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K2 Kwicker System Thoughts on the Kwicker boots when riding both resort and back country powder would really be appreciated. Any thoughts, reviews or feedback on the K2 Kwicker system would be great as well. I've googled, youtubed and searched as best I can. From the multiple searches I have gleaned that the K2 Boots with the double Boa and built in highback construction has inspired the re-brand or re-birth of the clicker. The rebuilt boots with increased strength a build in high back and a double Boa that now behaves like a top strap we key to the rebirth. The sales pitch is that the boots were the weak link in the past. K2 claims that the mobility and weight of the Kwicker boots are as good as a standard soft boot and binding. Cheers Rob

Not a waste of time at all, just a lot of fun and an interesting conversation ... great first post:)! I hope I/we helped a bit, I always worry about not giving helpful advice or even worse bad advice! As you can see their are a LOT of great and riders on this message board that I forgotten more than I know about boarding, they usually jump in if anyone gets too crazy with miss-information, so you should be good to go with what has been said so far. I still have, in the attic, and spent a LOT of time, years ago, on a Burton M6. Back in the day I LOVED that board. If I recall it has a 23cm waist, an 8.5m SCR on the toe and a 7.5m SCR on the heel and is pretty soft; I used Burton Rat Trap bindings and Raichle Mountaineering boots. You could make 4 quick turns in a phone booth! OK, it is time to spend some cash on a new board ... you will not believe the difference in the edge hold and fun you will have. I like the idea of getting a new custom Coiler, but after you have had a chance to demo a few boards to give you a better idea of what you are after. Bruce is a beautiful person, a pleasure to work with! You will have to decide if you want to go hard of soft bindings, there is no right or wrong answer here ... just preference. IMHO hard boots takes more work to get your set up and technique right, but is worth the rewarding power with less effort in a turn... that deep sticky heel side is just around the corner:) I would recommend something like a softer Raichle 224 boot and softer bindings like an F2CarveRS. Stance angles can start a pretty good flame war around here, but I think to get the body position of Kelly Slaters heelside, you should try to keep your stance approximately-somewhere around the high to low 40's. If you feet aren't too big, I bet this is what you have on your M6. The stance is key + your foot size = how wide of a board you will order to make a deep heel side that doesn't boot out. I ordered an extremely wide Coiler Nirvana, for a carve board, 24cm to get this 'surf' feeling with a 28.5cm boot; don't be afraid to do the same. This wide Coiler is SO much fun and what else really matters? Best of luck Cheers Rob

Hi Snowlove After reading Kelly Slaters thoughts on turning a bit closer, his comment about surfers changing their foot placement seemed very relevant to your quest for a deep heelside turn on a snowboard. We boarders obsess about binding placement and angles, wouldn't it be great if snowboard bindings allowed us to move our feet around for different turns in different terrains! This leads me to my next point regarding variable sidecut radius, would it go too far to say that the tip and tail of a variable sidecut radius board are asymmetrical? (Example Nose=10m, between the feet=12m, tail=11m) We can't move our feet around on a snowboard. We can, however, shift our weight/hips forward or back slightly (front vs back foot weight) to change the turn we want to make. This is particularly evident on a variable sidecut snowboard. Have you had a chance to try a Variable Sidecut Radius? I think that a VSR might be one step closer to what you are after for your surf turns and a 'similar' feeling to changing your turn by moving your feet around on a surfboard. A VSR is fun and will make you acutely aware of where you are loading your board, which may help with Beckmann's and Mr Slaters suggestion regarding keeping your weight back on the board when rocketing though that deep heelside you are after:) Just a thought. Rob

Check out this video of a Coiler soft boot carving board. I bet that this type metal carve inspired board would let you lay in to a deep, hip turned, straighter front leg, heelside surf type carve as Coilers have SUPER edge hold! You don't need an Assym board, just any board that can really hold an edge. Next you need to add a boot binding combination (hard or soft) that will permit you to both move your body into the surf position you desire ... while at the same time supporting your foot/ankle during the huge edge pressure of a hard turn. After reading your quotes from above, my next question is what board, boots, bindings and stance angles you are riding when searching for this heelside feeling? Cheers Rob

My initial thought is to hope for a bit of feedback from the master himself, Bruce of Coiler. I am pretty sure he builds asymmetrical cores on a board with symmetrical heel and toe sidecuts. Here is that Tom Curren Video Link again. After your slow reply I thought that perhaps it wasn't relevant to the thread, so I deleted it; guess I just need to be a bit more patient:) Cheers Rob

The internet has made the Alpine World a pretty cool small community. I really look forward to meeting you (again), and perhaps Lowrider, ... at good old PK! Have a good summer Rob

