Miguel

Imagine the face plant when that three foot skeg hits a submerged object floating in the lake! Kathunk!:( Actually it liooks pretty cool...I'm looking forward to the article. BTW...is that deck strong enough for Bombers?;)

My email is msupple@stny.rr.com Miguel

I'll take the Step Ins....please check your email! Miguel

After my "much anticipated" retirement arrives I'm thinkin'120 will just be a warmup! That of course is assuming that MY knees hold out which is in question! :rolleyes:

Over sixty...a banner year! Being a teacher I got 12 straight days during Xmas Break! Ask me again in a couple of years....after my much anticipated retirement!:D I'll be counting in months...not days!

I think next year I'll try staying on the skinny board longer and adjust my style. As for Jeff...I really do like the Incline. I rode it with my step in Bombers but and really got into the bumps this spring. I feel the hard boots are an advantage as they give me more stable support when landing jumps around and through the moguls. I did experiment quite a bit with the boots such as riding in the walk mode, loose/tight and different forward leans. The jury is still out on that one. I also liked the shorter length of the incline in the bumps....it's a 164...my freecarve is a 171. When conditions are better the Incline will still carve very well. It's a great do everything all mountain type of board. I am anxious to see how I can ride the bumps on my freecarve next year. Miguel

I went to Okemo for a few days during Spring Break. It was great...apparently everyone else went to Florida...can't figure why! Anyway...I took my Incline because I knew the snow would be real soft....and it was. I had fun but found myself wishing I was riding my Freecarve because I like the higher stance angles and the quickness side to side. I was just wondering how many people switch to wider boards in spring conditions or do you continue to ride the skinnys and adjust your ridng style. I've had a few very violent over the handlebars falls in sping conditions but I attribute that to being too aggressive and not adjusting my riding to a more laid back softer touch approach. BTW...this was an awesome year for me...at least 60 days... for a weekend warrior that ain't too bad. I'm now officially a kayaker...at least until the snow flies again...can't wait!:D

Okemo had perfect spring riding conditions with plenty of snow! We had three perfectly sunny days! The snow was very well groomed and very firm for the first couple of hours for some great carving. After that I pulled out my Incline and rode the soft stuff and bumps until I was fried. Thankfully I was with teli skiers and there quads gave out just before mine each day.:D What a fabulous way to end one of my best seasons ever. Eight months and counting until the next! Have a great summer. Miguel

Just booked the slopeside condo at Okemo...leaving this afternoon! Woohoo! After this weekend I'm officially a kayaker until next winter. Have a great summer and in the immortal words of my Mother..."for God's sake be careful!":D

We're trying to get one more weekend in and are considering Sugarbush or Okemo. Sugar only has about thirty trails open and Okemo has about sixty. (If you can believe their websites) Does anyone have some local info or can make a recommendation in Vermont. Okemo is also closest to us and has a reputation for maintaining good snow. Where's the best snow. We're leaving this Weds after work and will ride through Saturday.

Some of the best Urban whitewater kayaking in the country is just outside the beltway on the Potomac....all different levels. You're also not far from many other whitewater opportunities in MD and West VA. There are many similarities between boarding and kayaking and you still get the adrenalin rush. It also keeps you in the mountains. It's an awesome sport. Some of the world's best kayakers in the world hail from the DC area. Let me know if you want more info...I could point you in the right direction. Miguel

Sooo...I visited my brother this weekend at Killington. He's an expert skier....just ask him. First thing him and his equally humble Buddy ask is "How are ya on the steeps with that thing?". I humbly reply, "Oh...I can get down the hill", (secretly glad I brought the Incline!) Well...anyone that was at K Town this weekend knows that with the exception of the granite we woke up to on Sunday morning, there was not one square inch of groomed snow. Anyway...I soon find myself staring down the face of the first of many double black diamond runs studded with moguls! Now I gotta tell you....my experience with moguls are slim to none! Did I mention I'm almost 57 years of age? Well...nothing ventured nothing gained. I put on my game face and reminded them that a day without snowboarding was like a day on skiis!:D Long story short...I not only survived the weekend but developed a burning thirst for running the bumps. I never could keep up with my Bro and his Buddy but they never had to wait very long for me at the bottom. On Sunday the rest of their crew of eight ran with us and I was usually third or fourth down. Damn I was proud of myself...especially after hearing them all whine about the conditions! What a bunch of sissies those skiers are! Bring it on suckahs!! :D I learned more about riding moguls this weekend than I have in the past twelve years of riding. It's all about using the terrain to facilitate turning. I also came to the conclusion that I'd rather be on hard boots than soft. It just gave me more support when landing little jumps and landing in uneven terrain. I am glad I was on the Incline and not my Freecarve. I gained a new respect for that board...It's truly a do everything board. It plowed through the soft crud, smoothed out the bumps and railed on the sunday morning ice. I highly recommend bump riding to anyone who wants a change of pace. Yes, it's very frustrating and downright difficult for a boarder but the rewards are high. You have to be so alert and pick lines on the fly...kind of a warp speed chess match! It's opened new doors for me...my Incline won't be collecting so much dust next year. Just thought I'd spread a bit of my new found joy! Peace, Miguel

