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crackaddict

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  1. Exegi Double-Wide vs Donek Sabre SRT

    in Softboot Carving Gear Reviews

    Posted · Edited by crackaddict

    Here's some footage of me on the Exegi DoubleWide 168.  Enough I think to get an idea of what's possible on this board.  Burton Driver X boots, Drake Podium bindings (no customization on those), 12/27 degree stance.  Blue and black terrain, soft bumpy snow and poor visibility storm riding, but these are the days this board was made for...  

    Can your soft boot board do this?  It's probably not wide enough.  Try an Exegi.

    • Like 9

  4. Exegi Double-Wide vs Donek Sabre SRT

    in Softboot Carving Gear Reviews

    Posted

    To the best of my knowledge, Exegi and Donek are the only two snowboard manufacturers who can make a board with a 30cm plus waist.  So, of course, I got one of each...

    I pretty much asked Sean and Carl for the same thing, but the boards they delivered are really quite different.  I wanted something fun to ride on those in between days: too much fresh snow for an alpine board but not enough for a real powder board.  We get a lot of those in Revelstoke.  I told them both I wouldn't be riding ice or off piste, but I would be carving steep, challenging terrain on soft days with increasing chop, and that I wanted a fast board that I really had to push hard into to keep it turning tight.

    Exegi Double-Wide: 168cm long, 30cm waist, 14m scr, carbon/S-glass hybrid construction

    Donek Sabre SRT: 164cm long, 31cm waist, 12m scr, secret construction, p-tex topsheet

    The Donek came in way too soft.  The thing is kind of like a noodle with very little torsional stiffness.  When I read that the Sabre SRT was the winningest BX board in North America, I assumed that was the one for me, only wider.  What Sean made me is more like an overpriced Knapton Twin: floppy, good for buttering and tail spins, fun on green runs but limited in its capacity to hold high speed turns on steeps.  

    I figure that when you add width to a board you increase the leverage with which the rider applies force so it needs to be tortionally stiffer to compensate.  Maybe Sean disagrees, maybe his primary wide board developer (Ryan Knapton) likes them soft, I don't know.

    I've had this board two seasons now, it's been fun and I've had some great runs on the Sabre SRT.  I kind of figured that this was the limit for soft boot carving.  The Exegi changed my perspective on that.  It's been a very snowy month and I've ridden the Double-Wide more than any other board this season.  About five days I brought them both up the gondi for some back-to-back testing.  The results are clear; I'm now accepting offers on the Donek.

    I have to admit, the Double-Wide was somewhat intimidating at first.  It's a lot of board and very stiff.  It doesn't want to turn at slow speeds and you have to fully commit to finish a turn on steeps.  It's not a board that you can just tip over and see what it does (what it does is accelerate!).  My first few days riding it were last spring when only the upper mountain was open (challenging black diamond groomers in Revelstoke) and the fresh snow was never enough to bury all the death cookies.  It was intense; I loved the experience but I wasn't sure I liked the board.  Only in the past few weeks have the more mellow mid mountain blues been in condition and I've finally had a chance to properly feel out the Exegi, get comfortable and find its limits without risking my safety.  Now it's my go-to board for soft carving days and I'm finally inspired to get out of bed early when there's 5-10cm fresh!

    It's a mitten killer.  It's stable and fast, holds every turn.  Very forgiving too, by which I mean that you don't need perfect form to keep it turning.  I'm stretching out my toesides now like a surfer; I can feel the extension from the toes of my back foot right through my neck.  On heelside my butt is dragging and I'm getting both hands down on the steeps.  Very satisfying turns.

    In terms of direct comparison, the Exegi is the faster board and the better carver for sure.  It's also somehow less fatiguing and it doesn't require me to over tighten my bindings or max out the forward lean.  The Exegi is better in soft chop and funner off piste too with much better capabilities in trees and moguls, though neither board is really recommended for this purpose.

