I like this topic.

I agree that “good style” is smooth and easy, yet powerful (ala CK). I think that Jeremy Jones often looks a little out of control because the stuff you see him riding on film is truly steep and on the edge of what’s turnable. That dude is smooooth on mellower pow slopes.

I certainly wish my style was a little calmer and smoother, esp. in steeper terrain when I’m thinking about the possibility of going for a ride or getting sluffed out. I tend to stiffen up and my arms go all over the place. But hey, thinking and safety are good style in the backcountry 😛 . I don’t think that riding at the resort will necessarily train you in that regard, but getting out into the deep a lot might.

Here’s a video of me “testing” a chute. It’s pretty obvious I’m a little sketched at the top, but after the first couple of turns when it’s clear I’m not going to end up broken at the bottom of the slope, I’m a little more at ease and fluid. That’s part of the fun of riding in the backcountry, though: the release after the stress. I just wish I rode better during the stressful part!

vid

I ripped the next chute over on our next run when we were more confident in the conditions, but there’s no video of that so you’ll have to take my word for it :wink:.

style wise i think craig kelly is king in my book. every time i see a picture or video of him riding, i instantly feel like i need to be on my board.
as far as my style… i like to get myself onto terrain that i can’t really handle, make two turns, and fall down the rest. 😉

@bcrider wrote:

@prestonf wrote:

vid

Looks like a fun line prestonf! 8)

Thread drift…

It was interesting to see you stomp on the snow and enter that on your toeside, I always feel more comfortable on my heelside in that same situation.

I ride hard boots and feel like I have better edge control/feel on my toeside, so often like to enter and stomp on stuff that way, but if there are things to navigate through that you need to see, I definitely feel more comfortable on my heelside. Whatever works!!

More thread drift…
This is probably obvious, but I don’t think that stomping around is necessarily a good slope test. (In that video, we had cut a small cornice, but had approached from the backside, so didn’t really know what the snow was like…)

@Bryce wrote:

I like skateboarding a surfboard on snow

:headbang:

ps. Welcome to the forum!

That vid of Nicholas is sick. He is actually making turns after airs which you don’t see much of anymore.

Love the butters and the tweaked out Japan grab spins. :bow:

Burt is very fluid with no arm swinging and exaggerated body movement.

I come from a skate background, so that has always been my approach to snowboarding.

I still constantly try not to do that lazy rear hand drag on toe side turn and try to always keep the knees bent at the end of a heel side turn. I hate it when I see a vid or pic or me with a straight back leg. :banghead: Usually happens when I’m tired.

Sweet – Nicolas :headbang: I’ve seen him in some past films – definitely good style!

I’ll have to agree with the posts above. Nicolas Muller is all style, and Tom Burt is just so fluid, he makes tough lines look easy. Travis Rice is another super stylie all-around rider. I’ve seen all of them riding real mountains first hand, and it’s not just the videos that make them look good. As a contrast, Johan has a much more powerful-looking style. But there are plenty of dudes (and chicks, for that matter) no one has heard of ripping your local spot with good style. Even a few skiers! To me, it’s all about looking like you are in control, and flowing with the mountain, being confident, whether making turns or in the air. But what do I really know? I’m a tall lanky retired skier with no skate background that rode a lot of park for several years, so I know I have my own style, don’t know how good it is, though (I need to get me a video part just so I can see it myself!) What I know for sure is bad style – postholing a skintrack, leaving poles at home, taking orders from the Man, etc.