Snowboard Carving?

Question

Hi, I've been snowboarding for about two seasons now, and I can carve down black diamonds perfectly. Recently, however, I have tried to think about why carving is faster, but I just don't get it. Yes, you have less surface area on the snow, but surface area does not affect the frictional force. I also highly doubt that it cuts down on your air resistance. So anyone know the reason? Thanks.

Answer 1

It is faster because you are not wasting your energy pushing snow around.  Think of a beginners first turns: they finish the turn pushing snow down the hill  in a sideslip - essentially putting on the brakes after each turn.  As you get to be intermediate, the snow is pushed to the side so you are not slowing down as much, but it is still sliding around the turn and therefore slowing you down.  In a true carved turn, you are on the edge throughout and there is no sliding whatsoever.  So no sliding equates to no slowing down.

Answer 2

Carving isn't faster. That's the whole point of it.

You carve to stay in control. Going straight down a run without carving will cause you to go super fast but out of control.  Carving slows you down so you can stay in control.

Answer 3

Beginners learn to turn using skidded turns. It isn't that the board has more surface area on the snow that slows it down, it is that the board is skidding down the hill - dragging the edge which slows the rider. If the track in the snow is wide, the edge is skidding.

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