xy9ine

covering an average deck in 24k gold leaf would cost ~$500 (quick guesstimate based on googled current prices). that's a decent margin!

good-natured humor, or bitter sarcasm? you be the judge.

heated debate is good stuff - it's indicative of passion for the sport as well as challenging the status quo - which is healthy & (hopefully) stimulates progression. important for a micro niche such as this to sustain itself & maintain relevance. i like to think that the 'newschool' alpine gear (generally more versatile & forgiving) as spawned by a few pioneering spirits here will foster growth in the sport.

me too. i generally prefer minimalist / industrial aesthetics, and exposed guts (to me) are totally hot. strip away the superfluous, i say. (not surprisingly, i'm a total weight weenie when it comes to bike builds). i've got a clear topsheet hammerhead wcr metal in the works that should be on a similar cosmetic wavelength.

i think it's totally hot. the naysayers just have a less evolved sense of aesthetics. :)

it's stubby!

it's pointy!

it's a different set of kinesthetics as well on really steep stuff that's a total rush - ie, the rapid loss of elevation, not to mention the focus & heightened awareness that's a byproduct of riding something that has the potential to kick your ass if you lose an edge. just another fun facet of the sport.

yeah. seems to be a standard issue with new carvers unaccustomed to steep binding angles - and i speak from experience, having transitioned from a duckfoot softboot setup to alpine last year. for me, it was hard to overcome my well-established tendency to keep my body perpendicular to the board, thus heelsides have been problematic. there's lots of helpful discussion on this issue on this board - a great resource.

rad graphics!

where is this mystical place of deserted runs? i cannot comprehend.

awesome. huge respect for the cottage industry types such as yourself kicking it oldschool, yet building state of the art gear. a refreshing change from corporate driven industry. i love the mad scientist garage tinkerers (my dh bike is an unorthodox carbon monocoque gearbox thing designed & built by one guy in a garage shop). keep up the great work! despite the hours, seems like a great career - a labor of love.

just curious - as a one man show, what kind of hours go into building a board from scratch? (directed @ bruce).

i opted for the metal. may as well see what all the fuss is about. i have to mention that prior are great people - great communication & a pain-free transaction so far.

prior approved the replacement. now i've got a dilemma - get a inventory board (with a minor blem) right away, or wait 3 weeks for a new build glass board, or pay $200 + 3 weeks for a metal. what to do, oh wise ones? (i've never ridden metal, though i'm aware of the glowing reviews).

amazingly sexy, both. enjoy!

looks neat (on the right). anybody ride one yet?

though i probably wouldn't leave an exotic deck lying about unsecured for extended periods, i'm guessing the likelihood of a thief nabbing anything skinny with plates is probably pretty low to nonexistent. they'd have no idea what it is or what to do with it. i've never locked an alpine board (at lunch, etc), though i have used the dakine retractable w/ my soft gear.

my first board was a gnu antigravity (with ski boots strapped into highbacks). as i just transitioned from sking, it's carving ability was a revelation compared to the other floppy boards available at the time. my home hill at the time was mt.baker; olsen & the gnu clan were a regular sight. i lusted after the race room w/ the pink squiggle. yeah, it'd be cool to see mervin produce an alpine deck. they're doing some pretty wild stuff (i was checking out a lib tech cygnus x-1 the other day - seriously trick).

things sound positive from my initial conversation with them. have to ship the deck & await the final word. if all goes well, i may also have the option to upgrade to a metal for a charge (though i'd have to wait a few weeks for the build) - bit of a dilemma.

glass. brand new, second ride. too be safe, i retired the thing & pulled out my ancient option c165 last night - definitely made me realize how far the boards have come. yuck.

whoa. guess i'll cross my fingers & wait to see what the good people @ prior have to say.

(random avatar comment) devy rules!

with any luck, you'll inspire others to give alpine a go. it amazes me it's still such a fringe sport. i like to think that now that conventional snowboarding is mainstream, the alternative-ness of hardbooting will fuel a new resurgence. maybe as the current population ages, we'll see more 'mature' riders transitioning. it'd be nice to be able to fondle / demo / buy gear from a local shop some day...

are they a not-uncommon malady with modern hardware? had a stuff @ moderate speed in a soft pocket on my shiny new wcr yesterday, no big deal, kept merrily riding for the rest of the evening. i was mounting my even shinier new td3's (sweet hardware!) today & noticed a small crease in the topsheet in front of the forward binding, as well as nonexistant camber in the front half of the board. seems i bent the thing. this sucks. is it safe to ride for the time being or is it wall art? it seems to have retained it's stiffness & didn't perform oddly post-incident (granted, i don't have much of a baseline for comparison). are manufacturers at all sympathetic in cases like this? might have been an expensive couple rides...