Steep Pillows, advice?

[forum8fox]

Well I have been getting on more pillows this year and I am trying to get them as clean as possible but I am realizing that it's pretty hard. Especially when the pillows are big or really steep with blind rolls and ununiform features.

I don't have a problem with pillows like these:


With pillows like these you can almost always see where your going and link pillows easily unless they are really big rocks and you cannont see off the back side which can be a problem when you land in a hole. Usually your not going super fast either.

some examples of what I am talking about are pillows that are on a headwall 20-40 or so feet tall so steep you wonder if your going to touch any thing on the way down. Often times landing in a slot between some trees and the landing isn't uber steep or large.

some examples of specific scenerios and the particular porblems I've had.



In this scenerio I had 3 or 4 steep pillows that lead to a 5 foot drop to another set of 2 with a moat below it and a not so steep landing if the moat was cleared. my plan was to try to aim for the second set and launch off the side of it to the steeper landing which is seen lookers right of the lowest set. The landing was a small area which ended somewhat abruptly in a little wind roll. it would have been tough to land but fairly possible but here is the problem I had. The first set of pillows were so steep it forced me in the back seat as I was worried about nose diving into the next set. I had to turn slightly while in the air between the 2 sets as they were not directly in line and I did not want to just skim the second set to hit the sweet spot in the landing. when I hit the second set I was off balance as I was in the back seat and turning, hit the pillow and bounced off in a disorganized fashion.



This line had a really steep roll over, the pillows were kinda large and steeply stacked but not exactly evenly spaced. I tried to stay in the back seat to avoid the nosedive frontflip down scenerio (I also hoped it might slow me down a bit). I think it helped but I was a little bit too far back I hit the first two and barely touched the last one (which put me in the back seat more), somehow I got off line and was aimed right at the little tree lookers left in the landing. let's just say it wasn't as clean as I would have liked it to be. If the tree wasn't there I probly would have stuck it but I had no time to react with the amount of speed accrued so I just stuck with the back seat steeze and sat the fuck down as I touched the tree.



In this scenerio I came in from the side as the blind roll was really bad and the stack was super steep and tightly spaced rolling over into a roughly 20 foot drop. the tree to the lookers right of the upper red x had a big isolated pillow which I gapped to and turned off of aiming into the slot between the trees (the lower x). When I hit the isolated pillow (after gapping about 5-10 feet to it) it busted off and I did a bit of a nose dive, the pow was so deep I nose dived and did a front roll with the giant chunk exploding right next to me.
I don't think I could have come in from the top and still hit the isolated pillow also the speed would have been insane with the trees surrounding.

yesterday I hit the line below my friend in that pic, I was so far in the back seat all you could see was my board floating down the pillows on it's tail as I was in a cloud, I body checked a pillow about half way down and ejected off the line landing right next to one of the trees (got video but no pics, and I don't acutally have access to the video yet). You pretty much have to str8line this one to do it with out sideslipping and it's well over a 20 foot stack. your going so fast and the pillows were a little larger and less uniform yesterday. Also the landing comes so abruptly and is so less steep and inbetween 2 trees. I just kept thinking I was going to nosedive the landing if I stayed more centered. I was also hoping that being in the back seat would have slowed me downn a little but I can't verify that. In hind sight I wish I rode it more centered and tried to pull the nose up last minute.

Well I don't know exactly what advice I can get as alot of pillows are super variable as far as consistency and varied terrain features.

Maybe others could post up some pillows gone wrong scenerios and an explination of what they think went wrong and what they would have done in hindsight.

Also you could post successfull scenerios and the process that took place to make them successful.

What's everyones thoughts on billygoating pillows versus str8lineing them? Also back seat versus centered/forward?

It seems it's hard to get down a set of technical pillows and stick it clean with out side slipping or jump turning as opposed to doing it the way it looks good for the camera (not to mention good style).

[Imz]

Wow... a lucid, relevant thread. Congrats.

[Dhelihiker]

Theres actually a mathmatical formula for dropping pillow lines. I have it written down somewhere, when I find it, ill post it.

Until then,

Dont Fear the pillow unless its in a gay porn or in IMZ's bed (same thing)

[Sutter]

Tanner: Let'em buck.

