zoom

Great video, Tom! Thanks for the stoke. Fun crew, awesome demos, barbecue.... When's next year's session???

Awesome!!! Killer starter board. I know you'll be stoked. :biggthump:biggthump:biggthump:biggthump Go tear it up! Rebecca (Buell says hi and congratulations)

It was the squirrel hands! It will be great to see you, too. Toeside-Disco-Hand Queen

Woohoo! Bachelor will be a whole new mountain when we get back! The Days Inn on 97 is pretty much exactly what you'd expect - reasonably clean, quiet, no frills. Their major perks for us were wireless internet and reasonable pet fees. When we stayed there (sometime last season) the cost for a 2 person room was about $55.

Lookit that sticky snow! Sounds like a great day! We'll probably only have a foot or so of fresh in the morning... guess we'll make the drive anyway. :D We look forward to seeing tomorrow's pics.

Thanks! We appreciate heads up about the TC thread. It will be great to see you again.

Too funny! I finally have a good response for the relentless family worry cycle. "What? Be careful? Oh... geez. NOW you tell me. If you'd brought this up last year, I never would have broken both of my legs!" :rolleyes: I think we've got you beat on the 06/07 injuries, Galen. Hope we'll all be healthy and happy for OES and beyond.

Hey kitekitten, Had dinner with Don and Mike T tonight, and they suggested that you contact the crew at Snowperformance. They are in touch with the PNW race scene and some (all?) of their coaches are/were racers. Happy gate bashing, Rebecca

Hey Tex, When I saw the Kessler thread, I thought the OP sounded like they knew their way around a race course and assumed it was a custom. If I hadn't made that assumption and I was interested in the board, I might have asked, "Hey, is this a custom board, if so, what's your weight? Could you give us any additional specs?" Pretty much same question, but asked more... ahem... respectfully. IMO, you joined his conversation. Respect gets respect.

Hi kitekitten! Welcome to BOL and the NW! I'll see if anyone in the Bachelor crew has leads on races near Seattle and get back with you. If you'll come to OES in March, I'll buy you a beverage of your choice AND you can have fun carving circles around some (but not all) of us. O.k. The room analogy - seriously? I wish we'd see more racers/pros/full time riders jumping into actual Carving Community discussions on BOL. Post count ain't everything. On technique or gear threads, riding experience trumps hours on BOL - no doubt. On the FS thread, it can be hard to tell how much a person knows/rides from the pictures and descriptions of their gear. But what if we were to assume that the person offering their boots might have something more to offer the forum than gear? We might gain a great new member of our community rather than alienating yet another coach, racer, or non-pro rider just like the rest of us. And, if someone walks into the room carrying a KESSLER, I don't think they need to prove themselves. :rolleyes:

Wow, Ryan! That would be great! I'll see if we can rustle something up for Berg's. Quentin is looking forward to riding with you soon. He's looking really good - you'd better bring your A game. ;) Look forward to seeing you before we head to Utah and again at OES! Rebecca

Hey, Two Ravens! I have a Nidecker Escape 158 - different year from yours, I think - and I love it! I just got it from Steph (badass East Coast woman rider). It's shorter than my other decks, and that's a very good thing. There are a ton of factors that go into making the right starter deck, including flex, width, sidecut and personal preference. The good thing about the length of the Nidecker is that it makes it "flickable" to quote Mike T. Transitions (from carve to carve and carve to butt-saving skid) will be a little easier. In addition to changing boards this year, I switched from TD2s intecs to f2 Race Titanium standards, and the additional flex made all the difference in the world. Where I had to fight for a very inconsistent toeside carve last year, this year I can carve consistently, vary the size of my turns and really enjoy every arc. TD2s are extremely well made and beautiful bindings, but they're awfully stiff for us lightweights. No matter what your gear is right now - go out and enjoy your first turns. Take every opportunity to try different gear, and you'll find what's right for you. Trust your instincts. Even as a beginner, you will know if something makes you more comfortable or helps you carve. I'm not an expert, but I'd be delighted to offer whatever help and support I can. Feel free to PM me. John - also sorry for the threadjack, but I can't pass up the opportunity for carver girl bonding!

