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How Do You Sidehill?
- Thread starter ARMYSLEDER
- Start date
For me I like to be smooth, so I like to keep both legs on one side of the sled in the triangle posiston and then when I am ready I can pull the bars up on one ski, then I like to just be able to blurp along (at slow speeds just leaning into the hill and going anywhere I want on the mountain, you have to be willing to give a good yank on your bars, after you practice it will come naturally on most newer sleds, then it becomes feel and balance from there, start on small hills and learn how to pull your sled up on one ski.
I am 6'1 and dont want or need a lefty, I can reach across and sidehill on both sides.
I dont use my mountain bar much either, but sometimes it is necessary to use it.
I am 6'1 and dont want or need a lefty, I can reach across and sidehill on both sides.
I dont use my mountain bar much either, but sometimes it is necessary to use it.
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snowhawkaddict
Banned
Pirate Arggggggggggg
Or you can step up and just ride the hill!
Or you can step up and just ride the hill!
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Nate
Well-known member
Agreed!!!
Everytime I've ever tried using the grab strap I felt like I had no control of my sled. It felt like the bars could be yanked out of my hands way to easily if one of the skis would have caught anything. With both hands on the bars I feel in complete control and can throw the sled around just as well.
Packed snow its all about weight. Lean uphill and keep both skiis in contact. Straps are handy here and hope you don't have to do it for very long. Powder its about track speed and counter steering. Blip the throttle to spin the track and settle the sled in to the hill. Meanwhile turn AWAY from the hill slightly. Now that the sled has a good bite, all you have to do is feather the skiis and slightly shift your weight to send it anywhere you want. Very easy to control in anything over 6" of fresh snow. Practice on the meadows so that its second nature.
Left hand throttles, mountain straps.....
They are for when you are going slow. Both have a use, I personally dont like the left hand throttles. But do have a mountain bar, not a strap. For the most part I need both hands to steer my sled. The mountain bar is for the quick jerk and gas it to get turned and going, after that useless except to hit you in the chest after a sudden stop!
They are for when you are going slow. Both have a use, I personally dont like the left hand throttles. But do have a mountain bar, not a strap. For the most part I need both hands to steer my sled. The mountain bar is for the quick jerk and gas it to get turned and going, after that useless except to hit you in the chest after a sudden stop!
well I found that when I was younger (ie. 11-14) I could only side hill right. throttle was close to me. still needed the bar ( not a strap those are dangerous no control of the sled). now i'm 25 5'10" 180lbs. I can make some really impressive moves to the left, and to the right I could do it. but usually fall, pull the sled too far over. Especially during donuts on flat ground. Now that was all on a zx skiidoo. Those are like culverts, their complete instability made it side hill like a dream. Now i'm on a dragon took a few years off. The impressive moves to the left are still there. But going the other way is not working at all. I'm thinking about a lefty throttle for different reasons than most. Keep in mind this all in powder, on hard pack to all comes down to a good set of skis.
yep! like that!
if u really side hilling, and really need to hold the line, leg out dragging for all the extra leverage. sometimes one legs running along the side helping push. weather it helps or not, mb its just mental, but i swear it saved me a stuck last sat! even if it looks stupid, i'll do it anyway. hah
when 'playing' up a hill, i'll stand normally and just xfer weight from leg to leg, or w/e.
i use my lefty mostly when i'm starting a hard corner/sidehill, once i get moving i xfer to my thumb for a better 'feel/control'.
oddly i feel much more natural with a left-side sidehill..
for the long/straight sidehills, i'm learning to use less speed, and vary the throttle to just 'hold' the sidehill, wot and it will want to angle up and/or trench/slide out from underneath you, not enough throt and u loose the sidehill and go down.
but yeah, depends on terrain, snow, sled, power...etc etc
if u really side hilling, and really need to hold the line, leg out dragging for all the extra leverage. sometimes one legs running along the side helping push. weather it helps or not, mb its just mental, but i swear it saved me a stuck last sat!
even if it looks stupid, i'll do it anyway. hahwhen 'playing' up a hill, i'll stand normally and just xfer weight from leg to leg, or w/e.
i use my lefty mostly when i'm starting a hard corner/sidehill, once i get moving i xfer to my thumb for a better 'feel/control'.
oddly i feel much more natural with a left-side sidehill..
for the long/straight sidehills, i'm learning to use less speed, and vary the throttle to just 'hold' the sidehill, wot and it will want to angle up and/or trench/slide out from underneath you, not enough throt and u loose the sidehill and go down.
but yeah, depends on terrain, snow, sled, power...etc etc
I'm putting on a goldfinger for the same reason, 2-3 times a year when it would be really be the cats pajamas. Best advice when I was learning to carve was: "Sometimes to go left you have to turn right" Go learn to do figure 8's in a flat field without falling off then go sidehilling.
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Trenchmaster
Well-known member
We go to a place that requires about a four mile sidehill to get to, getting in is easy, right side pull, coming out not so easy. After installing the lefty coming out is easy, grab the bar lean to the left give it gas. Not gay but I do love my lefty!!!
Exactly
I'd say throttle control is the biggest factor and trying to teach someone that more throttle is better is tough.
Countersteering the the 2nd biggest factor cause if your turning your bars into your turn it's damn near impossible....trying to teach someone that is even tougher than the throttle part.
Weight xtranser is the last thing cause when the snow is right and you've got #1 and 2 figured out you can sidehill sitting down.
And I'm starting to think that maybe learning while sitting might actually be easier cause it seems people are concentrating more on their weight then throttle and steering...eliminate them thinking about their weight and they might catch on faster.?? IDK
Countersteering the the 2nd biggest factor cause if your turning your bars into your turn it's damn near impossible....trying to teach someone that is even tougher than the throttle part.
Weight xtranser is the last thing cause when the snow is right and you've got #1 and 2 figured out you can sidehill sitting down.
And I'm starting to think that maybe learning while sitting might actually be easier cause it seems people are concentrating more on their weight then throttle and steering...eliminate them thinking about their weight and they might catch on faster.?? IDK
my buddy was like some of these guys on here who think the lefty is gay. we were riding last year and to get to one of my secret spots you have to side hill for about 100 yards above a rock band (throttle on downhill side) normally its no problem the snow is usually soft, just throw it on its side and cruise (no lefty no mt. bar). but this one time the winds were coming from diffrent direction than normal and made these rock hard icy wind drift rollers. it was impossible to get sled on side. the angle of hill was just steep enough that i could creep across using lefty and all weight on left sid of sled. well my buddy that thinks leftys are gay tried this and because he had to reach across his sled to hit flipper his sled tipped on him in the middle of this sidehill and rolled off the cliff band. who's gay now? totaled. he ordered a lefty with his new sled!
i only use my mtn strap in the trees or when turning around in a tight spot. a lefty comes in handy when in the trees creeping around but on the hill i just jump one one side or the other and giver hell.....never use mtn strap...just doesnt feel rightm like im gunna fall off and not much control. counter stearing helps alot and the lefty cums in play when snow is hard and a side hill is needed....
