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We'll give it a shot this weekend and let you know how it goes.

Here are my liners. They look one piece to me.

I have a pair of Indys, size 27.5 shell but the stock thermofit liner seems to have been molded around some smaller feet. When I put my foot in, my toes are bunching up. If I heat these up, jam my foot in and buckle up, will they actually expand around a bigger foot?

That 162 Burner, is that a slalom board or a short GS board?

You stand a very good chance of running into hardbooters in Quebec and Southern Ontario. Out west, seeing a hardbooter is like a Bigfoot sighting - very rare and no one will believe you. However, the best riding is in BC and Alberta. For your first trip to Canada, I recommend Banff. It's very accessible (less than 2 hours from Calgary), relatively inexpensive and a great experience. You can ride three big resorts with a lot of variety - Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Nakiska. The nightlife in Banff is also a blast - something for everyone. I've never been to Red Mountain but take a look at it on the map. It's tough to get to and a bit isolated. Same thing with Fernie. As for Whistler, I'm not a big fan. It's too expensive, overly commercialized and the weather is very, very iffy. It's rained 50% of the time I have been there. Kelowna area is also good - Big White, Silver Star and Apex. Choice riding at those mountains but I think a notch below Sunshine and Louise. They are also very family oriented and pretty quiet at night. And while we'd love to have you in Ontario, it's pretty flat here. MSLM is a pimple compared to the Western or Quebec resorts. In Quebec, they have real mountains but I find the runs are not carve-friendly. Mt. Tremblant has some nice wide groomers on the southside but the place is overpriced and over-commercialized. Quebec also gets freaking cold in January and February. Might freeze your kiwis there. Good luck, bonne chance.

Wasn't there an article in The Snowboarding Journal about just such a trip? With softbooters, of course. I remember some great action shots and some photos of wealthy Iranians on the slopes (not a burqa in sight). I also recall that the boarders felt very safe and were an extreme curiousity and not a considered a threat. I found it: http://www.snowboardjournal.com/issue010Iran.html BTW, I'd go with you in a second if you need a Canadian to carry bags or something.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll let him ride it and see what he and his coach have to say. In the meantime, I'll keep stuffing him with pasta.

I'm amazed the guy hasn't been punched out. I went to see the movie last night and it was sold out. Big huge sign on the front door of the multi-plex - "Borat - Sold Out". I had to go home and make sexy time with wife instead - High Faive!

Would a Volkl RT 168 be too stiff or too long for a 120 pound, 5'6" rider? My kid has outgrown his 154 Addicted and I don't see many GS boards in the 160cm range. I'm thinking of moving him up to my 168 Volkl. Thoughts?

But if you're riding backcountry, don't you want bullet-proof bindings?

Great racers but lousy marketers. What's this thing supposed to do? I mean besides win Olympic gold medals. Do we have to have an engineering degree to figure it out? If we can't figure it out by the photos, are we not worthy?

An Austrian friend of mine has one. I posted a photo of it here a couple seasons ago. I asked to try it and he didn't recommend it. Super tight turning radius that throws you high-side on every other turn is how he described it.

Burton has a binding disc that is designed for the rental market. You lift a lever, set your angle and lock the lever down. It's made of aluminum and solid. I had one in my hand last season but can't remember the name on it - "Lift 'n Lock" or something like that. If you have Burton plate bindings, you could use those to do instant angle adjustments. Of course, you can't do it on the fly.

I'm just wondering, with a soft boot/binding interface, does micro amount of cant and lift adjustment really matter? I mean, I can have snow piled up on the bottom of my boot, squeeze down the straps and I don't feel any difference (with a soft boot). If it doesn't matter, is there any benefit to the Catek binding? I love their O2s, I have a pair, but can't see plunking down almost $300 when a pair of Burton Cartels will do nicely for $100 less. Am I missing something?

Canuck: Don't have anything to trade but if you decide to sell either of those boards, let me know. Need boards for my growing kids. Thanks, Henry

I bought Raichle 324s after I returned the UPZs. I had no problem with width even with the standard, non-thermo liners. Then I bought some thermo-fit Intuition liners and have gone back and forth between the two liners with no real difference. I know a lot of guys rave about thermo liners but I feel no difference. I also bought some old Line boots for $25 off Bomber a couple of years ago. These were made under the name Line, Blax, Oxygen and, I think, DSM. I bought them on a flyer thinking if they don't fit, I only lose $25. They ended up fitting perfectly and I used them exclusively last season. Unless your feet are hugely wide, I don't think you'll have a problem with Raichles.

I have wide feet. EE hockey skates. I ordered UPZ boots using the foot outline method of sizing. The first day on them, I had to quit because of the pain. Dan Yoja took them back with only a 10% restocking fee which I thought was very fair considering I did scratch them a bit. Because of that experience, I won't buy boots online. Got to try them on.

Gabe: Sent you an email regarding AM boards. Henry

When I bought my first snowboard, the guy in the shop pushed me and I put out my right foot to stop from falling. He pronounced "You are Goofy". Two days of bruised ass made me re-think that conclusion and even the whole snowboarding thing. I gave it another try with left foot forward and voila, much easier. Maybe I just finally "got it" or maybe it was the stance - who knows. I tend to think for a beginner, you can throw any stance at them and they'll flail around just the same.

I hear what you're saying Bob. But I guess it's easier to teach them to ride both ways in the beginning than to try an asym stance at first then introduce them to duck when they want to ride park. That's always hard.

But....when you snowboard, especially slopestyle or halfpipe, you want to be able to ride switch. It's a requirement if you're going to be any good at it. In golf, baseball, writing, it's not a requirement, just a nice to have. So I would say there's definite advantage in being able to ride a snowboard both ways. I wish I could ride fakie. I get turned around and I'm like Bambi on ice.

Dakine Helipro backpack on sale now at Steep and Cheap for $29. Act fast.

Excellent info boostertwo. Avy gear, eh? Don't tell my wife. March/April works for me too.

Rob: I'm there. I have new snowshoes but would consider the approach skiis too. If you're up for it, I wouldn't mind going early in the season. Late Jan/Feb get busy. Henry

I'll look into it but it might be easier for me to get to interior BC than Gaspe.