How can i improve my boardercross speed?

Question

im racing with my highschool and i cant get first no matter how hard i try. i am the first out of the gate and i can ride quiet well, the only problem is the other races slowly pass me. is this because im not using the correct type of wax or what?

Answer 1

It probably isn't the wax - it is probably the type of turn you are doing and how much speed each turn eats up.

A carved turn is one where the edge doesn't skid down the hill, but the entire edge tracks front to back through the same line in the snow. These turns don't scrub off speed or slow you down - each turn carries the speed from the previous turn into the next.

This is an internet article that describes it:

http://www.alpinecarving.com/beginners.h...

This is how I teach carving:

Carving does not involve any skidding or the board edge sliding down the hill. Carving requires you to put more pressure on the edge which arcs the board so the entire edge is in contact with the snow. This causes the board to track along its natural turn radius and the board will leave a narrow line in the snow - the entire edge will track through this same line without skidding sideways.

The first lesson is to touch your boot in the middle of every turn. Next lesson is to do some very large turns with as much pressure on the edge as you can do until the board turns all the way back up the hill - you should almost be able to drag your hand on the inside of the turn. Then start linking these carved turns by bending your knees in the middle of the turn - only extend when you are switching edges.

As you are traveling on this one edge, the board will make a large radius turn and once you are about 45 degrees across the hill you can transition to the other edge (before the board is pointed down the hill!). Don't try this if you are skidding your turns as your downhill edge will dig in and you will tumble. This works in a carved turn because you are not skidding and you are traveling fast enough that when you transition to the other edge your weight puts enough pressure on the other edge to force it into the snow and arc it in the other direction - which starts your next turn.

Good Luck

Answer 2

wax is a must.  I recommend Lemon Scented Pledge, buffed to a sheen with a wine cork.

Really, you can spend a lot more scratch on a small brick of ski wax than you'd ever think possible ($100 + on flouro-hydro-recombobulated carbon top shelf wax).  But you can do well with some good Swix or Holmenkol ski wax that runs around $15 - $20.  You'll get about 4 wax jobs on a pair of skis if your efficient.  Spend money on good scrappers and corks,  also a good brush.  You'll need an iron that you don't care about, preferably one without holes in the bottom for steam (steamers bad).  And you are off and running.

Buy some ptex and a bic lighter and you are a bona fide ski technician!!!!

PS.  Don't burn your bases with the iron.

Answer 3

While wax can help your speed, the other two things to work on are your own riding and the Bx strategy. So in order of importance:

1) Riding: practice carve turns to the point where you know you can always stay on edge.  Many people make edge changes too late.  You want to be able to steer the board tighter with rotational forces of your feet and driving the knees.  This way you can take the lines you want without sliding.  You should also be using your legs to draw the board under you  to make your edge change.  There is a lot of technical details that you can work on to improve your speed.

2) While the whole shot is always the cleanest way to win a race, you have to be prepared for those starts where you are first out or in your case where you are passed.  In this case, you need to know the course and pick the places where you are going to follow and where you want to pass.  

3) Wax and tune for the race conditions!  The type of wax you use is less important than the effort you put into your tuning..  Here is an excellent free guide to tuning:  http://www.kuu.com/tuningmanual2.pdf

Good Luck!