    The Donek is better for buttering tricks and carving 360s.  I can come in slower and finish with a tail spin Dredman style on the Donek; the Exegi needs more speed and more space, and the tail isn't soft enough to get up on on so it's more of a flat spin exit or a straight ride out.  (I'm working on a kind of spiral finish where I can dig in the tail on the toeside edge only and whip the nose around.)  I don't do any other tricks or switch riding.

    Bottom line?  The Exegi is recommended over the Donek for pure hard charging directional carving.  It's better, cheaper, and probably more durable too.  Presumably, Carl can make you a softer one with a more civilized radius.  If you aim to ride like Ryan Knapton, switching, tricking and spinning all over the green runs, then Donek has your ride but probably buy the Knapton Twin because it's a lot cheaper than the Sabre SRT.  If you're not carving hard enough to really need a super wide board, then you have many options from many manufacturers.

     

    • Like 5

  7. New Board Porn 19/20!!!

    in Carving Central

    Posted

    Let's start this season's thread with a bang eh?  Brand new Exegi Double-Wide Carver (in black)!

    These are the specs directly from the catalogue: 168cm long, 30cm waist, 14m average sidecut, 141cm effective edge, 3cm setback, 5mm taper...

    High torsion carbon and S-glass hybrid layup, full length sitka core, kevlar edge lacing, sintered graphite base...

    Exegi is one of only two manufacturers on the planet who can make a board with a 30cm waist.  (I won't mention the other, but if this thing does what it's supposed to do, look for an x-wide Sabre SRT in the "For Sale" section early December - also in black.)  

    This ain't no Knapton twin.  This model is way stiffer; designed by Carlito for bigger, faster, deeper carves on the steeps, not for buttering around the green runs...  

    No, I don't have huge feet, but when you carve hard enough you're gonna boot out any production "wide" board and I don't like the feel of risers under soft boots.

    The review is coming, right after the snow arrives.  I have high expectations for this beauty.

     

    20191006_091905.jpg

    • Like 7

  8. Felony charges for former Bomber owners

    in The Lodge

    Posted · Edited by crackaddict

    Is no one else surprised that she's not serving any time?  All she has to do is pay back the money and not break the law for a few years?  Is that really a punishment?  It's not even a deterrent...  And how did Jim get away without any conspiracy charges even?  Surely he knew where the money was coming from...

    Don't get me wrong, I hold no ill will towards Jim or Angie, both of whom I like and have ridden with, and neither of whom has ever done anything bad to me personally.   And I can forgive, after all, who among us doesn't commit a little fraud and embezzlement every once in a while, right?  I just kind of expected justice would be served once they were caught...  And admittedly, it does kind of bother me in general when business owners or rich people do "white collar" crimes and only get a slap on the wrist while other, lower-income people go to jail for stealing far less.

  13. Invitation to The RACES

    in Revelstoke Applied Carving Expression Session (RACES) 2019

    Posted

    @carlito: It's cold man, but the cord is epic and the slopes are empty.  Psyched to try your demos.

    Some fresh snow expected Thursday/Friday, then more cold corduroy riding in the sunshine for the weekend.  I hope Turner is getting the same weather.  Could be beautiful.

    Rus and Tania just left this morning, Dave is coming tomorrow.  Yesterday there were three Coilers, two Thirsts and a Donek on the mountain at the same time; It's a new carving record in Revy for the most trenches ever laid in a day!  

    So far no one has accepted my Chinese Downhill challenge...

    • Like 1

  16. Forward Stance

    in Carving Central

    Posted

    Consider elite BX riders.  They don't ride switch or do freestyle tricks in competition, but their average stance is probably something close to 18/-6.  Duck foot.  Jump off a chair or something, land naturally and look at your feet.  Duck foot right?  18/-6 is an excellent all mountain soft boot stance, good for landing jumps, going fast, absorbing impacts and carving too (but not great for the kind of low perfect semi-circular heelsides that we all strive for on corduroy days).

