These examples don't really show very brutal flat areas. bending the knees, keeping back straight, riding on the edges is all good advice, but the best way I have realized is to hold both your hands behind your lower back. This will force you to do all the previous steps without thinking about it. Give it a try, I promise it works. As someone who lives in CA and goes to Tahoe to board, Skyline Trail is a notoriously brutal flat run. Hold your hands behind your lower back and you'll find yourself not getting caught on the dreaded flats & narrows.
I used to HATE these kind of runs, but I went on a trip with a bunch of skiers, and to get where we wanted to go, one of them led us along a load of cat tracks. It sucked tremendously, but it did massively improve my flat riding. The looooong turns really helped.
Yeah being used to snowboard in Japan, I'm surprised that slopes in North America tend to be quite narrow and technical. Had to really hone in my edge control on these tracks.
great video! Just a note to fellow beginners that initially I was avoiding ski roads since they are flat, narrow, and usually crowded - once I intentionally started picking those over the steeper runs my snowboarding skills grew tremendously
and you have to WAX your snowboards. Depending on your riding style and preferences in every 6-7 days of snowboarding new waxx have to be applied. No matter how unpleasant the flat and narrow runs are they are a perfect place also to start boosting your switch riding which is essential for both getting in the fun flat tricks area (totally another level) and to prevent fatique in your back leg.
I did this exact run a couple times at Heavenly last weekend! I think challenging myself with this run tremendously improved the tightness of my carving! It also taught me the importance of having spatial awareness of the people in front of and behind me. It's also a lot like driving- there will always be people faster or slower than you, so you have to know when to stick to the edge to let people pass or find the right timing to pass others.
It's true that flat and narrow runs have always been trying - the goal is to finish a run without stopping and keep the snowboard on. The 'rocking from one edge to next' analogy sounds useful. Will try to keep that in mind the next time i tackle runs like these.
Maybe tough for beginners but i find actually going faster than most of the pack helps. That way you have less to worry about riders passing from the rear, just focus on making quick turns to get through the slower traffic. Also good idea to let people know you are passing them... less chance they turn in front of you.
It is hard to do runs like that but that’s how I learn switching edges which has helped me coming down steep hills considering I just started snowboarding. Runs like this is great for me to keep improving with new skills and tricks
I've been snowboarding since the mid/late 90's in SoCal. 12 years ago I moved to Spokane and over the past few years I tried skiing again (did it as a kid in the 80's) and loved the challenge of it. I've been boarding and skiing at Mt. Spokane and have hated that mountain as a boarder because most of the runs lead you to an unavoidable flat and narrow cat track. I've seen many boarders catch an edge on them and I've nearly done it myself. Once I started skiing i realized just how annoying I've been as a boarder on these cat tracks because most of us boarders are constantly transitioning edge to edge and may take up the full width of the cat track along with the occasional 90* speed check. I'm now trying to correct that weak area and stay on my toes longer before going to heal. I also got a season pass to a mountain with very few runs that lead to cat tracks (49* North) and I'm happy I did because my kids are now trying snowboarding after learning skiing. Enjoy the slide!! God Bless.
I had loads of trouble on the long flats of the Sarenne as a beginner. With minimal snow fall cover, I caught lots of edges and had lots of falls. The steep section at the top was absolutely fine!
im intermediate level and can 💯 agree. Flats and narrows are the WORST. Would take a black over a flat narrow green anyday. There ls no room to turn, you have a cliff you can fall off and get killed AND if you slow down you get stuck completely and have to unstrap.
Thanks for this! Helpful as always, love all content you dish out - you sir are a gentleman and a scholar! A week till I’m back on the slopes to put your tips to good use!
Huh, I've always liked these kinds of runs, always found them easier than the steep/icy ones. I feel like "practice" really is the best tip for them, since I've done them quite a lot
I was at BlackComb in this long ass narrow flat slope, I was scared I would fall of the edge. It is hard trying to stay balanced, and stay on one edge, you have to keep switching edges or pray that if you stay flat/base/grounded you don't catch an edge.
