take it to more challenging terrain (if available of course). Its hard to see where you need improvement from something where you aren't challenged at all.

also ditch the backpack haha. not necessary.


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## Noreaster (Oct 7, 2012)

Stiff upper body. That little arm flail in the first vid when you skidded - I'm guessing it happens a lot on a more challenging terrain or in worse conditions. That's because your arms are glued to your sides and your spine isn't relaxed enough. When you are riding icy, bumpy steep terrain you need to be fluid through your waist to compensate for slips and skids with the body rather than flapping arms. As for the butters you're fighting the board a bit. 

And what do you carry in a backpack this big on what's essentially a bunny run on a tiny hill? Dead body?


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Sad to say that *is* what passes for a "Black Run" in SE. MI!  It's actually not groomed at all at the time I was riding it. It was chopped up & a little bumpy from skiers n shit! It's the very flat light that's causing any definition in the snow or terrain to disappear. Having said that, It isn't much of a black at all. The blues up @ Boyne are as steep or steeper and they're definitely longer! If it's not icy, I can manage a few of the steeper Blacks at Boyne! If they're a little soft & freshly groomed,.. I've actually flown down a couple of them!!  (...I never seem to have anyone around to do chase cam though when I'm at Boyne!!!)

Poutenan,.. as for the butters or tail press (...spins, turns?) Except for when I was leaning back to grab the tail of the board, I _was_ trying to turn the board heel side! My problem is I only seem to get about 2/3 or 3/4 out of the turn & then have to sort of "muscle" it around to finish! It looks a lot less clumsy when I'm on the Rome rocker because it's way lighter, flexes more & It's easier to rudder the tail around to finish the spin! On the Arbor, I don't get as much height to the nose, (...I can get more when I'm switch, naturally.) and the camber is trickier too! I can do straight butters for a fair distance on both boards regular & switch, but I'd like to get the spins down and looking less awkward!!

_Zombie Calm???_ Aw Man!!! I worked _S-o-o-o_ hard learning to make absolutely _sure_ I wasn't rockin' the "Mystery Date" look!!! :laugh: :laugh: :dunno: Now I gotta learn how to ride "_Disco Style????_"  :laugh:

[Edit]
_p.s. I haven't been riding with the Camelbak much at all this year, I had it on in these because I had all my GoPro shit in it,.. But I noticed it was throwing me off some! If you notice the one time I was successful in grabbing the tail of my board for a press,.. It was after I got Leo to take the pack! So, message received & noted!!_


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

chomps1211 said:


> Poutenan,.. as for the butters or tail press (...spins, turns?) Except for when I was leaning back to grab the tail of the board, I _was_ trying to turn the board heel side! My problem is I only seem to get about 2/3 or 3/4 out of the turn & then have to sort of "muscle" it around to finish!
> 
> _Zombie Calm???_ Aw Man!!! I worked _S-o-o-o_ hard learning to make absolutely _sure_ I wasn't rockin' the "Mystery Date" look!!! :laugh: :laugh: :dunno: Now I gotta learn how to ride "Disco Style??"  :laugh:


Fair enough! I haven't really got into butters much to be able to help. I occasionally pop up onto the tail for fun but then put it right back down. Might look cool if you got on the tail, started to rotate like you were doing, then compress the tail and pop off it, landing on the nose in a sort of "butter 180" kinda thing.

I think my boarding probably looks like I'm mating with my mystery date then punching her in the head.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Enough of the "That's not really a black is it?" comments. We live in Michigan for Pete's sake.

We do have some decent "blacks", but they are all up north. Even then, the steep sections are short. 

Long story short, our blacks are your blues and even some greens. But remember, we ride the shittiest of shitty conditions so don't underestimate us lol.

When we go out west, we have to contend with the fear of steepness. When you guys come here (like you ever would anyway), you have to contend with ice, man-made crap, and slush all in one run. Plus we have to dodge meat rockets all the time.

I can't wait until next season when I can start going out west again.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Leo said:


> Enough of the "That's not really a black is it?" comments. We live in Michigan for Pete's sake.


I grew up in Ontario so I for one won't make fun of your hills! I will say that it's night and day riding in the Rockies vs. Ontario, or anywhere in the east for that matter. I love Jay, and some of the other resorts in PQ, VT and NH, and I'll always love little Blue Mountain because it's where I cut my teeth. But the West is the Best. Jim Morrison said it himself! :yahoo:


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Good job, chomps! It's nice to see your progression. Although you getting taken out by the little pink skier was one of the best videos haha.

Liked the Leo cameo, too!

I also noticed what others said about your arms being static but at the same time it seemed you were focusing on keeping your upper body quiet (arms at sides). Maybe next time you can allow them to move more fluidly?


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Well, kung-pow, looks like you were right. I thought Leo rode somewhere else.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Donutz said:


> Well, kung-pow, looks like you were right. I thought Leo rode somewhere else.


Well, he rides Lots of places,.. this is just "local" for him. (...and me.) Anyplace worth going to is 3-4-5+ hours away. He's got a family, I'm too old to drive 5 hours, shred 7 or 8 and then drive 5 back! _Really good_ places to ride are 8+ hours away & more!! So day trips & overnighters are hard to justify!

