Helvetico

I sort of visited this topic a while back. In any case, I just had a kid, and I'm reluctant to go off-piste. Still want some powder, though. 182 Tanker is good, but not great...not enough float to cruise the flatter resort powder. I'm looking at the 187 oversize and the 200. Got small feet (size nine US, or 27 mondo), but with soft boots on they still hang over the 182's narrow (25.5) waist. Anyone out there ridden both? How do they compare? I don't care much about piste performance...the Reto Lamm LSD handles that. 182 flops like a fish at speed, so I would like more rigidity, though; it would make the piste easier to handle. Which of these boards (187/200) is stiffer? I'm guessing the 187, since it's wider and shorter. Appreciate all input...thanks.

I know the pat answer would be to buy hardboots, but there aren't any out there that will fit my EEE-wide feet. My Salomon Synapse Wides fit well, and are fairly stiff, but I wonder if there's any easy way to rig them up so they ride a little more stiffly...without destroying them. Inserts? Any ideas?

How do they compare? I'm buying a new one this year and am curious about how each handles deep powder. The 200 obviously has a larger surface area, but the narrow waist might result in some boot drag. Thanks.

I live in Switzerland and ride mostly above the tree line (only 2,200 meters here), going off-piste when I can. I use Nidecker 900 carbon bindings and Salomon Synapse boots (nothing else will fit my size 9EEE width feet). I know my feet aren't big, but I swear I felt quite a difference between the 177 wide and the 182 I own. I got bogged down in deep powder in Austria that would have slowed but not stopped the 187. I like the new board's design, but unless my stock portfolio takes an unexpected leap, I can't see paying the cash for yet another board and set of bindings. Another consideration: I've got a kid on the way, so I'm more nervous about getting swallowed up in an avalanche. I actually rode over the remains of one earlier this year (by accident), and it was a reminder of how lucky I've been to date. I'm guessing the wider board will allow me to enjoyably surf flatter, less avalanche-prone areas...these also tend to be less tracked up even late in the day, as anyone without powder-specific gear won't venture there. Thanks for the responses so far.

I've got a good piste board already (Reto Lamm 164). So far the 182 has been a great all-around board, but not the powder specialist I would like it to be. I rented a 177 wide last season, and it definitely provided more float than the 182. Should I go with a 177 or a 187? I'm about 80 kilos (176 pounds) without any gear on. With the clothes, helmet and packed Camelback I'll be between 190-200 lbs. (86-91 kg.) Thanks.

I'm living in Switzerland, halfway between Zurich and Basel. I'll definitely look into the Head boots: since it's an Austrian brand, I can probably get ahold of a pair easily. Last weekend I was racing down the mountain at Davos on the Reto Lamm and I noticed the boots getting looser and looser. I suspect it's due to the rigidity of the board and the Nidecker 900 bindings, and the fact that I spent as much time on edge as possible. Thus the interest in the hard boots. By the way, do the Head boots have a model name or number?

Twice now I've been told by snowboard shop guys NOT to use hardboots on my Reto Lamm vessel, which several members of this forum ride with hardboots. One refused to even let me try on hard boots, saying that letting me use such a set-up would ruin the store's reputation. You would have thought I was trying to strap an outboard engine onto surfboard. Both pointed at slalom and/or race boards and pedantically explained that THOSE were for hardboots, blah, blah, blah. What, exactly, would I gain with hardboots, other than the ability to do laid-out carves? Would I have less stability on bumpy terrain? I'm also doubtful that I can find a pair of EEE-width hardboots. The only softboots I can wear are Salomon Synapse Wides. I can't wear boots (or shoes) that are sort of wide, or wider than normal, or what have you...they have to be unusually, abnormally wide...so wide that your average person could squeeze a sandwich in there along with his feet. Maybe I should just look for some cheap used equipment, try it, and write it off as an expensive adventure if it turns out badly.

Note: I retitled this posting in order to get more feedback. So I put my 164 LSD to use in Davos last weekend, and I finally realized its strengths compared to the 182 Tanker: its stiffness, carveability and shorter length made it ideal for cutting through fields of bumps and carving down narrow traversing paths. Anyway, here are my questions: two snowboard store guys have told me it's a bad idea to ride the board with hardboots. One salesman wouldn't even let me try on a pair of hardboots, insisting that encouraging me would give his shop (Intersport in Kitzbuehel) a "scheisse" reputation. What gives? Is the only thing I'm missing out on the laid-out carving? Are the hard boots only for groomers, or will they allow me to handle rough terrain as well? Will any hard boots really fit my 9EEE feet as well as my Salomon Synapse Wides? Thanks in advance for the advice.

