Deep Pow, technique or board?

Posted: 23 February 2011 09:31 PM

So I got a YES Board, Great Dudes board, in a 162 and went up to Mammoth Mountain this past weekend and got some uber deep powder, board rides great on groomers, but in deep pow….

It was the first time on the YES board and I’ve ridden in powder before and never really fell. The pow before was never this deep, more like 1’ deep vs the 5’ feet that was untouched on this trip. When I started to make my turns it felt like my board was flexing a lot, not sure what it’s called, but when I went to make my first turn after building a ton of speed it turned and flexed hard, imagine the shots you see with the board sticking straight up and down out of the pow while turning, I fell after that first turn when changing from heel to toe, and it seemed like it kept happening all day, something that never happened to me on my Bataleon Goliath in the stuff that wasn’t as deep. I moved my bindings back after two runs, but then the nose just seemed to be boucing a lot and it didn’t seem to help that much and felt awkward. Also when turning toe to heel my board would wash out or kinda bounce out of the turn. Maybe it’s my technique in the uber deep stuff, but as I said before I never had this problem in 1 or 2’ deep stuff, but I was on a different board, either a Bataleon Goliath, or a Jones Flagship. The YES is a twin, asym, with a centered stance, which is what’s different from those other boards, and I know the Flagship is way out on the spectrum, but I got this to be my do everything board, as I really can’t afford 2 or 3 sticks.

It’s my first non-wide board, I’ve always ridden 26.0 and up ww, this one is a 25.5, so maybe that has something to do with it?(not as much float, or faster edge to edge)

Here’s my stats, 185lbs barely 6’2” size US 12 Salomon F20 boot and I ride often about 30 times a season for the last 4 years.

I’m asking about this because I’m debating on selling that and picking up a new board, since I’ve never had to have my friends wait at the lift line and I never had to pick my self up out of deep pow that much in my life and it took it’s toll on me that day.

Posted: 24 February 2011 09:31 AM

Hey Meatball,

THis is definitely a case of technique. Like with most reverse camber boards you haven’t got the same kind of tail you have on a cambered board. So when you put your weight right back onto the tail, even in powder it’s going to press. I’m afraid you’re going to have to adjust your powder riding technique a little and rely less on leaning back to control your speed and start using a lot more weight through the front foot to initiate turns. I’d stick with a centered stance (or there abouts) on pow days and try and keep you weight almost 50:50 over the front and back bindings. Also try not to put so much weight through the tail when you snap out of turns, gradually as you begin to understand the limits of the board you’ll be able to push more weight through the tail but it will take time for you to adjust. The Flagship is a lot more directional and firmer in the taiol hense you have’t experiences the feel before. Go with the bounce, start pumping your turns and try and get a little lighter on your feet. Toe drag shouldn’t be an issue in powder… how much overhang have you got? Just out of interest was the pow heavy and wet?

Posted: 24 February 2011 10:19 AM

I have noticed what R are saying. It´s more of a dobble leg work on the twin than it is on a directional board.

Posted: 24 February 2011 08:11 PM

Rich Ewbank - 24 February 2011 01:31 PM

Hey Meatball,

THis is definitely a case of technique. Like with most reverse camber boards you haven’t got the same kind of tail you have on a cambered board. So when you put your weight right back onto the tail, even in powder it’s going to press. I’m afraid you’re going to have to adjust your powder riding technique a little and rely less on leaning back to control your speed and start using a lot more weight through the front foot to initiate turns. I’d stick with a centered stance (or there abouts) on pow days and try and keep you weight almost 50:50 over the front and back bindings. Also try not to put so much weight through the tail when you snap out of turns, gradually as you begin to understand the limits of the board you’ll be able to push more weight through the tail but it will take time for you to adjust. The Flagship is a lot more directional and firmer in the taiol hense you have’t experiences the feel before. Go with the bounce, start pumping your turns and try and get a little lighter on your feet. Toe drag shouldn’t be an issue in powder… how much overhang have you got? Just out of interest was the pow heavy and wet?

Thanks Rich:)

I tried riding more over my front foot, but was scared since my nose kept dropping below the top, but the next time I’m out I will just go for it, as I was doing it and moving fine, but would get a bit sketched out in the trees. Both of my friends were riding normal camber boards, Burton Seven and a DC MLF, and they were doing fine. Kinda wished I was on my Goliath, or that I had bought a Riot or Jam.

The snow was deep, fairly light, but it sat for awhile. They didn’t open the run I had issues on for a couple days, and I got fresh tracks. It snowed something like 29” one day, the next 13”, the next 30”, and then another 2”-3” the day I was on it so it may have compacted down a bit and got heavy.

As for overhang, I don’t have much, never noticed any drag on the groomed runs, did notice when sitting down on the snow and putting my bindings on that my heels hit before my edges, but that’s with my heels almost parallel to the ground. I rode on some hardpacked two days later at a smaller resort and did miss the width of the Goliath for jumps. It’s been somewhat easy to adjust to the faster response time in the turns, but does feel more twitchy. Kinda like driving a sports car vs. a sedan.

Thanks again!

Posted: 25 February 2011 12:17 AM

Yeah I wouldn’t get too bumbed on the Dudes quite yet, it’ll take some time to adjust. And to be honest that is an insane amount of snow, I honestly can’t say we’ve had that much snow here all season, I think finding you rpowder legs in that is like learning to swim in the middle of the pacific. I ride the Rossi Angus most days and it has so much more float than cambered boards, but it did take a while to adjust too and it definitely isn’t the same technique. Also I don’t know if you were going hell for leather but taking a bit more speed will help no-end, particularly in 5ft.