On the goggles front, if I had the choice I’d go for the Prizms. Pricey mind.

One other thing that occurs to me is that a lot of people here talk about carving like it’s the only way to ski or board. Frankly it’s not a skill that is all that useful in my opinion, unless you are racing. You can’t do it in powder, when it gets lumpy, or when you are in trees.  There are other more effective ways of turning (on skis and a board) that are necessary to learn if you want to be able to ride in all conditions.

I think what I was really trying to get across was

-stay loose

-let the board slide, it’s going to anyway so instead of trying to desperately dig it in just accept it and let it go

-don’t worry about the board catching an edge, if you’re loose and lowish your legs will compress and then the board will let go and slide again. It’s going to happen, no point stressing.

ice + flat light are ok……. but ice + flat light + steep are a nightmare.

In icy conditions, I actually find it better to narrow my run (ie: shorter zigs and zags) – so your turns (edge to edge) are shallower / at a less acute angle, and so you are putting less pressure on the edge biting into the ice each time.  Also, using a narrower run with faster turns means that if you feel an edge going (or fail to bite) you can more easily correct.

If I was you I’d stay on some nice long and low blues and greens, go to the snowpark etc.  Also, in icy conditions, I find that wearing elbow pads really helps my confidence.

Used to ride a lot to a decent level with Kenty, Big stance Daz, Chris Moran / Rossendale crew etc.

Sharp edges – base grind and wax before you go away, take an edge file/sharpener with you. Check edges every night. Sharpen as required.

Big wide binding stance and tuck down low with your knees bent, weight low over centre line of your board. roll the board from edge to edge with your ankles – none of that swooshing your tail around shit-really dig the edges in and try not to ride the flat/base of your board for too long whilst transitioning from edge to edge as that’s when leading edges dig in.

Straight lining and speed actually helps – with long slow carving mellow turns spending a long time on each edge across the whole piste when it’s icy.

Slow speed around other people – motorways/lift funnels etc are the time when I always ended up binning it when it was icy.

Standard yellow goggles for flat light – low tucked stance as above for absorbing bumps.

From one of your comments above about worrying about catching an edge (heal side) when you’re on the toe edge it sounds like the board is too flat.

As said above, bend the knees more, maybe check your high backs aren’t too verticle.

Try to point down the slope a bit more, it’s scary sometimes but less edge grip required.

Sharp edges will help massively.

See if you can rent a Lib Tech for a day, see if the magnatraction edges help.

Someone else mentioned about looking for the edge powder, this will really help. If the piste is cambered go to the low side where the snow will have been pushed too.

Yeah – as above, crank loads of forward lean on your bindings. Your stance needs to be as low as you can go – most people stand bolt upright!

Push your bindings wider, crank some lean on and get your bollocks rubbing the top sheet of your board! Tuck!

As low as you can go is tiring and lose you amplitude. Same on skis, bolt upright isn’t good, nor is too low. Muscles are more supple and sronger in the middle of their operating range.

As for a norrower staighter run or going faster on verglas, that’s how people put themselves and others in barquettes. Swish, swish, swish, swish scrubbing off speed and staying stable will hurt less. It’s easier to change direction when you’re already turning whether on a board or skis.

Be less tense and lighter on your feet.  All very easy to say but difficult to achieve.  In other words get out and practice!

Skis or board don’t be afraid of the edge slipping.  Standing on an edge really hard (to try and create grip) is too tiring and actually does the opposite of what you want. So start with less pressure on the edge, allow the edge to slip and eventually you will find the balance point of grip v slip without using a load of muscle power.  Like all skiing/boarding it’s about finesse and feel.

Agree with edukator low stance is not helpful. It lowers centre of gravity which means it comprises for bad technique but it puts lots of strain on muscles.

The best place to ski / board in conditions like that is Scotland where that’s just a normal day.

It’s easier to change direction when you’re already turning whether on a board or skis.

Troo dat,

The place I rented my daughter’s board from were really insistent that the ‘correct’ width was one third of your height – exactly.  It took a lot of persuasion for them to move from that.

(…or a screwdriver of course)

When the conditions are like that it’s best to just call it a day and head to the pub IME – it’s not fun and it never will be. I got pretty decent at riding in flat light/ice during my seasons but it was still just a case of being happy to make it down rather than enjoying it, and the risk of spannering yourself is vastly increased.

I hate wasting a day when you’ve only got 6 days to ride a year, but I find it’s better to save the legs til you get decent conditions – I’m always a wreck by the end of a holiday if I go big every day. If you must go out, sharpen your edges, stick close to the piste poles – snow is usually better there and you’ve got a visual marker – and just try to stay loose and confident. The latter is easier said than done though, especially when you’re knackered!

