Jack Michaud (gmichaud@hopper.unh.edu) writes:

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE HOLY ASYMMETRIC EMPIRE

When people first started snowboarding, people stood with their back foot straight across the board and stood sideways like a surfer, and it was good. The weight transition from edge to edge happened in a direction straight across the board, hence the boards were symmetric (duh) and they were good.

Then, people like Peter Bauer and Jean Nerva and Jose Fernandes started getting smart and angling both their feet like only the front one had been before. The weight transition went from heel to toe and vice versa, along the angle of the bindings and diagonally across the board. That's when the concept of asymmetry was born, and it was good. This worked to compensate for what we now know is a not-so-good technique, that is, hanging your butt out a.k.a. "sitting on the toilet". This was the last tie that snowboard racers had with their aquatic surfing ancestors.

Then people like Shannon Melhuse and Jerry Masterpool and many others began to figure it out that they could hold a better edge by keeping more of their body mass closer to the board when carving. This meant, on a heel side carve, tucking your butt in over the board. To accomplish this, you must square your hips and shoulders to the direction of board travel. People then discovered that the most efficient way to carve is to keep the hips square and simply take the hips (center of gravity) straight across the board and drop them into the next carve. The weight transition happens in a line straight across the board between the bindings. This is when the concept of symmetry was reborn, and it is good!

Somehow, Peter Bauer and Jean Nerva have figured out a way to make efficient carves asymmetrically, but anybody who tries to imitate them only ends up sliding on icy conditions while looking like a fool swinging their arms all over the place. (I know, I used to do it until I saw the video... *gasp!*) But you will notice that Peter Bauer and Jean Nerva are only slalom racers. That's because their technique doesn't work in a GS race. Sure, they are the masters of the "Euro-carve", but that is no way to take yourself down a race course. You will also notice, that they don't waste their time riding sub-standard carving snow conditions!

Asym boards depend on you making the edge transfer from heel to toe and vice versa. This is what you do in slalom, because it's quicker due to more leverage. That is why Bauer only stands at about 45 degrees to the board. Anything more than that, and you loose the asym advantage. When you ride symmetrically, you use the sides of your boots more, and the edge transition happens more as a result of a rolling of the knees. Asyms are not any more turny than symmetricals. Efficient asymmetric riding can be achieved, but difference between it and efficient symmetric riding is the difference in lengths between a diagonal and a perpendicular line across your board. And the fact that on an asym, you have to move your body forward and back as well as side to side, at the same time. This can be tricky to coordinate. Therefore, symmetrical riding will always be more efficient and stable and, of course, good.

You can ride an asym with a symmetric style, but you'll have to compensate for the offset by coming back on the board when you turn heel side. So there you have it. Try out a symmetric and ride square to the board. I think you'll be blown away.