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Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

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Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby gigabass » 03 Feb 2012 15:21

I had my first 'skwal only' week with the new mpride xrace 183 recently.
Thanks to Obi One's 'technica skwal' and my first experience last year carving on the wide pistes was real great and fun. Extreme carving including some planned lay-downs (and some unplanned as well ;-) ) like never before.

The easy it was to carve on the wide pistes, the hard it was to manage narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes as the skwal always needs speed to make a turn easily, and can more or less only be turned riding on the edge. I somehow made it, slow down after the turn is OK, but the turn itself, at low speed, with limited space (due to piste or people) was horrible. The old Easy Jungle (i don't want to go back on this) of course was much more handy but still not easy to turn quickly, narrow and fast 'on the nose' of the board as i was used to from my old alpine-snowboards.

Sure has to do with stance and angle (compared to the alpine boards), stiffness and length of board etc. but i'm sure also with riding technique.
What technique are the experienced skwalers using to manage these conditions ?

Thanks for next lessons ...
Guido
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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby LeTounEnShort » 03 Feb 2012 18:49

Hi !

As some of us, You can use sticks... It makes these conditions easier. personnaly, I don't like that but it is a solution.

Without sticks and in conditions you tell, I often ride my skwal as if I had some. I use these "virtual sticks" pushing on left hand when I want a left turn (or right when I turn right) and it makes me flex and push on my legs in the right timing. Fortunately, I don't really have wide moves : just a small push (like a drummer). It makes me turn easily and with a nice rythm. Not the best skwal riding (no carving) but so effective !

And finally, when it's to narrow, crowded, bumpy, I ride my skis ;)

Good luck !
Boards : R-A-D Diamond LTD 183 + Lagriffe RS176 + Thias 173°F + Lacroix Contest 180 / boots : Head Stratos Pro
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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby gigabass » 03 Feb 2012 20:45

sticks are no option, but virtual sticks might be. i'll give it a try next time, thanks.
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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby obi one » 24 Sep 2012 21:50

if you face a crowded or narrow slope, you should ride your skwal like a skier...apply "derapage" to your skwal and learn how to use it when necessary. "derapage can be fun like pure carving" sometimes....(I said sometimes only :) )

if you master derapage like carving you are tuned in!

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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby sabestian » 25 Sep 2012 08:54

What is "derampage"? Is it counter-rotating short turns with sliding? Like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlbz26hA ... ure=relmfu
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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby pete » 26 Sep 2012 01:44

"derapage" from the verb "déraper" means skidding, but riding a skwal, it most likely means counter rotating ! Obi one, correct me if I'm mis-interpretating your words.
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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby gigabass » 28 Sep 2012 08:31

Well, 'skidding', 'drifting' or whatever we call it - sure that's something i tried.

This worked OK for me as long as i can stay on one edge - left or right. Changing edge is OK as long as i'm carving, have enough speed or riding close to the fall line.
But close to the fall line is often too fast for narrow / crowded slopes, so i have to slow down, break, which brings the skwal away from the fall line, and then it is not easy anymore to switch to the other edge.
Additionally, except close to the fall line with more speed, i didn't make it to switch edges from left to right except via 'carving' on the edge (which again makes it fast and sometimes takes up too much space).

I'm coming from the alpin snowboarding. Due to wider stance and angle it is there more easy eg. to lean with your the complete weight over the nose of the board, lift up the back and do very narrow turns over the nose, even at very low speed (or even without any) which i was impossible to do on the skwal (maybe just a lack of experience, maybe wrong technique).
I know skwal is no alpin snowboarding, eg. no rotation for carving, but as counter rotation is a no-go in alpin snowboarding i didn't really try it on the skwal.
Though i don't believe that it will be possible to turn the skwal by 90 degrees just by counter rotation.
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Re: Skwal technique for narrow / crowded / bumpy pistes

Postby avante » 28 Sep 2012 10:30

gigabass wrote:I'm coming from the alpin snowboarding. Due to wider stance and angle it is there more easy eg. to lean with your the complete weight over the nose of the board, lift up the back and do very narrow turns over the nose, even at very low speed (or even without any) which i was impossible to do on the skwal (maybe just a lack of experience, maybe wrong technique).
I know skwal is no alpin snowboarding, eg. no rotation for carving, but as counter rotation is a no-go in alpin snowboarding i didn't really try it on the skwal.
Though i don't believe that it will be possible to turn the skwal by 90 degrees just by counter rotation.


I came from skis and it might have helped a bit. But the other side is that I am "drifting" to much sometimes =) Controlling the speed with sliding down(yep, a bit like drifting) and changing edges strongly depends on what skwal are you riding. For me it is quite difficult to do it when I use Monocarver, but fun and easy on RS176 (it is less stiff and rockered).
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