New Riders Tapping into the Good Physics of Snowboarding 

On the opposite side of the spectrum of what I "thought experiment" and chat about in this video... Let's take Kristin's riding. Before I ever rode with her, she was on a somewhat stiff, camber snowboard a shop recommend. And without her having the knowledge of what she was even attempting to achieve on a snowboard (other than just to go snowboarding), she really was awful. (Sorry hun!!!). She even broke her arm due to catching an edge. (before we ever rode!) When we started riding she was extremely timid on the board due to that, combined with the physics of the board, and her not knowing what to do with it. When she got a rocker board, it seemed to help her being able to skid around the mountain and at least be able to maneuver around easier. Once she got a bit better, she was realizing she couldn't really carve on it... so she got a camber board by the same company (burton). Once she started carving ok on that, she starting dragging her toes during trying it, and now is on a 'soft' version of the Donek Knapton Twin (and definitely making the best turns she's made yet) (It'll be a cool progression video someday! :)) So either approach can work... it's just about making whatever approach and process you take, work for you. Happy shreddin' all!

The dude from Zaïre shows that you don't have to be born in the mountains, to love snowboarding. Like surfing, it's a natural feeling that is sooo addictive. Love your videos Ryan, keep them coming.

This is what learning proper technique from the beginning looks like. Not having to un-learn loads of bad habits. Credit to you Ryan for helping someone learn this fast.

My favorite line in the video... "You wake up, that's a chance". :) Faissal. (silent 'L' pronunciation). I wish I'd have been recording for our deeper conversations. Inspirational AF. I hope our paths cross again Man.

Big part of learning to snowboard is finding the right slope. The one on this video is perfect for carving, wide, safe and not very steep. I struggled to learn here in Polad, where slopes are usually short, icy and crowded. One upside is that when I'm in the Alps and it's icy, people panic, and I'm home ;)

Took me a year or so to get to his level. Beginner board with no lessons, and I think I got here fast lol. Really shows the value of a good teacher combined with a good student

Hey Ryan, I missed my opportunity to say hello when I saw you riding at Breckenridge a few years ago. I saw you carving out of the corner of my eye. I didn't have see your face or anything to know it was you. You have an indelible style. Thanks for inspiring us all! Headed Mammoth this week to carve those circles.

Outstanding progress for 7 days. I have never seen anything like it.

7 days. wow. that sure shows the value of learning the physics on a longboard skateboard or skate surf as he said. What a dude. Great video Ryan. Another really inspiring one.

What an amazing father and son combo! 7 days!!!!! I got chills watching this video too Ryan. Thanks for the great vibes. Keep shredding all... 👍

I used to teach snowboard on a Dryski slope but also see it in the domes here in the UK. They hand Skis out and take time to set them up properly for the rider. Snowboards however they throw on a random size of bindings and hand the board over. With no real consideration to setup. When I was teaching I would spend the time to sort out the board to the person (centred foot, forward lean and angles) and my trainees had a much better time on the hill and progressed quicker. I often see boards with major overhang because they have been given the wrong size bindings, and send them back in to get a smaller size as it will make a HUGE difference. Board setup is so underrated. Boards themselves, I learned on a full camber. Rockers or part rockers are a great learning tool but do breed bad habits. Camber foces you to ride right or you eat shit! :D Have a good one.

I'm 56 yrs old and wish I tried this when I was younger. I had a lib tech hot knife camber board and would always boot out on carving. I wish I went with a Donek. After 7 seven years and a bunch of falls and let downs i had to stop riding. I love watching you carve, It's amazing!

So glad I watched shit tonnes of your videos a year before I even tried snowboarding. I basically carved and avoided sliding from day 1 thanks to you.

He Ryan, Sunday i am off to the France alps of Val Thorens. Have seen all your videos last two year with out the possibility of going out there has making me hungry. Thanx for all the good vibes. The world needs more guys like you.

Wow that good in 7 days. Impressive. Love the stats of the board and the tips suggested to fix little things. Always learning and always having fun carving!

