CARVE IT UP
It’s fun, it looks cool, it means you’ll go faster and have more control… It’s time to learn to carve, with help from instructor Pascal Prot
We all have experienced the priceless feeling of being the very first person on the mountain. (If you haven’t–you need to get up earlier, it’s all about those first lifts!) The air is crisp, and the only sound is that of your board speeding up on that perfectly groomed snow. Without even noticing, your turns get sharper and more curved... It’s time to carve. Carving is a great ‘next step’ once you’ve mastered basic turns on your board.
Carving refers to turning your snowboard using only the edge of your board–you’ll cut across the snow without skidding, leaving a single, thin track in the snow. Carving is not only a ton of fun (and looks really cool), it also means you’ll go faster, while using less energy, and have more control on-piste. If you plan on progressing in freestyle, you’ll carve in the half-pipe and when spinning off jumps. Here are some tips to get you carving with ease…
GETTING STARTET
THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB
Just like when riding powder, some boards will make carving easier and others will make it harder. You could rent a snowboard specially shaped for carving, but keep in mind that these boards are specific and not really an all-round board. So make sure you try one before buying, even if carving is your thing. For those of you who prefer to use your own board, be it an all-mountain or alpine board, just make sure your edges are nice and sharp as that makes all the difference.
BINDING & BOOTS
Have you ever tried adjusting your spoiler angle? If not, that’s the first thing to do. The aim here is to keep your ankle in a flexed position. Adjust the angle of the binding, but make sure your toes or heel won’t catch the snow with the new angle created. Finally, tighten up your boots–the tighter your boots the more in control you will feel when cranking up those carves.
CHOOSE YOUR SLOPE
Start practicing your carving game on a long, mellow run. Most importantly, it needs to be a quiet slope devoid of too many other people–your turns will be arched and you'll want to use the whole slope.
GET SOME SPEED - BUT BE SURE TO CONTROL IT
Once you have chosen your slope, lean forward to pick up some speed. When carving you will need to lean to the inside of the turn, so speed is your friend. Saying that, you will need to control your speed at you progress down the slope–because there is much less friction under your board compared to the common skidded turn, carved turns cause a rider to continually accelerate at the hands of gravity.
The most effective way to control your speed is by altering the shape of the carve: rounder, more complete turns will carry you across, and even up, the slope, tapering speed before the new turn starts (try to make C-shaped turns, rather than loose S-shaped ones). When your speed diminishes–but before it’s gone–go directly onto the other edge. As you get more confident you can open up the turns and allow your speed to increase.
FRONTSIDE CARVING TURNS
Many people struggle to get their board to carve properly because they are so focused on touching the snow with their hands that they bend at the hip, rather than at their ankles. Their legs remain stiff and it is therefore harder to engage the edges of their board. My top tip is this: aim for your knees to touch the snow, rather than your hands–this will get your ankles nicely flexed and the edges engaged.
BACKSIDE CARVING TURNS
When it comes to backside carve turns, your upper body needs to be back over the edge of the board. A common mistake I see on the slopes is when people take a seat while turning. Your shoulders must stay over the edge of the board, in order to be balanced over your board. It’s not the best feeling when you engage your turn with your shoulders first, but it’s the best way to success when it comes to carving.
THE NEXT STEPS
As soon as you feel comfortable carving on mellow runs, try to adapt it to a steeper run. Many of us instinctively sit back on steeps–causing you to fight the hill. Try to keep your body weight centred between both legs and your shoulders level with the terrain.
Play with your turn shapes. By really pushing into the turns when engaging the edges, your edges will react faster to your movements and you will be able to draw big and fast lines into the slope.
A good carve will set you up for your next steps on a snowboard: jumps, jibs and rotations. So keep practicing–the mountain is your playground!
Before long the mountain will be your playground
FACTFILE
Pascal Prot is a ski and snowboard instructor for New Generation Ski School in Tignes. New Generation will help you develop technique, build confidence and have fun in 18 resorts throughout the Alps, from Tignes and Les Arcs to St Anton and Lech
