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First of all - air in hardboots. Not my thing, but yes! it can be done and is regularly done well by a bunch of folks on this forum and beyond. Now, onto the threadjack.... Hi Billy, I happen to know and like both you and Don, and I know that you are both great assets to the sport, and only want the best for newbies and professionals alike. I think it's important to note that Don did not post the video, has never claimed he was "ripping" in the video, and he openly admitted that there's room for improvement in his riding (as is true for everyone - no exceptions). Basically, Don never asked for this.... I understand you're trying to make a point, but you're coming across more harshly than you might intend. I have had the privilege of taking several lessons with Don and I attended the clinic in which the video was shot. Don is a level 3 instructor with a huge bag of tricks. A number of his drills isolate or synchronize upper and lower body mechanics as needed. I know that Don, who has no need to teach lessons, regularly takes time out of his riding schedule to teach all levels of riders because he loves the sport. His advice and drills have made a tremendous difference in my riding, and I know I'm not alone. You are a great rider, racer and, probably, instructor (as I recall you weren't interested in teaching new hardbooters when Buell and I inquired). However, I think that offering unsolicited criticism and advice to another damn fine rider and instructor is pretty insulting. Don is not above taking lessons and advice, but he asks for it when he wants it. He also refrains from offering advice when he's not asked. I think that you, of all people, would understand that internet armchair quarterbacking is not the best way to make friends or help people. Hope you're looking forward to some great kiting. Take care, Rebecca

Ron from Maui! Good to hear from you! You were the zen soul of OES this year. We hope we will see you again in 2009. Until then, keep building your beautiful boards and carving up the waves in Maui. Quentin - hope you feel better soon! Glad you liked the music.

:biggthump:biggthump

A little more action from OES 08. Check out Allen doing his follow-cam thing behind Mike at -1:00.... This is our first attempt at video, so go easy! :p Rebecca & Buell <object height="350" width="425"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDUhwKDjE0Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425"> </object>

Wow. Bummer, Speedzilla. And +2 for TC's comment. I am definitely pro-carver, but I've been thinking a lot about "trench complaints" recently. Recently, I heard that one of the mountains I ride had gotten complaints from some... senior skiers. My first response was half "Hahahaha, awesome!" and half "screw 'em!" However, a good carver friend opened my eyes to the other side of the argument.... She said, "I was always taught to respect my elders" and to do what she could to help them. Her words made me think.... I love carving, and the days with the best conditions for the sport I love (hero groom, moderate temps and wind, sun) are pretty much the only days my older friends (70+) venture to the mountain to ski at all. A lot of the people who have trouble with our ruts are people who don't have the technique or shock absorption they used to have, and many of them take a lot longer to stand up from a fall than they did a few years ago. I admire these people and I hope to join their ranks one day, and I definitely don't want them to have less fun on the few days a year they return to the hill. Unfortunately, I don't see an easy solution. I just wanted to offer a few thoughts about the other side of the discussion. For my part, I've found that making friends with older folks on the lift, offering a hand here and there, etc. seems to have softened a lot of people to me and my wacky single-plank set-up. I've even been thanked more than once for giving wide berth at slow speed to some older folks resting on the side of the run. Probably won't help much at Speedzilla's resort, but maybe we can make some friends elsewhere.

bumpity!

My feet are tiny (22 mondo), so I can run angles in the 20s on softboots on my Cult. Haven't tried it with plates yet, but I plan to do so soon. My guess is that softer bindings will be the best match, but no harm in testing the TD2s.

:lol::lol::lol: Of course, some of the non-boarding board boarders might gain more benefit from UNclinching their butts.

:lol: I'll say! That's classic! To change your profile: 1. Click on the "User CP" link in the blue menu bar near the top. 2. Click on "Edit Profile" in the "Settings & Options" menu on the left. 3. Scroll down the "Additional Information" box. 4. Hit "Save" button at the bottom. 5. Bingo! Oh... Shane, did you get my email from a few days ago?