We make do,.. _but now you know why I REALLY miss living in CA. and want to move back when I can swing it! (or anywhere that has real mountains!!)_


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

Leo said:


> When we go out west, we have to contend with the fear of steepness. When you guys come here (like you ever would anyway), you have to contend with ice, man-made crap, and slush all in one run. Plus we have to dodge meat rockets all the time.


Amen to that. Couple of weeks ago I was on a "freshly groomed" blue run up north shortly after a freezing rain storm preceded by a week of 40 degree temps and rain and it was literally so hard-packed and icy that you wouldn't have been able to stand or walk on it without sliding halfway down the hill.

Of course, I still had to dodge meat rockets on top of that!

ff topic:


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Donutz said:


> Well, kung-pow, looks like you were right. I thought Leo rode somewhere else.


Where did you think I ride? I mean, aGNARchy is a Michigan blog I co-review on. I think my location says Detroit Area.

Not to mention the countless times I've mentioned riding in shitty MI.


Sent from Verticalsports.com Free App


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## MarshallV82 (Apr 6, 2011)

And to think I always complained about having to ride at Terry Peak SD when I was younger. 
It had 3 high speed quads and a 2 seater + carpet and 1000 Vert. Every time I go back I get so sick of riding on the lift every couple of mins. They have a couple blacks and trees that are decent. 


Looks like you have switch down pretty good though! On the butters try to spin with your upper body more, It looks like you just need to commit to it more.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Leo said:


> Where did you think I ride? I mean, aGNARchy is a Michigan blog I co-review on. I think my location says Detroit Area.
> 
> Not to mention the countless times I've mentioned riding in shitty MI.
> 
> ...


KP and I were discussing the videos while on the lift. I couldn't remember if chomps' vid was taken at the same place you ride or not. I just thought you were usually somewhere else.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Donutz said:


> KP and I were discussing the videos while on the lift. I couldn't remember if chomps' vid was taken at the same place you ride or not. I just thought you were usually somewhere else.


I wish that were true. I mean, who wants to ride with old creepy guys???

Seriously though, I wish my home mountain was an actual mountain lol.

I told wolfie that my goal next year is to meet up with him. I'm ready for that level of terrain!


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

Chomps, Chomps, Chomps....

I really wish you would have omitted the "black run" comment. It's Pine Knob. Their blacks are a joke even by Michigan standards and now everyone is dogging us.

Leo is right. We have steep shit here, it's just not a mile long or whatever like out west. We have cliff drops but they're not 50 feet high and there's nothing truly challenging (outside of park riding) unless you get up north and away from these Detroit area hills.

Anyways.

Chomps, kudos on your dedication and hard work. It's paying off. Next year we'll try and get you chasing us down the steeps up north.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

Okay dammit. I'm going to embarrass myself to save Michigan's rep a little.

This is a typical blue run in Michigan, about 2 hours north of me. I was still learning to ride, I could ride blues but I wasn't aggressive yet so spare me the remarks on my slow speed or whatever. 

You can see Leo zooming past me at about the 15 second mark from the left side of the frame.

This blue is steeper than the shitty blacks around Detroit and longer.

Seeing old vids is interesting because it's cool to see your progression when you're still a noob but it sucks in the same way that old yearbook photos are embarrassing. haha


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Haha, same video from my POV.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

Leo said:


> Haha, same video from my POV.


Oppa Cobra Style, I noticed.


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## ig88 (Jan 3, 2012)

Hey chomps, watched your 2 videos. I think you are good. You ride beautifully. Maybe you ride even better without the stage-fright of a camera behind you.


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

In regards to Leo and Sabatoa's vids', you guys definitely need to be out here on the west. That hill is like a longer version of our bunny hill:laugh: ok, sorry just kidding. Chomps vid is cool too, and you ride pretty good, glad you guys are having fun.


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## trapper (Jan 15, 2013)

sabatoa said:


> This is a typical blue run in Michigan, about 2 hours north of me. I was still learning to ride, I could ride blues but I wasn't aggressive yet so spare me the remarks on my slow speed or whatever.


I love that fucking run right there, one of my favorites locally. Although I hate that perpetual crowd of people to the right there where the two doubles let off...it's constant near-misses trying to navigate around that part of the hill.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

sabatoa said:


> Chomps, Chomps, Chomps....
> 
> I really wish you would have omitted the "black run" comment. It's Pine Knob. Their blacks are a joke even by Michigan standards and now everyone is dogging us,..


Well now, I specifically said that the run was what "*Passes*" for a Black run in S.E. MI. I never made any claim that I was mastering some Uber difficult steep terrain! I mean, Fuck!! Are people who ride out west _really_ _That_ clueless as to the crap we have to make do with??? It's suburban Detroit for shit's sake!!

Anyway,.. maybe they'll like this run better! (...and before anybody gives me or MI riders any shit, IT AIN'T FUCKING MT. RAINIER!! OK?) :blink: It's on a short but fairly steep run @ Boyne Highlands! (...the steep part comes after the short catrack section!)