Hi There Yes, I am the guy with the Rossi Undertaker. That Donek sounds like a lot of fun as does the EC metal board! Maybe we have met sometime before as I haven't meet another guy with a ST over the years? Greg's name is not ringing a bell ... but I can't seem to remember names these days, so maybe? Filling a couple chairs with hard boots would be pretty cool, but for now I am praying for warmer weather:) Cool Rob

Hey, can't believe there is another carver up this way! Guess I am going to have to try be rider #5 some day:) I agree 100% Yes! This is why I asked Bruce so many questions about SCR and ended up with a 10/12/11. Tabor, Troll, Purden are similar with regards to grooming and being narrow. Smithers in the exception, it is like a wide open groomed high way. I am a long time Prince George guy. I make it up to Dawson once in a while as I coach my son's hockey team. Rob

Hey Again I have to tell you that I am very impressed that you made it to PK from Ontario, this is a long way to a remote ride. At the same time I am glad to hear that you had such a good time as being remote place has some big advantages as you found out first hand. My feeling is that no one should be pillared for anything on this site, boarding is too much fun, life is short and I am getting too old for it. Your comments about your daughter riding the shorter board and you son working hard to rip his 185 make a lot of sense to me. It's hard work, quad burning work, to rip big GS turns on a 185 top to bottom of PK. Surfing a fun board, perhaps skid/carving - Slarving in the soft snow, usually at a bit slower speed, for me is easier on the legs .... both are EQUALLY as fun! OK, now it's my turn to hope to not get pillared for a few thoughts:) Lately I haven't been as concerned about the length of a board, the SCR and the flex seem to be more of a key issue. I have 3 boards that are all 175cm long, the difference in the way they ride is amazing to me. I am a 6 foot plus guy, weighing in at 200 plus pounds, so the 175 seems like a good size for me. These three boards I use plates with: 1) 175 Alpine with a 13m SCR (My guess is that this would feel 'similar' to your son's 185) 2) 175 Alpine/AM with a 10/12/11 SCR (My guess is that this is VERY similar to your AM) 3) 175 FreeRide with a 10m SCR (My guess is that this would be like your Daughter's board) When traveling to PK by bus, and wanting to travel light and be relatively prepared for most conditions, I take two boards and one pair of hard boots. I think a more carve oriented Coiler AM and quality freeride/powder board would be a good combo on your next trip to PK and a pretty good way to vary how hard or easy you have to work your legs to get down the hill; after a killer long road trip getting there!!! So, my boards are the same length ... but slarving the freeride board is much easier on the legs. OK, full disclosure. This past year I asked Bruce to build me a Coiler for the conditions in Northern BC, which can be VERY mixed due to the changing weather patterns. I ended up with a 175 Nirvana with a 10/12/11 SCR with the Balance Flex Pattern. I really enjoyed this fun SCR as it turns like a shorter board and the Balance flex pattern proved to be great in mixed conditions. When it really snows, I pull out the swallowtail and softboots. Hey, hope this helps a bit:) Rob

Hey Does wanting to go shorter for PK mean that you wanted tighter turning for your next build? Couple more curious questions. What are the sidecut radius' on your 173 AM and the 157 Crazy Creek? You would think that your AM would be perfect for 12cm of new snow. Were you wanting a quicker board for the trees or the ability to make tighter turns on the groomed runs? I have a few boards specifically for PK. I find it interesting to hear what a new set of 'Hard Boot' eyes sees with regards to an opinion towards the next board for PK. Rob

Hi Lowrider I have been following and have enjoyed reading your recent posts about Powder King, I know this place very well. Was your post on shorter boards and your year end trip to PK related? They seemed to be. If I read between the lines correctly it seemed like you wished you had a different stick for Northern BC, was this the case? Just curious, that's all. I hope there was enough new snow for you to head over to the old Azu lift line? Before PK was PK, it was called Azu and the tag line was "Powder up to your Azu." FYI - 30 more days riding and 30 years younger would REALLY help me as well:) Cheers Rob

Even though I have had zero issues with the plastic F2 Rs, the thought of them breaking is why I ponder the TD SW mods. I agree with BlueB, I no longer try to modify stiff bindings .... but I wondered if others have tried or have any thoughts. I also believe that threads like these are why the TD SW's exist today:) Cheers Guys Rob

Hi Bryan Perhaps removing material from a firmer e-pads would allow the movement, without creating slop, in a more progressive manner ... but still permitting more movement. Add to this that maybe the same movement could be gained, using the same principle as above, by removing material from the firmer red elestomer, under the perfectly round red Boiler Plate cant disk. (I imagine cutting out a few perfect circles from the elestomer.) For me the purpose of the movement is to permit the body to rotation and also to move my weight more fore and aft, with flat stance angles, when floating on a surface that does not make it possible to push off of a solid surface (hard pack vs pow). I think my goal is a bit different than the 'suspension' of bindings (and old legs like ours:) that you mentioned in your comments about binding selection and the type of condition. Thanks again for your thoughts. Rob