I think the only reason that Abel rides softies sometimes is so that he only charges twice as hard as everyone else. Bob, I think you might have been complimenting the board, rather than dissing on the softies? I know you tear it up on both setups. For those who are wondering, the 188 got killer reviews from a few boys on plates (Steve P, Shane, Furi, G Quentin, Tool Can), some of which are here. There may be a couple more on the OES thread? Bryan, looking forward to next year's Official OSB review of the "AbelFlex" 216.

Right on, Randy! Nice cranium, dude! Thanks for putting so much time, energy and green hair into helping people. I'm very glad to know you. Two_Ravens, Sunny must be one seriously tough cowgirl. Looks like she can add a few new members to her fan club.

Sweet! What are the specs on that puppy again? Please post pics when it arrives.

Let's see if the competitors can carve like THAT!

You guys are awesome! Two Ravens, I hope your sister is making progress. Sounds like she's got a great support system. Looks like CassandTim put in a little help, too (hope you don't mind me mentioning that... just saw it on the donors page). Can't wait to see the pics!

I miss you guys and gals! I'm with Tool Can - the conditions were awesome, but you were the reason OES 08 rocked. FYI - if you don't check the OT forum, check out what Randy T will be doing for charity. We want pictures of your shiny new chrome dome, Randy! Rebecca

bump for da kids!

Hey Mike, Shane and I looked for you at the bottom of Pine Marten after our first lap, but I guess you'd taken off by then. Heard Don and Etsu were heading that way, but never saw them. If you and Buell were lone wolves, I was a social pup. I was trying to keep up with the big Tanker riding boys on the other side of the mountain. I saw.... Shane, Greg, Dan R (you rock, Dan!), Kevin, Brett, Abel and friends. Lots of fun and great snow as usual. Hope all of the Bachelor crew have a great weekend! See you guys next week.

First of all, on this side of the pond, SG boards are totally new to us. If you can review any of them for us, here or on another thread, please do! The more points of reference, the better. Now - comparison: I am the proud new owner of the SG Cult, I've ridden a Donek Axis (older version of Axxess) 172 and Prior 4WD 169. I also have a Coiler non-AM. For starters, the Cult is the only one of the three I'd dream of riding in softies. The other two really need hardboots, IMO. The Cult is much softer than either of the other boards, has an additional 15 mm width and quite a bit more taper. The big surprise of the Cult for me was that it was the first board I really love on and off trail. It carves extremely well on groom, and can make quick, subtle adjustments in the powder, while keeping its nose up. The Axis is the stiffest of the three and feels most like a traditional carve deck. It is very stable, predictable and holds a great edge on trail. For me, it was too stiff, especially in the nose, for powder (on trail - never tried it off trail). I have a 200+ lb friend who loves his Axis in the trees, however, so your experience may vary. The 4WD is a compromise between the Cult and Axis in stiffness. This was a terrific learning board for me, although it was a bit wide for my little feet. I love Prior's boards - their flex suits my weight and riding style well. Lots of people love it off trail, although I never tried it there, b/c I prefer softies and a softer flex pattern for powder. I've never ridden a Coiler AM, but I do have one of Bruce's boards (170T, 18 wide, 11.5 sidecut), and I love it. You can't beat having a board built by a master for your weight and riding style. My Coiler is my favorite hardboot carver. The Cult is my favorite board of the AMs for its flex, versatility and being the best softie carver I've ever ridden. A bigger rider on hardboots might find one of the other boards preferable.

Thanks for the reviews, everyone! It's great to get the word out. O.k., now Don.... Holy verbage, Batman! I think we have a winner for "most detailed, in depth review!" Seriously? I never thought I'd hear you say this. :lol::lol::lol: Just had to quote that. Classic Don! Very true. Don is a great rider, but his performance on this board had to be seen to be believed.Thanks for the review!