One of my local mountains on the east coast has a run that’s super long and flat and 90% ice. It’s basically like the entire run is a huge box. A snowboarders nightmare.
There are some very long flat and narrow runs at places like Revelstoke and Whistler. Add in terrible visibility, lots of people, and they do get sketchy quick!
Flat and narrow is where I suck at snowboarding!! I basically end up walking to where I can ride again. It’s exhausting. I was at Whistler and hit a long valley run and it felt like if I lose control of my board I’m just gonna eat it down the side of the mountain so I end up losing all speed and walking until I got to a blue.
@@joostbosmail nor are their holes in Australian ones 😄 ... surely you can get lanyards with plastic card holders that attach in Europe? or just put the pass in your glove or a different pocket.
Looking for advice on narrow but not flat runs, in the Alps I have come across these several times. Narrow runs which are semi-steep. At the end of the day when they have been plowed into a v-shape by skiers they are a nightmare. I might need to just push myself, but it is really uncomfortable.
How do you avoid the excruciating pain in your foot when holding an edge on the traverse trails? Maybe my boots don’t fit properly but these are harder than blacks for me because of the constant pressure on my feet.
hate these runs! Worse is when the snow is all dug out in to chutes which force your board down the fall line, gotta be on your game 100% and the skiers are just chilling in their snow plow D:.
Im not an experienced rider but thats not a flat run my friend :D This type of trail is one of my favorites where i ride sometimes but there is one really flat sections where you need to gain maximum speed on the steep slope to have inertia to get to the middle of the flat section at least or to steal a stick from a skier to help yourself to get to the next decent :D
hey, I follow your content and truly enjoy those beautiful snowboarding videos and tips. I just want to comment that you tend to make an annoying grammatical mistake- you always say "by doing... , it's gonna allow you to..." and that is just a messy sentence. it would really help my sanity if you instead said: "doing... is gonna allow you to..." or "by doing..., you get/feel/be..." hope you see this and again I really love your content and as a beginner you help me a TON
Very helpful, thanks! What about if these runs are narrow but not so flat and one picks up a lot of speed? I have 2 of those in the same green run in Snowbasin, UT, one at the beginning and one at the end. The one at the end is a lot steeper so i do it mostly on my heels
anothertip GO FAST OFF THE CLIFF LAND LAND IT STRAIGHT TO KKEP YOUR SPEED SOMETIMED FOLLOW A TRACK TOTHE FLAT FOR THAT AND ON THE FLAT A GOOD WAX JOB CAN HELP THAT . Some similar narrow roads or snowmobile paths up ger faster and the wave shape on the side can let you useit for fun and style for yur pride. I had to start boarding and park my skis because U am a surfer my style follows indeed. i HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH NIVE POWDER DATS .lIKE A valentines in el Nino i could not work that day. tell my helper its raining not safe enough to work & hop,on ththefreeway from the beach to tje closest steepest place qas on my wayTo a little place steep and dangerous it cant make its own snow and can gave rocks exposed om parhs that are not runs and surprise big cliffs you cant make the landing when they do not exist. Gut this day was different I have ro say and adducted to deep steep powder i could not complain! Follow up a snow blower and the plows. Clearing 6feet + highr than trucks cabs wow. From the top of this place the view was so good! Seing clear as can be Catalina & San Clemente islands San Clemente a good distance further out & South I think . Nice day and not hear as much using the side of the narrow path with more speed hit the top like an off y=the lip surfing hard and spray the snow upn top on the near lift riders! yell wooo they are up a ways not panful. like the yard sales in the cayons th ey create in powder snow . SOMDAYS IT TAKES A LITTLE MORE TIME TO BOARD A LITTLE WAYS OVER TO A YARD SALE To say while carving a fast turn near enough to be heard well spraying sharp powder yelling YARD SALE The small even larger places have to nany skiers that tear the stuff up bouncing in and out all the way down not staying on top fast even through the trees all the way down. I HAVE HAD TO TAKE GROOMED RUNS ALL THE WAY DOWN WITH A HURT LEG MY NOSE HAD TO STAY POINTED DOWN . VAIT VWas not bad but a ittle scary that day straight down couldn't slow down or stop with a hurt leg lhadglad it was smooth and not many at all to pass Jackson Hole from the top like this is the fastest I have been it was steep with no spots that mellow out like big plaxes have those thrtr were short spots and back into steep groomed stuff in that it was hard to impossable with injury to slow down! Faster by a lot than I would normaly go but did well no falls made it down from the top riding the big gondola to the bottom so fast on my snowboard I could hardly believe it. STEEEP Groumed smooth and slick board pointed straight down was fast as it could go! Happy I kept up and not many in the way like that.