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## Treegreen (Mar 16, 2012)

chomps1211 said:


> Well now, I specifically said that the run was what "*Passes*" for a Black run in S.E. MI. I never made any claim that I was mastering some Uber difficult steep terrain! I mean, Fuck!! Are people who ride out west _really_ _That_ clueless as to the crap we have to make do with??? It's suburban Detroit for shit's sake!!


Was that a black? I kid. Looked fun and I'm pretty sure we're all just giving you a hard time to pull your leg. Trust me there are plenty of people riding in the Intermountain West and elsewhere who are not as good as you.


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

For your buttering, what is your goal? It seems like you want to tail press to switch? Or just aren't countering the slope of the hill so you rotate.

If you want to spin 360, it helps to do a setup carve and carry the rotation through as you butter. You can then move to continuing to rotate around all the way down. I prefer a 360 or two, then 270 out.

Second thing, think more about shifting your hips back instead of your whole upper body. So you bring hips back, but keep the upper body straight. It helps to keep your balance and let's you get lower so you get more height but still be stable. This is even more important for a nose press down the hill. If your lead shoulder comes too far over the nose, you will probably crash.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Hey Chomps, just to pull your chain a little more, Mt. Rainier doesn't have any lifts. You gotta hike for lines on her beautiful face.


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Man, I need to go to Highlands. Can I cut through those trees if I wanted to or is it a complete clusterfuck of branches?

That run actually looks fun. Awesome on your switch man.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Leo said:


> Man, I need to go to Highlands. Can I cut through those trees if I wanted to or is it a complete clusterfuck of branches?...


There _are_ a few places you can get into the trees. It's not thinned or anything as far as I can tell, but you can see paths that other people have tracked thru them. I think you'd be able to manage! Plus, I'm guessing you'd really like the boarderX trail they've got now!

If they get a ton of L.E. this week, I might be up for an overnighter this weekend. (_...That is if you don't mind sharing a ride with a Creepy Old Guy in his "MolestO'Mobile!"!_) :laugh:


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

Leo said:


> Man, I need to go to Highlands. Can I cut through those trees if I wanted to or is it a complete clusterfuck of branches?
> 
> That run actually looks fun. Awesome on your switch man.


He took MacGully then a cat track to the black K2. The cat track is basically uphill and you need to carry speed to get to K2. Those trees aren't rideable if you intend on hitting K2.

On the way down MacGully though there's a large hip you'd love to hit that still allows you to get the cat track to K2 and Olympic.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Here's another taste from this last weekend @ Highlands. Got a little switch & some decent butters on this one!


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

poutanen said:


> ...I like to use some arm motion as a counterweight. On my toeside I point them out towards the slope to get shift my weight further off centre (and if I hit rough terrain I can pull them back in to regain my balance), and then on my heelside I bring them in closer to my body. Kind of like thrusting movements! Ha! :laugh:...


Hey Poutanen,.. I tried a little of what you were suggesting here my last couple of trips out. Turns out when I'm not "thinking about it," ...not on camera consciously focusing on trying to _avoid_ the Mystery Date look! Seems I _already_ do pretty much what you were talking about. Maybe not quite as pronounced as all that, but I did notice, almost by accident, that when I'm on a really fast (...fast for me anyway,) run My arms _are_ moving a bit fore & aft in my turns & heel/toe transitions. Acting as a counter weight/balance sort of thing just like you mentioned. :thumbsup:

So,.. "Slap My Ass & call me Spanky!!!"  I guess I _DO_ ride "Disco Style" after all!!! :laugh: 

...now just gotta work on Carving & not "SKarving!" 

{Later Edit}
...I didn't notice it when I edited or posted the vid clip on pg. 2 of this thread, but if you pay attention to my shadow on the steep groomed run, you can tell that I'm using my arms just as you described!!! :thumbsup:


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Hmm...

I keep my arms pretty quite when riding. I dunno, did you notice much movement from my arms when I ride Chomps?

You have to chase cam me one of these days Chomps. I've never had formal lessens. Would be nice to get some critique from Snowolf to see if there's any basics I need to polish up.


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

Leo said:


> Hmm...
> 
> I keep my arms pretty quite when riding. I dunno, did you notice much movement from my arms when I ride Chomps?


:laugh::laugh: ...Are you Joking?? I leave the top before you & you guy's
still beat me to the bottom!!!! I don't even see you go by half the time! How'my gonna see what your arms are doing??? :laugh: 
Seriously, The crap we've been riding around here,.. with such flat light, I'm focused so much on the terrain in front of me, that I haven't really noticed much about your technique! I'll try to remember to pay attention next time we ride tho! :thumbsup: (_...although I Do have a perfect mental picture of the "*Superman*" you pulled yesterday!!!!_) :laugh: :bowdown:




Leo said:


> You have to chase cam me one of these days Chomps. I've never had formal lessens. Would be nice to get some critique from Snowolf to see if there's any basics I need to polish up.


Hey, absolutely!! That's no problem at all!


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

That was actually one of the more fun crashes I've had. 

The other one was on a steeper run, I forget where, but I slid backwards as I put my hands behind my head in a relaxed position.

No point in fighting it when you are sliding a steep section :laugh:


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