[Personal Best Carving Photos]

One more with the GoPro, this time on the tail. from behind. It's a screen capture from the video, so it's limited to 368x494, unfortunately.

Perfect groom, empty quad, nice sun, I think you have it going on!

[Fintec Setup Questions:]

I've thrown my old heels into my gear bag too, just in case. I figure...there's a really (really) small chance of something breaking but the heels are small and nice insurance to save the day on the slopes.

[Had a blast testing new R-A-D boards]

Man, one fine picture there!

Credit to Vahur for great photo.

[Do I have "spaz arms?"]

That is a totally freaky camera angle!

[Where you riding this weekend]

Bosquet in Pittsfield MA.

me now..... AASI training weekend for certification.

and I'm dooin' it in Hardboots :D

Hey let us know how it goes if you can!

[Buttermilk snowboard pro dies after hitting tree]

I sure feel sorry for his friends and family, it's a terrible thing for sure. As for Chris, well, if you're a believer then he's in a pretty good place (hopefully!) and if you're not then he is as he was before he was born.

Helmets, heh, I'm not riding without mine, ya'll can do as you wish :)

And one more thing, the deputy coroner Dr. Chuck Johnson is a veterinarian so that's pretty cool.

[BTS question]

I didn't think it mattered if you ran one color for the back and one for the front....I know the spring is softer (duh) but when you crank it against the stiffer spring it compresses and is, well, more firm.

[Home Alpine Snowboard Tuning - do you do it?]

I've become a fan of Ray's Way stuff here

http://www.alpineskituning.com/

I start off with a good grind, 1 bevel on the base, 2 on the side.

Then use the side edging tool to keep the edges sharp. You can make your own abrasive loops....I run 320 as my final but you have options and they're cheap!

http://www.alpineskituning.com/raysway.side.beveler.htm

Then rub on some universal wax, reef it in with the wax whizard

http://www.alpineskituning.com/raysway.waxwhiz.htm

then I like to hit it with a rotobrush on an electric drill but nearly any brush will do.

Once in awhile I hot wax...but this is a quick and easy way to make the edges sharp and the base run fast.

There are lots of ways to skin this cat!

[Knock the fawk out]

Unfortunately previous concussions are a predictor for future concussions.....so don't forget about that helmet!

[Skiers Evacuated From Snowbird Lift . . .]

Nice to know if the cable derails then it'll stop by itself! Must have been an absolute b1itch stuck up there until help came. Probably would have kissed the ski patrol full on the lips after getting down :)

[is this a joke?]

I admit, I didn't watch the whole thing. I kept thinking "these guys might be able to make a pretty good video with good riders".

Ready-steady-GO!

["Is that a Teleboard?"]

I drive to the hill in my Raichle hardboots all the time- plus I get bonus points because I also drive a standard...

OK, I stand corrected! Somehow I feel safer with you guys driving in your hard boots than a teenage girl driving with a cel phone LOL

["Is that a Teleboard?"]

That's actually a very common attitude. Many people feel that a big advantage of snowboards is that you needn't wear cumbersome, stiff, uncomfortable (I'm using their adjectives) hard boots. Others feel that hardbooters are too close to skiers in equipment, stance, attitude.

My buddy drives his car in his soft snowboard boots so I think they've got us on that one.

[Can you touch your back knee to your board?]

I think a lot of people are flexing their rear boot more than they think....but but the knee is "nowhere near" touching the board as previously stated.

[Am I self indulgent or..........]

I just got back from a quick trip to Utah....was on a gondola at Snow Basin talking to a guy and his college-aged daughter. She kept looking at her hand and I noticed it was bruised and I said "you need some hand padding...like these" and showed her my bike (bicycle) gloves I wear under my snowboarding gloves.

"Oh yeah, I hit it on a door in the lodge...but why do you wear them?"

"Well I ride an alpine snowboard and sometimes my hands touch the snow"

and the guy goes

"Hey...red jacket...were you at Powder Mountain two days ago?"

"Yeah, I..."

[daughter interrupts]

"....We saw those awesome turns from the lift! That was so cool!"

:)

[TD3 Skwal Reveiw]

Chime in..feel free....it looks like this would be such a challenging ride. On one hand, I'm sure it slices like a scalpel but on the other hand, I have a tough time imagining the g-forces pulling in-and-out of turns on steep pitches. The angles are so severe-I'm no newb but I look at a skwal and feel like I couldn't possibly perform on it and even more, wouldn't enjoy it. What is the attraction and I guess more directed to Ace, do you really enjoy this over some of the other stuff in the quiver? Would you prefer to ride Shred's Schtubb-eez? Just curious..to me it's like carrying a 1-iron...sure I could keep it in the bag and hit it like shoit so why carry it?

Yeah, I'd like to ask a quick question that this post touches on....can you flex and extend like on an alpine board or are you more restricted?

[Da ultimate challenge: 360 carve on snowboard]

Still haven't seen JGs video or heard anything. Hopefully the reasons involve a road trip, hookers and blow but all we can do is speculate.

Nothing to worry about, it'll be here before SES 09 for sure.

Hey....wait a second.....!

[TD3 Skwal Reveiw]

OK, got it, thanks :)

[full face helmets?]

I pretty much wear the same thing whatever the weather, add a layer and face cream when it's colder.

Patagonia R2 hoodie (try to find one of those nowadays :p) no bunch/gap under helmet or neck.

Carrera race helmet, Oakley M frames with integrated half-mask (they stopped making them? it covers the nose and cheekbones without any fog in the goggles).

Collar is fairly snug on my jacket.

AND DON'T FORGET TO HYDRATE!!! (water of course)

I've heard of face cream....what do you use? Does it help your skin?

[full face helmets?]

I was comfy at -14F with the "Pinch" full head and face balaclava. No wind and brilliant sun. The breath-deflector thing instantly iced my Rx goggles but with the rx insert removed I was able to enjoy 2 1/2 hours of great conditions with that and a regular helmet.

Full face helmets look totally moto tho, they're pretty cool.

Just a public service comment, try to ride with a buddy in sub zero conditions. We run a pretty horizontal line carving these boards and if you go off-piste accidentally and crack your head on a tree or something a buddy to call for help might be a life saver.

[Which kind of rider are YOU?]

In theory EC, in practice Sweeper/Hazard, I just love 180's!

[TD3 Skwal Reveiw]

Finally on a REAL Skwal.

What is the deal with your safety leash? I've seen those before and they look great but...did you make it? Buy it? Have a close-up of it?

and...just to sound totally ignorant...what does the name "Skwal" mean? I'm thinking it's easier to say than..."narrow a$$ alpine snowboard" but that's just a guess :)

[Ses 2009]

Man that "anti shake" thing really makes the videos nice to watch. Thanks for posting guys :)

[Safe toeside]

You're not falling towards the seductive "hands down, butt up" position in the last frame....are you?

[Vail trails..etc.]

Thank you everyone I printed out the list of trails and hit them all.

Super fun times!

You effort was not in vain.

We had a a foot or more one day and hit the back bowls and that was such a hoot. My toes are still sore from the trip... hahah.

I really really appreciate it!

Big thanks to everyone especially xolufus !!! Did I meet you there by chance, I rode a lift with a guy from Chicago (was on skiis but he had a house in vail) and he travels to vail every week.He sat with me and my cousin who is a cop.

Hey tell me more about how this guy operated...the guy who travels from Chicago to Vail every week. Does he fly into Denver? Eagle? Private plane or regular airline? How many weeks will he get in during the season?