Believe or not, flat terain really is harder than normal slope
true story !
My butt agrees wholeheartedly.
@@BillieFingers 😬
Tailbone graveyard
My worst ever heel edge was on the flat stuff.
These examples don't really show very brutal flat areas. bending the knees, keeping back straight, riding on the edges is all good advice, but the best way I have realized is to hold both your hands behind your lower back. This will force you to do all the previous steps without thinking about it. Give it a try, I promise it works. As someone who lives in CA and goes to Tahoe to board, Skyline Trail is a notoriously brutal flat run. Hold your hands behind your lower back and you'll find yourself not getting caught on the dreaded flats & narrows.
Also, where there is a side of the run that drops off, DON'T LOOK AT IT. You will go towards where you are looking!
I used to HATE these kind of runs, but I went on a trip with a bunch of skiers, and to get where we wanted to go, one of them led us along a load of cat tracks. It sucked tremendously, but it did massively improve my flat riding. The looooong turns really helped.
Yeah being used to snowboard in Japan, I'm surprised that slopes in North America tend to be quite narrow and technical. Had to really hone in my edge control on these tracks.
Yeww
great video! Just a note to fellow beginners that initially I was avoiding ski roads since they are flat, narrow, and usually crowded - once I intentionally started picking those over the steeper runs my snowboarding skills grew tremendously
and you have to WAX your snowboards. Depending on your riding style and preferences in every 6-7 days of snowboarding new waxx have to be applied. No matter how unpleasant the flat and narrow runs are they are a perfect place also to start boosting your switch riding which is essential for both getting in the fun flat tricks area (totally another level) and to prevent fatique in your back leg.
I did this exact run a couple times at Heavenly last weekend! I think challenging myself with this run tremendously improved the tightness of my carving! It also taught me the importance of having spatial awareness of the people in front of and behind me. It's also a lot like driving- there will always be people faster or slower than you, so you have to know when to stick to the edge to let people pass or find the right timing to pass others.
Can you name the run?
My shoulder thanks you sir. I fell hard on a flat run my first day out this season.
I am having some trouble as a beginner with these types of runs but not black diamond, you are so right about that lol and thanks for the information
It's true that flat and narrow runs have always been trying - the goal is to finish a run without stopping and keep the snowboard on. The 'rocking from one edge to next' analogy sounds useful. Will try to keep that in mind the next time i tackle runs like these.
Fell too many times on flat and narrow runs this season. This is a much needed tutorial!!
Maybe tough for beginners but i find actually going faster than most of the pack helps. That way you have less to worry about riders passing from the rear, just focus on making quick turns to get through the slower traffic.
Also good idea to let people know you are passing them... less chance they turn in front of you.
Agree I also warn (beginners) who are trying to use the whole width with unpredictable turns by shouting "on your left/right"
It is hard to do runs like that but that’s how I learn switching edges which has helped me coming down steep hills considering I just started snowboarding. Runs like this is great for me to keep improving with new skills and tricks
I've been snowboarding since the mid/late 90's in SoCal. 12 years ago I moved to Spokane and over the past few years I tried skiing again (did it as a kid in the 80's) and loved the challenge of it. I've been boarding and skiing at Mt. Spokane and have hated that mountain as a boarder because most of the runs lead you to an unavoidable flat and narrow cat track. I've seen many boarders catch an edge on them and I've nearly done it myself. Once I started skiing i realized just how annoying I've been as a boarder on these cat tracks because most of us boarders are constantly transitioning edge to edge and may take up the full width of the cat track along with the occasional 90* speed check.
