charliekarr

Check out California Ski Company in Berkeley. They are top-notch certified bootfitters and very alpine-friendly. I happened to be there on Saturday and met a a fellow BOL'er getting his new Track 700's molded/fitted. See if you can go on a weekday, or schedule a fitting -- they can get extremely busy on weekends.

Ah, just saw this. Heading up Stagecoach tomorrow morning. CA side was far too crowded today. Hope to bump into you and/or dragonrider on Olympic or nearby. I'm still working on that heelside (aren't we all?), but your advice from last season has got me in a much better place!

I gave up on softboots 20 years ago because I felt that after 2 seasons, I could do about all I wanted to do with a floppy freestyle board. I'm not into sliding handrails, boosting 20 meter airs, or dropping off cliffs. But that (as has been stated already) is the only thing you're likely to see in any major snowboard magazine. The last time I opened one, I saw people dropping off rooftops, sliding (real) handrails, jumping out of helicopters, and using a bulldozer blade as a quarterpipe, and "tech" articles on setup, which consisted entirely of stance width and how much duck angle the pros use. There was almost nothing to connect with the 99% of us who buy lift tickets/passes and ride in resorts. I guess it's hard to sell the idea of sliding sideways and sitting in the snow, now that the rebellious image has evaporated. Skis have undergone a major transformation in that time, and mainstream snowboard gear has remained nearly the same as it was in the neon days, save for rocker and toe-cap binding straps. Being the engineering type, I'm embarrassed at the lack of innovation. I love carving boards more than anything, but if I ever want a different way down the hill, I'll try skiing for sure.

Olympic, hands-down (pun optional). It's a shorter run, but the lift is a high-speed quad now, and the pitch and width are the perfect sweet spot. Most likely run to find other hardbooters too, and there's almost never a lift line! Upper Stagecoach is steeper, and fun when it's groomed. Galaxy is a mellow surfy carve run, but the lift is slow, and it might not be open yet. Canyon/High Roller on the CA side can be great when the park is set up, since most of the jibbers go into the trees after the park features, and the groom below stays clean all day. Also, Comet is a good one, except when the upper part gets crowded/chopped. Ridge Run is good for the view -- get it early before the snow gets destroyed.

How about $200 shipped? They're in good working shape, but definitely not brand new. They have Deeluxe thermo liners that have been molded ~3-4 times (should be good for ~6, if I recall correctly). If you're interested in Intec heels, I could leave those on for ~$40 more, otherwise I have brand new regular heels (from my new, smaller UPZs) that I can put on. They're red/grey, and the middle buckle receiver was replaced due to breakage. I can take pics if you like.

Just checking if you got my PM. I have some ~2008 UPZs that will fit you.

Wun, Dragonrider, I'll be at Heavenly the 24th-26th for sure. And I hope to be on the new SG (and a new, but similar orange jacket) the whole time if my legs hold up. I plan to be on Olympic/Stagecoach for much of the time -- I believe the 3 of us did some runs down Olympic last season. My gf will be on her FP or Donek. I bailed out on this past weekend as well. The avalanche warning was enough to keep me at home. Since I've been going to Heavenly (this is season #4), I've given up the idea of buying food on the hill. I usually eat a big breakfast, have a Clif Bar or two for lunch on the lift, and call it a day by 2 or 3. Saves money, and the trails empty out between 12-1.

(bump) Proton 185 and TD1 SI's are still available.

Here are some pics of the camber, using the tried and true US quarter method. The edge on the Proton looks pretty rough in this picture, but it would easily clean up with a light brush from a gummi stone. Sale pending on the Rossis. jmiddend, let me know if that camber looks ok. I'll have to check on shipping. I'm guessing around $40 via USPS, but feel free to chime in (anyone) if there's a good/cheap way to ship a board.

Time to make room for new gear, so the old stuff has to go: Oxygen Proton 185 Blue with grey circles (not sure of the year) 15.5m scr, 18ish waist (or is it 19?), stiff Low miles (~10 days), 1 recent grind on it $150 + shipping Burton Factory Prime 173 Yellow (looks like the 1998 boards at klugriding.com) 13.3m scr, 20.0 waist, not too stiff Well used, but not abused. SOLD Bomber TD1 stepins with 6, 3, and 0 cants (1 each, and 4x4 and 3D [burton] compatible) $100 + shipping Raichle X-Bone Carbon stepins SOLD Rossignol plate bindings, beefy aluminum construction, 4x4 center discs. $25 + shipping, or free with a board (won't work with the Burton though...). SOLD I'll post pics tomorrow when I get a chance. Domestic US only, just to keep the shipping simple. Local pickup in the Bay Area or Tahoe highly preferred!

