by Cordon Baesel
What haven’t I heard or read about how to carve? Or better yet, what haven’t I experienced in my few years of riding hard boots? Bow-legged heel turns with my knees and arms all wrong (“But it feels like a cutback”). Hands constantly touching groom (“But it seems like a bottom turn”). Pitched over the nose because I dove too far into the turn (“But if it was moving like a wave, I’d have made it”). Tail skittering out on heelside (“But this board is chattery”).
Despite all this, carving is the most fun you can have when the corduroy beckons. While good technique and expertise obviously make for better riding, just getting on edge is its own reward. The first time you dial into the edge, you forget the looming tree trunks on the edge of the trail to savor the adrenaline rush of g-forces gone awry. A few smacks on the helmet and turn transition rears its ugly head but only so you can find the edge again.
So no matter what advice you get from veteran friends, all-knowing instructors, speed–racing carvers, or ornery kids (yelling “Carving is for old kooks”), make your own trenches. Ride with and watch people whose styles you admire. There is no absolute right or wrong. Leave right and wrong to contest judges, secretly–jealous freestylers, and magazine pundits.
“Don’t Ride That Beginner Mountain, Come Charge The Steeps!”
The cool thing about carving is how your selection of riding style and terrain helps dictate your development as a carver. How you approach riding style and carving terrain can keep you having fun and progressing.
First, decide what kind of alpine rider you are.
Are you a fearless speed-monger who loves to haul ass past the slow masses? If so, you scare the @#%&* out of both me and the couple from Topeka. Get yourself the stiffest boots, bindings, and board you can, enter some races, and keep your insurance paid up. You’ll probably need it.
While speed is essential for good carving, try using your carves to control speed: you might find you get what you need without going as fast as the macho race guys. Lay your stick on edge and use all of your sidecut to carve a clean turn across the fall line. This is the type of carving that focuses on how you ride, not how fast you ride.
If you are this kind of rider, terrain suddenly comes alive. Small (or large) banks and pits enhance your carving sensations and challenge your skills. (Remember those instruction commands above.) Corduroy avenues are trench-friendly allies. Bowls and drop-offs become large waves at various stages of low tide suck-out. Previously-ignored blue and green runs on “Beginner Mountains” are now “secret spots.” Carve happily past the terrain park because you can find your own terrain park on just about any carving run.
Every mountain offers fun terrain to this type of alpine rider, even without new snow. Just open your eyes and your mind to carving across the fall line . (Just watch out for oblivious skiers/riders above you; with their speed blinders on, they have no idea you are going on edge to rocket across their straight, fall line, speed run. Unfortunately, having the right of way won’t magically heal your broken arm.)
“Don’t Bother Riding Today, Its Bulletproof”
But what about crappy conditions? Its hard to carve trenches on ice, but when you do, the g-force will be with you. Keep your equipment tailored for your local conditions. Edges should be very sharp and boards well-tuned. Ride compact and pay close attention to your technique. And ride a lot even if the ice is unforgiving. When conditions improve, you’ll be ripping.
Likewise, slush can be a problem since the snow won’t support your carves like hard packed groom. Stay on top of the conditions. Scan down the line and plan your carves where the snow looks firmer (e.g., in the shadows, under banks and tress, etc.) Watch out for the edges of the groom; they can easily give way when its soft or slushy. Meaning you get pitched into trees or rock, an even more unforgiving medium than ice.
Like surfing critical waves, good carving sessions demand attention to details and constant assessment of conditions. Finding the best spots and times for carving can help almost as much as mastering the technical aspects of alpine riding. Subtle set-up adjustments also can work wonders for different conditions. (Look for an in-depth discussion of tuning and set-ups for carving in an upcoming “Alpine Rider.”)
—Cordon Baesel