Hi Bryan Thank you for your feedback on the various TD's. Your comments regarding the TD sidewinders is the same information, regarding flex when compared to other bindings, that I have gleaned from the many posts here at Bomber. Many riders love the TD sidewinders, both Standard and Step In, exactly as they are. It also seems that many riders stay away from the TD SW's as they have a different feel then, for example, the F2 line of plate bindings; too high, heavy and stiff is what I have read other riders post. Byan, I have also read that you are an equipment junky and a guy that likes to tinker (or Tinkler;) in the workshop ... so I have a question(s) of you (or maybe Fin): 1) Have you seen, tried or pondered any TD SW modifications that made is possible to further soften up the TD SW's ... so that they would be soft enough for a guy like you to use them in powder?? 2) What would it take, with regard to modifications, to make the TD SW Step Ins feel as soft as the F2 Standard Race bindings? 3) Could the TD SW (standard or step in) be modified to make them as soft laterally as the F2 Carve RS, my preferred binding for powder ... I too am over 200 pounds? Ideas: Remove some of the material in the e-pads, so that they can compress more, allowing more movement. Us the Boiler plate TD cant disk (the lower, perfectly round, center cant disk) to reduce the height and weight. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Rob Yes, I know the warranty would be void!

Hi Cheers Rob

Hi Respiritu The advantage of a step in binding, for ECers, FreeCarvers and racers, is a shorter overall boot length. My thinking was that the FreeCarvers and EC guys with a big foot would be able to use a narrower board, less leverage on the ankle, and not boot out. For a racer my guess was that the shorter boot length would result in a narrower board, less leverage on the ankle, quicker edge to edge transitions (1000ths of a second) and also still not boot out. For me personally, lateral movement would trump all these factors If the only advantage is not bending over, then I agree that this is not reason enough to change the NW's. Cheers Rob

Hi Seb Why don't racers use step ins? Do step in bindings transmit more vibrations then standard toe bail bindings? Thanks for any insights here. Cheers Rob

Hi Jack I have the softer grey/blue .900's, not the stiffer .950's. Below are a few thoughts that I hope may help a bit with understand the legend-myth of the NW boots. For many Northwave owners these boots are a gift from the snowboard Gods whose design was ahead of its time. For others they are over rated, out dated and not that big of a deal. As is often the case, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle of these two points of view. I have been riding Northwave .900 for around 10 years. My experience as a recreational weekend rider and the many recent posts about them has me inspired to spout off a few highly biased snowboard opinions. As a frame of reference I became a hardbooter, in cheap rear entry ski boots in, 1989. Soon after I moved to Raichle 121 mountaineering boots, next was Raichle 224 and 325's and am currently using Northwave .900. The boots listed are the basis of my highly biased opinions; please take them with a grain of salt! Of the 5 pairs of hard boots I have used over the past many years my Northwaves are, for me, the best boots I have ever owned. The question is Why? More biased opinions. NorthWave Spring System: IMHO the NW spring systems design, that is a simple, light, adjustable for both lean and flex and strong, was years ahead of its time. The Northwave Shell: After examining and using the NW boot, IMHO, the shell of the NW boot was designed with two goals in mind. 1) The shell has been designed to fully and completely support the stresses and pressures that are applied to the shell via the spring system. (The very stiff, and thick in certain areas, plastic shell does not deform/buckle/bulge when the spring system is putting huge forces on it; the stiff, thick plastic supports and protect the ankle). 2) To allow the ankle to move as freely and naturally as possible, deep knee bend motion not laterally, this is a key point. (The pivot mechanism and the plastic around it are both very strong and allow the upper and lower shell to move very freely without binding. When the spring is taken off the boot and the liner removed, it is amazing how easily the boot pivots.) NWs, the Ride: When wearing/riding the NW boot, plastic shell portion of the boot feels like a perfectly formed rock hard cast that is really, really stiff and hard. When riding and receiving a hard ankle jarring impact, your ankle and the rider has a protected, supported and safe feeling. The spring system and the supporting plastic seem to protect your ankle even if the impact is so hard that the spring bottoms out. At the same time you are feeling protected, you also still have the feeling of being able bend your ankles freely. Northwave, a few Cons If I was throwing in my 2 cents on how the NW boots could be improved during a redesign, I would change a few things: 1) Make the foot bed as low as possible. I don't think that the base of the foot needs as high off of the board as it is. The use of an Apex type race plate these days makes stack height a concern, so make the boot as low as possible. 2) Plastic that is not affected by temperature. When very cold the NW tongue can get very stiff, restricting ankle movement. 3) Ramp Angle. I am not sure what to call this? I am also not sure whether more or less ramp angle is the way to go. That said, the NW boot has a lot of heel lift built into the boot. 4) Step In Compatible. The marriage of NorthWave boots and TD Sidewinder Step Ins would be a magic combination. IMHO if the boot controls PRIMARILY the forward flex and the binding controls PRIMARILY the lateral flex, boot-binding Nirvana might be found:1luvu: 5) Stronger buckles as they do break. Many guys have only so many parts and they keep milking their boots along with their bone yard of scraps. I think that the Northwave boots do deserve a lot of recognition as a great boot that was ahead of its time, can all those racers just be wrong? They are not perfect and the original design needs a re-design. Until something else comes along, I am very happy and lucky to have 2 pairs that will probably see me out. Cheers Rob

