Rob Stevens

I know more than a few people who are doing this with their kids boards.

Too bad the Step-ons have such a big closure mech in the highback. It doesn't make them a great candidate for low stance angle carving. You don't get "boot out", you get "binding out".

Face uphill with your front foot in. Stand on your free foot and repeatedly come down on your heel edge with the strapped in foot. The goal is to create a little ridge in the snow, across the fall line. Once that's done, you should be able to stand there with all your weight on the heel edge. This is ideal, as your heel of the back (push) foot will slide right to the back of the baseplate naturally, allowing you to get to full strap tightness before you drop in. I haven't sat down to put on bindings in a loooong time. Interestingly, I'm not a big fan of Flow's for this, as to get your foot into the rear binder, you're having to push your foot towards to toe, which has the effect of wanting to lift you out of the little trench you've dug. Standard strap bindings work flawlessly in this scenario.

What’s the width of this?

What do you see as the fundamental differences? Visually, they’re very close. In any case, most of what Carl speaks to are outline issues. Shape and width are my sticking points as well. Flex? SCR? Those aren’t my top line concerns. As for binders, there’s probably a case to be made for something that can allow the boot and binding to interface at the high back, where forward flex occurs via a solution other than deformation of locked up plastic. I’ve been thinking of an AT boot with the heel and toe shaved off, no highback and just a baseplate. The baseplate could be shimmed out to allow different angles without moving the bolts, but the main problem as I see it is that you only have locked down ski mode, or walk mode. I need a few choices in between.

Yes, really. I'd destroy a bolted binding like the Cartel. Anythiing that would work for me and last longer than two turns would need to be taken from a certain starting point, or thought, and engineered into a pretty robust product.

That "too wide" board is perfect!

I want my Donek and the the big Asmo in the picture to get it on. Trouble child.

It's pretty funny what a board has to look like nowadays to be considered a "pow" board. One of my favourites to this day is the Salomon Burner. It looks just like that Kessler.That particular Salomon used to be a top-line SBX board 10 years ago, before racers figured out the nose flip wasn't ideal for close-quarters racing. If you had less than an 8 shell, you'd be tipping that board right over, too. If anyone reading this comes across a Burner in the used market, and you're of the smaller footed set, they're choice. I'd highly recommend picking one up.

I'll reserve the term "Float City" for the board in the centre of this pic. Trout Lake, British Columbia certified. TL is like Revelstoke, but with snow.

I think we can all agree that that's fucked.

I for one don't mind this tech. I like the idea of being able to have an otherwise softer boot, but then be able to lock the highback and attach the 3rd strap for a hardboot feel. In this way, it's like the boot is the liner and the binding is the shell, when compared to a regular hardboot. Where I might differ is in the binding I'd use. As a not-160 lb person, I'd stick with my Drake Podium FF's, or some equally c0*k stiff rig. It'd be interesting to see if the highback tolerated being clamped in place like that, as no binding, when locked, would provide the flex pattern of a proper hard boot. I guess we'll have to have a clip on BTS spring. This is getting complicated.

I'm thinking more about the boards many would associate with softboot carving, like SBX race boards. The hammerhead shape looks like it would be trouble in pow. The Donek is no walk in the park, but it does have a fairly standard, twin shape with a nose that doesn't dive like a hammerhead would. What makes it harder to FR on is its weight (FO heavy. Does that thing have metal in it? Iron? It's damp AF, but probaly weighs the equivalent of 3 Spring Breaks), lack of setback in the inserts, and to a degree, the leverage of the width. It really wants to sit flat, so making it stand up on edge is not super easy on the ankles. That said, and with size 11 shells, I've settled on 28 as being my new minimum for "mixed" days where there's some groomers AND choppy freeride to be had. Hopefully, my next custom will alleviate some of the less free-ride'y traits of the Sasquatch (limited to non-existant taper, full camber profile, fully centred inserts, and its weight), but I'll always expect somewhat slower edge to edge and more tired ankles than boards that I can't unstylistically drag body on.

