Riding Fast
It’s probably a matter of perspective thing. I’m guessing it’s different for everyone.
I’d be lying if I said I never bomb a run just for fun, but I also get very bored if people I’m riding with just bomb straight lines all day long. Trying to stay in a train of high speed carves however… that’s a whole different story! I could do that for days.
As far as it being good for your riding or not? Mmmm, everything you do that pushes you, will improve your riding in some way. Bombing in a straight line is more of a want than a need but it will still build your confidence and reflexes (if only a little bit).
It’s just like hitting XL jumps. Nobody NEEDS to hit XL jumps, unless you are doing 1440s or triple corks. We CHOOSE to hit jumps bigger than we need for the tricks we do, because it’s fun and it’s a huge rush.
So yeah, straight bombing. I’m not against it. It’s fun, but if you only bomb all day long, you won’t improve as fast as people who actually practice things. All things in moderation are good 
I never like going fast, I always try and keep the yellow jacket wearers happy…. 
^ Dylan, you know what you need?
A MOTORBIKE.
Ask @skip11, see he knows it.
He can say no all he wants, but I’ll get to him I know I will. =)
tl;dr - MOTO for Rico. YAAAAAAY! 
I never like going fast, I always try and keep the yellow jacket wearers happy….
Sounds like you’ve met everyone’s best mate Bob!? Had a quick chat with him today myself, work related though so it’s all good
@grunge: I’ll be going back to Indo in June Andy, so 1000000000% no motorbike haha
I’d be lying if I said I never bomb a run just for fun, but I also get very bored if people I’m riding with just bomb straight lines all day long. Trying to stay in a train of high speed carves however… that’s a whole different story! I could do that for days.
So yeah, straight bombing. I’m not against it. It’s fun, but if you only bomb all day long, you won’t improve as fast as people who actually practice things.
Totally agree with this. I do like bombing straight here and there, just not all the time and not on all runs.
Well, this topic caught my attention.
For me:
I love riding fast. Always have, always will. I consider it part of my riding style. Riding fast takes skill and a technical approach to the terrain. If you don’t have the technical skill to navigate terrain at speed, then you’re really just out of control (not saying this in reference to anyone, just my general thoughts). Quite simply, it’s an important skill to learn and it’s important part of snowboarding progression.
Anyone can point the board downhill and hold on for dear life, but that’s not what we’re talking about here, or at least we shouldn’t be. I think that’s important to differentiate.
All the skills of snowboarding come into play when navigating terrain at speed, so why wouldn’t it improve your riding? I would even argue, if done properly, learning to riding fast (with proper technique) will even make you a safer rider; you will be able to react to hazards quicker and with more control.
When you’re straight lining: stance is important, pressure control is important, timing and coordination is important… and of course steering and edging as soon you engage an edge or start carving. How can you carve at speed, hit a jump at speed, butter at speed… if you’re not even comfortable riding fast?
My main point, I guess, is that if you don’t practice riding fast, you will never get good at riding fast, and you’ll never see the benefits in your riding that speed has to offer… which I would argue is significant. Speed gives momentum, stability, power, energy, airtime, and more. I’d rather use all that to my advantage.
All of this said, it’s not an easy skill to learn, and it takes time, so I’m certainly not giving anyone shit for not being able to ride fast. I’m just suggesting it’s something worth working on. It’s a part of snowboarding progression, and an important one in my opinion.
I think a better question to pose is, “why DON’T you like the idea of riding fast?” (within your ability). Rico, I honestly believe that as you ride more, your comfort and tolerance for speed with naturally increase, in which case the speeds you feel comfortable and happy at now, will start to “feel” slow, and you’ll want to push yourself to ride faster.
Anyway, great discussion. Keep it going. 
And yeah, when I’m super tired at the end of the day, I often feel safest getting down by bombing a run. Who wants to turn over bumps/chop when your legs are like jelly? Not me. I get to stay more relaxed, get down faster and safer… but I do also find it super fun!
@Jez: “I think a better question to pose is, “why DON’T you like the idea of riding fast?”
I just don’t like speed. Sure I agree with all your points above in that it improves your riding, technical skills, etc. However I mentioned before, that’s when you also do other things with speed such as buttering at high speed, carving (proper full arc) at high speed, boosting huge on side hits ala Terje. But when I see people ride fast most of the times, they are not doing all those things. They are just riding fast, with mini turns here and there. Only the really good ones actually do all those stuff above. I guess that’s just my main gripe.
But when you’re just cruising, for me personally, I just don’t like going at 70-80 km/h or even more. Yes I’ll hit those kind of speeds, for a short stretch here and there but not for the whole run.
Then again, what do you consider as fast? For me 60kmh and above, I already consider fast. Some people, like you maybe consider 80kmh is fast, or other people consider 30kmh as fast.