Your love for snowboarding is contagious! I’ve been binge watching your videos religiously prior to a mountain trip. Love from France 🇫🇷

That was absolutely insane!!! 😲😲😲 I'm sitting here with a broken collarbone trying to be patient with the healing process and this video pops up..... freaking awesome!!! That Father and son are killing it! Always love to watch your videos Ryan because of the inspiration from you and the people that you have in them. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put in to make and post them up. Keep yourself safe and Qapla!!!!! 😎👊❤🏂 Randy

There is so much information now on forums and RU-vid for snowboarders, wish I had that in the 90's when I started! Your style, technique and personnality is contagious and is giving goals to snowboarders, old and new, to improve. I've been riding alpine for 20 years, EC for 6, watching you ride keeps me on my toes... I mean my heels... On the edge... (tripple pun intended). I have a wide, stiff softboot carving board on order and can't wait for winter to come to go shredding Knapton style! 🤙

Just bought one of your knapton twins. 155cm length 30cm width 12.5 meter sidecut. Softer flex So far I love it. Finally I can lay my board over and not get boot out. Boot out has been holding me back a lot. A few things I noticed. #1 that it took a hot minute to get used to a wider board. Not a big deal but it was harder then I expected. About a day. #2 I should have gone even wider then 30cm. I have size ten boots and I can get a little boot out on my toes but I mean it’s almost nothing. I still lay over carves to the max. Only in that really soft slushy snow will I even notice it just a tiny bit. #3 the 12.5 meter sidecut is still pretty sharp when you do a layover carve and December the board. 12.5 meter side cut does make large turns though. You’ll fly off a cat trail if your doing mini carves and let it get too big. #4 I wish I got the stiffer board. I got the soft flex and it’s about as stiff as a generic “off the wall board” that is 7-10 stiffness. I was hoping for something even stiffer. But that’s what donek suggested I get for stiffness was the soft flex. They said it was still pretty stiff and it is but my previous board is a 7-10 on stiffness so I’m used to that and wanted something stiffer. I’ll deffinetly get a second knapton twin down the road and get these measurements 155 cm 31.5-32cm waist 14-16 meter sidecut Ryan knapton stiff. Thanks for the great content and board Other then that the board is absolutely sick. The top sheet it really nice. It’s like a carbon fibre type of feel to it.

Got a knapton twin at the start of last year and after 15 years of snowboarding I am now taking my carving to a whole new level. Just yesterday I was asked if I do anything professionally or just ride casually. I never would have gotten here without the wider, stiffer board from Donek and also without seeing what is possible by watching Ryan's RU-vid and Instagram videos. Thank you, keep the posts coming! Specs: Model: Kanpton Twin Height: 152cm Sidecut: 7.9m Waist: 27cm

These are the proves that you are the one of the most inspirational snowboarders ever.

You make it look so easy Ryan love seeing you ride

7 days...!? I had the misfortune to take my first week of lessons with, uh... "the big French ski school", ahem. After a week I couldn't even link turns. It's criminal what passes for tuition in some places, it makes me so happy when a new boarder taps into good info and makes progress! 😊

Great video. After watching this I realized what my problem is keeping me from doing deep carves. I been using boot size 12 when I should be using 9’s.😀 Jk Donek website says my board waist should be 12 inch. Mine is only 10.2 inches. Also when I said hi to Ryan once at Breck I was also crazy excited like the dude from Congo. Ryan is the greatest!

Beautiful moves. Extremely impressive 👍👍👍

I love the videos where you critique other riders. Those are the things that help my own riding. I also liked seeing the difference in chatter between the Donek and the other boards.

Just shows how important good instruction is. I am the same had 7 days now, 2-3 hours a day. And am proud to have made my first carving turns. I watched your videos and Malcom Moore’s about knee steering. Be patient in your turn and avoid throwing your back foot around (there is a place for counterrotation, but not when you start to learn) once you get the hang of it your improvement will be fast and I am so looking forward just to get better. It will be a hard decision for me everyday to decide if I take the snowboard or improve my carving backwards on my telemark skis… I am happy to have started both and not just stick solely on skis. Also you learn to judge others better on the slope and can improve your own safety. Have a nice day and thanks again for all your videos and insights. Cheers from Austria

im so glad rk is back i missed his smooth skills, its nice to see a youngling following in the foot steps of a legend

I'm amazed how these ski slopes look like higways. I never rode such wide one.

