Splitboard.com Forums

Mmmmmmm comfy...

That's exactly where I notice the difference as well. Basically, the steeper and more frozen the snow, the more I use forward lean. In "winter" snow, it doesn't make much difference. The softer the snow, the more you can "surf" the board, and the less need for the highback. But for me personally, there's no way I'm dropping into a 50 deg chute with not-yet-corned up snow in the spring w/o my forward lean. YMMV.

I do always back it off all the way for skinning. This is where the cube on the Sparks is nice, it's easy to adjust on the fly. The latest Burton highbacks are little more of a pain, but still easy enough to adjust in the field.

If you're not carving a big powerful turn with plenty of Gs, you lean your shoulders too far back behind your COG and you're gonna sit on your butt. This would not be helpful on a steep springtime Sierra Coulie where to engage your edge you actually must lean out away form the slope to keep from washing out to your butt. I've found my edge is better for speed control than my pantseat.

IMHO YMMV.

I agree w/ 96Avs01, even though the Sharks are way better than the avs

mmmmmmmmmm...

No thanks. Probably pretty good in bottomless powder or park jibbing. Different strokes for different folks.

if ya dont need fwd lean / hi backs your not goin fast enuf!!!!
shred it!!!

I would say that Ranquet has a point for sure. It's Ranquet..he was one of the first guys to bring skate style to snowboarding. I remember having an old snowboard mag back in the day with him doing a mctwist at whistler on a natural 1/4 pipe. I used to ride with cut highbacks so I could tweak my airs. You dont see that too much these days. I skate so I can dig what Ranquet is saying. I like a soft highback with a medium stiff boot,,it feels good. Now my mind is working..is less really more. Hmmm I think I might experiment.

Holy Shit!!!!

Its catching on..... again....

http://www.shayboarder.com/2010/05/the- ... ience.html

Please check your high-backs at the door!

Hells yea!! I can remember rockin my lowbacks in the early ninties and I loved them. I took me awile to get used to highbacks (they killed my calfs) but now I think the highbacks and forward lean are essiential for the steeps

I hear you... but its all in your head.
You can do it!
All you need is confidence.
You can ride anything you want, any way you like!
Snowboarding is an individual sport, don't let the man tell you how (or what) to ride!

Salud!

Forward lean is all about personal preference. I run with lots of it. So much so that most people can't handle swapping boards with me and I don't feel comfortable swapping boards with them. Ride how you feel comfortable and enjoy the snow.

And I've snaked Ranquet on a line or two, not that I'd do it intentionally but it's happened on a pow day.

If you need to ask why, I'm guessing it probably won't matter to you anyway.

Pedro I with you bro,
I totally removed my high backs and now ride with nothing. I have stiff boots and dont need them at all. Why haul them when you dont have to? No boarders do it with no bindings at all, no backs is a perfect medium for me its more of a surf feeling.