Ask an Instructor!
Hey BoardWorlders,
It’s time for another exciting episode of… ASK. AN. INSTRUCTOR! *Cue theme music* 
In an attempt to prepare myself for my level 3 exams (and since Whistler is making me ski all the damn time 
) I thought we could all play this game to improve your riding and my teaching. It’s a mutual thing 
There’s only 3 rules:
1. It must be a riding question
2. A question to IMPROVE your riding (sliding turns, carve turns, off piste or park)
OR
3. A question to INTRODUCE you to a Park feature or trick.
I’m hoping to get as many advanced riding questions as possible (blue, black and freestyle terrain), but I’m happy to answer anything.
Aaaaaaaand GO!
I posted this in my thread but you may miss it. How can I improve my euro carve. It seems that I turn back uphill too much and can’t link it back to a heelside carve (the heelside doesn’t have to be euro). I finish my toeside euro and can only stand back up. I also found it easier to do on my Fish compared to my Proto HD.
I’ve got a question about backside 360s that I wouldn’t mind some insight into, if you could be bothered?
I’ve landed them before and I thought I had relatively decent technique for my first lands, but since then haven’t been able to do them properly. Something’s changed in what I’m doing and I don’t know what!
Mind if I post some pics and possibly video and you take a look?
If it isn’t the kind of thing you mean then I definitely understand!
I posted this in my thread but you may miss it. How can I improve my euro carve. It seems that I turn back uphill too much and can’t link it back to a heelside carve (the heelside doesn’t have to be euro). I finish my toeside euro and can only stand back up. I also found it easier to do on my Fish compared to my Proto HD.
Contestant number 1 - Skip 11
Throwing down the Euro Carve. Bonus points awarded for doing it on one of my favourite carving pitches on Blackcomb
I like how low you got! You definitely tip well into the turn.
There’s many different ways to euro carve, improve them, vary them etc. But from that clip I would focus on 2 things to make your euro do what you want it to do.
1. The way you exit a turn, decides how well the next one will start. All turns are a C shape. Start your euro at the top, moving across the hill, rather than in the middle.
- Start by doing a nice normal heel side carve first and make sure you finish it moving across the hill (close the turn). This will set you up to start your euro whilst going across the hill. If you start a euro pointing down the hill you will build too much pressure at the end of the turn (it will feel like you are braking rather than turning, your video show’s you going from fast to almost stopped very rapidly). If you start the euro moving across the hill you will maintain a lower, more consistent pressure all the way through a nice round turn. Rather than the pressure spiking at the end and causing the board to skid and brake, the board will carve better and carry speed out of the turn. That will let you link it up to another turn…. LIKE A BOSS.
2. Make the turn larger. It’s impressive that you can euro such a tight turn, but if you do a nice big euro, it will be easier to hold a smooth carve and exit the turn still moving fast. There’s no right or wrong way, but this will help achieve what you’re asking.
In saying that, if you do step 1 well, step 2 will basically happen by itself.
I love that you post videos too, it makes this way easier. Looking forward to seeing the next one Skip 
I’ve got a question about backside 360s that I wouldn’t mind some insight into, if you could be bothered?
I’ve landed them before and I thought I had relatively decent technique for my first lands, but since then haven’t been able to do them properly. Something’s changed in what I’m doing and I don’t know what!
Mind if I post some pics and possibly video and you take a look?
If it isn’t the kind of thing you mean then I definitely understand!
Absolutely, this is exactly what I mean. Even if it wasn’t I would still be happy to help.
Video’s are always best, but I can work with an explanation too. Post away 
@Andy Aitken: Thanks Andy. I knew it, I always feel like I start the turn pointing downhill instead across it hahah. When you say larger turn, you mean don’t put too much pressure/bend the board too much? Because I think my board’s sidecut 7m which is pretty tight already?
7m is a pretty tight radius. I’m jealous, I have to ride wide boards so my board has a 8.4m radius 
But regardless of what ever sidecut radius you might have on a board. Yes pressuring the board less will make it do a larger turn. Don’t worry about extending the legs to bend the board yet. Just go faster but tip your body slower into the turn. Being patient when tipping into the turn will let you stay in the carve and avoid skidding the board. You will still get all the way down into a euro carve, you will just have more time to do it by
1. starting your turn across the hill and
2. tipping slower into the euro carve
Once you can do that and hold a smooth euro carve from start to finish, I can teach you something that will rock your world…
Hey skip - 0:36.
@chucky: Yeah I’ve seen that ahaha, pretty cool he’s doing that in competition.
@Andy: And what is that thing that will blow my mind?
Tell you when you can Euro without the board skidding. It’s kind of complex and would only pull your riding apart at the moment.
Hey skip - 0:36.
Full circle euro, so sick. I used to love doing these in the bowl at Happo Banks Park. Haven’t quite got it down on flat ground though. Props to him for doing it in competition. I’d love to see an open section of park for riders to just do something fun to show that they are more than just park rats.
Full circle euro, so sick.
@Andy: Even though this is sick and awesome, I wouldn’t call this a euro. To me euro you need to lay your whole body down and extend (not crouched low). Ok I will try getting a video without skidding. I’ve done it a few times on my Fish (which I found easier, probably due to camber and taper). I’m going up on Monday Andy with my friend, will you be able to ride?
Full circle euro, so sick.
@Andy: Even though this is sick and awesome, I wouldn’t call this a euro. To me euro you need to lay your whole body down and extend (not crouched low). Ok I will try getting a video without skidding. I’ve done it a few times on my Fish (which I found easier, probably due to camber and taper). I’m going up on Monday Andy with my friend, will you be able to ride?
Well no it wasn’t a euro all the way around, but I’ve never seen anyone do that. Full circle carve at least.
How was your level 3 Andy?
I passed my teaching which is what I was aiming for, so now I only have one component to go because I’ve already passed the pedagogy last year.
So I’m pretty stoked because we have 2 exams this season and I had 2 components to go, so I achieved my goal and now I can focus only on the riding.
Btw, I had to do carving and moguls in -22 hahaha the whole mountain was an ice sheet.
Great to hear, Andy! Love your work!