Randy T rules! I knew he was a hard charger and hard worker, but I didn't realize how much time and energy he dedicates to charity. At the moment, he's organizing a big charity raffle and getting amped to shave his head for childhood cancer research. We've chipped in a few bucks to the cause, and maybe if you do, too, we can get Randy to post a pic of his impending Mr. Clean look! We're lucky to have such a giving, humble (I doubt he'd dream of posting about this here) guy in our community. To support Randy and maybe help save some lives - click here! Rebecca & Buell

Nidecker Escape 158, great condition - $125 + shipping - Sale Pending Never Summer Summit 167, near perfect condition - $300 + shipping - Sold Oregon local pick up free! Nidecker Escape 158 - Base is in great condtion - some minor pebble scratches, one slightly deeper. Edges are also in great condition - typical wear only. Loads of camber and life left in this board! I purchased this from Steph this fall and really enjoyed it. It's just a bit too wide for me. Terrific starter, early season or AM board for a smaller rider. Specs: Waist - 20.5 Sidecut Radius - 7.9 Effective Edge - 129 Never Summer Summit 167 - Rockin' tapered powder board! I've only ridden it three powder days, and the base and edges are pristine. Floats very well and its relatively long effective edge (compared to other tapered boards of similar length) makes it fun to carve on the groom. Good combination of stability at higher speeds and quick turning for the trees. Like all Never Summer boards, it is made in CO and very well constructed. Specs: Waist - 25.3 Edge - 124 Sidecut - 910/740 Tip - 30.8 Tail - 29.0 More and larger pictures available. For those who don't know me, I'm Buell's other half. Thanks, Rebecca

Shhhhh! Just don't let on that I'm actually 3'9", 236 lbs and can't buy a skid. ;) Welcome to BOL! Hey Jeana - :flamethro:flamethro:flamethro:flamethro

A number of OESers had the privilege of trying some rare and groovy boards, courtesy of RJ at Exoticboards.com, Abel and Eric of Diablo Composites, and other miscellaneous OESers. Post your impressions - good, bad and indifferent - here and help spread the word. Me first! I'm 5'4", 135 lbs The SG Cult 169 is one fun board! With my small feet (23.5 mondo in softies), it's a great softboot carver, but it could be lots of fun for a light, larger footed person on hardboots. Its long effective edge (134 cm), narrowness (23 cm) and flex pattern made it the closest thing I've found to a hard carver on softies. It holds an edge well and the stiffish tail gives it a really fun release in transitions. Rode it in a few inches of PNW "pow" and it performed like a champ - probably due to the long, soft nose and 10 mm of taper. On the other side of the spectrum, Randy T (big guy, hard charger) tried it on hardboots and found it too soft and small for his taste. Hope he'll post his impressions here. I've tried a half jillion boards in my short snowboarding career, and if I could only have one board, this would be it... hands down. Conclusion: bought it! 08 Tanker 172 - I didn't ride this one for long, because it's too wide for me to carve on without a lot of work (258 cm) - again, I have tiny feet. However, it busted through chop, carved tighter arcs than I expected and rode like a Cadillac. Damp, stable and smooooooth. Conclusion: as advertised, the little longboard Photo below, SGs L-R: Race Full Pro Team 185 Titanal (08-09 prototype) Race 185 Titanal Race Pro Team 178 Titanal Speed 173 Cult/All Mountain 169 - MINE! SBX Pro Team 169 (08-09 prototype) Speed 162

I can't believe how many hardbooters were in the lot when we arrived! Thanks to the time change and some dedicated carvers, I think we were half of the people on the mountain from 8 - 9.... A few new carvers helped us reach an awesome number of at least FIFTY HARDBOOTERS for the session! Another great day with softish, but fun groom. Lots of tired legs and big smiles. Some thanks: Hooray for Mike and Bonnie for putting on a great session and letting us invade their house last night! RJ Sakson of Exoticboards.com is one amazing guy. Stoked, kind and blowing everyone's mind with all of his badass gear. A special day four shout out to Don for the clinic. I will carry an imaginary ribbon with me forever. Allen and Dennis and ??? Thanks for being record-keepers. Can't wait to see the awesome video and photos! Last, but not least, Bryan Sutherland, whose video, photos and stoke helped get people so excited for this year. Look forward to hearing you hooting and barking on the radio (T'BIRD IS GOOOOD! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS???) next year. Thanks for coming out, everyone! Can't wait to see you at OES 09!!! Rebecca p.s. There's a casual gathering at Deschutes Brewery at 5pm for anyone still left. See you then!

Awesome photos, Al - thanks! A couple from today: