sic t 2

When you see your encounter documented in the Salt Lake Tribune you know you hit a pretty sensitive nerve out there. I'm sure every Utah ski area is reviewing their staff courtesy policies now to insure this type of thing does not happen to them. In the end, you have probably improved the Utah skiing experience "just a wee bit" for all who love that place (which certainly includes me !!). http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53201127-78/snowbasin-patroller-resort-video.html.csp

Definitely NOT riding fast. Not only that, the accused rider was checking his speed, demonstrating not only modest speed but control over his board. Definitely not somebody I would be afraid of if I were stopped downslope from him. No blind spots on the hill even. AND THEN, the comedy of it all: #1 a skier coming downhill, in the video, far faster than the accused was. #2 the dangerous obstruction that was being created by having 4 skiers/riders having an argument in the middle of the slope (inattentive & oblivious to all around them). Absolutely, file a written complaint against that STFU patroller. Send it "registered mail" to the head honcho. In the letter site the profanity and ask that it be inserted into his official record. That letter will then taint his career forever. Basically "bad cop" syndrome. He has no defense. Only cost about $2.

I received my order today from Catek. Just in time for the season and no time was lost. An additional set of heel toothstraps was included...a much appreciated extra. Well, I just want to thank Catek for coming through. I am certainly a happy camper and looking forward to starting the new season on my beloved Rossi Jdub (with the Catek freeride upgrade straps) and my 180 Donek Freecarve (a cherry loaner) with Bomber plates. We'll see what I can do on the Donek this season. "Coming Home" I guess. Been gone a long time...

Good News !!! And a nice binding. Jeff, "my order", PLEASE !!!!!!! Winter is here now !! Date: 05-04-2011 13:10:17 Order id: #13123 Order status: Processed Payment method: Credit Card Delivery method: UPS Ground

Well, just increased the +60 category by one more vote. At my age i just enjoy the good vibes of the mountain and leave all the fancy stuff to the young guns. Safety first.

You got that right JT. Those old Ride bindings are the best I ever rode. The $89 LX model is still my favorite (any year). You unbolt the stock straps and throw them in the garbage. Then order the Nidecker Strap upgrade (from Catek)and you got the stiffest softboot binding to hit the snow. Problem is Catek has my money and my new straps. ouch ... and my present Nidecker's are skipping teeth now. Damn, those were good straps. Jt, I got access to a Donek Freecarve and Bomber Plates for this season. Too good not to test out at the Creek this year. Hopefully I can still ride plates. Its been a LONG time.

money goes in. nothing escapes. no products ship, no emails get answered, no phone calls answered. i called my credit card company to alert them to this internet fraud (they are apparently a part of) and they are quite comfortable with it. as long as i willingly approved the transaction its just fine with them. "non-shipment" is not fraud. I have to pursue it with Catek's bank they said. Btw, they did say they would reverse it "if" I libel myself by simply saying the magic words: "I did not order this product". I got fleeced for $31 straps. if anyone gets a refund or actually receives a product please let me know. I would be willing to pursue again. Sic..

well, not answering is ok. billing for a product and not shipping it, and then not answering to anybody is definitely not ok ! I mean, it was only $31 for straps but its a first for me on the internet. To have all phone calls and emails ignored. Its been 5 months... Geez... thought we were all brothers in centripetal forces. At least disable the invoicing function until corporate functionality returns. order ID : 13123 Sic...

Yeah, I noticed that too with my new Rossi, 158, JDUB. Definitely spread eagle stance is too much for good carving. But the Rossi is VASTLY superior to anything I have ever ridden before and I managed to hook a 21.5 inch stance on the inner set of holes (perfectly centered on them too for max hold). It works so well for me it blows my mind. It used to be hard to pull one of these every 5 runs. Now I average 2 of these every run (in a continuous flow downhill). And my 2011 record is 4, off the 1,600 feet of Hunter mountain, in one run. FOUR !!! I can't wait for next season. http://www.tristateclub.com/hunter_racer1.jpg Sic..