The front foot stays in until beer break...the rear foot comes out every time you reach the bottom of the run and goes back in at the top of each lift ride.:D

I wasn't aware of any height difference. I didn't notice any fifference when I started using the different systems on the same board. Last weekend I discovered an added bonus. I snapped a cable on the rear step in and in the process of fixing it at the resort shop, some internal parts came up missing. No prob...we just borrowed some intec heal parts from the other boot and bingo, I was back in business!

I'm still voting for Kerry. Besides Bush's idea of a sport is shooting pigeons or some other defenseless little furry woodland creature!:(

I was in such a state of shock when I saw the next possible Prez of the United States snowboarding with what appeared to be some REASONABLE style that I just had to share it! Right after I hit the submitt button I wanted to pull the message back through the damned computer cause I knew I was ganna catch sh*t for using the word "carving" to describe what he was doing. Let's just chalk it up to the exuberance of the moment. I'll try not to let it happen again!:D

On the Today Show I just saw John Kerry snowboarding in Idaho and I'll be damned if he wasn't carving it up pretty darned good. I couldn't believe it!

msupple@stny.rr.com

Used to surf the Jersey coast with the occassional foray to Cape Hatteras, until I moved to the mountains. Snow surfing is even better as every turn is a bottom turn...hard to beat that! Also do river surfing in my kayak during the other season. It's all good though.

I have one too and yes...mine's equally dumb!:rolleyes:

Just found out I have to cancel my trip to Whistler in April. Instead I'll be looking for snow within a day's driving distance from upstate New York. Killington doesn't seem to having the best of years...someone suggested Jay Peak....Sugarloaf. We'd be leaving around April 8th. Any suggestions? How's eastern canada that time of the year?

We went a couple of years ago and I brought a Donek Freecarve II and an Incline. The weight of lugging around two boards was a major pain. This year I think I'll only take the Incline. Whistler has such varied terrain and the Incline will do it all including laying down some pretty respectable trenches. I'd be too limited with just the carving board. Besides, I can always demo some Prior boards even if it's only for a couple of days. Last time we also went in April and the conditions were great on the upper half of the mountain which was plenty for me. Have a great time...Whistler is awesome.

I had the same problem with both boots. I ride Bombers with 3 degree cants. This automatically places pressure at the top outside of the boot cuff. On my Raichle 324s there is a boot cuff cant adjustment located on the side of the cuffs. Loosen both allen screws and lean the cuffs sideways towards the outside of your leg and it should fix or greatly alleviate your pain. It simlpy alligns the cuff with the angle of your leg. It worked wonders for me. Give it a couple of days riding as your leg may be tender. Good luck.:)

Here's what worked for me. I ride similar angles...50Front...45Rear. Imagine you just walked through a door holding a tray of food. You want to close the door but you don't want to spill the food. How do you accomplish this....simply by holding the tray and upper body level and closing the door with a gentle push of the hip. Do the same thing with your heelside turn. Thrust your hip to the side without leaning the upper body. To get more heelside angle I concentrate on keeping my butt over the board while also concentrating on arching my back more than I think I should. Good luck...it's a process pulling it all together. Lots of simple but subtle thinks happening during a carve! PS...don't forget to crank up on those ankles at the same time. Try doing everything more than you think you should. I used to think I was sinking into my turns until I saw a film of myself....not even close. I sink more now and my riding has improved dramatically. Good luck.

At my age, I use one degree side and one degree bottom because it's easy to remember!:D It's always worked fine for me and it lasts longer. Of course I only just had my board waxed after about thirty times out...no sense getting anal about it. I'm still passing just about everyone on my hill.:p