SunSurfer

April 15, 2013

Lowrider, is the Pope Catholic? ;))

April 14, 2013

Have fun with the board!
"Factory Boarding" was the PALE Snowboard brand (see hot stamp logo)

Pale stoped production in 2008.

Was sold also as the "Drive" (on Group 26). Mold-No. is 913

Has Tip-to Tail woodcore and a sintered base.

Edge is 150cm, waist 194mm, tip&tail 245mm

SCR is 11.5m, stance offset 25mm

The Drive has been build on 3 length: 160cm / 170cm / 178cm (SCR 14m, waist 202mm)

Official sales price from Pale was Euro 230.-

If you want buy a brand new one, you get it now for Euro 50.- in Europe.

Jagaball Berlin (Germany) sells it under the own label Jagaball.

They had only the 170cm board.

Price was once at Euro 259.-, now you can order it for Euro 50.-

I think thats realy a good price for carvers on low budget seeking for a new alpine snowboard.

Beware, it is not a beginners shape!

Don't think it's poor quality. Pale was once worlds biggest ski & snowboard factory, even for well known brands.

Measurements above confirmed by checking actual board which as advertised is unridden.

Additional details

1cm camber

58cm between outermost binding inserts

BOBSI = 13 (which makes it a pretty stiff board)

PS: Found the Jagaball link referred to above

http://www.jagaball.de/Boardsport/-233.html

SunSurfer

April 14, 2013

After 5 weeks of incessant sciatic nerve issues I'm curious if any forumites have turned to chiropractic care for relief. This followed a sore lower back after two days in the pow. That pain and stiffness responded to treatment but obviously an underlying issue remains..

Having had sciatica since August 2012 I have not, and would not ever, consider going to see a chiropracter. I have a very small L4-5 disc prolapse which is irritating one particular nerve root. The findings on the MRI are entirely consistent with the distribution of symptoms that I have. I am an anaesthesiologist (specialist anaesthetist) who works regularly with a spinal surgeon. He has provided advice to me as I've worked through this.

Do you actually have sciatica, or just a sore back?

Sciatica is a syndrome of ache/pain, numbness or altered sensation, and/or leg weakness, with symptoms extending below the knee. The primary cause is nerve irritation to one or more of the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve, or the nerve itself. The irritation can be at spine level or occasionally by muscle pressure as the nerve follows it's course through the buttock to the back of the leg.

At spine level the pain can be due to a combination of physical pressure from a squeezed out (prolapsed) intervertebral disc, or from narrowing of the spinal canal, or narrowing the holes in the side of the spine where the nerve roots exit to join up and form the sciatic nerve. If the problem is due to a disc prolapse part of the problem may be due to inflammation chemicals released by the damaged disc.

How to relieve the symptoms will depend upon what the actual problem is.

If you have a sore back, see who you like. Keep active, concentrate on exercises that strengthen the muscles of your abdomen and spine.

If you have sciatica and the symptoms have not resolved spontaneously within a couple of months then go see a doctor to find out what is actually causing the problem.

Controlling my symptoms:

I have a small prolapse. For me, 200mg of ibuprofen taken twice a day controls most of my symptoms to where it doesn't stop me doing stuff. Occasionally I add in a 500mg acetaminophen (paracetamol)/8mg codeine tab.

I do core muscle strengthening exercises. I stretch out my hamstring muscles, which have been very tight for many years, to take some of the pressure off my lower back when I bend forward. I sit as much as possible on a kneeler chair to improve my posture.

Late last year the tablets and the exercises were just not cutting it. I was starting to get ready to consider having a surgical procedure to treat the problem. It was at this point that I had my MRI because up until then I was not willing to even consider having an operation. When the prolapse was found my surgical friend recommended a steroid epidural, with the aim of damping down the inflammation from the chemicals released by the damaged disc. I took my time thinking about that as an option, steroids are very powerful drugs and there are, like everything in medicine, some potential side effects and complications from the treatment. I was planning to go to SES in February so I finally had my epidural done in mid January, long enough ahead for any problems to be sorted and for the treatment to have a good chance to work but to have not yet worn off.