As low as you can go is tiring and lose you amplitude. Same on skis, bolt upright isn’t good, nor is too low. Muscles are more supple and sronger in the middle of their operating range.

Don’t know what you mean by amplitude?

Mostly people get told “get really, really, low” because they think they’re low and bending the knees when they’re really, really, not.

Good point about strength and fatigue.  I spent a few days riding with a very fast guy in La Grave – won the Derby de la Meije a few times.  He’d ride for 5-10 minutes at a time without stopping.  Let me have a 2 second breather, set off again with a shout of “Ed, suivez moi!”  He’d ride with straighter legs and I learned quite quick that it had it’s place.  And when you’re soaking up crap at silly speeds off piste it helps to try and stay towards the top end of the travel.

Bend those knees, load the edge and stay relaxed as others have said.

Girlfriend and I both bought new boards for this year…..gnu zoid and gnu riders choice. Could not believe the difference, so much more hold, a revelation. Edge hold is incredible.

Amplitude is range of movement from fully bent to fully extended. If you are too low and hit a bump you can’t absorb , if your legs are completely straight you won’t be as supple Have a look at a tug of war team and learn how to ski/board:

Well that was much better. Couple f inches of powder overnight, first lift up this morning, still could not see a thing but I cranked over my heel backs a bit more, stayed relaxed and trusted in the powder giving me some leeway and a softer landing 🙂

Once we got into the trees & better light riding the soft stuff was awesome, a highlight of the trip. Less ice but still some showing by 11:30 but I coped a lot better, less tired more relaxed and better frame of mind. Called it a day when I started getting tired. I think yesterday was just a really bad day & got me down – I did decide early on to quit but by that time we were several valleys away from home and I was too pigheaded to get lifts down the mountains.

Cheers for the discussion people.

Think yourself lucky.

I suck at snowboarding in powder on empty pistes.

Bloody good fun trying though.

I lived in CH for 8 years … but have been skiing since 21.

Flat light / bad light / snowing becomes more of an issue as you get older.  It’s all to do with he rods and cones in your eyes … and you ability to assess contrast.

In my younger years nothing stopped me, it could be absolutely awful light and I never had any issues … but theses days, flat light or snowing and I wouldn’t bother.

It is much easier on skis … you have 4 contact points …. or if you are going fast ( you don’t correct for the bump you didn’t see , you juts ride through it).  But if you can see, you can go faster !

You suck because your technique is poor and tough conditions show this more easily. Get a couple of lessons and re-learn what you think you already know.

Its not goggles or gear, it’s you, same as in the bike.

it’s easy for you, giantalkali – there’s always good light if the sun shines out of your arse

That is true, but I ski with 60ish year old German boarders who use dated 20yr old gear, how often do you think they fall? Not very is the answer, not because they have laser vision or the best gear but because they have the technique dialled. That’s becausethey live 3hours from the Alps and ride every weekend.

With the correct technique you will be less reliant on reading the hill and will become one with it, it’s subtle nuances guiding you, a honed boarding messiah.

Or just go and blow another £80 on goggles

As other have said stay loose …. to me this means changing my mind set a little….  Instead of be pro-active (deciding when and where to put your turns in and powering through them) be re-active… put your turns in but be ready to put in another if the hill/snow under you dicates.

And something I’m not sure has been said ….. In flat light, trees are your friends. Head to pistes through them or better still, if you get right into them for proper tree runs, chances are, you will not have ice to contend with.

Good luck

Here’s my two pence worth, I’ve been snowboarding for 25 years and been on lots of different courses/lessons etc. I’m away on a 2 week riding/instructor course end of the month.

Flat light, slow down and look for shadows on the ground that you can use to turn on. Your not going to be carving, skidded turns will keep your speed down and let’s you “feel” what the conditions are. Try to stay in an area you know, it helps when you know what’s ahead.

I’ve had the weird “don’t know if your moving” scenario, pretty freaky when you think your still and a piste pole hits you at 20mph!

Ice, proper ice is blue and your not going to be turning on it. Go straight and slow/turn on something soft.

Hard pack, compacted snow, again slow down, if your struggling, your riding beyond your ability. There’s little grip available so you need to take it easy with your edges, big turns using as much of the piste as possible,  if there’s snow at the piste edges, use that to turn on.

With out sounding patronising, have you had any lessons? I see so many good riders fall apart when the terrain get steeper or conditions aren’t too good. A good solid technique will get you down (in style) any slope.

Just an exercise to try, on a good day, put your hands behind your back, or on your bum and see how long you can keep them there whilst riding. If you can’t, lessons will help.