I pm'ed you about mine after the other thread -- did you get that? $50 shipped, in very good shape. Charlie

If it's only the shell(s) that are the problem, and you don't mind a color change, I have some Wind 27.5 shells (red/silver) with very little use. I don't need them anymore. The liners are long gone, but I assume your liners would behave the same inside these shells.

I think I need to downsize, and the price is right. PM me. Thanks, Charlie

qowah, I live in SF, and drive to Sunnyvale M-F. I have some boards/bindings that may work for you, without breaking the bank. PM me if you're interested. If you find a Coiler at a good price though, don't hesitate! I'm keeping mine!

I tried Plasti-Dip (spray-on version, 5 coats) at the beginning of the season, hoping it would be the fix I needed. After day 3 (the first day I was really getting my hands in the snow) it started to peel off the palms, and after day 6, it looks terrible, and some old holes opened up. It would be very good for waterproofing/sealing, but it doesn't provide the abrasion resistance I was looking for. It absorbs into fabric very well, but it doesn't adhere too well to leather, which is what I needed. I got some of this polyurethane recently for a completely different project, and I think I'll try it on my gloves next... If you just want to fix seams though (and not big surfaces), I agree that GOOP would be the stuff.

Hey Wun, I believe I met you in the parking lot a while back. I have the b/w Coiler and my gf had a blue Burton FP. Anyway, we'll be there 12/23-12/26 and probably 1/1-1/3. Let me know if you want to meet up and geek out about gear/technique/etc.

I'm in SF, and I have some stuff for sale that might work for you: Burton Wind 27.5 boots, *no liners*, great condition (new Thermo liners would make these good as new) Various bindings: Burton Race, Raichle carbon step-ins, Rossignol metal Various boards, all used: Hot Blast 162, Sims Burner 167, Burton FP 173 Where do you go in Tahoe? I'm one of few Heavenly regulars on here. I'm in the city evenings and weekends. PM me if you want to stop by and look at some gear.

Once you get your boots sorted out, I have some boards and bindings you might be interested in. Hot Blast 162 Burton Factory Prime 173 (20.0 waist) Burton Race Plates Rossignol metal plates Raichle Intec step-ins I live in SF and I'm a Heavenly regular.

A unique thing about fiber composites is that they are highly directional. Strength and stiffness come from the fibers, and the resin is just there to hold them in place. If you want to make the board stiffer longitudinally, you'll need more fibers running tip-to-tail. Fibers running side-to-side will add stiffness that you don't need, so that's dead weight. Torsional stiffness is pretty bad in a 0-90 laminate, so that will help only slightly. If you want torsional stiffness, you'll want your fibers running at +/-45 degrees. If you're buying a pre-laminated sheet, you'll need a very large sheet to make that happen (imagine rotating it 45 degrees, and then trimming off the corners). Carbon is best in tension, as noted in other posts, but it is almost as good in compression, and will have a strong effect if this mod is done properly. The idea is to transfer the loads of the board into the carbon skin. If you use a flexible or temporary adhesive (e.g. silicone), those loads will work to pry the sheet loose instead of stiffening the board. For the best improvement in torsional stiffness, I'd get some unidirectional carbon (dry fibers), and place them at +/-45 degrees. You'll have to sand the topsheet to get a good bond, so there's no going back. Laminate it with some good epoxy, and vacuum bag it if possible. It's a big, messy job, but it could make big improvements if done right. I was going to do this to my FP173, but I decided to get a Coiler instead. Haven't even thought about the Burton since then...

Sounds good. I should show you some pics first, and I can do that this evening. Can you send me your address so I can figure out the shipping? Private message is fine (I'm new to this -- let me know if I need to enable that or anything).

Yes, it's identical to that picture. I don't have a pic handy, but same year, size, color, bindings, and condition (from what I can tell). I can take a pic tonight if you'd like to see the actual thing. Again, not rideable as-is, due to the broken binding strap. Make me an offer! Anything + shipping sounds good to me. I got this new for my 13th birthday, and I think I can let it go now. If you're interested in other obsolete unrideable boards, I also have a 1992 Nitro [goofy] 162 asym with some base damage, and easily removable ugly spraypaint on the topsheet. It has Fritschi bindings, which out of frustration, I epoxied in place (no adjustment possible). Constant accidental binding release = no fun! Rideable only if your boots fit the same size as my US10 Blax boots from years back, you're goofy, and don't mind constantly explaining that "it's supposed to look like that". I can snap a pic of that too, if it sounds interesting.

I have that exact board, in similar condition, collecting dust in my basement. This was my first (and last) softboot board. Who wants it? I was showing it to a friend recently, and one of the binding straps cracked and broke off in my hand (looks like this one suffered a similar fate). Strangely, the other ones seem as supple as new. Consider the bindings as purely decorative. Sadly, I lost the 3rd straps years ago, but I got a lot of use out of them!