A Surprise Powder Day In Val d'Isere

After a dire season for snowfall last year no one expected this to happen this April. This is one of my first times out with my Drift Head Camera and it was great to get footage of an epic day.

A Fun Tree Run Ends In A Crash

Funny Skier Crash Into Powder

Snowboard And Ski Insurance: Remember To Check The Small Print

Snow sports offer a thrill that few other activities match. Accessible to all ages it is a unique experience but also carries a unique risk. Getting the right travel insurance for a trip was once a quick 10 minute search online. But over the years insurance companies have changed their policies making it more difficult for people to find the correct level of cover. Here are some areas of your policy to consider carefully.

When the insurance policy starts
Firstly if you’ve already left your country of residence a policy might cover you. This may be because insurance companies are worried that you are only taking it out when you need to claim. But it’s awkward for long term travellers who may decide to go snowboarding at the last minute as they travel from country to country. Or for those whose plans are last minute. There are companies who will cover you if you’ve already left the country but it requires a bit of searching.

The date you return
Unless you are able to prove you had a return ticket a lot of insurance policies wont cover the costs of repatriation. This means that if you need to get flown home for medical reasons or in the unfortunate event of death, there will be a hefty bill for you or your family. This can be difficult if you’re not sure of your travel plans and when you’re coming back. However an open return ticket can often cover you, just check with the insurance provider.

Value per item
Check the value of what your insurance will pay out for because basic cover might not pay the full value of ski equipment. Even if your skis aren’t high end you may still find yourself unreasonably short, especially after excess.

Off Piste
This is the biggest area of difference with ski insurance policies. It used to be a case where most brokers covered you off piste if you followed local guidelines and the avalanche risk level was 3 or less. These policies have become rarer with many policies insisting that you go with a qualified local guide.
This isn’t always practical or necessary as an insurance provider should know. So make sure you go with a company that covers the type of skiing or boarding you want to do on a trip. There have been cases where people were in an avalanche and the insurance hasn’t paid out because they blamed the skiers despite the fact they followed local guidelines and took precautions. So don’t be in a rush to take the first policy you see. There’s rarely any different in cost, so you can still get good value with a policy, whether they insist you ski with a guide or not.

Take your time and research the policy and insurance provider. There are a lot of companies saying they specialise in ski and snowboard insurance yet they clearly don’t understand the sport.  They can place the blame on a skier without even investigating the incident properly. If you are in any doubt about the policy details phone your insurance provider. It’s always best to go with a company which knows what it is doing and can ensure your needs are provided for.

Funny Snowboard Video: Crash then Roll then Continue Riding

 

The conditions were a little unpredictable. I did get back on to my feet though...

Snowboarding Tips: How To Still Push Yourself When Riding With Slower Friends

If your the fastest in your group you can still challenge yourself

Whether we are out for a whole season or just one week a year, snowboarding is a sport we like to enjoy with our friends. However one of the big problems to overcome is always the broad range of abilities within the group. Some may cautiously glance  at a blue run whilst others are speeding down the blacks and cruising off piste. Snowboarding has a big advantage over skiing as you don’t have to be an advanced rider to mix up your style on the easy slopes .There are loads of simple tricks to  learn even if you’re an intermediate rider. These will slow your ride down yet keep it fun and exhilarating. Why wait around? Get the most out of each run.

Jibbing
Twists, butters, ollies, nollies, 180s, these all add some fun variety to the ride and a gentle slope is a perfect place to practice. As your friends learn to link turns you can learn new tricks leaving everyone stoked with the progression achieved at the end of the day.

Film your friends
Filming someone whilst you are both moving is a challenge for any rider. Not only do you have to ride smoothly, you also have to keep your friends in shot. Looking back over the footage will help a beginner see where they need to improve. It also improves the camera mans riding as they have to be very precise with each movement and understand the terrain through feel as well as sight. Seeing yourself ride is a joy and it will be greatly encouraging to beginners.
Find some tips on filming in my Article

Snowball fight
A running snow fight with other advanced friends will slow you down and will be a good laugh at the same time. Just keep an eye out for other slope users.

Practice Switch
Switch riding is a crucial skill to learn for anyone wanting to progress with tricks and this is the perfect time to learn. It will take you back to the basics and can help you to explain the techniques to friends who are learning. One of the hardest things to do is stick with riding switch when you know you can ride so much better regularly. But if you are with slower friends then there is plenty of time to practice. It’s extremely satisfying when you can start carving down runs riding switch.
If you can learn and improve along with the beginners then each run will be satisfying and fun. When you want to push yourself there are still plenty of opportunities to go and do your own thing.



 

Copyright © Nathan Groves http://wondersandparodies.blogspot.com/
This Work Is Not To Be Reproduced With Out Permission.

Snowboard Review: Santa Cruz Allstar 20th Anniversary Edition

Riding conditions
I rode the Allstar over 7 days so I was able to take it all over there mountain and see how it handled both ice and powder. It is a 158 ridden with K2 auto bindings and my position was set one back from centre.

Design
The Anniversary edition has a simple but stylish design which is only fully appreciated
 close up. It is easy to customise with your own stickers and the red stands out nicely.

Flex
A medium to stiff flex.

Riding the Pisted runs
The board felt fast on the slope with the new sintered base having a definite advantage over the extruded bases of previous years. It felt quick going edge to edge and was stiff enough to be stable at high speeds. The addition of dampening in the sidewalls under the bindings helped the board to be a bit forgiving on rough terrain as well. The board was also easy to hold through long carves and it popped well from one turn to another.

Riding Powder
The longer nose helps to keep the board afloat but didn’t make it too hard to ride switch through the powder. I was able to cruise comfortably with the board feeling light and easy to make turns. There are plenty of holes to set the bindings even further back, but I still found my almost central stance ok.

Riding on ice
The edge hold did well for some really icy conditions; I only really lost the edge on the steepest parts of the slope.

Riding Switch
Despite being a directional board it still felt easy riding switch with a bit of an adjustment as it rides differently. But the difference is only slight.

Jibbing/Pop
The board poped well on both the nose and the tail as it’s a twin flex board. It felt solid on landings but being on the stiff side wasn’t the easiest board to butter.

Overall impression
The board felt responsive and steady wherever I took it. The pop is good but the board will not be the best for those wanting to concentrate solely on the park. I found the Santa Cruz Allstar great fun to ride. It was good for speed on the piste but I was never hesitant in going down off piste powder runs or going through the trees. It is a fun all mountain board, which I believe it is great value for its low cost.