abakker

new canaan...

i am really interested in the original madd speckled base. does anybody actually know what it was? there seems to be no real info on this forum. it seems that it was described as hard to tune, and just really really hard. i have several accounts of riding straight over rocks and not getting scratches. i'd be willing to pay extra to get that base material on the bottom of a custom board. especially one that i would use anywhere near rocks and thin conditions.

there are plenty of other freeride boards out there that will suit you better. Rad air makes the tanker if you want a long one, or the worldwides for something a little bit shorter. my biggest fear with modern burtons is the construction quality, which may not hold up to hardboots. at best you could just crack the core, at worst your inserts and binding could tear out of the board, leaving only one foot attached. i have heard that burton inserts are not as high quality as other board makers from the guys at startingate, and was advised against riding on a new burton board with plates by PSR. my tanker works great though.

i am slowly learning more about wax, and i use every time i wax to see if i can improve my knowledge of it, experimenting and seeing if i can tell a difference the next day. to me, it is all part of the maintenance of sports gear that i do for everything i do. just like i examine my climbing gear, and clean my bike chain. good gear is just another part of good fun. that said, i still can't drop $50 on wax. also, i just am not brave enough to need to go faster than stock wax the standard wax.

whoever is writing these listings and emails, i would like to thank them for brightening my day with their amazing acting/ignorance. either way, i can't stop laughing. but, with a board like that, $900 is a steal.

Hard Attack. what more do you need than high impact failed stunts on hardboots?

i really feel that a different board is the tool, regardless of the boots. i had the wonderful privilege to ride both my f2 speedster and my Coiler PR 184 in powder with cateks and track 325s, sure they work, but the boards are inferior for that kind of riding. on the other hand, if i ride my tanker 177 wide, with low angles (around 40 front, 36 rear) mounted slightly behind center, and my track 325s unlocked to get a little more twitch balance, i can ride tight trees and powder all day. just make sure you get some padding between a stiff binding like a catek or bomber and your board, otherwise some air, speed, and a bad landing can mess up your board.

the xray showed that my hip was off level by 1.2 cm, lower on the left side. it showed my back out of alignment coming from my SI joint, and to compensate, the doctor prescribed a heel lift on my left leg to level it out. the reason for my doctors visit was long term discomfort on the left side of my SI joint.

So, after experiencing some back pain, i finally went to the doctor today and had xrays done of my lower back and pelvis. to my surprise i found that i my left leg is shorter by 1.2 cm. so, now i need to have a heel lift in all my shoes to prevent back pain. the question is, do i get shims/orthodics in my boots, or do i just make up the difference by using the longer screws on my cateks. the pro of using the cateks is that i don't need to remold the thermofit, but arguably, this is a less than desirable fix. any input either way? anyone else have this problem?

they are pretty warm, but only selectively. i ride with a thinner fleece underneath my shell, but sometimes the thicker one also. armor tends not to be breathable under the plastic, so keep that in mind, and lastly, make sure you size your jacket to fit with the armor on and a thick fleece in case...

yeah. i was the one who used the foam. it does work well. another thing i think might be worth trying is using an aftermarket thermo liner, rather than the stock one. the aftermarket ones seem to pack out less and be made of a denser foam.

the 325 is a boot i have really enjoyed riding, it is stiff and responsive, and also BTS compatable. it is not however Asymetrical flex, instead featuring the older SB shell design. i personally don't mind this, but it is personal preference. the only thing i have that really bothers me however, is that the cuffs and shells are cast in size ranges. so if you are borderline between sizes, err on the smaller size. the cuff on my boot supports 28-30. this is a big problem for me, as i have small ankle size, so next year, i may force myself down to a 27 to get a smaller ankle cuff.

i think he was riding one in first descent. i'll have to re watch it to make sure though.

i am on the couch today, after a rather unpleasant crash yesterday while downhill biking yesterday. this recovery and the fact that although nothing serious is wrong, my whole body is a bruise, has left me dead set on buying a set of body armor and a full face helmet. this said i plan on using it for both snowboarding, and biking. right now, i am looking very seriously at sixsixone gear, and was wondering a) if anybody else wears body armor while snowboarding/biking b) if you have any preferences for gear. let me know, thanks

i'm in. sounds like a great way to finish off my season. 11-13, i'll be there.

+1 f2. i rode one over spring break, and found it very much to my liking, great edge hold, and a very even flex pattern.

i'd just love to be able to walk into a local snowboard shop and look at the alpine gear. or be able to demo different sets of hardboots, or have there be more carvers around to learn from, or teach.

my advice, before any of this gets too complicated, check that the base burned areas are not raised compared to the rest of the ski. use a true bar and check carefully. if they are off, this would explain the strange placement, especially if he has never had them professionally base ground by a good ski tech. on the other hand, he could just get virus carving skis that teflon bases...

well, i do have two sets of boots for different boards/conditions. i have 2 sets of os2s adjusted one for each set of boots, and just move the top plate back and forth between sets and boards to switch. i have head stratos pros in size 27 with race tounges which i ride on my alpine boards, and track 325s in size 28 which i ride on my tanker and reto. i find that the softer flex in the 325 in powder mode is great for the AM boards, and that even in lockout, i can't get them tight enough to drive a coiler PR 184. on the other hand, the head stratos is just too damn stiff for the tanker, and i can't utilize my twitch reflexes to ride comfortably in powder and trees. the only reason i have the switchable bindings is for slushy days where i want the softer boots on my alpine board to minimize shin bang.

Rad-Air i have had 2 tankers, killed one and had a great experience with warranty, and the Reto is still a little bit frightening. as far as alpine boards go, Coiler all the way(looking forward to when i can afford a custom built one, rather than someone else's custom built one.)

sold.

pics of the small ptex scratches

this is a lightly used (12 Days) alpine board which turned out to be the wrong deck for me. i got it new this season, but only rode it a few times before i realized that the softer nose of this board is not really complementary to my style. even so, it is a great board. the board is in good condition: there are a few scratches in the ptex (not deep) the edges are sharpened to 2 degrees side, 1 degree base and polished with an arkansas stone. the base has been hot waxed and cared for every 3 days of riding. there are a few small dings in the topsheet on the left edge from the toe clip of my binding on the back foot. the board has never been base ground and still has all the factory dimples. since it is the end of the season, if you buy the board, i will put a free coat of storage wax on it for free, just ask. $200 plus shipping to anywhere.

i would not mind sand or lawn, but please don't go over concrete or anything similar. i am not trying to get you guys hurt.

personally i ride my freeride decks in powder mode and ride stratos pros locked on my alpines. riding in powder mode is a technique i have seen many people use on their freeride boards (PSR and Steve Prokopiw for example) and i have never heard them blowing up their lean adjusters. i think it just makes sense to use the correct position for the correct conditions and correct gear. at 63f 60r on my coiler pure race, lockout is all that can make me feel secure, at 42f 38r on my tanker, i like the shock absorbsion i get in walk mode and the low speed manueverability.