nils

Geneva Lyon is not too far by car ( 1h20), but by train its not really quick ( slow trains there)..anyway there is good chance I can attend the ECS this next winter ( 10 years!) after a few years grounded because of heavy work / family, so at least we'll meet there! N

On your way from Pyreneans to the alps, stop by in Lyon we'll drink a beer ! msg in advance! Nils

Thnx Brian... Not sure why the author removed his vid on his vimeo account...the thing got relinked so fast yesterday worldwide, might have toasted the vimeo servers for a while... Indeed you wonder how the guys survive the hold down which has to be looong loooong time in such powerful waves.... ( providing they don't get hammered on the reef below )

http://vimeo.com/34941680 worth's HD and a huge screen....got mesmerized...jaws dropped: beauty and fury Nils <iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34941680?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/34941680'>http://vimeo.com/34941680">BIGGEST TEAHUPOO EVER, SHOT ON THE PHANTOM CAMERA.</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2973039'>http://vimeo.com/user2973039">Chris Bryan</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

gee you guys are old ! ;) I know that some of you in their 60's are in sharper condition than most of people in their 30's... Got a guy in my rowing club that wins veteran races at 84..so I have to assume I'll be carving after 2050 if I keep training Nils ( into his 42 year)

welcome! Pokkis is one of the seven pillars of the euro freecarve scene :)... He is also one of the few here able to understand that strange language they are using far north of europe with so many iii and aaa's ! Nils

am using the robotoolz for a year, got locked cross / locked lines + autolevel of the three...smart powerful magnet usefull so you can stick it to any thing steel. I recommend it ( doing some woodwork, plaster walls and mostly architecture measuring / survey)...Some of my craftmen use it too, as well as the Hilti but they are expensive!. Nils

Helvetico, I'm using the thule box with thule bars on the rails of my VW sharan: its as low as it can get, but i'm avoiding underground car parks. On the french highways the top of the box touches sometimes the Toll gates clearance chains ( 2m) so I assume the top of the box is at around 2m02. If you have a normal car ( not a SUV or family bus) you should be good, even in car parks.. The thule spirit is well designed since the claws for gripping the Tbars are recessed within the box to gain clearance...( check side view) As for the moist remark > its more than true: remove gear if you go into melting temps..If the weather stays subzero and cloudy you're fine...If its sunny it will condense in there and create rust pretty quick on the edges and non stainless or aluminium parts.

Last thing about the Thule: Screw on tbars takes 1 minute! the system has claws that grip the tbar, with 4 oversized nobs you screw from the inside of the box. The box is light enough you can put it alone ( big size guy preferable) on the roof is car is not too high. ( my kids help me because the VW sharan is a bit high for a single person to put box on roof ( ( 1m90 height of tbars)) Last cool thing u can open it on both sides, and key cannot be removed unless box is closed ( prevents from driving with box hood open)... As Jack said, you can squeeze anything in a box without wondering about weather....usefull in winter for gear, but also in summer for bags / luggages / food... max load for this one is 70 kilos. N offtopic: 4matic is incredible indeed...quattro is also great...got only 4motion but its already enough for any snowy roads!

box, definitely Got a nice second hand Thule 820 spirit two years ago for 300 euros It accomodates 4-5 snowboards ( I can barely travel with less) one beeing 196cm ( room for even longer up to 205 i'd say); 7 pairs of skiies 5 of them beeing kid's size ( 100 to 150) and the poles plus extra smaller bags of gear( bindings, tools, shovel etc)...It takes basically 1 min to fill and lock and same to empty. The only downside of a box is that it accumulates water from melted snow on the gear: since its watertight, it has no drain. Gas mileage is not bad ( + 0,5l/100km) and is very silent and profiled which is great against sidewinds. Hope this helps Nils

Got my issue of TSJ yesterday ( takes a few more days to cross the ocean) and smiled :) Hope next time he chooses a pic of Mike Doyle ( since they are riding buddies). Patrice and I rode with them in a snowstorm in Snowmass in 2004: was fun! I still wonder how they maintain those Mavericks rideable after all these years of riding on them....the edges must be thick as a hair by now? Is Purecarve shaper still doing some boards for selected clients? Nils

A few answers.. Sidecuts: very subtle changes were made to fine tune the behaviour of the shape to the generations / manufacturing..Not really noticeable. Camber: each manufacturing has its limitations / habits....so camber was adapted each time. Gen1 have the biggest camber/spring feel compare to following gens. Nose scoop ( nose height) was very low compare to industry standards at the time ( 2002-2006) and has not been modified because it is what helps the board guide itself during the turn, even on rough terrains where it keeps tracking*( comparable to the nose of decambered nose scoops on lots of boards today ). * I suggest you see the Opus 1 video: you see Patrice do a backside on a very bumpy slope and the nose doesn't loose it ( the slow motion also shows the advantage of a softer flex concept in this situation). Board choice: Since the begining we had the idea to have a board size/flex match the rider's weight and size, not the opposite, nor having someone use a board too big / too stiff etc for his size and weight ( and feet length ). The idea was to provide each rider a board with same riding characteristics, whatever his size. A small light woman on a 161XS is therorically having the same riding than the big dude on a 175XH, the only difference beeing the sidecut radius and stability that comes with longer edges. Board choice when there is too much choice is always complicated: There is no rule of the right / perfect match if you are borderline. Its about what you want to ride, what versatility you are ready to loose or gain etc... The advised ranges are targeted to provide the best compromise for the given rider. If you are out of the charts by much, you will loose versatility and the board will limit its capacity in EC, but also in other fields... this is why it is important to respect those. I am a believer in Versatility ( It is also the most difficult thing to shape/produce...performant versatility is) The 168H is the right board for you, even a bit soft for your weight really.. ( really avoid the 168S unless you want to risk breaking it) the XH would be more adapted ( Patrice is 180-182cm / 82-84 kilos and rides the 168H..you are almost 20 kilos heavier and should ride a different flex for optimal riding). Riding the 168H means you will have good times on icy / hard snow ( edge chatter only if you miss the rotations, especially backsides). On softer slopes, it is advisable you do NOT full EC at power speeds: you are likely to risk burrying the nose and injure yourself ( break the board eventually)... as we say: adapt your riding to your level / gear / conditions. Since you are 6' tall, you could also give the 175H a try.. Basically you will be riding a flex lower than what is perfect for you: it is not such a big problem if you remember the caution needed in softer packed snow. I have ridden the 175S ( my flex is the M) and loved it! Hope this helps N

The trick when buying second hand carving gear is to know if the board was grinded often or not. I almost never grind my base because it eats too much edge each time.. I rather have small scars on the base than loose base thickness or edges thus shortening board life. The problem is that its difficult to find out on ebay how much edges there is left on both sidewall and base > good think is to ask the seller to take closer picture with a ruler as reference. Edges come in two thickness when new ( on this side of the ocean). 1.6 and 2.0mm ( i forgot the exact figures). When grinded at the factory to recover from the gluing, it can maybe eat 0.1 - 0.2 mm. that leaves 0.5 to 0.8mm for the boards life ( carvers are often sharpening their boards!) ...I consider russian roulette riding with edges under 1mm ( prone to breakage after small stones encounters..) but some people ride old boards with thin edges for years...this is why edge thickness is the first thing I check on second hand skiis and snowboards. Nils PS: thicker edges have no effect on board behaviour or flex ( we are talking about small dimensions here! 0.5 mm ! Off topic: This is also why its good to follow certain rules when sharpening edges: for example its better to use fine diamond very often than a file randomly ( eats more steel ). In Ski world cup they basically file the edges at the beginning of the season, leaving only room for diamond or small touchups during the season. This is also allows the skiiers to get tuned on different sets of skis with different sharpening and not loosing their habits on them.