Love your videos man. I have been carving on F2 race boards in Europe all my life, and recently switched to a Capita Warpspeed (to save my old knees from the twisted stance on a race board 😂). The capita is a board dedicated to bigger guys with big feet and I was surprised at how good it carves. Of course it's not the same level of stability as my F2's, but still cool and much more comfortable. I have been wanting to try your board for a while, while I'm still not too old 😅. I'll have to negotiate with my wife I think, and I'm now in heavy contemplation about how to explain why I really, really need that 4th snowboard 😅😂

Gonna be honest with you, I've been riding for 5 days (three last year and now 2 this year). My second day last year I got absolutely destroyed trying to just go straight down a bigger hill, no thoughts of carving, couldnt use my toe edge, just go straight, heel stop, repeat. I spent the whole summer watching videos on how to ride the right way and ended up watching mostly yours. By a couple hours into my second day this year, I was doing full carves across the mellower runs, I had people asking me why I was bothering with the greens and blues, and I've barely fallen at all, and it's entirely from watching your stuff. So seriously thank you for putting all this out on youtube because it probably saved me a few seasons worth of effort to figure out the best way to ride and condensed it to a couple days.

Been watching your vids for about 4-5 years, they are all insane! This one has to be one of the best with inspiration from so many angles with Faisal and the father/son with so limited time at such a high level! So inspiring on so many levels!!

I love the pistes over there. Perfect for snowboarding. Wide, not to steep so you can Lau nice carven and do tricks. And no one there. Where I ride in Europe it's always crowded.

Kid rides better than a lot of people at my local mountain. That’s so rad!!! Been getting into carving myself but my big ass size 13 foot is masking things difficult.

i'm only one day in to snowboarding but i binged watched your episodes. helped me figure that's the type of snowboard i'd like to do get it to. still trying to find the best budget board i could get for me. shit's complicated af. love your vids,keep it up

I love this channel! Glad to see you’re having so many subs now! Been following you for years and you made me got back to snowboarding again and taken notes from you, and I absolutely love it! Cheers from Norway!

I've been snowboarding for 30 years now. I've had a size 12 foot for probably 25 of those years. I've always struggled to find boards wide enough. I've had toe drag release my edge in some pretty exposed situations and send me belly sliding towards cliffs and gullies. It just baffles me that board companies haven't caught on to the need for wider boards. When I was younger the wide boards on the market were just big slabs. You could carve them but they were directional and not very lively. This year I bought a never summer proto synthesis which they offered in an extra wide and I am pleased with it. I guess the wide boards are selling like hot cakes. I've been waiting for this board for a long time. A super wide twin tip all mountain board with freestyle characteristics. There has always been an assumption that a wider board will make edge transition more difficult or slower...well...that seems like a small price to pay for the ability to actually use your edges. Keep fighting the good fight.

Amazing! I've been working on it twenty something years. You make it look easy. Great job!

Nothing but good turns and great homies

Love the explanation of board design at the end. I am going to try some different kinds to see what they can do. Thanks Ryan

Daamn its so satisfying to watch him carv

Well done Ryan and Ethan!!

This ski resort is perfect!

My favorite vid of yours by far. So so sick the whole way through!

2nd season snowboarder here, and what I regret like any unguided newbie: getting real advice, from numerous people, for purchasing a first board. I got a decent Capita board, before I took any measurements of my bindings and boots, and now I have overhang on both heel & toe side. I can carve decently, but not with clean marks--some carves, my overhang will catch really badly and I'll wipeout. Definitely getting a Donek soon for better carving technique.

I really really love your channel and your carving. I really wish that there's a video that YOU Sir could create for beginners to learn on getting on edge; how it feels and how to turn to create those thin lines instead of skidded turns. Your videos are amazing but difficult to understand for beginners to know what we don't know. Please and thank you!

Ryan, love all your Vid's but this is your best VID to date ! love it

Dear Ryan! As for me this is the best video of your own! So much love for snowboarding… I would pray that some day I would have an opportunity to have a lesson from you. From Russia with love, Max

i had more than 30days and still cannot do carving. thank you very much for the motivation sir!

