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dhamann

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Everything posted by dhamann

  1. eh. fusions. good to learn about @Ladia and thanks for sharing. upon ankle surgery last February for a lateral process fracture of the talus ("snowboarders ankle"), my ortho mentioned that at some point in my life i will likely have to resort to a fused ankle. i don't know what that really means, but your experience with a toe fusion certainly sheds some light on the situation. now ain't that some s..t? i am almost only 46 yrs old for the record. a spur under left front foot large toe nail had to be fully removed too due to "how i was walking" with a broken ankle for a year. yes, it took a year to get into surgery. i now have to treat with a nail softener almost daily and keep that dam thing cut extra short. next step is to have it removed and chemical the thing so nail never grows back. then also morton's neuroma. i guess we all have some stuff and thankfully downsizing, upsizing, liner options, ortho footbeds all help to find what works for the individual. so many factors. the things we all do to keep snowboarding. treating feet with respect is the worlds most understatement.
  2. same exact thing @barryj almost to a T. i don't know where the size chart for deeluxe is, but this is the one i refer to for UPZ and most things mondo related.
  3. a few mm from measured mondo is probably max for most folks in an alpine boot to size down. i measure 28.7 and 28.9 feet in a 28-28.5 UPZ 312bsl shell, low volume plug wrap liner twice molded with double toe caps on larger foot. no shell punch needed. call it luck, but it works. shell test is 1.25-1.5 fingers. sticking as close to measured mondo foot size with softies is probably best and size up, not down. alpine boots have buckles that really hold the foot down and back into heel pocket a lot better than what can be achieved with laces/boa/etc. on a softboot. maybe up to a few mm larger is ok with softy. if sized up and a performance fit is desired, maybe a high volume liner like those yellow powerwraps would work. of course there are extremes of racer fit and scrunched toes, etc. replacing liner with a low volume liner to accommodate a slightly smaller size boot shell and also having alpine boot shells punched out. why do i feel like i'm saying things you already know? heck, you helped me go from a 30 mondo deeluxe into a 28upz.
  4. @Odd Job i wanna try to help and like i've shared in private messages, i am not a boot fitter but here's my 2 cents of rambling: downsizing in softboots can be done. obviously. use with caution and understand the tradeoffs. but why and how? the why is obvious for less heel drag and/or lower binding angles. could also be the preference of fit to performance. i'll assume the stock liner is probably pretty snug when new, but you prefer a performance fit of sorts. molding with toe caps, etc. can help with the fit. maybe you do this to make them work? meanwhile the rest of the liner also packs out while riding. support is lost. some folks may call this "broken in" while it is in fact just "broken". excessive riding and use will turn most boots into uggs as you've mentioned before. more physical effort is required and additional forces are transferred to the body. tradeoff. pretty straightforward. when downsizing like this, an aftermarket liner such as intuition should probably be a low profile liner to get into a shell as the numbers show above. it's been said before to abide to intuitions sizing recommendations and i will have to agree. read up and understand the differences of the liner options available; another rabbit hole. also, mold the liner for the boot shell you intend to use it in. transferring liners boot to boot doesn't always work that way. since we're getting so technical with this, that's worth mentioning. however, the limits will be pushed by nerds like ourselves. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. trial and error with such technical requirements that each of us have as individual riders and our individual needs is so dam specific, nothing is a one size fits all. this may be why such specialty equipment is not offered to the masses; it's not for everyone. we may need to adjust along the way. i am well aware you are not new, but it does not take a year to 'figure it out', it takes many. for instance, i have a low profile mondo 29 liner in a UPZ 28-28.5 boot shell. yes this is an alpine boot and the buckles really hold my foot down and back into the heel pocket that allows this to work for me. this liner does not work for me in my 29m softboot. it's not exactly the same with softboots because of the tightening with laces/boa/etc. can't be achieved as with the buckles of a ski boot or alpine snowboard boot. plus, the molding thing i mention above. therefore, maybe a double toe cap while molding a low profile liner that actually fits your foot may allow a "proper" fit into a downsized shell. its risky business and this is of course understanding the tradeoffs, as with anything. using any kind of plastic insert ontop of a liner that is extremely packed out as most stock liners can get and riding almost every day can have it's affects as you've pointed out. could be underlying issues and/or maybe the artery thing mentioned above? as we age, things change. i hate to admit it, but it's the truth. just changing the liner can make a difference as you mention the importance of above. adding anything into a boot is yet another adjustment/tweak. i can ride about three days on alpine before i start to get some blistering on my rear heel due to a bone spur. great heel hold, binding lifts and know i'm in the correct size boot, but the extreme forces while carving can take their toll. i can ride three days on softy before my knee's tell me to f off. my back screams. i just adjust accordingly. we all need to find our own way and a lot of trial and error/experimenting may be the only way. keyboarding about it helps, but we don't know until we test to find our own limits/comforts. i've had a few boot fitters say, try this and come back if adjustments are needed. around and around we go. i'm not going to say, stay within your limits because i never have. adjusting to that mantra is sometimes needed, but a tough pill to swallow no doubt. (a 25.5m or even 26m boot/medium volume liner combo for softy may be worth trying. and a stiffer boot shell than a 6/7 flex. remember wrap liners are typically stiffer and hold better than tongue if those are the rider preferences; i now prefer a very stiff tongue liner in softy and play with the inserts to desired flavors.)