I just got back from a two-week skifari in Austria (Kitzbuehel, Stubai Glacier, Axamer Lizum, etc.), during which I rode two new boards: a Tanker 182 and a Reto Lamm 164. I used Nidecker Carbon 900's for both and Salomon Synapse Wides (nothing else will fit my troglodytic 9EEE feet). Impressions: Tanker 182: Wow! This is the most versatile board I've ever been on, and I've rented everything on the planet. Medium flex is ideal for powder, yet handles piste carving very, very well, absorbing bumps like nobody's business. I'd like to add a 200 for even more flotation, but the 182 is fine for everything except the flattest runs. Also works like magic over really flat piste areas, saving me the trouble of unhooking the board and skating along. Reto Lamm 164: Stiff as hell and very frustrating in the powder. Shorter length than the Tanker makes piste turning easier; shorter effective edge (than Tanker) reduces edge hold on ice and reduces high-speed stability. I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't trade it for a 2m Tanker. Nidecker Carbon 900's: I rode the train halfway across Switzerland to buy these, and it was worth it. Asymmetrical design and adjustable highback allow for more aggressive forward angles. I'm running 27 front and 15 back goofy, and I have amazing support. Questions: I can't get Catek freerides for the LSD, so I'm considering a pair of stiff Flows in order to make it my strictly hardpack board. Do the Flows provide more or less lateral support than the 900's? Any thoughts on ideal binding positioning for piste carving/general riding? Thanks

Holy excrement am I stoked! I just got a brand-spanking new Tanker 182 and a Reto Lamm 164. I live in Switzerland, so I don't face the shipping obstacles Statesiders do. I've already bought a pair of Nidecker Carbon 900's, but I'm torn about what to do next. Should I get another pair of softie bindings, or should I take the plunge and get hardboots? There's only one guy in Switz. with the soft bindings I want--the Catek freeride pro's, and he won't sell them unless they're strapped to a new Donek. Catek says it's sold out, so my only option would be to pick up a used pair. Maybe this is just a sign I should try hardbooting. I'm off for two weeks on a ski-fari in the Alps with my wife, so I'll have to switch the bindings back and forth between boards depending on the conditions. Hope I don't strip the screws before I get back.

I just rode a rented 177 Rad-Air Tanker oversize this weekend and loved it, even if it was a beaten-up hunk of junk. I was all set on getting a 182, when I started to wonder: if I get this much flotation out of a fat 177, wouldn't a 200 be even better? I was tracking up parts of the mountain (Andermatt, Switz.) no one else could manage--not for lack of ability, but lack of float. Wouldn't a 200 let me cruise nearly flat, untouched terrain? So here's what's holding me back: I worry about being able to swing the damned thing around and I worry that it will float so well I won't ever be able to go down anything steeper than an intermediate run. There's something reassuring about the slowing aspects of a smaller board on steep, steep runs. I wonder if a Nidecker Megalight 168 or 174, with its floppy nose, might not slow things down enough to make steep pitches manageable. Then again, they won't float me over undulating backcountry terrain.

I've got WIDE feet: US men's 9EEE. The only softboots I've found that fit are Salomon wides. Can I find the equivalent in a hardboot?

I would check out Rheinhold/Perren on the Bahnhofstrasse, just down the street from the McDonald's. Skip Intersport, which is a big chain outfit...they rent garbage material. R/P has great service, a real Mom-and-Pop shop. Sadly, though, Zermatt's selection of boards is not great. You might want to check out Saas Fee, in the adjoining valley, which is reputedly a boarder's paradise. Gotta get there by cog railway--no cars allowed--so it's a bit of a trek. Another option is renting somewhere along the way from the airport (I assume you're flying into Geneva). The only place with a higher concentration of ski and snowboard shops on the planet is Austria, so you are bound to pass several dozen on your way. It's no big deal to hop off a train, walk to the center of town, rent a board, and catch a later train. Everything is very, very compact, and the public transportation system is astoundingly good. It all depends on how badly you want a particular brand of board.

I'm a softbooter (hardboot-curious, though) in the market for two boards: a very fast, stable piste carver and a longboard for powder. Because I live in Switzerland, I've settled on the Rad-Air Reto Lamm 164 and the Rad-Air Tanker 182...thanks to the advice I received after posting in this forum. So here's my quandary: there are no new Rad-Air boards anywhere. I called Harry in Zurich and he said they've got last season's, but I can get a better price on boards that are even older, yet unused. Question 1: Have there been any significant design changes for the aforementioned models over the last five years? Sure, all board makers tinker, but are the changes worth several hundred francs? Question 2: I'm breaking in a pair of Salomon Synapse Wides (nothing else will fit my EEE-width feet). Which bindings should I get? I'm considering Nidecker 900's and Salomon SPX 55's. I'm thinking of buying one set, switching it from board to board, and possibly picking up a pair of hard boots and bindings for the Reto Lamm. Question 3: Does anyone make wide hardboots? And I don't mean kinda wide, I mean Neanderthal-width feet. relevant biomorphic data: height: 1.80; weight: 80-82 kg.; riding style: fast and straight down the mountain. Thanks in advance for your responses. Love this message board.

