~tb

Got into an interesting conversation with a couple other hardbooters the other day that wanted to open to a larger conversation, based on the question, one could grasp that some people were "bomber people" and others were "catek people." So here is the question: Rank order the adjustments below starting with the one that you would prefer to be most easily adjustable (therefore the one you would adjust most often) all the way down to the one that you would most sacrifice accessibility (likely an adjustment that you make once or twice in a bindings life). Place your rank ordering in the ( ). Don't just answer based on your current binding, think about what adjustments you would actually like to make. ( )stance width ( )binding angle ( )cant ( )lift ( )boot tension (moving a toe/heel block or TD3 bail fine adjustment) ( )boot bias For those of you who also ride softboots, would your order be different on your softboot setup?

. . . sean just makes a well balanced board!

New Donek Wood Veneer topsheet Incline 160 for those . . . not so hard days.

are you looking for $$ or to trade for a donek or boiler plate? If $$, how much?

Please take this with a grain of salt as I am a known Donek loyalist. Base on plate and board development in the last year, I agree with Jasey jay Anderson that boards and plates need to be developed to work well together as a system. With that said, and your statement that your board is the rev 185, I would highly recommend going with the new Donek AF plate. It was designed specifically around the rev boards and particularly the 185. That being said, I think the new AF plate will work well on other boards but it particularly shines on the Rev 185

My guess is Bryan has the upper hand in this trade! A would have to the cash route as I Don't have td's and my wife would kill me If I took her carbon co2s! Photos of the cateks? And are they frs or fr2s?

Please define juicy, cause I'm interested in cateks. What are you looking for?

I think I know what you mean here, but can you explain a little further? Are you talking about asymmetric plate flexes?

the board I was riding was the latest iteration on the rev 185 with a new "af plate" on it. Interesting idea. I have been looking at a combined plate binding combo, but am not ready to give up angle adjustment ability.

Couldn't agree with your more here James. This is exactly what I was feeling in the prototype at Hood. It was really cool that I could get the benefits of the isolation when I needed and wanted them, but also engage the board more directly with very small adjustments in my body position. It was like the best of both worlds. . . and I know that these concepts are still evolving.

Sure. . . Tinkler has been on this train for a while design "derby" style plates that flex along with the board. I think the next evolution (that Tinkler of all people should be able to do quite well) will involve the same kind of integration with a plate that isolates more than his older "derby" style system boards. I know he has been dabbling with the new plate concepts and will be very interested to see what comes out of his shop next season (and hope that I can get on one). Hey Bryan, I know that you had a picture of a complete Tinkler Board with Tinkler plate, do you know if he has made more? There is a LOT of iterative refinement that needs to take place to get them to truly work well as a single system, but when it is right, watch out!

I have finally mentally digested all of the equipment I got to play with on my trip to mount hood and feel compelled to share this one lasting impression with you all. I was absolutely blown away by one particular board and plate combination that I tested, and it was NOT the one I expected to love. We were riding on hideously tight groomed. . . ice. . . and this board and plate were just working so well in concert that I didn't want to stop riding or even slow down until my legs forced me. It was fun race style carving, it was fun free carving, heck, could even lay out a fairly easy eurocarve. When I was chatting with Sean from Donek about the evolution of the board, he explained how that board has been evolving solely with a plate on it and never without, and you could tell. The board has been refined such that you must ride it with a plate, and furthermore, with the plate at the designed axel spacing. Everything just worked without having to think about setup, or where the axel should be, or where I wanted to move it to. There was only one answer and it just worked. Where am I going with this. . . get ready for System boards in the next several years (Boards and plates that are designed and paired together and not necessarily interchangeable). Other people have said it, but to get the true benefit out of all of this, a board must be designed in concert with the plate that will be placed on it and the intended axel spacing known and accommodated for by the board builder (Encompassing flex of the plate, flex of the board, stiffness of the hardware, and how each of them impacts the other . . . not just, yeah, there are a set of inserts where you want to put your axels). Getting away from all this interchangeability will allow for lower, lighter, and higher performing plate systems, but we will sacrifice being able to tweak axel spacing all day long (rather than ride), and might be limited in being able to put a "new plate" from a system board onto an old rock board. Based on what I rode out at Hood, the board I will order next year will have NO 4X4 inserts, and only one set of plate mount inserts, placed at the location Sean has designed the flex pattern of the board to receive the input of the plate. If you have a chance to demo/borrow/buy a board plate combo that have been refined together like this, I highly recommend it.

Thankyou to you Bryan and all our excellent hosts in the northwest. My first trip here and certainly not my last! Today's conditions were the best yet with the snow holding up longer than my legs and stomach could. We got some good video and other stuff to share in the upcoming weeks. Gavin was out again today and was a very helpful guide in finding some great conditions. Can't wait to get back out here. Anyone know how much it costs to rent a groomed lane in June?

I'm looking forward to this trip and hoping we can meet up with some of you both on and off the hill!

You might be surprised. I have a 2 channel frequency recording system set up that fits into 2 pockets, or EASILY into one of those camel back packs (without the bladder). I agree with you though, it is about getting rid of certain frequencies, without getting rid of them ALL.

(I said I wasn't going to post to this train wreck. . . . I said I wasn't going to post to this train wreck. . . .I said I wasn't going to post to this train wreck. . . .I said I wasn't going to post to this train wreck. . . .I said I wasn't going to post to this train wreck. . . .I said I wasn't going to post to this train wreck. . . .DAMMIT!) John, Just for us people watching this thread with a bowl of popcorn and morbid curiosity to see where its going. . . Maybe I am reading this line wrong, but it sounds to a third party observer that you are trying to claim that you coined the phrase "One good turn deserves another," or am I reading this wrong? http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/quid-pro-quo.html And by the way, most importantly, Andy, I am glad you received such prompt result from Kessler. Sounds like they are living up to be the class act that the world cup racers believe they are!

My wife will be out for first runs. If you ind her in the base lodge before 7:30, she has an early access guest pass (if you don't already have access) that can get you on the mountain at 7:45 as long as you have a valid ticket/pass

All, Below you will find the long overdue race results. I will try to get individual run times added when those are found.

It will probably take me a day or so to get to this. I would like to think shipping will be less than $3 Which vintage (color) boot do you have. There were 2 styles of ankle straps irc.

I have a set of size 26 af600a that I can rip parts of if you have a way to attach them on your end. If interested, I would just need to make sure the one Ou need is still in working order.

I too also highly recommend the latest Donek metals! I currently have 3 in my quiver. . . And you won't be seeing any of those in the for sale threads ;-) I might be able to offer one up, but as it is only 1 year old with about 3 days on it in not sure it would be the deal you are looking for.

I have several, near new condition glass Donek 185s that I would consider selling. I could be realistic on pricing as its not the latest tech, but I think it has 1 or 2 runs on some if them.

Still have them, still want them gone. Yes you would need longer screws. I am a cartel rider and don't have any longer bomber screws. I think I have some longer cartel screws that should work, but are 4mm hex key rather than 5.

So, what was not right about the board DrCR had to offer. I have a couple doneks that I might sell but im not sure if they would fit the bill any better. Is there a certain model, length, construction, vintage, waist width, weight range or price point you were looking to meet?