I do think most of us here, are riding faster than the majority of people on the hill.
But before you can do those things at warp speed you need to be comfortable at warp speed, yes?
So maybe all these people you are seeing blast past you on runs whilst you cruise down at 30-40km/h are simply getting used to sitting on 70/80/90+ km/h before they attempt butters at that speed.
I know i am not at a stage where i can comfortably butter at 80km/h yet.
Well, this topic caught my attention.
How can you carve at speed, hit a jump at speed, butter at speed… if you’re not even comfortable riding fast?Anyway, great discussion. Keep it going.
I would argue, carving at speed is easier and safer than straightlining down a run.
@deanobruce: Yes, that might be true.
I like this thread a lot!
Lots of good thoughts on both sides
So I already said where I stand on this. Somewhere in the middle, though I am leaning more to one side.
Bombing runs will improve your riding. But I don’t believe that people who spend 90% of their day bombing runs will improve as fast as others.
That said, I DO believe that people who spend 90% of their day cruising runs will improve even slower.
Bombing is an aspect of snowboarding. 1 aspect. I respect that a lot of people have a specific interest in snowboarding and that’s cool. I would never tell anyone how to have fun on a snowboard, or “what real snowboarding is”. What real snowboarding is FOR ME is a lot of different aspects, and my eyes are opened further every season to this.
I like doing as many different kinds of riding as I can.
They say that freeriding will make you a better park rider, park riding will make u a better free rider, pipe riding will make you a better powder rider and so on. It’s true!
It won’t make you as good in the park, as only riding park all day long. But it will improve little bits of your riding that would get missed otherwise.
So what I’m saying is: if you only like one style of riding, then fair enough. Bomb all day, it will make you improve down that road. You probably end up a big mountain charger. And that’s cool.
But if you’re like me (or could be persuaded to try) then try as many different styles of snowboarding as you can! It will be fun, challenging and you’re other styles will improve a bit as a bonus!
I’m a pretty slow rider but I love to see boarders who really know what they’re doing going fast. It especially impresses me when they can bomb across bumpy terrain without getting smashed all over the place.
Towards the end of last season I felt like my riding had improved on the steeps and bumps but when I got to fast, smooth stuff I wasn’t able to find the right technique to really get up some good speed while staying in control. I felt like I should be staying low and moving my legs independently of my upper body but I couldn’t quite get the feel of it. Any tips?
@Skip: I hate to agree with Jez 
But I think he may be right. I find it really interesting that you don’t enjoy speed.
The thing I like most about your riding is your carving. And carving and speed usually go hand in hand. I mean it was literally created to allow you to go faster!
But maybe that’s what I like about your carving. You have control. You don’t just carve flat areas and then do the “open carve, open carve, open caaaaarve oh crap, speed check”.
You can finish a carve turn to control speed and link into the next.
So maybe you just need to “bomb your own way”. You don’t have to. But I think it will add performance and stability to your normal carving. Here’s how:
If you can scare yourself a little on purpose and learn to ride out of it, then when it happens by accident you will still have control.
Also being comfortable at higher speeds, means you can use it in your carving to create centrifugal pressure to bend the board for you, adding a new level of control and steering possibilities. Which means you can carve in a way that you never have before…... tempted?
I’m a pretty slow rider but I love to see boarders who really know what they’re doing going fast. It especially impresses me when they can bomb across bumpy terrain without getting smashed all over the place.
Towards the end of last season I felt like my riding had improved on the steeps and bumps but when I got to fast, smooth stuff I wasn’t able to find the right technique to really get up some good speed while staying in control. I felt like I should be staying low and moving my legs independently of my upper body but I couldn’t quite get the feel of it. Any tips?
#edit
Oh wow, I totally miss read the question lol. Let me re-write this.
Staying low is good for stability, but only works if you know how to down-unweight. So if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then don’t worry about staying low.
Also independent lower body movement can be helpful, but it sounds like you’ve jumped straight to the most advanced stuff.
If you don’t feel like you can’t carve on smooth terrain without going too fast and losing control, then take it back a notch.
The hard part is I don’t know what your level of riding is atm. But basically , find some easy groomed terrain (early morning is good), focus on staying centred on the board (front to back), even weight on both feet and work on putting the board on it’s edge and hold the carve until you finish the turn. Roll smoothly to the next edge and do the same thing.
If you can’t do that, you need to go to a less steep hill or a wider one (or preferably both).
That’s all I can tell you without seeing you ride. Hope it’s helpful 
Also less edge at the start of the turn and more at the end can give you some extra grip to finish the turn across the hill and control speed. It’s good to have some control left up your sleeve for when you need it. Rather than just going all in, tilting as hard as you can and hoping your board turns before you run out of room 