Video summary

The Secrets of Snowboard Carving: Part 1 - The Nine Elements

Main summary

Key takeaways

Sport

Overview

The video explains that modern snowboard carving in a soft-boot style has largely lost the “pencil line” technique that was more common in the 1980s/90s hard-boot era. The instructor argues that while carving tips online are plentiful, many soft-boot instructors can’t consistently carve steep, fast black-diamond groomers while leaving a thin, continuous line.

To address this, the creator introduces a “soft boot carving” curriculum, built from:

  • decades of research
  • coaching experience
  • observing top riders

The method outlines nine elements of the pencil-line carve:

  1. Arms
  2. Shoulders
  3. Obliques
  4. Hips
  5. Knees
  6. Rotation
  7. Compression / decompression
  8. “Fora motion” (forward motion / weight shift)
  9. Edge transition

Turn Types and What They Look Like

The video begins with turn terminology and how different snowboard turns appear on snow:

  • Pivot turns: Switching edges primarily by pushing to control speed.
  • Slarve turns: Half slide/half carve, leaving a wider or mid track.
  • Euro carves: Fully compressed at initiation and extended at the apex. Often associated with chatter (a serrated/discontinuous trench track), commonly caused by positioning the body too low and too far forward, then dragging.
  • Pencil line carve: The “pinnacle.” The goal is an extremely thin track like a pencil line. The body styling supports the technique rather than replacing it.

Body Fundamentals (Key Coaching Points)

Hands, shoulders, and obliques

  • Hands: Bring the back hand forward to reduce flailing.
  • Shoulders: Keep them level (described using a “tray with a martini” analogy), while generating rotation primarily from the hips.
  • Obliques: “Crunch” to reach the snow without flattening the board or losing edge hold.

Stance angles

The instructor warns that carving steep heel-side pencil lines in a duck stance is much harder, and encourages a more positive stance. An example given:

  • Back foot ~12°
  • Front foot ~27°

(Other riders may use different numbers depending on fit and preference.)

Board choice / quiver and equipment

  • Prefer dedicated carving boards (and/or wider boards) rather than typical all-mountain boards.
  • Improve interface performance by stiffening boots/bindings as needed.

Drills

Several drills are presented to develop the pencil-line mechanics:

  1. Hands / shoulders leveling drill Uses a “rope/tray” indicator concept to help the rider stay level. Reaching for the snow is framed as a common mistake; instead, carve by reaching away, letting the snow meet you via correct angulation.

  2. Knee / rotation drill Touch hands to knees in a way that forces correct rotation and supports compression. Designed to reduce chatter by holding the right apex position.

  3. Compression / decompression drill Emphasizes exaggerating timing between:

    • an “up unweighted turn”
    • a “down unweighted turn”

It also uses a “safety turn” idea for rough/icy transitions.

Carve Timeline (Degrees-Based)

The video breaks down a carve timeline in degrees:

  • 0° to ~40° (initiation) Becomes the commit / compression / rotation phase (roughly one-third of the turn).

  • ~40° section (patience) Hold the compressed, rotated, forward position, keeping shoulders level. Resist spiking edge pressure.

  • After the apex → toward the finish Unwind / decompress / unweight, then set up the next turn. The instructor stresses smooth transitions as one motion—not pivoting and picking the next edge in a separate step.

“Fora Motion” (Weight Shift Mechanics)

The instructor explains that pressure moves along the edge through the turn:

  • Heel-side pressure shifts down the board from the front-of-board section toward later edge contact.
  • Toe-side transitioning follows a similar idea but can be asymmetric.

Correct timing of transition helps the rider’s:

  • center of mass
  • board trajectory

align more naturally, reducing “extra work.”

Timing and Key Concepts Checklist

  • No pivot at initiation: Switch edges directly for a true pencil-line carve.
  • Patience past the apex: After edge pressure wants to spike, the goal is to elongate the turn and hold pressure evenly to prevent chatter.
  • Track analysis troubleshooting: Check for:
    • toe/heel symmetry
    • heel/toe cut characteristics
    • dragging toes/bindings
    • chatter marks
  • Progression expectations: Practice takes about 1 year to become competent and 2–3 years to get good.
  • Invest in core + gear: Use quality equipment and train core strength to absorb terrain and smooth the turn.

Safety Notes

  • Avoid dragging hands on steep terrain. If contact is needed, use safer elbow/mittens contact rather than sticking fingers down.
  • Do head checks uphill and downhill to prevent collisions and allow space for passers.

Closing / Calls to Action

The video ends with:

  • calls for more videos / subscribing
  • an offer for private coaching (virtual or in-person)
  • a repeated emphasis on patience, correct body position, and smooth one-motion transitions.

Presenters / Sources

  • Presenter: James Cherry
  • Quoted source (referenced at the start): Quintilian
  • Sponsored / mentioned brands (as listed): CoreR, Snowboards, Ski Fabs, Board Storage Solutions, Power Ride, Boot stiffeners, Thor mittens, Never Summer Industries

Original video