I'm now trying to correct that weak area and stay on my toes longer before going to heal. I also got a season pass to a mountain with very few runs that lead to cat tracks (49* North) and I'm happy I did because my kids are now trying snowboarding after learning skiing.
Enjoy the slide!! God Bless.
Waiting for this for a long time, thank you man!
I had loads of trouble on the long flats of the Sarenne as a beginner. With minimal snow fall cover, I caught lots of edges and had lots of falls. The steep section at the top was absolutely fine!
I learned riding at Vail so any time I get on a long cat track it feels nostalgic. 😄
im intermediate level and can 💯 agree. Flats and narrows are the WORST. Would take a black over a flat narrow green anyday. There ls no room to turn, you have a cliff you can fall off and get killed AND if you slow down you get stuck completely and have to unstrap.
Thanks for this! Helpful as always, love all content you dish out - you sir are a gentleman and a scholar! A week till I’m back on the slopes to put your tips to good use!
Congratulations for 600K subscribers!
Thanks Jake!
Huh, I've always liked these kinds of runs, always found them easier than the steep/icy ones. I feel like "practice" really is the best tip for them, since I've done them quite a lot
I was at BlackComb in this long ass narrow flat slope, I was scared I would fall of the edge. It is hard trying to stay balanced, and stay on one edge, you have to keep switching edges or pray that if you stay flat/base/grounded you don't catch an edge.
Blackcomb has tons of cat tracks!
One of my local mountains on the east coast has a run that’s super long and flat and 90% ice. It’s basically like the entire run is a huge box. A snowboarders nightmare.
flat, narrow, and icy. it's that ice that always gets me the most.
Hey Kev awesome video! and what a wonderful shots of those stormy forest paths!! 🤩 Where is all this beauty?
There are some very long flat and narrow runs at places like Revelstoke and Whistler. Add in terrible visibility, lots of people, and they do get sketchy quick!
Practicing heel/toe edge speed check is useful. That makes u can slow down on whichever edge u are.
Flat and narrow is where I suck at snowboarding!! I basically end up walking to where I can ride again. It’s exhausting. I was at Whistler and hit a long valley run and it felt like if I lose control of my board I’m just gonna eat it down the side of the mountain so I end up losing all speed and walking until I got to a blue.
Whistler is notorious for those kinds of runs
Hey Kevin. I got the same Volcom jacket as you're wearing but there's no pocket in the sleeve for a ski pass. Where do you keep yours?
Get a lanyard 👍
@@chuck__van there's no holes in European lift passes :(
@@joostbosmail nor are their holes in Australian ones 😄 ... surely you can get lanyards with plastic card holders that attach in Europe?
or just put the pass in your glove or a different pocket.
@@chuck__van yeah it's probably either that or getting mittens with a little pocket
This is the bane of my snowboarding existence.
Hopefully you started Round-A-Bout from Groove or Hogsback instead of walking behind Powderbowl.
Looking for advice on narrow but not flat runs, in the Alps I have come across these several times. Narrow runs which are semi-steep. At the end of the day when they have been plowed into a v-shape by skiers they are a nightmare. I might need to just push myself, but it is really uncomfortable.
Hi, i see that the weather in the video is bad ( it's snowing and cloudy ) can you advice some goggles that can help see better in such conditions?
just make sure your goggles come with a low-light lens
How do you avoid the excruciating pain in your foot when holding an edge on the traverse trails?
Maybe my boots don’t fit properly but these are harder than blacks for me because of the constant pressure on my feet.
I do feel this is tuff and takes so long to learn to ride with speed so u don't get stuck
Saved me from death
how come you didn’t go to japan with the crew this year
Is it easier to ride a Bataleon 3bt board on a flatter run ?
Probably. When I go straight, I find I'm much more stable with that board than others.
Anyone know what Resort this is?
Do you have a duck walk video?