I've ridden Zermatt on three different occasions: Thanksgiving, mid-December and early May. It has the longest season in the Alps because it offers the highest lift-served skiing in Europe (3,883 meters above sea level). The weather in April could be quite variable, so be prepared for anything from a blizzard to slush. Because of the resort's tremendous vertical, which is over 7,200 feet, it's usually quite possible to ski above the freezing line. Lift passes are much cheaper than at comparable US resorts...if "comparable" is the right term. The sight of the Matterhorn on a clear day blows away anything you'll see in US ski resort brochures. The possibility of skiing over into Italy is also quite intriguing. Cervinia's sunny, south-facing slopes are well-suited to afternoon riding. As mentioned earlier, Zermatt is not all that popular with snowboarders...at least not as popular as Saas Fee, which is in the adjacent valley. I've never been to Saas Fee, but it might be worth a day trip via cog railway down and then up the next valley, especially if you've already spent at least three days in Zermatt/Cervinia. I find the glacier run off the Klein Matterhorn, which is the highest peak, to be rather tame and boring. It takes a lot of gliding before you drop down to the real slopes below 3,000 meters. Rothorn and Sunnegga offer more interesting terrain, especially if you're willing to venture off-piste. Be extremely careful if you do this, as riders and skiers disappear every year into glacial crevasses. Hit the powder fields away from the glaciers, or open bowls that have already been traversed. Because of its northerly latitude, Switzerland's tree line is at 2,200 meters, so you've got a good mile of vertical to drop before you run into the trees. It's open bowl heaven if the snow's deep enough...and it ought to be in late April. Definitely go. It will be the most beautiful, charming resort you've ever visited.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I've been surfing around the net (is that term dated or what?) and the consensus seems to be that three boards are best for transitional riders: the Donek Incline, the Prior 4x4 and the Coiler All-Mountain (is that its name?). The Rad-Air defnitiely has some fans. I don't want to belabor the point, but how would these boards stack up against one another. The Prior is expensive as hell, and designed primarily for hard boots; Coiler isn't taking orders 'til January. I'm leaning toward Donek because it's cheaper. The differences are: Donek Incline length (max) 168; Rad-Air 172 Donek side cut: 10.26; Rad-Air 9.25 Effective edge: 135; 134 Nose, waist and tail width are 1-1.5 narrower on the Donek. This would seem to suggest (given equal stiffness, which is highly unlikely to be the case) that the Rad-Air is better in powder and the Donek is better on the piste at high speed. Any thoughts?

The Rad-Air Tanker looks pretty good, at least from what I've read on the Internet. What length should I get? I'm 180 cm. and 80 kg. (5' 11", 176 lbs.). I'm leaning toward the 172 because I'm afraid the 182 would be unwieldy on pistes. Is this a mistaken impression? To summarize--I'm looking for a good one-board set-up that can handle deep powder but still do well at high-speed on the slopes. I don't do tricks...I just go downhill. While I'm at it, are there any suggestions for bindings? I'm picking up a pair of Salomon Synapse Wide boots (I have to, I have 9EEE feet, so nothing else will fit). I've had very good experiences with Salomon bindings in the past, but am taken with Flow's design. Are they really that miserable in powder? They're just so damned ingenious. Thanks in advance for all the good advice.

First off, let me apologize in advance for posting in this forum, which is, as far as I can tell, dedicated to slalom boards and hard boots. I ride a conventional board with soft boots, but am very intrigued by the prospect of trying a race board with hard boots. But let me get to question at hand. I'm in the market for a good all-around board. I live in Switzerland, and just got back from riding deep powder at Engelberg on a Nidecker Megalight 164. It's a good board, but I'm thinking the 167 would be better. I tried carving it up a bit on the packed runs, but it felt too floppy. Is this just the nature of the beast? I'm going to demo a Ride Timeless (if I can) in order to try out the added stiffness. It's supposedly a fast, stiff, good-carving board (for a conventional board), but I've read various anecdotes about how it sinks in the powder. Anyone have any thoughts on these set-ups? I'm 38 and a rather boring rider...I just want to get down the mountain as fast as possible. I'm not interested in tricks, jumps, etc. I've gone nuts for powder lately, and am rather bored on-piste...unless it's very steep or very icy. Should I be thinking about a race board for packed powder days? Sorry to include so many questions, but this forum seems so much better organized and together than most of the snowboarding stuff out there. If there's sage advice to proffer, I'm sure it's on here somewhere.