Hi Emdee. How's it hangin'? I do have a soft spot for the Yes boards. A good pal of mine designs their entire line. Roman and David get their mitts in there, but Alex probably has the last word! I also appreciate the Nidecker factory quality (Dubai build, of all places). The ones I've been looking are the Yes 420 w/ the powderhull and 20 / 20 with the same. They're over 28 wide, so should handle the boot out problem pretty well. The issue I have is the lack of real estate up front. It's wide, so you have the float, but not the effective edge, so it wouldn't be as stable as a longer offering. Alex and I have gone around about that point for awhile now. I pointed out to him, when he said that I wouldn't miss the length of a 170 because his boards have the volume, that he and his guys probably ride too much powder. Volume is an equalizer to a longer board when the whole thing is sinking in, but there's no replacement for EE when it comes to hardpack stability. When I visit him next week, it'll be Yes boards and Now bindings from his garage (another of his one-time projects, with JF Pelchat) so I leave room to be amazed. On the other hand, I'll put him on my Donek, so maybe he'll be of a mind to expand the line into the 160's. Still pretty f'in short by alpine standards, but a 165 Yes 20 / 20 or 420 would be an instant addition for me.

Make sure it works with the Boa ratchet on the side of your new boots.

Give t nut a bit of a break. What we don’t know about the guy is his height and build vs. his foot size. If he’s 5’ 7”, 150 lbs with a size 14 foot, he’s cooked. Anything wider than the high 20’s is going to be really challenging to ride well, if you’re proportionately out of whack with your foot size. Some folks will ultimately be better off skiing. T Nut... if you’re of more “normal” height, weight and foot size (not much over an 11) it’s just a case of practice. That said, I do like my tapered FR board better for all mountain than my big Donek. It works, but I need to really be on it to get after the same lines the narrower tailed board does intuitively. It’s a valid point... Current softboot carving boards aren’t as good at free riding as one might hope. I have my ideas for a custom, based on the Donek, but with more float. What I’ll probably wind up with is a nice carver / pow board, that’ll be a bear in the bumps.

Take it easy, you two. You don't need to fight about it.

Hi Carl. Let's do that. The Grey snowboards thread highlights a few boards which if were wider underfoot with possibly a touch of setback and a wider / profiled nose, could be a real weapon. Pretty stoked to advance this project!

YES!! Please do. There are very few choices (good choices, but few) in the wide bodied realm.

My gripe with these, which your average Japanese might not have, is the waist widths. If I extrapolate these out to an average between waist and tip / tail (underfoot width @ the reference stance), I get readings which are too narrow for Gaijin apes. I'd throw it out there that if you want to "slarve" along with your carving (freeride with advanced sliding turns in cut up / bumped out terrain) you'd be better at lower angles than these boards force you to be in. That said, they're beautiful boards. For the most part, I'd lust like to see them "scaled up" for the White Devils.

I called it a “skivot”, thinking skid / pivot. You’re saying “stivot”, or steer / pivot? Makes sense, with your additional comment on how it’s not via rotation. *not on topic, but interesting to me anyway*.

I think we can all agree that racer skivoting isn’t beginner skidding. For SBS, his jam is never skidding in any way. Of course that means you’ll want to stay reigned in on your terrain choices, but if it’s all about pencil lines at moderate speeds and pressures in soft boots then you’ll ride where that’s possible. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t say “skidding” as a dis to call out riders who employ this tactic in race courses. I assume this, as he said I stick my “butt out” when I ride. When I barked about that, he said he meant it as a compliment.

The more time you have in expert terrain, the more you’ll know that “Edging” is not a light switch. The kind of skidding a pro racer is doing, or someone making less than purely carved turns in advanced terrain, at higher speeds, with relaxed and balanced posture is FAR from easy. “You’re either carving or skidding”, as a blanket statement, shows a singular lack of understanding. If you’re at this point in your snowboarding, you should realize that there’s a lot more to learn, rather than feeling like you’re at a point where you can contribute meaningfully to the conversation. Yes... that’s harsh tokes, but it does support the idea that anyone who offers advice beyond “the Norm” should be beyond “the Norm” themselves.

You say Ryan rips. Solomon says his tech is far from ripping. You agree with each other on all points though. Again, nobody need think anything about anything, other than the OP. If he thinks RK’s vid helps him (and for what it’s worth, I do) then that’s all that matters. Truthfully, Solomon makes some really valid points that I believe strongly. I also think you need to reel yourself in when it comes to SHITTING on others styles. If you can give real alternatives, or make a case for why something shouldn’t be learned, then you’ll probably get some traction.

That’s another level of vetting altogether, when we’re talking about a site where anyone can sign up. I guess that’s the benefit of someone like Ryan posting videos. You can watch it and if you think it’s what you’re after, then you can follow it. If you think it sucks, you can troll for Halibut.