[Imz]

...Dont Fear the pillow unless its in a gay porn or in IMZ's bed (same thing)

Dude, all dents in my pillows are shaped like women and/or me... [hehe]

[Tube Sag]

Low and centered. With skis you can kind of rock back if needed, without being backseat and keeping good forward pressure on your boots. I am not sure how this would translate to a board though. According to Stihletto just be sure to pick burley lines with at least one big uphill pillow in the middle, that will effectively control your speed and, pending no broken ribs, set you up perfectly for the remainder of the line. Other than that I try to scope a line that I can ski in one big shot, w/o sideslipping or turns, hop in centered and charge . I tend to get into trouble when I get tentative or backseat.

[Deep Days]

This thread would be much easier to follow if A) correct spelling were more abundant, B) if there were salient questions, and C) if the shit were punctuated correctly.

Even if that were the case, I wouldn't really have any advice for you, other than "get out of the backseat". Someone told me that a long time ago. I started listening a while later, and I was happy I did. Granted, it wasn't on 50-ft pillow lines, but it was in soft snow.

That said, I've never been on a snowboard, and I may never ever.

[The Word Stoked Is Overused]

THANK YOU for this thread. This has to be the best compilation of the most fucking rad pics of you EVER. I wouldn't worry too much about whatever you think isn't that clean. It's clear your killing it in every picture (especially the one at night).

[gunniride]

Nice work. Seems like you have a pretty good handle on it to me. The hardest part of pillow lines is finding them and it looks as if you have got that nailed.

On skis I like to keep the planks parallel to the snow, applying just enough pressure to the tails to guide the direction of the "fall". Then, when a good landing approaches, I flattened them out and really throw the tails into the snow, preferably as close to the rock as possible, to get the most out of the steep portion of the sluff affected apron. Doing this early on would no doubt lead to a backseat motion that could put your body into the rock instead of the board.

I suggest Taos in about 3 weeks.

[hafilax]

If you find yourself in the backseat you're either not going fast enough or your stance isn't far enough back (some will say get a board designed for powder with a big nose; see centered stance argument). Judging by the photos I would say that you would be happier on a longer board for this application.

You can't turn or ollie from the backseat. It helps to have powerful legs to plow through the variable resistance of hitting multiple drops. You can also press through pearling/submarining situations without worrying about going over the bars. Just stay out of the backseat!

[grubbers]

give a more powder-oriented board a shot(if you aren't riding one already). go for something with a tapered shape, it is most likely going to handle a little easier in the deep stuff without needing a ton of speed to keep you from submarining.

[forum8fox]

I can't belive someone has created an alias just for bashing me (wait yes I can) . Could it be the word gaper is over used? Na that's too obvious, must be some other pussy using him as a scape goat.

You even started your own post about me, im so flattered! keep up the good work! keep posting the stoke man, I don't know what we would all do with out it..... We would probly quit snow riding.

Thanks to anyone who really gave a shit (seriously, the advice is appriciated). I'm sorry if I was a bit too baked when origionally posting this but I had a day off and was stuck at home so..... Sorry if I tried to learn something besides how to get ppl to flame you on the net like the spineless cowards they are (always anticipated around here).

I figured this post was long gone by now anyway why are ppl digging it back up?

Must be somewhat entertaining or usefull information. I will work on keeping it out of the back seat, maybe I will try my 163 instead of my 161. I guess I'm probly on my own to figure this out, trial and error (I just home my knees stand up to the abuse). I'm better off in a f'n couloir anyway, spring's just around the corner........

[R. Ski Ermey]

Maybe if you'd stop spewing and posting pictures of yourself doing stupid shit along with your stoke... Shape up before you fuck yourself!

[pechelman]

memory foam

[PowTron]

I agree that it can be difficult when you cannot see where you are going...usually, in the past, I have taken a couple of snapshots from below (dig camera), and then look for a very noticeable landmark on the run in to the "pillow line"...on skis, I am sure it is different, but I am able to really use my legs as shock absorbers and keep them all "loosey goosey" until I feel a pillow below me (in the white room, or with my eyes closed as I am scared shitless )...

I have a deal for you...you show me where those pillows are, and I will ski them with you

[Ireallyliketoski2]

Try skiing sober, it sounds like the weed is making you legally retarded.

[HotCarl]

Ask Stihletto how to ride that shit