  5. insightful feedback @Odd Job and @ShortcutToMoncton i rode six days straight with a couple of 3hr sessions on alpine and didn't feel anything pinpointing what you describe above. my feet measure 28.7 and 28.9 and i run a 29 mondo boot with a lower volume lower and medium volume upper (fx race tongue). however, i like to really snug my liner (wish i could get more, but laces max out with my skinny shins), boot and crank the hell out of my binding straps for the ride down. at times, i do feel my feet almost falling asleep on longer runs, but that also happened without the inserts too. there can be compromises and trade offs. pick your poison, i suppose. i don't ride without these inserts any more and seem to just keep wanting more and more stiffness. double edged sword, pun intended. i've tested some pretty drastic combinations and no it's still not like a hardboot. much more effort is used when riding softboot than hardboot. IMO, the techniques for each are unique in their own ways and can not be duplicated. a carryover of style/habits can be imminent. i ponder this: are the liners and boots the correct size? when you play a hockey tournament over a weekend with probably at least 3-4 games, the cup may cause some chafing. is the compromise of not running a piece of equipment worth it? decisions decisions... glad you guys are liking them overall.
  6. Awesome. You’re an animal. Just couldn’t do today. Literally can barely walk. Keep it up. Solid showing end of season. Already looking forward to seeing you and Erik tearing shi up next year.
  7. @Spiny Norman most have given up after reggae. by most i mean the whole town, restaurants, services, etc.. ie. likely some of food "specials" if you can find something open. can be 50/50 for any kind of service. BUT they'll likely be spinning through April. bring everything you think you may need like if you're camping or backcountry with lift access. its a tall order this year, but making it to May is the standard goal. "king of spring" don't expect much grooming, etc. it's a scene and always fun to ride in the spring there. going to try and make another short trip up myself, but 50/50 at this point. *don't tell anyone. "Killington is where it's at."
  8. ya. the video quality is pretty bad, but what an amazing last six days it has been! we got some phone clips so just put together a little thing here to share. we finally got a few days of mid winter conditions and good grief am i beat. definitely missed some folks this time around, but maybe next year. for those that made it, you know this hack job of a video doesn't do it justice. a tip of the hat to all!
  9. One for tha books for sure. I’ve had a few of those this season but… come on. We ride. We rarely film but stoked to grab a couple clips and be a part of the day. Until tomorrow. No sun but guns will be out.
  10. You killing me. Closing. Egh. Friday I’m like 20/80 but we’ll see. Loaf is ripping hahd the next couple days. Like dunk in ice cold river each day to recover kinda hard. Thank you for the updates! If I can walk, I’ll do about an hour on Friday just cuz.
  11. Heavy snow but it’s natural and great coverage. Saddleback was like winter yesterday. Loaf was like spring two days ago. Winter again at loaf. Should groom out real nice. Bucksaw is gonna be rippin. Looking forward to the next few days. What a difference a week makes! Whole week will be worthy. Even if @GeoffV shows up.
  12. Saw those and said naw. To each their own. As Rob says… hack.
  13. regardless of any boot mods or modding a mod, start from scratch. from my experience, if a rider expects any performance out of a boot with the intentions of the way the boot was designed, then expect not much more than a dozen days before the liner starts to break down, pack out, etc.. Expectations of a boot beyond it's design may require a different boot and/or liner. just as some alpine riders prefer, replacing liners from stock should almost be a standard practice; almost more important for soft boot if performance is high on the list. we all have our preferences and this is just my 2cents. yes, another thing to consider and another piece to buy. there's a trend here. foot beds too. it's another piece of the puzzle that helps enhance our riding experience. it doesn't make or brake things, but can... just like a choice of board for the day, etc.. i ran a stock liner for about 7-8 days before i noticed some slight sliding around in the shell and the flex of the boot braking down. at around ten days, i had had enough. some times stock equipment works for folks that get a handful of days a year. cool. however, if the rider gets out fairly often (idk, 30+? days) and/or considers every piece of their equipment to perform and produce some added benefit (results), then consider changing out the stock liners. for example, i felt 100 days was about max for a powerwrap, but some say 200. there are many liner options out there. start there, especially of any boot mods aren't producing favorable results. somethings got to give. the intentions of the design of wraps are to be more stiff and hold better than tongue liners in my experience. but my boots come with liners. see above. keep in mind, any one piece isn't going to change your world, but can help enhance your experience. there's a tradeoff with everything. you know what i'm going to say now... run what ya brung.