It took about 2 weeks for the effect of the slow release steroid drug to really kick in. I was essentially symptom free for SES and remained so up until about 6 weeks ago when the symptoms gradually started to return. They remain controllable with exercises/stretches and the same sorts of doses of medication that I used before.

My spinal surgeon colleague is very clear. Don't have an operation unless you have exhausted every other option and you are desperate to get relief.

The studies in the orthopaedic literture are pretty clear too. Sciatica tends to resolve over time, with or without an operation.

That said, it is something you should be guided through by an expert, not by people who cannot talk to you directly or examine you on a snowboarding website.

The appropriate treatment depends upon what is the underlying cause of your symptoms.

SunSurfer

April 8, 2013

Interesting nose shape for an 8 year old board. Good luck with your find. I assume you were looking for something interesting to buy your wife when this stumbled into your view !:rolleyes:

I have ongoing searches on Trade Me (NZ's e-Bay) for alpine gear with e-mails of search results as things turn up. I've picked up a Riot Supercarve, a Coiler AM, an old Avalanche board with Snowpro hard bindings, a pair of mondo 28.0 Northwave .950s, and two pairs of Deeluxe hard boots from it over about 4 years just by keeping my eyes open. And now this board with the wicked topsheet for NZ$95. All I need now is the onesy to match!!!!! :)

The seller clearly had no idea what they were selling, and yes it was clear from the get go that the photo showed the tail, not the nose.

The specs posted make it sound like a very nice freecarve machine for tighter trails.

SunSurfer

April 7, 2013

The answer to my own question eventually came via a little more information from the seller and the InterNet Wayback machine at http://archive.org/web/web.php

http://web.archive.org/web/20060810191521/http://palesport.com/boards.htm

The board was made by Pale Snowboards, probably dates from 2004-5. The model disappears from Pale's archived webpages after about 2005-6. The site was archived only intermittently.

The Spook was a "race carve" shape and flex, made in 160-178cm lengths. Wood core, ABS sidewalls. At that time Pale made 3 other alpine boards, the G11, G12 & G13 (all cap construction, woodcore).

I've just agreed to buy the board, the 170cm version, and get to pick it up in a week's time. It's said to be in new condition. If it turns out to be a dud, I won't have wasted a lot of money!

Will report more when I get to ride it once enough snow arrives here in 3-4 months time.

SunSurfer

March 31, 2013

His times were 24.15 on Friday and 23.13 on Saturday.
For the rest of us, the fastest time was 27.51 on Friday and 25.56 on Saturday. CK hasn't lost any skill. It sure was an eye opener to watch him.

Friday's best 13.91% over a Chris Klug par.

Saturday's best 10.50% over Chris Klug par.

Cross checking the NASTAR National Champs results site and doing a little math

M Hogan (M50-54) & D Brook(M40-44) shared the fastest Friday handicap at 23.09 over par.

D Brook fastest Sat handicap at 22.06 over par.

Working out the par time they would appear to have been rated against and then comparing it with Chris Klug's times we get

CK Friday: 8.05 over par

CK Saturday: 10.45 over par

On that basis it would appear the 10% handicap allowance that snowboarders get is about right for NASTAR competition.

Pat, if you have more accurate information I'd be glad to see it posted.

SunSurfer

March 28, 2013

another question - how many of you GUYS eat avocados? Having an argument in which I was told no guys eat avocados.

I eat avocados, especially when they're in season here! If other people don't like them, then all the more for me. Don't tell people they're delicious!

Of course there's guacamole, which I'm sure a lot of guys will have eaten, not necessarily realising what it is.

March 22, 2013

Thanks to MaxCarver for posting on YouTube!

March 22, 2013

SunSurfer

March 13, 2013

You relocated the ankle buckle there? Does that keep the middle two buckles from hitting each other? That appears to affect flex quite a bit when they do.

I relocated the ankle buckle attachment point to the boot cuff cant adjustment attachment point.

In the original position the 3rd (ankle) buckle moves forward as the boot flexes forward so impingement is likely. However the real reason Heads are so stiff is that in the original position the 3rd buckle locks the cuff in place once it has been tightened up.