Hi I'll try to make it short! Gen0: prototypes > 1995-2002 > all handmade by Jacques Rilliet. Pre-production prototypes at Duret Factory: 2002 Those have transparent topsheets. Gen1: 2003-2004: Made in France at Duret factory Included 3D carbon jet cut parts embeded in the core ( ATC matrix). Strong Proto construction ( but no nose and tail protection). Full rubber dampening. Ride: very precise and sharp ride. Very soft flex feel Gen2: 2005-2006: Made in Germany at Virus factory Modification/ simplification of carbon ATC matrix, urethane embeded nose and tail protection. Less scratchable topsheet ( grainy ICP) Ride: smoother ride a bit more physical ( stiffer feel).. a bit less sharp precision/torsion control due to simplification of the ATC Matrix. Gen3: 2007-2010: Made in Switzerland at Nidecker factory Optimisation of carbon paterns. Rubber tail until 2010 ( now strong aluminium inserts on nose and tail). Glossy topsheet. Thicker edges ( rental kind) for longer life.Introduction of new Swoard logos and topsheet graphics. Flatter camber. Ride: added forgiveness and easyness. Gen4: 2011-2012: Made in Switerland at Nidecker factory Improved dampening, new topsheet Ride: haven't got the time to ride mine yet! Common to all generations: the 4000 electra Ptex base ( the best available since 2003), the pine wood laminated core with ash inserts( very strong and springy while light), the shape and few things that make the ride not so different for people with experience. Basically the latest generations are easier to ride while retaining the sharp precision and safe ride ( no lock in turns...). Some gen1 are still riding and have more than 200 days on them with only cosmetics issues...the only thing that will fail is the edges after too much sharpening ( below 1.1mm thick on each side ( wall/base) I would advise not to purchase a second hand board... Basically the EC is done with ease and safe behaviour, and the board is also versatile ( able to ride in many styles, and even in powder due to the good width). Hope it helps Nils

http://www.dupraz-skis.com/index.php?lang=fr Serge has officially launched his D2 skis! Very interesting concept. Where the BBR from Salomon is mostly for Pow, this is really versatile. I admit I cannot wait to try them out! Nils

I love the music too ( very 80's but not soapy and fits the images pretty well For the record ( googled the name of the band) - Flute player Benoit Fromanger is internationally known ( played with Bernstein, Boulez, Barenboim..he now directs the Bucarest Philarmony! -Sax Patrick Bourgoin is a known studio player ( played with Supertramp, Duran-Duran, Ray Charles... - Violins: Patrice Mondon: Opera de Paris violin + many TV musics.. N

http://youtu.be/rbo9zjdT6-o Please do NOT relink / share on other sites. Thought would be time to share the full 1987 flick. Features Regis Rolland, Jean Nerva, and many more. Antoine massy ( with the wool hat) is considered by Jacques ( Rilliet) one of the father of rotation technique... Regis really has a Gerry Lopez style in his power bottom turns ( frontside pow turns)... ( check at 1.34" ). the air side change at 2.58 was for many years what I thought beeing rad ( still is)...but my fav part is the 10 min mark when they all go full speed! Most wore dynafit/koflach backcountry boots, but Regis is wearing Bataille bindings ( basically a plastic footstrap and ankle, with a small spoiler). Boards are Apocalypse ( Regis's brand, Hooger Booger, and locally made Bird Surf swallowtails and square tail. ) nils

Pokkis, Its not just a geographical view: West europe: all countries that were out of the eastern block during the USSR years ( educated and rich farts) East europe: ex eastern block ( red barbarians with zip fur boots ) ;) Exception is east Germany now back to (west) Germany. Even Bosnia, slovenia which are physically close, are considered east europe in media/public opinion here. N

i know exactly where the rear bail will break: right at the neck of the block....put this binding on a EC board with people that know how to push and work their balance sideways on the board and "pop" you get the broken bail... Not sure if they did all the right field experiments with that one... Hopefully i'm wrong ! Nils

http://www.kletterportal.ch/media/l/97d6cf865a910fa85f7f6d7524d11b6d.jpg

incredible thnx Jack! to be noted: page 28 the difference between fernandes board and kelly is just amazing > just wondering how kelly could be just behind with such outline... ( funny the fernandes nose shape is very similar to the Extremecarver :=) about the 1987 beckenridge comp...I heard rumors that some hot team were disqualified...anyone could recall what happen to the Hot team then? N

Put one of my fav all time surfer, on the best right in the world, remove the fins of his surboard, and you get something called freedom. Tow-in is a dead end and not really surfing ( my opinion is that the paddle / take off sequence is critical in the sport..remove that and its just gliding on water..not to mention noise, pollution and attitudes...) ( Derek is in his 50's!) <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ECqlbimpaUI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

fin u got vespa's? far from subaru's no? ;) got a pristine PX but looking for a 150GS for cruizing with style ! Nils

Pat, I suggest you also check what pixeet.com does > a friend of mine just got their fishlens for Iphone that is ridiculously cheap for such a quality... Nils