He does... check out the beginner playlist. Or Type in "Penguin Walk Snowboard" into the TH-cam search bar.
hate these runs! Worse is when the snow is all dug out in to chutes which force your board down the fall line, gotta be on your game 100% and the skiers are just chilling in their snow plow D:.
Just get one of your skier friend to pull you 😂
I broke my wrist on the flats, board went flat, caught a heel edge and boom.
This run is really fun aside from having to walk 10 minutes to get to it lol
Is this roundabout in Tahoe haha
If I get on an edge at all on a flat run I just stop.
Catwalks….ugh…catwalks.
Hardest part with theese tracks is they are so damn booring
Only because you're skilful.
Im not an experienced rider but thats not a flat run my friend :D
This type of trail is one of my favorites where i ride sometimes but there is one really flat sections where you need to gain maximum speed on the steep slope to have inertia to get to the middle of the flat section at least or to steal a stick from a skier to help yourself to get to the next decent :D
Best cure for a flat narrow run… get a warpig. Short, fast manoeuvrable…
🤔
hey, I follow your content and truly enjoy those beautiful snowboarding videos and tips.
I just want to comment that you tend to make an annoying grammatical mistake- you always say
"by doing... , it's gonna allow you to..." and that is just a messy sentence.
it would really help my sanity if you instead said: "doing... is gonna allow you to..." or "by doing..., you get/feel/be..."
hope you see this and again I really love your content and as a beginner you help me a TON
Very helpful, thanks!
What about if these runs are narrow but not so flat and one picks up a lot of speed? I have 2 of those in the same green run in Snowbasin, UT, one at the beginning and one at the end. The one at the end is a lot steeper so i do it mostly on my heels
anothertip GO FAST OFF THE CLIFF LAND LAND IT STRAIGHT TO KKEP YOUR SPEED SOMETIMED FOLLOW A TRACK TOTHE FLAT FOR THAT AND ON THE FLAT A GOOD WAX JOB CAN HELP THAT . Some similar narrow roads or snowmobile paths up ger faster and the wave shape on the side can let you useit for fun and style for yur pride. I had to start boarding and park my skis because U am a surfer my style follows indeed. i HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH NIVE POWDER DATS .lIKE A valentines in el Nino i could not work that day. tell my helper its raining not safe enough to work & hop,on ththefreeway from the beach to tje closest steepest place qas on my wayTo a little place steep and dangerous it cant make its own snow and can gave rocks exposed om parhs that are not runs and surprise big cliffs you cant make the landing when they do not exist. Gut this day was different I have ro say and adducted to deep steep powder i could not complain! Follow up a snow blower and the plows. Clearing 6feet + highr than trucks cabs wow. From the top of this place the view was so good! Seing clear as can be Catalina & San Clemente islands San Clemente a good distance further out & South I think . Nice day and not hear as much using the side of the narrow path with more speed hit the top like an off y=the lip surfing hard and spray the snow upn top on the near lift riders! yell wooo they are up a ways not panful. like the yard sales in the cayons th ey create in powder snow . SOMDAYS IT TAKES A LITTLE MORE TIME TO BOARD A LITTLE WAYS OVER TO A YARD SALE To say while carving a fast turn near enough to be heard well spraying sharp powder yelling YARD SALE The small even larger places have to nany skiers that tear the stuff up bouncing in and out all the way down not staying on top fast even through the trees all the way down. I HAVE HAD TO TAKE GROOMED RUNS ALL THE WAY DOWN WITH A HURT LEG MY NOSE HAD TO STAY POINTED DOWN . VAIT VWas not bad but a ittle scary that day straight down couldn't slow down or stop with a hurt leg lhadglad it was smooth and not many at all to pass Jackson Hole from the top like this is the fastest I have been it was steep with no spots that mellow out like big plaxes have those thrtr were short spots and back into steep groomed stuff in that it was hard to impossable with injury to slow down! Faster by a lot than I would normaly go but did well no falls made it down from the top riding the big gondola to the bottom so fast on my snowboard I could hardly believe it. STEEEP Groumed smooth and slick board pointed straight down was fast as it could go! Happy I kept up and not many in the way like that.