Phil

I have done some of my best BC riding at Lee Canyon. There are several thousand vertical feet above the lifts. There is a little bit of everything up there. It is definitely worth it if you can hook up with a local to show you around.

Agreed. Here is a thread about it.

I am curious as to why you believe this? I don't think that this is true at all. If I were you, I would bring it up to some examiners and see what they think. There are a lot of assumptions made about AASI. Some hold water, others do not. My experience has been that no matter what you ride, if you exhibit solid movement patterns and sound teaching principles, you will do well. I still think it was funny that you were there at that washout at Loon. I haven't thought about that for a long time. For the little bit of time we were on snow, I was on my F2 GS board.

I am not getting into the "determining stance" thing. I have voiced my opinion on that in the past. It is amazing how many silly notions there are out there. I work with snowboard instructors everyday who still believe the old wives' tales of snowboarding.:rolleyes: If you really want to go that route, do a search. As far as setting your bindings up for the opposite direction, I think that it is a fun thing to do, but it is just as effective - and maybe more, to ride switch. This is especially true if you have a very forward stance. Riding the opposite stance will really not get you prepared to ride a backward stance. To ride a backward stance, you have to practice a backward stance. A lot of people here know that you can do just about anything riding switch with a backward stance. Others can't believe it. Remember, we still don't have it as bad as skiers.;) I have replicated the majority of my skills switch on my race boards at 60+ degrees, but I know not to brag because there are guys who can do EVERYTHING switch on skis. They trump the raceboarders hands down! Point is, do it for fun, do it to increase skill, but if you are looking to better your switch riding, ride switch - particularly on alpine boards.

I was at a L III prep at Loon. I think that it was the same time you were there. We did the indoor thing as well. I knew that another group was there doing something, but I did not know what. If I remember correctly, you guys were on one side of the room using the tables as slopes and we were on the other side using them as slopes. We ended up doing teaching clinics that had nothing to do with riding. They were really good - I got a lot out of them. Was this the same time or am I crazy?

Call them. They are great to work with. It all may be a simple mistake (this doesn't help when you are the one waiting for a board). I would give them the benefit of the doubt.

I am going to sidestep the ethics question because I don't know enough about how things are run in CO. I don't know what their laws are either. Liability is the big issue that I would worry about. If you are charging, you are taking on the role of a professional. You should get insurance if you go this route.

That's great! I like how he misread (?) their stickers - "Glad River Men: Poach it if you Can" I also like the skiers' sense of humor: Even as a snowboarder, that is funny.

This is only good form if you flap your arms like a birdie while you are hunched over. ;)

Of course, the people who are whining about the post count/video ratio are also increasing the post count in this thread. ;) And now, so am I.

Thanks, I needed a good laugh.

I'll be there until the early afternoon. Anyone else? You get a free lift ticket for donating one item to their canned food drive.

Heck with video. Come out to MAC tracks and enter the circle carve competition. Beginners go for one, Experts go for more (double, switch, figure 8, etc.). Come on, I know you all long to ride the Mid Atlantic! ;)

I'm sorry, I should have already mentioned that Thor VonRippington picked up shipping of the board. Thanks man. WVRocks - I'll pm you.

Today, I talked to the GM of Bear Creek Resort (where I work). I told him the story that I told you last night. I also told him that I was going to donate free lessons to the boy. I asked him if he would be willing to donate a lift ticket to the cause. He immediately agreed and told me to stop by the office to pick it up at the end of the day. When I went in, the lady handed me the ticket and I looked at it in shock. They had given the boy a SEASON PASS!!! This just keeps getting better. Thanks to all of you who have volunteered your help. I will be in touch with any of you that I have missed ASAP. I'll keep you updated as things progress...

I am in my second season on BOA's I have the Atomic Tremor. I switch quite a bit between hardboots, ski boots and soft boots. The BOA system makes it so much easier than laces. They also tighten the boot up better than laces due to the lack of friction. I highly recommend them. It would not hurt to have a spare cable on hand, though, as I have seen some break. Unlike laces, when they break you cannot run to the shop to get a new cable, you have to order it in your size.

So far so good. If, by Tuesday, we still need bindings, I may take some of you up on your paypal donations and just go out and buy a pair of bindings for the boy. I'll check around first, though - someone probably has bindings. I'll keep you posted...

I just spoke to Sean @ Donek. I really appreciate what he is doing. We are a go! TVR - if you would like to send him the shipping, that would be great. PM'ed ya.

Thanks for the replies. I have PM'ed a few of you. I am going to hold off on the money thing until I can see if I can just get the board and bindings. If I can't, maybe I'll take you guys up on your monetary generosity. As far as other equipment is concerned, it may be a good option. I do not know a thing about this kid, though, so I would like to find out about him before I get you guys to deck him out in gear. Thanks for all of your generosity. When this lady told me her request, I thought of BOL first, knowing you guys would be willing to help. If there is anyone else who can help with further options, I am all ears....

There are a lot of kids who end up getting very little for Christmas every year. There are also a lot of people and agencies who try to make sure that these same kids have something special under the tree. My wife and I were taking part in one of these programs this year. Today I asked the person in charge if there were any more kids left on their list. She said that there was a boy who wanted a snowboard but that nobody really seemed to be able to help.<O:p Somehow it has been determined that the boy needs a 147 snowboard with bindings. I was not part of the process of determining this, so I will take the info as is.<O:p I am looking for anyone who may have a board sitting around that you would be willing to donate. You will receive a donation form in return which will allow you to claim it on your taxes (you will have to determine the value of the board – the agency cannot do it for you). <O:p</O:p I am going to take care of getting a lift/lesson package for the boy. I am also willing to pay for shipping for anyone willing to donate the gear.<O:p</O:p I hope that it goes without saying that the board should be in good shape. It may be used, but we are not looking for sloppy seconds.<O:p</O:p Thanks for your consideration. Drop me a line if you can help.

Vlad?

It is not weight training, but I got to ride a Ripstik the other day and I was amazed at how it replicated the push/pull movements. I think that it is a great training tool.

Are you looking to milk every run with a lot of turns? I really like the incline, but if I was on a 300 foot mountain, I would probably go with a shorter SCR. As much as people hate Burton on this site, I would consider a custom X. It is a great FR board that kills it in the park. A lot of park monkeys don't like them as much in the park claiming that they are too stiff. At your weight that will not be a problem. I am on my second one. Never summer is sweet as well, but they are a little on the heavy side. If you are big into spins both in the air and on rails, you may want to go with something lighter. If you are not into spins, NS is almost as good as Donek for carving.

Thanks for posting silverstreek. If you keep up with your average, we will look forward to your next post in 2009. ;)

Pat, Are you riding in those ski boots? This negates the whole discussion IMO. You do not have the same movement in ski boots that you do in sb boots. Ski boots are made for the lateral support and, IMO, are more suited for higher angles. Therefore, the higher angles would feel better. Of course, they are less suited to snowboarding and you would be much better on sb boots at lower angles, but I know that you race both, so you are using what works for your situation.