twelsch42

That top-sheet is stellar. And a sweet project you have ahead of you this winter.

I just moved and got my slackline set up in the backyard. As I was reading your post I was going to suggest a slackline - and that's what your question was ultimately about!?! Crazy. No slackline in the basement for sure. Without a backyard to spend 5 min here and 5 min there it would be really hard to learn. It is very humbling. You definitely feel it in your core. I can trackstand on my bicycle reallllly well. I'm still figuring out the slackline. I don't really try to 'get ready' for snowboarding season. I try to stay as active all year as I can. Knowing it will all translate into having more fun as the winter rolls around.

Hope nobody minds this - not much activity here besides the LCI thread. Someone in the Denver area must have a friend that's looking for a great first/backup setup: 28 HSP OS2 Long Plate 4x4 169 No photos yet. This gear is in Capitol Hill right now. In 2 weeks it will be out near Green Mountain. $400 seems fair. No photos yet. Contact me if you're interested, or share this with your non-BOL buddies living out here!! twelsch

There are a lot of drawbacks to running hard-boots for me. I have funny low volume feet, and don't have the patience for working with a bootfitter right now. Many other things to factor into individual binding / board choice. I don't ride Cateks for the hard boot feel, but it is a side-effect to riding really stiff bindings. I ride them because they fit my riding style. They help me ride anywhere on the mountain with my buddies (skiers). Surf the pow, and lay some trenches. If I'm by myself, or stuck on groomers all day, the hard-boots come out. If not, the cateks are a great compromise for someone not looking to lock into an alpine setup for the whole day on the mountain. AND, some mushy plastic Burtons, are not going to let me get the control over a 192 Tanker in softies. twelsch

Catek soft bindings are as close to a 'hard boot feel' as you can get with softies - I would argue.

If you need more short set screws that you use to get lift/cant they can be purchased at any good hardware store in the bulk washers/bolts/little pieces section. I don't use the spacers on my OS2's/FR2's - just be very careful not to bottom out your kingpin. 3 to 4 1/2 threads engaged is what I feel for. 6+ threads and you'll be close to getting your top sheet - your mileage may vary.

The trouble is that you're authoritatively presenting the "new school" as the only school. Different strokes for different folks. We're all out there doing our own thing on the snow. What you're looking for is not what every carver is looking for. I'm sure we'd both agree that riding "new-school" shapes and materials is a vastly different ballgame. We'd also agree that often people talk big, about things they don't know much about, this is the internet. Nothing wrong with calling these people out. It's like when you see someone riding 210cm straight skis. You may chuckle inside because you know the world they're missing. But don't tell them they're doing it wrong, before they've even asked you. I do know that new gear can be a game changer, and affect wildly how well you ride. But I also know that this experience is my own, and other people have different expectations. You're being just as bullheaded with your attitude as those who rave about their old wood burton being the best evar. As I said before, mostly I agree with you, just not your rhetoric.

This is a community. Not all of us like to be told we're doing it wrong because we don't have 09/10 gear. Step off your pedestal. You're not a martyr because you don't make money off the gear you sell. I probably agree with much of what you have to say - but I can't get past your holier-than-tho attitude. Most of us are just out there to have fun with our friends and family on the snow. You can express your passion for gear and snowboarding - please, I'm all ears. But don't pretend that I can't enjoy the sport because I'm riding a board that was made in 03.

Your rants are not doing much for the sport either. You're not very persuasive. We all can't be as hip as you. I thought we figure this out last year.

Call your boards what you want. Maybe my sarcasm meter is off, but it seems to me you might want a little cheese with your whine. Save this for the off-season. T

Biggest thing for me was learning to go up and come down on opposite edges. If you go up the wall on your toe edge, you must come down on your heel edge. T

This is what I have noticed. I usually like to ride with alot of rise out of my FR2's - my edge changes feel lightning fast. When I go back to a flat binding (older cartels) it feels like I have to get my body way into a turn before my edges will grab. Without a lot of rise it seems like your upper body can be much more active without affecting your edges as much. When you're getting lots of air and negotioating 5 other riders this is probably a good thing. T edit: upon reflection, I may be comparing apples to oranges here and might not know what I'm talking about.

I've ridden Cartels from 2 years ago...I figured all burton plastic bindings were the same. :D

There are such better bindings - Is this a sponsorship thing? Why is nobody riding the FR2's?

No, you don't know, or no they don't fit? thanks

That would be too bad if the non-pro model was discontinued. If I remember it was about $80 less. I still say that these bindings play a large part in how much fun I have on the mountain. I guarantee I wouldn't get as many days on snow if I didn't own the FR2's. T

You're right, it's not a question of brand quality. It's a simple you get what you pay for. If Catek wanted to sell their bindings for $799 I bet their customer service would be spot on. Not everyone can afford to keep all the whiners happy. You got a refund, end of discussion. Spend your money somewhere else next time. I fully support them, and their business model. As it is their bindings are under-valued, it's not a quality issue like you said. This topic is beat, and this being a competitors board, probably not the place for this discussion to continue. T

Sometimes you make sacrifices to be on the bleeding edge of a niche sport. Vote with your money. My Catek FR2's have made my time on the snow infinitely more enjoyable. It's hard to put a price on that. Infact, think they're way under-valued. I value being able to purchase a beautifully engineered product directly from the designer/manufacturer. I value knowing that my money will be put into development rather than marketing. If you want to shop somewhere more customer oriented, plenty of people will take your money. But buying from Catek is worth every penny. T

Salida, CO

Great, I'm glad you're prepared. Sorry for popping off. T

Riding the backcountry without specific knowledge of the area, or a local guide probably isn't smart. Nor would be being in the backcountry without a shovel, probe, beacon, and the knowledge and practice to use them all. Also, the ability to asccess avalanche risk, and to identify aspects less prone to slide. Not to sound like a d1ck, but if you have to ask about BC access / terrain in Utah, you probably should stay in-bounds. Maybe I'm making an ass of myself here. Just trying to keep people safe. Riding the BC is a big deal. Here's one example of questionable decision-making out here in Colorado last week. http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=5658 Be safe out there. T

By the looks of my longs, those are short. And a great deal w/ D3 and protective plates...If I remember the shorts fit up to 28. don't take my word for it. T

Just the deal I was looking for... Thanks for the heads-up. T

Christian - that is the recommended technique from the catek instructions. Works for me every time too. Keep doing it like that. Chris - You don't want your kingpin to bottom out. You want at least 3 or 4 threads engaged (after 5 or 6 turns you risk bottoming out on your top sheet). As long as you adjust your cant screws and they're all touching the power-plate, there's no chance christians bindings are going to come loose. Maybe you're both talking about a different binding revision...EDIT - yes, Chris you are referencing the procedure for the World Cup and OS1 series of bindings. T

I've always wondered with the love for BV's customs, and the love for Tankers evident on Bomber; why we haven't seen Bruce tackle a huge tanker-esque board. Maybe I've missed it. Seems like the Schtubbys gettin all the love.