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Carved turns - The extreme form of skidded turns

Carved turns are the next step beyond skidded turns. For this reason it is essential that you are proficient at skidded turns before attempting carved turns. Carved turns are related to skidded turns but the mechanics of how you turn is different.

There are three fairly big differences between skidded turns and carved turns. The first difference is that the required speed for a carved turn is much higher than for a skidded turn. The second difference is that a carved turn is made using the edge of your snowboard rather than twisting your snowboard as you do with a skidded turn. The third difference is the sound and feel of a carved turn. A carved turn is quiet since your snowboard is slicing through the snow instead of skidding over the top of it.

One nice thing about carved turns is that it is easy to see if your technique is correct. All you have to do is stop and look at the trail you leave behind. When carving a turn you will leave behind a pencil thin line as opposed to the wide and long line left after a skidded turn.

To make a carved turn you use the effective edge of the snowboard. In order to get the effective edge of the snowboard to contact the surface you will need to twist the snowboard more than you would for a skidded turn. In order to get the edge of your snowboard in contact with the surface you must raise it to a much higher angle than you did when performing a skidded turn.

Begin the carved turn by riding down a steeper slope and at a higher rate of speed than when you where learning skidded turn. Bend your knees a little more than you would and for a toe side carved turn, push your hips forward so that they are in line with your knees.

This position will push the snowboard behind you and start to rotate it up onto the toe side edge. As your snowboard rises up you must work to keep a straight line from the pivot point, your knees, up to your shoulders. Ideally you will want your snowboard to lean far enough that it is at 90' to the slope as this is when the edge is the most effective.

As you already have noticed, you do not need to flex the snowboard as you did when making a skidded turn. This is because your snowboard is already pointing the direction you want it to go and you are digging the edge in to make it go that way instead of using your weight to make it turn.

There is one more important thing to know for when you are trying linked carved turns, raising your snowboard. When going from a toe side to a heel side carved turn you need to roll your snowboard from one side to the other. While doing this you can easily catch your snowboard on the surface of the snow thus causing you to bail. The solution is to sort of jump while turning from one side to the other. The object is not to lift your snowboard off the snow but to reduce some of the weight on your snowboard thus decreasing the odds of catching anything.

Carved turns are the only way to turn effectively at higher rates of speed. As you may already know, skidded turns take longer to make, if it is even possible, as your speed increases. Make sure you know your basic skills well before heading down the slopes at high rates of speed.