Carving

The transition from "normal" snowboarding to the carving will open you the possibilities from the alpine snowboarding. Carving means extreme carve turns without drifting. You simple drive over the edge and you cut a track in the snow. The edge-changing has to be done earlier then by the basic turn and the rail doesn’t swing and brake you, it follows in the track of the nose. I will now explain the different kinds of carving to you:

1) The basic carve turn
2) The dynamic carve turn
3) The advanced carve turn
4) The accelerating carve turn
5) Driving bumps-piste
6) Safety Recommendations
 


1) The Basic Carve Turn
This is the first and most basic of many forms of carve turns. It is fundamentally the elementary turn of carving. Carving is a weighting-unweighting action performed by a strong extension during the initial phase of the turn.
Technical Details
The turn may be broken down into three phases:
Initiation: It is important that you are starting position (either backside or frontside) maintains a low centre of gravity (you are low with knees bent). The turn is initiated by a strong anticipated (or pre-) rotation of the upper body in the desired direction and at the same time an extension which performs an unweighting action.
Driving: You will now start to follow the direction of rotation. You  must continue the anticipated rotation by rotating further as the board follows. As you rotate, you must bend the knees so that the centre of gravity starts to return towards the initial position. You should also lean towards the inside of the turn.
Termination: Weight is brought back to an equal distribution across the board and the rotation is brought to a halt. If you started the turn from the correct backside position then the turn will terminate with the frontside position and other way round.
Learning the Carve Turn
Practice isolated turns (i.e. one at a time).
Imagine you are picking up a heavy and fragile crate of eggs and you are putting it down in the inside of the turn.
Perfecting the Carve Turn
Practice linking turns together.
Add a "crawl" (as in swimming) motion to the arm which is closest up-hill.
Additional Tips:
On the backside turn you can complete the rotation by tucking the back knee into the front knee.
On the frontside turn you can complete the rotation by moving the back knee away from the front knee.

 

2) The Dynamic Carve Turn
Before learning this turn you must have perfected the basic carve turn. Now you can start to add style and power to your turns by having your hands support your body movement in a dynamic fashion.

Perfecting the Dynamic Carve Turn
Your hands should try and follow / describe a figure of eight
 

 3) The Advanced Carve Turn
So far the turns we have examined have assumed that the unweighting has been performed by extension. This provides quite smooth wide carves. In the advanced carve you must unweight by flexing the knees. This provides a much quicker and tighter turn, but it is a very difficult turn for many students to achieve. This carve turn, is used in racing and is also important for moguls and off-piste skiing. Before learning this turn you must have perfected the basic carve turn.
Perfecting the Advanced Carve Turn
Choose an appropriate terrain such as moguls.
It is necessary to do a small extension before initiating the turn followed by a strong and forceful flexion of the knees and a driving into the carve.
Perfect the turn on moguls before advancing to a flat piste.
Common Pitfalls
Often students manage one or two isolated turns, but then resort to the standard carve by extension.
 

4) The Accelerating Carve Turn
Before learning this turn you must have perfected the basic carve turn. The accelerating carve turn is characterised by a thrusting of the bodyweight forward during the initiation of the turn.
Perfecting the Accelerating Carve Turn
On a flat piste practice moving forward by thrusting your body back and forward along the longitudinal axe of the snowboard
Add an "ollie" (see soft) to the basic carve turn so that the edge change is performed in the air (not on the ground)
Common Pitfalls
Often students try not simply to edge-change in the air, but also to initiate the rotation. This actually has the reverse effect (i.e. decelerates you) in that the snowboard lands sidewards and hence side-slips which dramatically loses speed. Ensure the rotation begins once the snowboard has landed and not before.
 

5) Driving Bump-Piste
Bumps are one of the most challenging areas of snowboarding technique. The technique for bumps is not so difficult (as you know all the basics already flexion, rotation, etc). Rather, the technique is complex due to the timing involved in matching your movements with the terrain.

Approach: Approach the bump as you would for a flexion turn, i.e. slightly extended, but keeping a low centre of gravity. Aim for the crest of the mogul as if you were going to use the side of the mogul to "stop" you in mid-turn.

Speed Control: As you approach the bump, slow down by doing a stop-turn. Note, this involves a slight-counter rotation which gives you the equivalent of a very strong anticipated rotation with which to initiate the turn.

The Turn: Now comes the hard part. As you turn, you flex your knees to absorb the mogul in the turn. This is combined with a strong rotation which allows you to turn around the mogul.

And Prepare for the next one!

If you stop thinking as soon as you stop turning then you have had it. The ending of your first turn should be the preparation for the second...think about extending out of your turn and preparing your approach for the next bump.... and here we go again!!!

Learning the Bumps
The following steps are based upon the progressive suite of exercises recommended by the SSBA (Swiss Snowboard Association)
Practice simple stop-turns.
Ensure that you stop in a counter-rotated position (e.g. stopping on the backside edge, but with the upper-body in a front-side position).
Practice stop turns immediately followed by an elementary turn
Practice stop turns followed by a rapid flexion turn
Put it all together on the bumps!

 

6) Safety Recommendations

Swiss SKUS recommendations for Snowboarders
Leash : The front foot should be attached by a security leash.
Backside Turns : Before changing direction, especially on a backside turn: look behind and check your blind spot.
Stopping : Stop on the side of the pistes and kneel or stand facing up-hill in order to see oncoming traffic rather than sitting down in the middle of the pistes.
Loose Snowboard : When not attached, your board should be face-down on the piste with the bindings in the snow.
Glaciers : Due to danger of crevasses, do not remove your snowboard when traversing glaciers
Chairlifts & Tows : The rear foot should be detached from the bindings.

General FIS to be observed by all piste-users
Consideration of the other Skiers : Every skier has to behave in a way he or she doesn't endanger or damage any other
Controlling of speed and way of skiing : Every skier has to ski on sight. He has to adapt his speed and way of skiing to his abilities and the conditions of the terrain, the snow and the weather as to the traffic density.
Choice of track : The skier coming from behind another has to choose his track so that skiers before him won't be endangered.
Overtaking : Overtaking is allowed from above or below, from right or left but always with a distance so that the skier being overtaken has space enough for all his movements. Snowboarders be aware of your blind sport (left side for regular, right side for goofy) and check before making any manoeuvre.
Entering and restarting : Every skier entering a trail or starting after a halt has to assure himself uphill and downhill of the fact that he can do so without danger for himself and others.
Stopping : Every skier has to avoid stopping at small or blind places of a trail without need. A fallen skier has to free such a place as quick as possible. Snowboarders stop at the edge of the piste facing upwards in order to be aware of any oncoming dangers.
Mounting and descend : A skier mounting or descending by feet has to use the border of the trail.
Pay attention to signs : Every skier has to pay attention to the marks and signs.
Behaviour in case of accidents : In case of accidents every skier has to help.
10.Duty of proving identity : Every skier whether witness or involved, whether responsible or not has to prove his identity in case of an accident.
 

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Bibliography:

Cern Snowboard Section, Geneva, Switzerland.
http://www.cern.ch/CERN/Clubs/ski/snowboard

Books:
Title: Faszination Snowboarding, "Ein Lehrbuch für Theorie und Praxis"
Geschrieben von: Michael Ritter und Ulrich Pramann
Verlag: Heyne Bücher

Title: auf Snowboarden
Deutsche Übersetzung von: Günther Görtz
Verlag: Pietsch, 1997

Title: Das grosse Jugendbuch Nr. 37
Verlag: Das Beste Zürich