  14. almost pulled the trigger on xc12 a couple summers ago, but glad i was steered to rc12 and was told that the rc12 is still soft with black tongue. great balance of flex for my needs/wants/etc.. i put a plug wrap liner in it and it stiffened it up just a bit more from the stock liner. ran the stock liner for a good 20+ days before i could afford replacement liners, that i knew may be inevitable. really not too many issues with the stock liner (some pinching at shin with the tongue), but just prefer the wrap i have now. more comfortable once fully molded too. i feel that wrap liners tend to hold more than tongue liners if that's what you're after; performance relied on equipment more than the body while understanding the trade-offs. alternatively, go tongue something. looks like this example could snug up the cuffs a bit more, but you get the point. it's merely an example of the xc12 flex (4yrs ago). i know a rider who rips free carves and loves the xc12. decisions decisions. good luck, but UPZ for me... coming from T325's/BTS.
  15. Sounds like a break from them might be a good idea with the amount of riding you get in. Hit 100 days yet?
  16. this is a question for the manufacturer. care to share why you are asking? perhaps a PM is appropriate. feel free to shoot me a message.
  17. BANKED SLALOM RACES 2024: 3/1/24 – 3/3/24 Slash and Berm Killington, VT Individual: https://zone4.ca/event/2024/2y4v8w/ all categories: https://zone4.ca/~zYgO2Y/ 3/9/24 Ragged Banked Slalom Ragged Mountain, NH https://www.instagram.com/p/C4Vn9kgsNO3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 3/9/24 Sugarloaf Banked Slalom Sugarloaf, ME https://www.allsportsevents.com/results/sugarloaf-banked-slalom-2024/ 3/16/24 Blauvelt’s Banks (CANCELLED) Bolton, VT https://www.boltonvalley.com/events-calendar/blauvelts-banks-2024/ 3/16/24 Back to the Banks Banked Slalom Saddleback, ME https://www.live-timing.com/report.php?r=264835&rp=1016265&page=1 3/23/24 Sidesurfer’s Banked Slalom Sugarbush, VT (Mt. Ellen) https://sidesurfers.com/sidesurfers-banked-slalom/
  18. treat yo self. it is definitely nice to have these options available to us based on each riders unique riding styles, techniques, preferences and aspirations. pick your poison(s). "open up and say ahh" thanks for the feedback and support @Cthulhufish
  19. idk arbor and evo. not to knock the effort here, but there appears to be a bandwagon thing going on. yikes. Arbor should know better and probably does. noticing torsional flex at :35 without trying as 'advanced intermediate' is mentioned. this may be conflicting information. maybe more like beginner/intermediate interested in directional carve focused riding. just like nidecker marketed that Spectre with a 7m radius as a high speed carver. get it together. the industry is better than that and i'll say it again; Jones pretty much nailed it with the freecarver. as consumers educate themselves more, marketing becomes less relevant. thankful for places like ASB. i can blatantly see 'carving' become a fading trend with this sort of marketing. not all carving boards need to be "expert" boards. there's nothing wrong with that. this Padre appears to be less than an 'advanced intermediate' board IMO. just tell it how it is without over hyping lies lies lies. great gnr album btw.
  20. Fn aye. Glad we scooped the last of it!
  21. some snowboard carving yesterday morning in New England. season's not over yet! could even see the backside of Stratton. clear as day. painted a few lines with @lafcadio
  22. Select intuition liners on sale. Quite a few models. 20% off. https://intuitionliners.com/product-category/boot-liners/
  23. i'm pretty sure that arm movements are a scored technique considered in Japanese technical riding competition. body positioning, etc. the arms are the flare for sure; controlled may or may not score better. i don't know for sure. however, the arms are raising opposite from what is normally practiced. this rider has graduated! concept understood, but can be difficult to grasp for what is considered good technique, etc. from a worldly point of view. just my observational 2 cents.
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