Spring Snow - Frosty Rider Snowboarding

Tagged: corn snow, snowboard tuning, snowboard wax, spring snow

This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 9 years, 7 months ago by Frosty.

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April 6, 2008 at 7:57 pm #202
rowan
Participant
Any tips on riding soft spring snow? Do the same principles as riding deep powder apply? Turning is the problem mostly, in many areas the snow is so soft and slow i feel like I'm going to catch an edge. I would like to keep riding thru most of april so any advice would be appreciated…
April 7, 2008 at 5:07 pm #2789
Frosty
Keymaster
First off, you really need to get a feel for softer and heavier snow that spring brings. The technique is similar to riding mid-season powder, but can be more challenging and less forgiving. On the other hand, the higher water content present in spring snow can give a more “surfy” feeling that is unbeatable! The more time you spend on the mountain late in the season, the better you will become.

Tips for Snowboarding In Spring Snow
1. Keep your momentum going. If you are doing a lot of traversing or slowing and stopping you are going to hate it. Keep the nose of your board pointed down the slope and keep moving at a reasonable pace.
2. Do not side-slip unless you are on a really steep run. Even then keep it limited. The further you steer your board across the fall line to finish a turn the harder it will be to initiate the new
First off, you really need to get a feel for softer and heavier snow that spring brings. The technique is similar to riding mid-season powder, but can be more challenging and less forgiving. On the other hand, the higher water content present in spring snow can give a more “surfy” feeling that is unbeatable! The more time you spend on the mountain late in the season, the better you will become.

Tips for Snowboarding In Spring Snow
1. Keep your momentum going. If you are doing a lot of traversing or slowing and stopping you are going to hate it. Keep the nose of your board pointed down the slope and keep moving at a reasonable pace.
2. Do not side-slip unless you are on a really steep run. Even then keep it limited. The further you steer your board across the fall line to finish a turn the harder it will be to initiate the new one to steer back down into the fall line.
3. Get a rhythm going. Find a frequency and radius of turns that will help keep your speed up enough that you board floats on top of the soft snow.
4. Tune your board for spring conditions.* – Find an edge angle that is appropriate for the type of snow you are in. You want to tip the board on edge enough so it will hold your g’s through turns, but not so sharp an angle that the board will cut in and sink.
5. Practice
Bonus tips:

* 1) Get a good spring wax (high temperature wax) and use it when needed. When is it needed and what kind exactly? You may need to be a guru to know for sure. I have been out on spring days when it was absolutely necessary to change wax types three times throughout the day! Now, that is an extreme example, but realize how important it is to use the proper wax per current conditions.

2) Get your base textured. Nothing beats a professional “stone grind” texture job for riding in spring conditions.
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March 13, 2013 at 5:45 am #3916
Frosty
Keymaster
OK here is one of my long-held secret weapons for spring corn snow. Late in the day when the slush is so wet it is grabby. It can get nasty out there. It’s fun to ride in your shorts and t-shirts, but that seemingly soft surface can really tear you up when you wipe out. Tune like this and you will be passing everybody — flats, steeps, wherever.
1. Texture the base hard and deep. If you don’t know what you are doing have someone else do it. You want channels for the water to move diagonally outwards from under the board. Yes, just like Aqua-tred tires.
2. Put down an all-season base wax, scrape all off, then brush hard with brass or nylon. Then hit up the base with the secret weapon…Holmenkol Wet Racing Wax
OK here is one of my long-held secret weapons for spring corn snow. Late in the day when the slush is so wet it is grabby. It can get nasty out there. It’s fun to ride in your shorts and t-shirts, but that seemingly soft surface can really tear you up when you wipe out. Tune like this and you will be passing everybody — flats, steeps, wherever.
1. Texture the base hard and deep. If you don’t know what you are doing have someone else do it. You want channels for the water to move diagonally outwards from under the board. Yes, just like Aqua-tred tires.
2. Put down an all-season base wax, scrape all off, then brush hard with brass or nylon. Then hit up the base with the secret weapon…Holmenkol Wet Racing Wax . … Again scrape and texture.A few words of warning:* Only use this stuff for spring corn in warm weather. Otherwise you will be going nowhere.* Hardcore waxes like these are packed with fluorocarbons and are poisonous. When applying the hot wax, do so in a well ventilated area. After waxing, wash your hands at least twice. I’m not kidding. 😉 * If you use the black carbon wax amd have a pretty snowboard base, you won’t anymore. Black streaks galore. Hard to remove come next winter, sometimes not possible to get off. Who cares. You will look more hardcore and your plank will be less likely to be stolen.*
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April 14, 2015 at 12:02 am #3953
Frosty
Keymaster
Compare pricing on snowboard wax and tuning equipment
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