Agree on value of learning to carve - a big issue is few resorts have wide low angle runs suitable for all out carving. Too many skinny steep twisty paths trough the woods (talking about you, east coast). Finding the right run to learn on is critical. First runs on the greens is the only safe time and place to really carve at my resort (Stowe VT)

First tip is to find a super wide slope like these you have there man, they are insane. Well groomed, good mellow inclination, and not many skiers, so you're free to carve on those long lines, just do that safety glance to check for incoming traffic from time to time 2:24

Wow! I'm riding for 5 Years and I dream about this technique! Impressive!

Awesome video, that these beginners are learning so fast is because of your excellent teaching. I rode for 4 seasons and it wasnt till i started my own teachers course that i began understanding more about the physics of snowbaording which really progressed my riding. I have been looking for myself for that ryan knapton twin for a while now but mabye one day. In the mean while i have my soft twinpig which is really wide and lets me have loads of fun and carving on mellow slopes. Great videos man!

What a great job. 7 days? That’s awesome!

Thanks for the help

yeah, completly agree Ryan! Thanks to you ive managed to pick up my wide and stiff camber burton board (ssadly donek is not available in russia). Indeed camber builds up energy for you and it feels so stable on good speed, and also making razor-wide turns

this is insane for 7 days, good job :)

What a nice video Ryan. Keep up the good work man. God bless!!

Dude!!!! You are inspirational :)

Ryan. Keep doing u. never stop educating ! Everything you speak of, technique, conditions, board parameters , etc... they are all Correct. What you said and say is right. How your board almost enables someone to actually shred, "they" naturally perform the correct techniques to unlock great potential in riding. Not everyone will want that experience through their personal shred journey but for the ones that do.... shred on !!! Your a TRUE Ambassador for our sport. The time u take out personally, of almost everyday your on the hill is what really is changing Lives. Spreading the StokE. The fucking vibe is high bro ! AloHa !!

Happy to see you again :D

Faissal you're such a nice guy! Ride on!

Love ya Ryan. Thanks for the videos.

I’ve been following you from the GrtGO!!!

Excellent. 7 days and he can ride that well.

Scoop(famous in Teton Valley) had skied with me for years, completely uninterested in snowboarding. One day he said "I want to try riding like you"(eurocarve). Gave him the speel on the lift, planned on doing drills but he said he'd been watching what I do. First two turns off the lift were perfect full body contact toe and healside turns. We rode the whole day and he never rode again. Funny, he couldn't ride pow at all and he's a cat pow guide.

You Ryan! Some of Your thoughts written there was really useful to help a newbie! Well i know the most of any mistakes on a snowboard are similar for any beginner riders especially using heel edge.. Well.. mby You will find a couple of time to write a complete guide for that.. I think You have pretty enough of experience how to learn newbies for now... Thanks!

Love your channel, man! My next board is going to be a Knapton! ♥🙂

Very nice carving!

Beautiful riding..

Ryan, Thank you for your passion and the way to transmit it For 8 years in Polynesia, I have been in need of snowboarding !! I was on Burton Factory Prime 176cm / Carbon Plate / 12 Reactor, I loved doing huge curves in Tignes ... (100Kg dressed) Since I've been following you, I've been dreaming of coming to Breckenridge with my family, and why try to ride in SoftBoot ... but I don't know what to choose in Gear ...

My daughter picked it up quick also. A wanna be Chloe Kim so it was different. More skids with jumps and tricks than carves though. Her goal on our first 4 day trip were the tricks. She's also a skateboarder so there is some foundation. But dude, that new kid's carves were awesome!!! Was he doing the switch buttering also?

Great video! I would say more calf and ankle flex training to strengthen his heelside. My mentor would say practice one big heel turn and push the limits till we get confortable.

You should ask Kristin if you could post a couple of videos of her shredding, from the couple of short clips I have seen of her she makes real nice turns ,thanks for the fun video knapton love your videos man

I had snotty boards as a beginner the I got a pantera nitro and it made a huge difference in my riding even though my pantera is a stiff advanced level board

great video as always

Ryan and Ethan were amazing especially considering their time on the snow, but even aside from that. Hey what causes Fisa's board to bob up and down as he carves on heel side? I get that when riding switch. I think it's not enough weight on front foot, sound right? More weight up front seems to help it. Been working on cleaning up my switch carving.

day 7 and already has better awareness and safety than 90% of the people I see on the hill

That is awesome, carving lie that after only 7 days!

