Last Updated7 June 2022

Exploring Carving activities and concepts aimed at introducing edged turns and carving. These are aimed at intermediate riders wanting to build confidence with edging and riding at higher speeds. When put together, these tasks make up a detailed progression for introducing and developing carving as a riding option. They can also be used individually to build particular skills in a student’s riding.

The concept of carving is to tilt the board enough so the edge grips and cuts through the snow with less skid, utilising the board’s side-cut more to shape the turn. Students will require a variety of turn sizes and shapes before learning to carve.

Developing Carving with Increased Edge Performance

What, Why, How

Develop faster across fall line edge changes, and edging/pressuring performance.

To improve timing, balance and line choice while increasing speed and performance when carving.

Earlier Edging

Review large closed edged or carved turns on an easy blue or green run.

Have students think about when, where and how long their edge change takes to happen in each turn by checking tracks, counting how long they rise for or how fast they feel the pressure change under their feet, from toes-to-heels or heels-to-toes.

To develop a faster edge change, find flatter terrain with a very gentle pitch like a cat track. Introduce the concept of edge rolls using a very open turn shape, focus on keeping the lower body loose and relaxed, whilst using the ankles to gently roll from edge to edge.

When comfortable, try the edge rolls across the fall line on an easy green run. Try to roll onto the downhill edge for a brief moment when travelling across the fall line, then come back to the uphill edge. This can be repeated a number of times, depending on the width of the slope.

Now try to blend the faster edge change that takes place across the fall line back into the large closed edged or carved turns.

Increasing Performance

Speed and performance can be developed through increasing how much movement and effort is used in flexing and leaning into the turn. Try making carved J-turns on an open blue run. Start in a straight run for a couple of seconds with an active stance to build speed. Then progressively flex (ankles and knees on toeside and knees and hips on heelside) and lean by moving the hips (and upper body) further inside the turn. This will get the edge to fully engage as the board drives around the arc of the turn and back uphill.

Blending in a subtle whole-body rotation or turning movement will make sure there is adequate steering. Repeat several times on both edges increasing the straight run for speed, and the amount of movement inside the turn for increased edging performance.

Next, use large closed carved turns and start edging the board more and earlier by progressively flexing and leaning inside the turn well before the fall line. It is important to note that there should always be plenty of movement left in reserve to be able to manage pressure and make adjustments and balance throughout the turn.

Further Carving Development

Hopped edge changes:

Start by bouncing through a traverse in between carved turns, taking notice of the different stance positions from heel to toe.

Add some hops to the bouncing when comfortable, taking off and landing on the same edge. Start to work the bouncing into the turn then add the hopping as confidence increases, then take out any traverse and link the turns together.

When timed well, the edge change will occur in the air.

Flasher turns (or board-sponsor turns):

Try to flash the base of the snowboard up the hill at the edge change. This encourages a quicker and more aggressive edge change.

In pairs, take it in turns to stand uphill from each other to check how much of the base on your partner's snowboard you can see.

To make it more challenging, increase the pitch of the terrain or try maintaining a true carve throughout the entire task.

Indy grab carves:

Use indy grab carving to improve vertical range of movement on the heelside, by reaching down progressively and touching the toe edge with the back hand.

With the increasing range of movement, try holding the grab through the bottom of the turn by flexing through the knees so the trailing shoulder becomes level (or close to level) with the trailing knee.

Movements & Board Performance

Lateral with Edging

A quick but precise movement laterally, stemmed from the ankles, will be necessary for faster edge changes. A larger range of angulated movement towards the inside of the turn is required as edging performance is increased.

Vertical

A faster extension will be needed to change edges across the fall line, and a longer and potentially larger flexing movement will be required to help angulation and manage the increase in pressure. The more the snowboard is flexed and tilted, the tighter the turning radius may become.

Rotational

These movements are the same as used in the intro to carving turns.

Longitudinal

Small aft movements during the control/completion of the turn can be explored to help increase edge grip in the tail of the board. Recentering must then happen prior to the next initiation.

Hot Tip

Remember that faster edge changes across the fall line are a tool to create or build performance early in the turn. Often a slower across fall line edge change when carving may be more suitable to create and manage speed and performance later in the turn as it gives the rider more time to react and set up what will happen later in the turn.

Terrain & Group Management

Use terrain that is well within the student’s ability. The same terrain that has been used for the intro to carving tasks is usually suitable; however, finding a slightly flatter pitch for the edge rolls can be beneficial. Remember that snow quality will still play a large part in the success of this lesson.

As with the previous carving tasks, ensure that your students look uphill before starting across the trail. Make your students aware of the situations where carving is appropriate. Ensure that you emphasise blind spots when carving through the heelside turn, as collisions can be common here. Remember, skidded turns will still be used in certain situations. Checking for forward lean in the highbacks will help with the creation of edge angle, particularly on the heelside. Ensure the student is confident with and understands the increased speeds required to generate a higher edge angle.

Corrective Teaching

Student lacks speed control or has difficulty creating a closed turn shape:

Review the turn shape and reconsider choice of terrain.

Encourage them to complete both their heel and toe turns, focusing on the sensation of deceleration before thinking about their next turn.

Ensure they are looking across the hill at the completion of every turn.

Review the use of flexion movements and the effect this has on the side-cut of the snowboard relative to a closed shape.

Encourage staying mobile while riding and continually moving vertically/laterally with efficient blending.

Student pivots their board at the initiation of the turn:

Review the blend of vertical and lateral movements to help with the early edge change.

Have them focus on balancing their hips on the downhill edge before the snowboard enters the fall line.

When they move onto their downhill edge, try to keep the board travelling across the hill for a moment before the side-cut engages and steers them into the fall line.

Student inclines on the toeside due to excessive lateral movements of the upper body across the board to change edges early:

Review how the different parts of the body can move laterally.

Encourage movement of the hips and knees across the board to change edges.

Focus them on keeping their head upright and maintaining a level horizon in their line of sight.

Encourage early but gentle pressure with the shins touching the tongues of the boots.

Student loses grip through the control and completion of the heel turn:

Check highback forward lean.

Focus on even vertical movement through both knees and a gentle lift of the toes.

Focus their attention on how quickly the board is edging, and try to blend vertical and lateral movements together to make this more progressive.

Ensure they remain longitudinally centred so that the entire length of the side-cut is pressured and provides grip through the turn control and completion.

Self Reflection

“Do my students have the physical ability to increase their range of vertical movement?”

“Do they have the strength to hop at the edge change?”

“Are they still pivoting or twisting the board in the initiation of the turn?”

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