skategoat

What do you mean by sweet spot? Are you talking about binding placement? My RT has only 3 inserts per binding unlike the usual 4. So basically, you have 4 options for placement - both back, both forward, front forward/rear back, front back/rear forward. I experimented and decided both forward worked best for me on hardpack.

I would keep my eyes open for a Volkl Renntiger. Either the GS 168 or the SL 163. I own a 168 and I find it is very forgiving, holds ice well and likes to run fast. I was riding it at Sir Sam's (total vert. 330 ft.) after an ice storm and it was the perfect board for that hill and conditions. Bomber sells new ones and there a lots of used ones that come up in the classifieds. The new boards are at the top end of your price range but you should talk to your local Volkl rep. He might know of a shop selling an older one or maybe he can hook you up with a pro deal.

Anyone have a simple Excel spreadsheet for managing race results? Ya, I know it's not too diffucult to set up but why re-invent the wheel? Thanks, HK

Thanks guys, I will let him know his size is available and get him to see yyzcanuck or the one local shop that carries Head boots. With his size, I think it's best he try something on rather than order online.

A kid at my club has size 13.5 feet. He's a talented snowboarder who finished 3rd at a provincial level race last season in soft boots. I'd love to see him in carving gear but he can't find anything bigger than mp 30. Are 31 or 32 boots even made by Raichle or Head? The biggest on Bomber is 30.

If I had 6 weeks in BC, I'd visit the following: 1) Whistler/Blackcomb (2 weeks there) 2) Kelowna (1 week for Big White, Silver Star and Apex) 3) Red Mountain (3-4 days) 4) Fernie (1 week) 5) Sunshine Village (technically still BC since part of the resort is in that province) (3-4 days) 6) Sun Peaks (3-4 days) Fernie and Red are less developed, less groomed so you might need powder gear. Any left over days could be spent in Vancouver where you can ride Grouse Mountain or Cypress Bowl and then hop a plane back home. Good luck and boy, do we envy you. Lots of BC natives here to give you more detail.

With soft boots, it's not so much stiffness, it's the slop. No matter how tight you lace them up, there seems to always be some foot movement. As well, there is slop in the boot/binding interface. I hear guys in shops all the time asking for the stiffest, most responsive boot/binding. I feel like taking them aside and asking - "ever heard of hard boots"?

I had the pleasure of riding with Chris while in Whistler a couple of seasons ago. The man is a smooth rider with near perfect form.

I use pipe insulation. Curl it around the nose and tail and tape it.

Some of the airline policies borders on the absurd. Last month, for the first time, I had my carry-on bag weighed. It was 4 pounds overweight so I took my snowboard boots out of the bag, slung them over my shoulder and reweighed the bag. The counter guy said it was okay. I turned the corner and put the boots back in the bag. I still haven't had Air Canada check my board bag for multiple boards. I usually travel with 2 or 3 and their guidelines clearly state 1 board per bag. One day, I'll probably get burned by someone in a bad mood.

Option made carving boards? I'd like to see a pic.

Ernie: Where are you located? I know some guys in Toronto who would be interested in that board. Henry

There is less lateral flex with the Intec heel block. I used to think there wasn't much motion in the heel with standard bails but then a friend of mine shot a video of him doing some "carpet" carving. The video focused on the heel only and I couldn't believe the amount of motion that was going on. It doesn't surprise me to hear about heel and bail failures having seen that video. If you are used that amount of lateral movement, suddenly sticking an Intec block on the back heel would cripple your riding, I would think. Of course, you can learn to compensate. Like I said, I'm going to give it a try and see how it feels.

I remember being in Cupertino in the mid-90s and all the talk was about who would buy Apple's campus when it went under. At the time, graphic artists and the like defended Apple like it was a baby seal. Now all of a sudden Apple's too big and too rich. Makes me laugh.

Modern Love - David Bowie Fools Gold - Stone Roses Bad - U2

Speedzilla: You know the Intecs ride different so be careful about making a commitment to Intecs. I am going to ride 90% on standard bails but with the TD1s, I will mount step ins for the rear foot only. I know it's not the best idea but I get a few more seasons out of the bindings and I remove the frustration of kicking at the heel piece at the top of the hill while my step-in buddies ditch me. I'm going to mount those on a board that I ride infrequently. On my favourite boards, I'm sticking with standard bails. Henry

I've seen guys use mini bungee cords. Others use o-rings or tape to hold up the bails. It's such a pain that I've decided to replace my rear binding with a set of Intec blocks that I just bought.

Thanks for the explanation C2C. I'm going to try the Garland. I know what you mean about the ankles. When I have my boots done up too tight or if I accidentally have my walk/ride levers in the wrong position (I ride in walk mode), it really hampers my turn initiation.

Sent you email. What model are they? Pics would be good.

You guys ever heard of a J-turn? I was talking to a salesman at a ski shop today about the type of skiing I like and he described me as a J-turner. Even though I've been skiing for 25 years, I've never heard that term before. He said a J-tuner likes to hook the nose into a turn and then whip around the apex fast, coming back across the fall line and then quickly into the next turn. This opposed to a constant radius GS turn. To do this, he suggested a slalom ski with a stiff tail. That's exactly the kind of ski and snowboard turns I like to make. But does a J-turn make a good carve? It seems to me that most good guys I watch carve are more smooth and constant in their turning radius, whereas the J-turn seems to be a more abrupt. With regard to technique, it seems a J-turn requires more forward weighting to initiate the turn.

Kip: "Ong Bak: The Thai Warrior" had a pretty decent run in Canadian theatres during early 2005. I'm guessing it did okay in the U.S. too. The tagline: "No stunt doubles, no computer images, no strings attached".

Regarding the Burton bindings with the rivets - has anyone tried to drill out the rivets and replace with bolts? Doable?

Grinder: I'm in Toronto and I'm interested. I'll PM you. Henry

I just got back from a 4 day family trip. I'll agree with most of the comments here except we had only minor waits in the lift lines being post-xmas. However, some of the popular runs were still crowded and got a little scarey due to the number of very fast skiers and boarders at this mountain. The North side was definitely more carver friendly and the length of runs was perfect for me. On the South face, La Crete was truly awesome. Also enjoyed Beaupre and La Montmorency. Grooming was sketchy at best. I think mainly because of the night skiing. Also, it seemed that some runs had these small bumps spaced 10-15 feet apart giving it a washboard effect. It got hairly when you hit those at high speed. The black diamonds, for the most part, were not rideable in carving gear due to the moguls and lack or space - very narrow. La Massif was an awesome experience. Loved the big, new chalets and the scenery. Again, not overly carver friendly but some nice runs could be found - La Petite Riviere, La Richard, L'Anguille. I tried to talk my way onto La Charlevoix where the Canadian Downhill team trains but was unsuccessful. Good thing when I found out later that part of it has a 65 degree pitch. We stayed at Chateau Mont Ste. Anne and I highly recommend it for a family holiday. Food on the meal plan was fantastic (typical meal: Crayfish bisque, escargot, deer medallions, creme brulee). My next trip is to Marble Mountain, Newfoundland in 3 weeks. Right now they have 10 cm base with ZERO runs open. Someone in Newfoundland has made Ullr angry. Time to sacrifice some cod.

Hey veector, last year there were riders of all abilities at the event. I learned a lot by just watching some of these guys. So don't hesitate to come out if you're new to the game.