I had real hard time finding a board that will be wide enough for my 11.5 boots. Ended up with Burton Trick Pony 62W (26.5cm waist) and Malavita bindings. Worst part is some websites don't even post waist size of boards ;) I ride 50-50 and ~12 degree duck stance. Even though the board is wide it took me a while to figure out proper placement of bindings to eliminate boot out.

Nice turns 🤙

Hi Ryan, I’m one of your fan and I hope to see you perform live on the slope once 😂. Can you please tell me what ski resort you usually go to? Thanks

I need a Knapton twin!

My board is a bit flexy, a beginner board designed to handle all types of snow and riding. I feel it wobble a little bit when carving on icy snow. But I think that's not a bad thing for a novice. If the board was too rigid I'd just flip over on bigger bumps. :D

what mountain is this? damn beautiful slopes... and beautiful turns too!.... stuck here waiting for my collarbone surgery to heal and get back out there! (note to people - dont try to hand off a gopro to a friend while riding, bad idea :) )

Yea it sounds like it will be a interesting board. My concern is not to get something to stiff I like to play , ride switch , and carve. I am hoping the softer flex 7 KNAPTON will do the job for me. Thanks for all the get backs. Been in CO. for the last 6 years home is cali. I lived less than 10 min. From MAVERICKS 🏄🏼‍♂️🏂🤙🏻

Love it!!

Wow, props to Fiysahhh( spelling?). Ryan, thank you for the inpiration!! Nanotube power source, lol. Thank you!!!! kaplaaahhhhh

So good! 🤙

Dang this is awesome!!!!!!!!!!

Do you think your board would work well with the step on bindings? Or would a more traditional free ride binding work better?

Hello Ryan, maybe you are the only one who can answer this… everyday when I snowboard I feel like pain in the arc of my front foot due to toe side turns, I don’t think is related to boots or bindings because I tried different ones… maybe you have done a video on this kind of things, if not, can you please make one about this? If you felt or actually feel that pain yet…hope you know what I mean

Holy moly RYAN YEA 😳 that’s a huge difference. Is that also on the park twin core ? Or do you know the flex ? I am very interested. If you remember keep me up to date on your new board. I am sure you will rip on it. Just wondering your surfing background, where is home base for you? Nice talking and have fun shredding 🏄🏼‍♂️🏂🤙🏻

It would be interesting if you try your buttering style with a board with rocker in the middle to see what difference it would make

I can't get over these American slopes. They're like 3-5x longer than most Austrian slopes, perfectly flat and equally steep. Dream conditions for carving. You rarely find this here. Mostly you compete for space with lots of skiiers, but it always works out fine somehow. The slopes are very mountainy though. Lots of uneven terrain, narrow parts, turns, steeper drops, bumps from all the skiiers etc.

9:00 what it’s like boarding in New England 🤣

I see a lot of people carve intermittantly on a board so they sort of know 'how' to carve but for some reason don't realize how much more control carving offers while also lowering fatigue. Sliding out on a board over chopped snow fatigues your muscles so much compared to carving over the same terrain. I often board 5-8 hours and while 5+ my legs are starting to fatigue, they aren't shaking because I carve over most terrain, even moguls if they aren't huge ice blocks you can carve at the top or thru wide troughs. Maybe because I started as a skier and I am still a better skier but carving seemed the ideal to progress toward when I started boarding, my main struggle with boarding is taking off switch. I can land switch and carve switch but launching side hits and jumps while in switch feels so fricken unnatural.

Curious what angles you ride? As a new snowboarder this season, still playing around with things go figure out what works best for my riding.

I’ve been riding my nidecker freeride board for 20 something years and still love it but it’s heavy and stiff (but damn fast!) and I’d like to do the tail and Mose lifts you did in this video. What modern board would you suggest for a 49 year old fanatic who is 1.86 and 95 kilo? Thanks 😊

7 days?? Are you serious?? Man I should have been taking lessons this whole time! Still, that family got talent!