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Just starting...need advice

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Just starting...need advice

Postby sabestian » 16 Feb 2011 23:31

I am just starting... this was my third day. I have long time experience with alpine snowboards, but skwal is something different! Lots of habits to get rid of. The board is Lacroix SK200. Yes, I am already looking for a newer piece (PM me if you have something interesting). :P

Anyway, I can feel the progress, it is all working very well (of course it's all worse when the camera is on). Thanks to ObiOne's skwal tecnica in English and his videos I know generally what to do, sometimes I even remember about tilting. There are two videos attached, could you please comment on the areas I could improve? It is quite hard to find a skwal instructor where I live :lol: and no chance to attend a skwal meeting, either...

I noticed the back knee sticking out, and already taken care of it. Thanks for all the suggestions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8-gqqDC5-Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT0N5sfvQKY
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Re: Just starting...need advice

Postby Zarkod » 17 Feb 2011 00:03

Yes that's the main point, you need to keep your back knee behind the front knee in the same line.
Perhaps you have too much angle on the back foot, did you tried to put a 0°?

You also have to focus on the shoulders to keep them always perpendicular to the board (put you two arms grouped in front of you to avoid having an arm staying "behind"). But this is linked, if your knee position gets better, the shoulders will follow.
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Re: Just starting...need advice

Postby obi one » 17 Feb 2011 15:17

sabestian wrote:I am just starting... this was my third day. I have long time experience with alpine snowboards, but skwal is something different! Lots of habits to get rid of. The board is Lacroix SK200. Yes, I am already looking for a newer piece (PM me if you have something interesting). :P

Anyway, I can feel the progress, it is all working very well (of course it's all worse when the camera is on). Thanks to ObiOne's skwal tecnica in English and his videos I know generally what to do, sometimes I even remember about tilting. There are two videos attached, could you please comment on the areas I could improve? It is quite hard to find a skwal instructor where I live :lol: and no chance to attend a skwal meeting, either...

I noticed the back knee sticking out, and already taken care of it. Thanks for all the suggestions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8-gqqDC5-Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TT0N5sfvQKY



Hi Sebastian
follow Zarkod's advice and you're in the right track! correct! If you just stared I am impressed! very good. And videos...it's the best way to understand each other...keep on filming.


Some additionals about your "SDV_0087.MP4" clip (the first one):

to think now:
1) your body is just starting to get confidence with the frontal position...practice will augment your lateral confidence and the upper body (bust unit) will be more fluid.
2) skwal is still in control of the turn, not you. But that is completely normal as you have just stared...skwal is still "deciding" for you the radius, edge transitions and several other processes. In a very short time...it will be you taking control of all these elements.



to think for the future (as you are still in the "get confidence" condition):

3) your edge transitions are done in extension...it is ok, but I would ask you to try out "compression" at edge transitions in order to apply pull-push in the proper manner...At first stance, compressing during edge transitions is difficult as we mostly learned to do exacly the contrary ..do not be annoyed by that and try it out.
4) at min 07 and min 12 - you are applying "tilting"...try out tilting in compression during edge transitions...(in skwal-technica is called "tilted compression"
5) at home, repeat millions of time in a week the "feet-clock" dynamics...

you'll be a skwaler sooner than expected ...
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Re: Just starting...need advice

Postby sabestian » 18 Feb 2011 17:58

All right. A couple of days of work and this is where I am.

I followed Zarkod's advice and set the rear foot to zero deg. Also, I set both bindings back (thanks Canman!).

Next, I tried to apply push-pull / cross-under as per ObiOne's advice. It is tricky on a skwal, but worth the effort! Great feeling of control and tighter curves!

Then I was beggining to feel tired, my thighs on fire, I run out of power to properly squat for the pull phase... started to break the waist and bend to the front instead.

It was high time to shoot these three videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tORU64deCXs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhVi8Rme_M8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bS7XW_GY8

Any comments? Tommorow is my last day of winter break, no more skwal for this year... :cry:
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Re: Just starting...need advice

Postby obi one » 19 Feb 2011 01:46

sabestian wrote:All right. A couple of days of work and this is where I am.

I followed Zarkod's advice and set the rear foot to zero deg. Also, I set both bindings back (thanks Canman!).

Next, I tried to apply push-pull / cross-under as per ObiOne's advice. It is tricky on a skwal, but worth the effort! Great feeling of control and tighter curves!

Then I was beggining to feel tired, my thighs on fire, I run out of power to properly squat for the pull phase... started to break the waist and bend to the front instead.

It was high time to shoot these three videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tORU64deCXs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhVi8Rme_M8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bS7XW_GY8

Any comments? Tommorow is my last day of winter break, no more skwal for this year... :cry:



my real comment to you is that I am really sorry that you'll give up skwal for this year: you are doing great!

in a couple of days your bust, support and in-line units are more co-ordinated and fluid...the pull push application has improved a lot...edge transitions (apart from the last clip where I suppose you were really tired!) are now in the pull phase (and sometimes together with tilting) ...I know pull push is trick on a skwal but next year it will be your second nature

good luck and come to the AES meetings least next year!



obi one


keep on filming!
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Re: Just starting...need advice

Postby sabestian » 25 Dec 2011 21:09

Marry Christmas to you all!

This is mainly a "thank you" post. I had a lovely season opening in Val di Sole (Italy). It was a alpine snowboarding training event and I can finally say that - after umpteen seasons of trying hard to self teach myself - I can almost make the board do what I want it to! Thank you Canman and Shaman (http://www.snowboard.pl).

In fact, what started for me as a full on snowboarding experience, after a few days turned to be a full time skwaling event. :lol: Is it unavoidable?? :mrgreen:

I made a conscious effort to switch boards from time to time to become more aware of the technique and separate it from the snow conditions and riding gear.

What I found was, that although I find it difficult to apply push-pull on an alpine board (will have to work on that later) it works wonders on a skwal. On top of that, a touch of rotation, mainly applied on what is my snowboarding back-side, works well to stop me from counter-rotating (my old bad habit). I put my racing tongues into my boots (stiffer boots help skwaling!).

Thanks everyone for guiding me through the learning process (ObiOne, Zarkod). Here is the video of me progressing:

http://youtu.be/9MZo_RBhxpU

I also tried to keep my free-hand stable to keep my upper body quiet, it worked well as an exercise (looks weird, though).

http://youtu.be/sV6k-r94rss

I finally managed to slow myself down. I know that I need to work on my balance, feet-clock, and to keep the hands off the snow! :roll: Plus, I need a steeper slope. Anything else? Don't hesitate to comment, it is hard to develop a good technique with no guidance!
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