In the modified position, with the buckle attached at the axis of rotation of the cuff, there is nil/minimal movement of the 3rd buckle as the boot flexes freely forward. Only now does the excess plastic at the back of the shell and the point where the cuff rubs on the shell at the base of the rear slot become important in how the boot is able to flex forward.

In the modified position the ankle buckle now locks down the ankle even when the boot is flexed forward, because it does not move as the boot flexes. The heel hold down is also more effective than before because of the change in angle as the attachment point moves lower and pulls the foot down and into the heel of the boot liner.

As far as I can see no one has come up with this mod sequence before. It's a radical change, and so people are likely to pause for thought before they do it. It is possible to do the mod without removing the boss that sits in the curved slot. That would allow you to try it, and return to the original configuration if you don't like it.

I ridden it like this for 15 days and I won't be going back. No shin bang. Good forward flex allowing me to get lower in the turns. Perfectly adequate sideways stiffness for edge control.

This is the only photo I've got of the boot mod in action in Aspen, cropped down to show max detail. Unfortunately I was not deep in a carved turn at the time, but my rear leg is well flexed forward.

March 13, 2013

Too stealth for the action photographers - I like this shot of me with my duck, by softbootsailer. I heard most snowboarders are into this duck thing, so I got a duck and it was great! I've never carved better! :)
[ATTACH]33833[/ATTACH]

Too stealth nothing, you're in action in the Steeps Clinic video doing J and linked turns for Carve Master Corey.

Credit:Riceball, taken during the Intermediate Clinic.

March 13, 2013

I've relocated the ankle (3rd) buckle as well as cut a smaller amount of plastic than many. BTS and Booster straps. Intec cable on the inside of the boot.

Watch the video to see exactly what I've done and the results in terms of increased forward flex when the boot is buckled up on my leg/foot.

Rode these in this configuration 15 days straight at Aspen in the lead up to and during SES 2013. Raced NASTAR with them on the same trip and very happy.

182cm and 81kg.

SunSurfer

March 13, 2013

NASTAR is all I get access to on my trips to SES. USASA looks like more of a challenge. That said, this year I raced head to head with two other alpine boarders in my time in Aspen.

March 12, 2013

You're getting a taste of NASTAR. It can get addictive. I was in Aspen for two weeks this year and bought a season pass which paid for itself fairly quickly.

The courses reward smooth carved turns and everything you can do to hold your speed up. Got my best handicap down from 44 to 28 with practice, but to get the 28 needed a very smooth run with carved turns both sides all the way.

Practice is the key, and I'm sure it makes me a better rider, especially in those moments when you need to suddenly change direction when you hadn't originally planned to.

SunSurfer

Alan McKenzie (NASTAR 50-54 National rankings)

March 8, 2013

This is up for sale locally in New Zealand. Looks like it would go well with Johnasmo's (and, I see from 2 posts down, dredman's!) onesie!

Google search brings up nothing. Anyone know anything about this board/brand?

March 5, 2013

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/shows/8383261/Commuter-scooter-of-the-future

watching these things corner appealed to the carver in me.

looking at how they achieve it appealed to the designer in me.

Sunsurfer

March 1, 2013

Hi guys !
I would like to know if any of you have size 29.5 feet and using a 21cm waist board could give my the lowest angle you can run your bindings to without boot owerhang.

Thanks !

Sean Martin's Donek website has a width estimator calculator for custom boards/boot size/biding angles that might allow you to begin to answer your own question.

http://donek.com/snowboards/alpine/rev/

Other issues also come into play in that

1/ large boots have less leeway in some bindings (esp. step ins) for centering the boot over the midline of the board to minimise overhang.

2/ the board's sidecut radius(i) will also affect the answer

In the end your answer may have to come from experimentation and some carpet carving

February 28, 2013

I'm in my early 50s, given the age difference a pick up line would have been kind of creepy, though momentarily I had the same kind of temptation. I really couldn't think of something a gentleman would say.

February 27, 2013

.......Good instructional video. We could use more like this........