Hello A bunch of years ago I had a similar post that yielded some valuable responses from the forum. Here is a link that I hope proves to be both interesting and helpful. http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?3832-Hard-Moguls-the-Final-Frontier&highlight=moguls%2C+final+frontier%3F Cheers Rob

Hi Fin Why? To the untrained eye it would appear that you would need the SAME e-pad under the heel and the toe of the binding, in order to have uniformed movement laterally of the boot and binding. If the heel is a stiff e-pad and the toe is a soft e-pad ... how is the movement uniformed? I am sure the movement is uniformed, but how does this work? Thanks for taking the time to clue in the untrained eye. Cheers Rob

Hi Sean Would using the either of the two set ups stated below change your answer regarding which boards are safe? A wide alpine board (21 to 23 cm), lower stance angles (Low 50's High 40's) with softer Standard Toe Bail TD3 Sidewinders. vs A skinny alpine board (15 to 18cm), higher stance angles (Low 60's High 50's) with stiffer TD3 Step Ins. Being a non engineering type, I am trying to understand why and where the force 'may' cause an issue. I remember the old TD1 issues, but was still quite surprised to read Fin's disclaimer regarding the lower binding assembly. To the non engineer type it seems like the BP version lower assembly would behave a lot like the newer Catek lower assembly, perfectly round, etc. Also, would the sidewinders movement help to take some of the stress away from the boards' inserts? The lower and 1/2 pound lighter binding assembly is really interesting. Thank you for your reply(s) and expert insights ... and the videos are fun to watch:) Rob

Hi Fin In the video above you have the BP Version mounted directly to the board, no plate. The information from the Bomber Store indicates that this is not recommended. Can you shed a bit of light on this? Thanks Rob

Hello Sincere apologies to Barry, often communicating through a forum leads to misunderstandings that are NOT intended. I honestly could not tell if the original post was a troll or was a guy truly looking to discuss an idea, thank you Corey for putting some light on this. This line of ribbing reminds me of when a very prominent forum member posted that he likes to ride with his front binding higher than his back binding. If I recall correctly he rode with heel lift in the back foot, the front foot elevated and flat. Essentially he was riding with a double heel lift and a front elevated foot. Yes, Fin called this the 'gas pedal' and suggested guys just give it a try. Fin did not receive any friendly ribbing for his set up suggestion. What I take away from this is to not be afraid to get the screw driver out, blow an hour testing something crazy as you never know what knowledge and learning that you may come away with; if you are a master at setting up a board you have spent years doing this! I wonder what inspired Fin to raise up his front binding? His curious nature, and I am sure many crazy tests, seems to have lead to a better understanding and some great gear for everyone. Cheers Rob

Hello From this thread and others I have gleaned the following information: Northwave Hardboots - Have a LARGE amount of heel lift built into the boot. Raichle/Deeluxe - Have a MEDIUM amount of heel lift built into the boot. Head/Blax - Have a SMALL amount of heel lift built into the boot. Why? What are the advantages, disadvantages of more or less built in heel lift in a boot? (Any boot experts out there?) There must be a reason as to why different designers came up with different heel height measurements. Thanks in advance. Rob

Hi Jack Nothing at all. If I read the original post correctly I 'thought' the original posters question was a powder question (14cm of snow was mentioned), then the thread developed ... so I am not really sure anymore? My testing comments had zero to do with carving on hardpack. Hey, I was NOT recommending anything here! A guy posts that he tried, by accident, double heel lift. Next another guy post that years ago he tried double toe lift ... that's it! Just discussing and kicking ideas around, like I think a forum is meant to do? But what do I know? Cheers Rob