Who is using Harb Carvers, What is your experience.

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Postby Jeff Markham » Mon Aug 09, 2004 6:43 pm

Jim,

I'll defer to Harald and Jay in this regard, but if you 1) have rollerblading experience and 2) are committed to learning to use the Carvers, then I'd suggest going right for the Pro model.

I went from the Slalom model to the Comp after two weeks of daily practice. It seems to me that the Comps are easier to turn and are definitely more fun. :D If I knew then what I know now, I'd have started with the Pro model.

The Pro and Comp models are taller and faster, but I got used to the additional height/speed after two runs. They are also smoother than the Slaloms over rougher surfaces and are easier to skate uphill.

So, I say go for the Pro model.
Jeff Markham
 
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Location: Sandy, Utah

Postby Guest » Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:55 pm

I had been using a 3.5-degree parking lot and was looking for some new territory. A few weeks ago, I found 5-, 6-, and 7-degree runs with fresh asphalt in a new housing development. Unfortunately, the 6- and 7-degree runs were a little narrow for my skill level (plus they had dug up some holes for manholes, etc.). The 5-degree run was right beside the main road -- it's actually just a widened part of the road that is not open to the public yet. When I first went down the 5-degree run, I said "Wow! This is LOT faster than 3.5-degrees. It was pretty scary. I made a couple more runs, but finally chickened out and called it quits. It was just too close to traffic for comfort if I botched a turn. I think that one of my problems with the steeper run was that I was thinking too much about what would happen if I missed a turn. If I had duplicated what I was actually doing on the 3.5-degree run, I don't think that I would have had a problem after the first run or so. Oh well, another day...

I'm not getting out as frequently on the Carvers, but am still seeing improvement each time. I *was* having problems with a lack of dynamics. Basically, I was just too mental about it and was deliberating too much about each turn. As a result, my turns were too long and not quick enough. So, I watched Jay Peterson's videos a few times and then tried to duplicate the feel of what he and Harald were doing. That and not worrying so much about my form/technique, pretty much solved the problem with dynamics.

Last Sunday, I set out tennis ball halves as a slalom course, following Harald's suggestions at 15 vertical feet apart (but all in a row). At first, after the first 4 gates, I could only make every other "gate" so I was really skiing a 30-foot vertical distance between gates. Gradually, things improved so that I could make more and more gates before missing a gate. By the end of the hour, I was consistently making the 15-foot gates and was controlling my speed. The big payoff came when I moved over to a slightly steeper run without slaloms. I discovered that I was much more in control and much more dynamic. What had been a steeper run was no longer as steep.

I've faxed my registration for the October Carver Camp. Who else is going?
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Postby Jeff Markham » Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:56 pm

Sorry, that was me above. The auto-login didn't work.
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Location: Sandy, Utah

Postby Hobbit » Tue Sep 07, 2004 10:53 pm

I'll be there as well.
I got my October Carvers camp confirmation and the January A-Basin camp confirmation from Harald today.
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