Solid Riding - simplier and de-mystified Training
Fall TD Training 2004, Timberline by Don Meyer

The TD Training event this year at Mt Hood was highly anticipated as always.  It is the first days of the season on the snow for many of us, a chance to get away from the daily grind and fly the mountain.  Learning new stuff plays in there somewhere.  Mt Hood had some new snow before the event but not much so we all expected not such great conditions and new scratches on our riding surfaces and so it was.

As has become my practice, I bought a new board for the event, an Option Makinen.  I came a day early to freeride, test my skills and my ability to manage this new board.  I rode the predecessor of this board five years ago and it kicked my butt.  This year perhaps, my riding skills have improved some and the board's engineering as well.  And yes, I still remembered how to ride and I believe my new ride is perhaps the best yet, solid on the carve and yet flexible enough for the butter, rotations and pop.  It liked everything I gave it and it gave lots back as I had no major wipeouts.

Friday was a magnificent day -- wind in the face, 20-40 mph, brisk and cold going up the chair lift but the warm sun in your face going down.  Two thirds of the Palmer snowfield was meticulously groomed as always and the remaining one third was alternately smooth and chopped, wind packed powder.  In addition, there was also a few patches of pure ice including some ice on top of chopped snow.  The ravines were heavenly smooth, soft on top and solid below for cruising, carving and playing pleasure.  Lovely indeed - conditions to test the mettle!  How could it get any better?

As our sport and it's instruction is progressing, I think we are getting closer and closer to simplicity and fun.  Things that need 15-20 minutes of explanation were not included in this event.  The clinicians worked the basics of clinicing and riding with a focus on lower body and foot capabilities and movement patterns as well as early edge engagement.

Two little stories now - After a great Saturday morning clinic from Chris Hargrave, DCL, Examiner and editor of the soon to be delivered Freestyle Guide, I rode down the mile long ravine to the lodge, carving, cruising, up and down the walls and just having great fun.  I was trying to utilize the lessons about early edge engagement and effective front-side and back-side lower body movement and it was working.  As I reached the bottom, a skier pulled up beside me and said, "That was a beautiful set of turns you made."  Proof positive that the training was working.

On Sunday, Mikey Franco, National AASI Demo Team, taught us about effective trust, freefall, use of the feet and again early edge engagement but with different twist.  This really is magical stuff when presented well. I had some similar lessons several years ago but perhaps related in a more complicated manner or I wasn't ready to understand.  This year it clicked with me.  After finishing the morning clinic, we again dropped into the ravine heading back to the lodge.  Now by this time, I had over 30,000 vertical, it was the first riding of the year and on very compact snow (normally good excuses).  Again trying to utilize what I had just learned, I  tried to use just my ankles/feet with as little as possible upper body movement and also leg movements to cruise, carve and surf the walls, non-stop, top to the bottom.  It was incredible, simple, relaxing, in control and way less work.  I reached the bottom in record time, took off my board and went in for lunch.  When I sat down, one of the riders (much younger) in my clinic group said, "You were going fast.  I tried to follow you down but I couldn't keep up, I had to stop because my legs were burning.  You must have some powerful thighs."  I smiled inside and out and said, "It wasn't about my legs, I just used my feet."   Proof again that the training was effective.

Where are the lessons here?  Effective Lessons - Simple focused on simple body movements enabled me to quickly learn to use my body and the board more effectively and efficiently.  Solid Riding - To become a more effective rider doesn't mean you can do lots of cool maneuvers in a specified way, it simply means good riding -- having more fun, using less energy, and having the more options to optimize your riding for the conditions presented (including being tired).  Effective learning environment - Reasonable snow conditions, good weather, supportive group, great clinicians and also being prepared and open to learn will lead to SOLID RIDING.

Thanks to Chad Frost, AASI-NW Snowboard Chair, DCL and Examiner, and the other the PSIA & AASI leadership for setting up this learning environment, for continuing to push the envelop, for continuing to simplify so we instructors can more quickly improve our technical and riding skills so we in turn can help our instructors and students achieve more.