    I ride this stance on my powder and backcountry boards, though I rarely ride switch.  I find it gives me very solid and versatile positioning.  Jump turns on steeps or moguls are more awkward with a forward stance.  My boots overhang too much for real carving on stock width softboot boards anyway, so I ride the stance that suits the conditions and terrain best when I ride backcountry or resort  powder: 15/-3 for me.   Don't knock it until you've tried it.

    Of course, when there's corduroy I'm all about the forward stance.   27/12 or 30/15 on my soft boot carvers, 60/55 for all my narrow alpine boards.  45/30 for the wider "all mountain" alpine boards.

    Yes it's true many snowboarders don't understand the carving potential of a forward stance, but there are a lot of hardbooters who poo-poo the duck thing too.  As long as people don't try to pass on my backside, I don't care what stance they ride.

    • Like 4

  18. Let’s hear about the Thirst 9SW

    in Alpine Board Reviews

    Posted

    Funny you should ask...

    I've had six days on the 9SW so far, the last three in a row being epic long days with over 30 000 vertical feet each.  I just can't get enough of these SW turns.  I don't even want to stop for lunch.  This is my board of choice right now.  I love the speed and stability; I can throw a ton of power at it and it'll turn tight for me, or go long around the crowds and bring my speed back under control in one big low turn...

    The 9SW is designed specifically for big, fast high g-force turns in good conditions, but also to keep the rider centered and reduce the overall movement needed to maintain edge control through those turns (kind of as described in the recently popular "relaxed carving" thread).  Yes, it does all of these things, and it's quite good on refrozen icy cord too.  195cm overall length in an asymmetrical package, 18m average sidecut, 182cm effective edge.  Big enough that people will assume you're trying to compensate for something.

    Be warned though, this board is fast and dangerous.  It's a very big board.  Sure, it'll initiate quick enough to avoid that skier trying to pass on your backside, but you're gonna push hard into it, angulate a lot, and carry a ton of speed and force through that turn, so the consequences are higher if you mess it up.  It doesn't really want to turn at slow speed, but it'll turn tight enough to stay mellow and in control at medium speeds if you work it.   Mine is a .303 flex index, which is probably a fair bit stiffer than the "suggested rider weight" would be for my 158 lbs.  I imagine it rides a bit slower and easier if you're closer to the proper weight range.  Can't say for sure and I don't care to find out; I like mine just the way it is.

    The bottom line is simple: if you like the way the 8RW rides (which everybody does) but you want to ride faster and with more power and intensity, and if you think you can handle 182cm of effective edge, then order yourself a 9SW.  For me, if the cord is in good shape I want to ride the biggest board my legs can handle.  If the conditions aren't great where you ride, if your runs are crowded or narrow, or if you're not fully confident in your riding ability yet, then the 8RW is the board you want.  Still a long board, but not a ridiculously long board.  That one is my board of choice for ice or chop, and crowds.

    I wasn't planning to review the 9SW because it's kind a limited edition thing, with only three in existence.  If Mark is willing to make you one, that probably means he trusts you to handle it.  My understanding was that it's not on offer to everybody.  Also wasn't going to review it because I don't have anything to compare it to; my next biggest board has only 168cm effective edge: not even in the ballpark.   But so far I'm having a blast on the big board and I highly recommend the 9SW to anyone who's craving more intensity,  speed, and g-force.  And don't be afraid, it feels safe and it always holds the edge.  Exhilarating ride.

     

    • Like 7

  25. Invitation to The RACES

    in Revelstoke Applied Carving Expression Session (RACES) 2019

    Posted

    @Pusbag: It will be great to see you again Rus!  Bring the whole crew if you can.  I do have two boards ready for pickup at the Thirst factory, but I'm still hoping to get down there this month.  I'm just waiting on a good weather window.  I want to ride cold dry perfect corduroy in the sunshine.  

    11 hours ago, charliechocolate said:

    Also sometimes I wish Revy didn't have so much pow but I'll take what I can get.

    Couldn't have said it better myself.  Tomorrow will be excellent cord though...

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