When I ride the lifts and start talking to people about our sport and how I learned to ride, my line has been that basically I had to teach myself. That there are almost no instructors or teaching resources beyond the Bomber tech articles, Youtube videos of seriously accomplished riders making graceful and spectacular turns on impossibly steep slopes, or other riders you may happen upon. I think of myself as an intermediate level carver, and I'm sure I have bad habits in my riding style from being self taught.

The video is an attempt to improve that situation, to create an explicit teaching resource linking instruction to example riding.

I am not a professional videographer, Corey is not a professional snowboard instructor, just both of us love this sport.

When Corey volunteered to take the clinics at SES he had no idea he was going to be videoed and end up on Youtube.

The Steeps Clinic video is just a recording of as much of the clinic teaching as I could get while being in only one place at a time and trying to film both Corey's teaching and the riders trying to follow his teaching.

I know what I'd like to be able to tell people was available.

A planned instructional video or series of videos for beginners to intermediates, with a prepared teaching plan, script, and planned shots of riders providing example riding. This would be incredibly useful for people getting into carving and, I think, would also help to encourage people to try the sport and to make enough progress in the early stages to get them hooked.

February 25, 2013

2 comments stood out from my time at SES, and there were so many positive conversations over the 15 days I had in Aspen -

Female liftie in her 20s at the Village Express "Is that the most fun on earth to ride, or what?" (Kessler SL 162 with a BBP)

Rode the Elk Camp chair with a skier in his 60s on the last day, the kind of guy who is set in his ways and loves his skis. We talk on the chair about why I turned to carving boards and he says he'll follow me down. At the bottom he says "Yeah, that is kind of graceful. You're one of the few people who can keep up with me!"

February 25, 2013

Carve Factor - one of a number of videos shot

SES 2013 Steeps Clinic with Corey Dyck

February 24, 2013

Changed the status to "public".

February 22, 2013

here is the footage i took of the carve factor. sorry, i'm not johnasmo or Arclite... so it's not edited well (or hardly at all). i think i was about the 5th rider down, so the first 4 are missing (which includes mr. coiler). sorry mellow, i think you went before me too, but there is a later clip of you in there. and it pains me that bigdogdave is in there. i know, should've cut him out. :D

Trent, you did a great job on the part of the run below where Sean and I were shooting.

Maybe next year there'll be a number of cameras, all the footage gets given promptly to someone like John Gibson, and we get to see a longer run from each rider.

The first time this was done was always going to be a great learning exercise for all involved.

Thanks for posting.

Alan

February 21, 2013

http://s1283.beta.photobucket.com/user/AlanMcKenzieNZ/library/SES 2013

The photos on Photobucket have been reduced to 1800x1200 pixels. The originals are 6000x4000 and each image is 12-14MB in size.

If there are images you want in original size let me know the numbers and I'll arrange a Dropbox folder where you can download them from, rather than overloading your e-mail box.

To get the numbers, click on the cog in the top right corner of the image your cursor is hovering over and select the get links option. click the e-mail link to copy it, and then paste it into your message to me.

Not quite in the same league as Steve Recsky's superb images.

e-mail me at aj dot mckenzie at clear dot net dot nz

Alan

Simpler solution still. Download the images you want from Photobucket and send me the filenames of the images. I can easily figure it out from there.

February 20, 2013

Yet another SES trip Injury!
Was in Aspen for a week before SES and fell while racing NASTAR at Highlands. R hand index finger swollen and very bruised looking. Never mind, not too sore and all the joints work so I just kept on riding and racing through till the end of SES.

Arrived home 24 hours ago, saw my orthopaedic surgeon this am, fracture through first bone of R index finger (prox. phalanx) with fracture extending into the joint with the hand (MCPJ). Surgeons plan to operate within next 48 hours to reduce fracture and allow early full mobilisation to reduce stiffness in the joint.

Ah well, there has to be a price to pay for getting a NASTAR gold on the next run through after the fall!

SunSurfer (Alan McKenzie)

Just home from the hospital, 3 x 1.5mm diameter stainless steel screws holding together the 7 fragments of my broken finger bone inserted during a two and a half hour operation. Injury more severe than I had thought when I first saw the x-rays. Starting to think seriously about whether I will go in a race course again. Hand to be in splint for 3 weeks, then intensive physiotherapy to gain as much motion as possible.

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