snowboardfast

I will also be at Loveland tommrow12/11. will also be at loveland tues wens thurs and fri of next week if my legs will take it. I am using up my last bit of vacation for the year. I will be riding primarily at Loveland because I am short of cash this year but I am having a blast.! I enjoy riding the whole mtn with my prior 4X4 and lemans boots. This is what makes Loveland real fun! That prior is a wonderful board and is truly an atv!

I would not reccomend using ski boots. A beginner in ski boots will have a very rough ride and it will be harder to learn than hard snowboarding boots. I can ride either but I have been riding plates ever since they came out.Get a proper pair of hardboots- you will save time and frustration.

I started riding hardboots as soon as they came out- was it 1988? I have a bone spur on my left foot about 1/2'' high from crushing my feet in the old Sims, Barfoot and snowtech bindings. Got tired of my feet hurting for 3 days after riding 2 and I like the power transmission of hard boots. I can ride longer in hard boots because it it easier on your body. It was fun to go to Bomber and see all the bindings in the museum that I remembered from years ago.I have ridden lots of different boards and boots and bindings and was riding hardboots all over the mountain way before you could get all mountain alpine boards. I used to ride asym boards everywhere. Not the best set up but I did it any way. Hardboot riding will never be as popular as softboot riding because most soft boot riders have sloppy technique and are not interested in carving as the main fun. I don't mean to put down anyone that rides soft boots because a good rider can carve well either way.Also soft boot equipment is much cheaper and is less critical in the setup. I would agree that more shops carried plates back in the early 90's compared to now.Back in the earlier days softboot eqipment was about the same price as alpine gear.Now alpine is much higher priced but the quality is much better. I like the equipment we have now it works so much better.Particularly the bindings. There is so much low priced softboot gear available today. I think if you could go to Garts and buy alpine equipment no one would buy it because most snowboarders think that hard boots are uncomfortable. Also a lot of people new to snowboarding would'nt know how to set up plates and hard boots. This will be my 27th season and I will be having fun. I think I will always be in the minority as a hardboot rider.I think that it is strange that softboots are so popular even out here in Colorado when the majority of the time the snow conditions are packed powder to hardpack- hardboots work better. I hope that 20 years from now we will still be able to buy alpine equipment.

Has any one ridden any of the goltes boards- they make 3 models 2 that are more freecarving and 1 total race board in different sizes. Looking at them on the web site they look like a good product. Also has anyone used the fast system step in. Looks like it would be stronger than intec. Are the new snowpro bindings good?

Thank you for the replies> There were a number of posts regarding rachile boots and deforming problems about a year ago. If I clamp the bindings down easy(one hand)They are way too loose. I could almost twist out of them just standing there. I found that as I rode a catek with the Raichile boot it would gradually damage the boot.Also the bindings would get looser due to the fact that the plastic in the boot is too soft. Then you would have to tighten the binding up a little bit. A no win situation. You couldn't get things tight enough.I swithched to intec before I did too much damage. I might go ahead and continue to ride intec with this board as i don't feel that I am putting a huge amount of torque on the bindings because the boots are soft and I ride this in softer snow conditions. On my carve specific boards I am using a stiffer boot and am driving turns harder in harder snow conditions and am a little leary of breaking the intec heels. I haven't had any problems yet but am considering options. The snow pro bindings that broke - those were broke 10 or more years ago. I did not have them too tight. The bails would break landing off a jump. There is a reason why they are nicknamed snow blows! I swithced to all metal bindings as soon as they came out-Cats the first catek binding in 1993. And then Bombers as well. Metal bindings are the way to go. If my head boots don't hold up in a standard binding I might go back to using ski boots on my carve specfic boards as I did in the past since I am riding them only on groomed runs. Ski boots will take the abuse of standard bail bindings without damage.

I am considering buying a pair of phiokia plate bindings to use with a pair of Raichle lemans boots on a prior 174 4x4 for all mountain use. Have ridden the prior with bomber step ins td1 and love it with boots in powder mode . I am afraid of breaking the intec heels after reading about others having problems with breakage. These boots do not work with Catek standard plates as the plastic is too soft and the shell will fold if clamped down with standard bails. This is why I went to intec. There are 2 concerns with the phiokias-1 the bails look thin and look like they could break and 2 the toe pieces are plastic-can they get brittle and shatter? I am leary of any plastic in a binding as I shattered a pair of snowpros just doing a toeside turn on a cold day! I am somewhat heavy-185-195 and ride somewhat aggressive.I like to ride steeps and bumps with this board.

Does anyone know where I can find info about working in the snowboard industry? Who has jobs open and what qualifications are needed? Can you still be a rep for a snowboard company or are these jobs impossible to get?

I know a little about Snurfers as this is what I started on back in 1978. The racing model for sale in that ebay ad had a fin in the center of the rear of the tail to improve stability. The white stubs on the board were to keep your feet from slipping off.I never owned the racing model. I bougtht a standard snurfer for 20.00. I think the racing model sold for 40.00 I remember when you could buy a burton board for 79.00 and snowboarding wasn't allowed at any ski resort. It sure is nice to have the equipment options we have today!Too bad Iwasn't smart enough to build snowboards back then. maybe I could have been making money like sims and Burton are doing now.Oh well I enjoy riding today.

this is an informative post. These items are for sale in Frisco . You must go to the store to buy them.

I have the following items for sale at Recycle Ski and sport in Frisco CO. Boards- Sims carve 2 167 35.00 Hot shine 162 25.00 Sims preimium 157 30.00 Boots- 1 pr raichle 423 size 9 with thermoflex liner 40.00 1 pr raichle 3 buckle size 9 40.00 You can go there to buy these items. Do not call them and ask to ship this stuff as I am having them sell them for me. I am open to offers on these items. Have them call me if you are interested in making me an offer on any of this stuff. They are open 7 days aweek.

Check your email. I would like to look at the boards am interested.

I rode a pj a number of years ago. I t was not a bad board. The problem you will have today is finding bindings that will fit on it. I think it used the burton 5 hole pattern which is no longer in use. I don;t know where you could get bindings. You would be better off to buy a board with the standard 4 hole insert pattern.

I would like to get a longer board for bigger turns on groomed only. I am interested in the sims Burner 197 because it is a good deal but I a thinking it might be too long. How would it compare to a 185cm board? I have heard that the Burners feel shorter than the actual lenght. Maybe I am wrong. I currently ride a Donek 167 race board on groomed runsand a Burton 171 Alp all over the mountain.The Donek is a great board but it feels short to me if I want to do real big turns. I weigh 195 and am 5' 10'' tall and have been riding plates since 1988.

Does anyone know of a good board repair person in the Denver CO area. I need a major repair done on my Donek board. It fell and dropped straight down and folded the right corner of the tail. I contacted Donek and I might be able to get Sean to fix it but maybe not. I will try to get him to do it but if he won't I would like a reccomdemation for a good tech if anyone knows. Thank you

Matt curtis denver CO Ride mostly at abasin keystone will get some days at Vail beaver creek I plan to attend the 3 days at summit. Had to miss last year due to shoulder surgery Am looking foward to this event and meeting some new people

Anyone ridden a swoard. According to the posts I read on the web site this board seems great for all riding in all conditions and for super laid out carves.

how many of you ride soft boots and boards in the bumps and powder and ride alpine setups on groomed only? I am getting to the point that I prefer to ride on groomed runs only with my alpine equpment and soft boots every where else. I have ridden hard boots in bumps but like them better on groomed runs.