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How to Heartcarve

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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
Heartcarving 1.0 can be done on any ski really, but ideally a slalom ski - as it has the most responsive sidecut. It's not crucial though. You could try it on your present ski, and if you like that, you could rent some SLs. I was doing it on different skis in 2002, 2003 and 2007, but
found SL skis work best.

This is a video of HC 1.0 at Mt Buller on the SL skis (2007):

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/836525/Heartcarving-1-0---2007

and here's another about 6 months later Whistler on the same skis:

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/834047/Carving-Blackcomb-2008

But really it's just a feeling-based style of skiing. So put the poles away and move to a wide-flat-beginner or wide-flat-intermediate run, and aim to do S turns all the way down, without spraying out the tails of the ski. Let the ski determine your line down the run. So you really have to work with your ski. If you remember, take a deep breath into your chest and think about your heart whenever you can. Also don't be afraid to let your head angulate with your body (in fact you are meant to) and be comfortable about looking to the sides of the run as you snake down it. You are naturally looking to the sides of the run anyhow as that's the way your chest is pointing. The head angulations can be the most disconcerting aspect of the style/technique, but once you get used to it, it is liberating, and you can feel the energy efficiency at work - energy which you can channel elsewhere...

But if you want to practice this right now, try riding down a hill on a bike, and doing long s-turns. This a similar feeling to heartcarving, especially with the head.

This video from 2007 shows the head angulations (obviously the later videos also demonstrate it too.)

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/836527/Heartcarving-1-0---2008

Heartcarving 1.5 was done in 2012 on 125 skiboards, and HC 2.0 was done a year later on custom skis - both have videos on the homepage.

Best of luck, and feel free to ask questions whenever you need to.
Aug 30 2016 11:47PM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
..it may look boring but I found there are actually many ways to play with hip angulations, leg extensions and body twists at different points within the turn.

The custom skis from 2013, being much more demanding and dominating underfoot removed a lot of this freedom, but it still felt valuable to have worked on the SLs and all the variations possible before working with the Heartslayers.

It's about building a relationship with the skis (as weird as it sounds) because they determine so much of what you can and can't do. You can really find success at feeling great, even on a blue run.
Aug 31 2016 12:22AM
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.otto.
Posts: 3494 - Karma: 12,899
i race ski and in racing there is always a clear and correct way to turn, but really that limits what you can do so much on snow, its cool to see people breakin skiing norms and doing cool stuff
Aug 31 2016 9:14AM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
.otto.i race ski and in racing there is always a clear and correct way to turn, but really that limits what you can do so much on snow, its cool to see people breakin skiing norms and doing cool stuff


yeah thanks -- I find racing neither enjoyable nor practical. I did race with HC 1.0 on a GS course, and didn't get a very good time, probably because I took such a different route down the course that I found myself fighting the ruts. That said, people saw me as such a weirdo that I obtained social points that way anyhow.

With HC'ing, I win every run in terms of stoke and it makes the ski experience much more social when I share that. In terms of the Heartslayers, the downsides would be building a ski that doesn't warp, keeps sharp edges for longer, and allows high-speed straightlining (with hands behind back) into a slay turn (a full-edge skid) without shuddering. I have solutions for these and other issues.

I think HCing can be a layer of style (and technique) that racers build over their existing technique, and involves a fairly substantial shift in consciousness.
Aug 31 2016 6:39PM
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.otto.
Posts: 3494 - Karma: 12,899
Carved+Dangerousyeah thanks -- I find racing neither enjoyable nor practical. I did race with HC 1.0 on a GS course, and didn't get a very good time, probably because I took such a different route down the course that I found myself fighting the ruts. That said, people saw me as such a weirdo that I obtained social points that way anyhow.

With HC'ing, I win every run in terms of stoke and it makes the ski experience much more social when I share that. In terms of the Heartslayers, the downsides would be building a ski that doesn't warp, keeps sharp edges for longer, and allows high-speed straightlining (with hands behind back) into a slay turn (a full-edge skid) without shuddering. I have solutions for these and other issues.

I think HCing can be a layer of style (and technique) that racers build over their existing technique, and involves a fairly substantial shift in consciousness.



do you think people can argue that their is a "correct way" to ski(carve)? or is it a subjective matter rather than objective.
Aug 31 2016 10:00PM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
.otto.do you think people can argue that their is a "correct way" to ski(carve)? or is it a subjective matter rather than objective.


Great question, I think it is both. You can say "If I ski like X I more often than not get Y" but "if I ski like A I more often than not get B." Is there a correct way to pickup girls? There are certain things that work in certain situations. Learn from others, learn from yourself, see what works for you. I mean if you just want to get the best time down a race course, see what the winners are doing and then copy it. BUT this often leads to a cargo cult mentality - you are copying what the winners are doing, but not actually copying what they are thinking or feeling, or have travelled down the path they took to get there. No two people are the same. What is correct for me is not necessarily correct for you - but we can still compare ourselves against different and agreed upon criteria. If someone looks at my vids and views it as incorrect, whose problem is that? Who is right?

Also, if you look at my vids, I am really just pointing people in a direction. I never copied anyone or took direction from anyone, and even if you were to start heartcarving, I couldn't actually say if you are correct or not, but it should be self-evident to you if you are feeling good, enjoying yourself, getting inspired, not in pain... and even outside approval is good, but it doesn't and shouldn't have to be the benchmark.

I don't know why anyone would bother ski racing just for the sheer joy of the actual physical movement... perhaps someone assuring themselves that they are "correct" might be enough motivation, but eventually you'd want to move on, especially if it turns the person into a cocky jackass.
Aug 31 2016 10:22PM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
oh I should really add, perhaps the biggest deterrent against heartcarving, especially for really talented folk is.. "if I do this all winter when I could've been in the park or on the race course, than maybe I would've sacrificed my chances at making inroads into an already established discipline." That's a mature outlook.. there's no real answer to that.. so a bit of both would make sense. The thing is with heartcarving, is that it's an unknown land...
Aug 31 2016 10:28PM
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