Washington, Idaho and California representin'! We are really looking forward to seeing some familiar faces (Hi Steve!) and expanding the OES family. Thanks to everyone for sharing gear, rides, Amazon clicks, information and stoke. Keep it coming!

Woohoo, Furi is coming! Hope you enjoy your first turns in Aspen this weekend! There seem to be a number of riders coming up from NorCal. You guys might be able to hook up for a carpool and/or lodging. Sweet! New hardbooters rule! :D:D:D

Buell and I had a fun morning riding with noschoolrider, Estu and Quentin. No crowds, mostly clear skies and decent snow. Not bad! We hung out on Marshmellow for the two recovering gimps and newbie. And, man, that newbie! :biggthump:biggthump Quentin is a rippah! You would never know it was his first day on hardboots. Great, clean carves, lots of confidence and loads of stoke. This guy is an awesome addition to our community. Look forward to riding with you again, Quentin!

Yeah, search results and advice on BOL are both usually a mixed bag. As you hang around, you'll start to get a sense of who is roughly your size and/or gives advice that fits your learning and riding style. More width = lower angles, which usually allows a better transition from softies. I find that the lower angles also allow me to flip into an emergency skid a little easier. I do more of those than I'd like to admit.... Of course, I have such small feet (22s) that I can set up my 18.2 wide board with angles in the upper 40s. I understand that angles under 45 aren't the best (a few reasons, including lack of lateral boot flex). I've stuck to that rule, but I've also seen a guy ripping at 30/15 on a freeride deck. Buell found the AM board width (21.5) really comfortable to learn on at mondo 26. You might, too.

Hey John, I totally understand your impatience/excitement. Stoke is good! You'll find your board. I can't predict what board you'll like - I can just give you my experience. If I had been heavier or more aggressive, I think I would have liked the Pilot less, not more, however. I have no experience with the Speedcross. Have you done a search? Also try the WTB forum. Sometimes people are stoked to get rid of gear without posting a For Sale thread. Happy turns, Rebecca

I rode the Pilot as a beginner, and wasn't happy with it. As a lighter rider, beginner and woman I was pretty much the ideal target market, too. I much preferred the All-Mountain boards for starting out. I rode both the Prior 4WD and Donek Axis and preferred both. I just got a Nidecker Escape - seems to be another fun board (I've only tried it one day). The width of the AM boards is helpful for many people, and they are still useful members of the quiver as you progress. The characteristics of boards that were helpful for me in my first turns were width, softer flex and taper. Buying a used top-of-the-line board will keep you happy for longer than a new entry-level board. Keep an eye on the For Sale thread. Something will come up. Rebecca (Buell's girl - Buell says hi).

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Thanks for putting some great equipment on BOL, Speedracer. Hope you kick a** this season.

Wow, Bryan! Great photos! Thanks for the update. Love the "suggested order." We're stoked to hear that you broke out the big guns. The Hood crew has it good right now!

Will this board be for soft boots, hard boots or both?

Count us in - two inexperienced volunteers. Sent you an email. Rebecca & Buell

I hear you. I think most of us started in skidder survival mode. It's an a** saver in the beginning - literally. However, for me, the best starting point in learning to carve (as opposed to learning how to not break your neck while changing direction) is/was finding the edge and letting the board do its work. There's plenty of work to be done after that, but *for me* keeping it simple is the best way to start. Nick - As I said, lots of different and conflicting opinions! I bet you'll get that first heelside carve soon enough, and as you progress you'll find what works for you.

+1 for Bob's rules of softie carving. This is a good thread for more info. The following quote from Phil Fell is frustratingly true: That thread also has good advice on binding angles, heelside carves, etc. Lots of different styles out there, and plenty of conflicting advice. Welcome to Bomber. ;) Good luck!

Congratulations, Paragon! Have fun! C'mon, guys - you've probably had a time when a couple hundred bucks for a new set up was a big stretch. Besides, this is a gateway drug. Before long, he'll try a Coiler or something. Next thing you know, he'll be selling his organs and rights to his first born....