caveat: the following is about soft boot carving only..... in case I am not clear in spots. Don't want anything misunderstood. Sic.... Sooperburd, Ever since reading this post last year I have been interested in the JDUB as, over the years, my favorite board was the old wood core Burton Balance (T6 predecessors) so I could immediately relate to your post. I'm 6 foot and 185 lbs so I went with the 158 (2009 model Jdub // magtec // positive camber). What a board; breathtaking, stunning, only words I can find to label it. I was actually bumming, right after UPS delivered it, as it has a fat waist and an even fatter tail and nose (because of the sidecut in the 7's). I'm like, this is "not good". In the garage, alongside my 157.5 Burton Balance or my 160 Donek Incline it looked more like a powder board to me. FAT. But 300 feet into my first run and I was blown away. It is insane from edge to edge, an expert level board for sure as it would kill a beginner (and I have never said that about a soft boot board ever before ! ). It initiates and then lays into the most awesome ripping carves. As big as the board looks, lugging it around, it really rides like a 153 or 154 to me. It feels small, nimble, rides switch stance like its still going regular. a true twin. Has incredible pop (not that I ever do the park rat thing but, from time to time, I must save my "tib & fib" clearing a ditch in the glades). As a rule I have always loved smaller boards and my Donek Incline (160) has always felt a bit too big for me, a bit unwieldy (even with stiff Flows on it). But this fat, wide "158" Jdub, is so nimble, so quick that, knowing what I know now, may have purchased the 161 length. Yet it is soooo damp over rough stuff. Incredible. Rossi knows what they are doing !! (( magtec is great too. really shows it stuff on frozen, crunchy hardpack. lays a shallower, less defined track (from the lift) than a smooth edge but the feeling is way more hooked up. )) Sic.. some old "sig" pics on my obsolete boards (which is like all 5 now thanks to the Jdub). lol failed but pretty the real deal abusing the privilege

Its all about the carving. yeah right. meanwhile the mother of all off-topic posts is being played out with a master internet fisherman at the helm: http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=29987 How can everyone be so dumb? Doesn't carving matter? Is this place turning into a shoe store? do whatever. do it fast. Sic...

great pics ! gets my toe side vote Sic..

that was an upsetting incident you had. you know, when you are dealing with kids its a whole new deal. in the summer I am a hardcore racer (motocross yz450) and often some less serious folks will invite me to ride at their "secret spot". often this secret will be known to all the locals and even though none are there at the moment I get that feeling, from experience, that this is not a good thing here. They'll see me start my bike but just idle around, looking over every hill, around every blind corner and just not coming up to any decent speed. I explain that "I can't ride here. Its not secure". I always get "ahh... everyone knows which way the trail goes. and if they don't screw them". I'm like listen "I can tell you right now I am not going to be standing here, later today, explaining to some young father why his 8 year old kid is dead and why it was the kid's fault". "That's not happening and that's why I can't ride here". Also from a $$$$/legal standpoint, consider that no jury is going to want to listen to some techno mumbo jumbo about the skier's code when a minor is involved. Especially when the plaintiff's lawyer quotes from your own beloved mumbo jumbo that: "When entering a trail or starting a descent yield to other skiers". And then he asks you, while you are on the witness stand, why you don't think these rules apply to you. another words, kiss your house goodbye. some things in america are just lose-lose. and majors doing bodily harm to minors (even when its 99% the minor fault) is one of them. you just can't let it happen. so glad to hear it was all ok in the end. Sic

20 bucks or no twenty bucks, its obvious to me that you have this maneuver nailed, otherwise you would not know these things. if i can add my 2 cents; #1. use the "packet of energy" you started the 360 with wisely. and digging a trench squanders that energy. come in red hot and carve tight but always "just off" trench digging time. remember, the reason for this has all to do with snow conditions and absolutely nothing to do with the aggression of any given carve attack. #2. prepare for massive deacceleration. your speed will halve, then halve again, then halve again before you reach 180 degrees. this will cause you to fall to the inside and flop down if you don't do something. resist the urge to tighten the carve. stay smooth and efficient by "climbing on top of your edge", as John points out. alternative technique: if you are coming in on a red hot carve (on good hardpack) you will be able to extend your inside arm straight up (EC carve style). this is really advantageous because as your speed collapses, about 1/3 of the way through the circle, you can withdraw the arm and move it down and towards the outside. this really helps center of gravity and enables you to stay balanced. the carving 360 maneuver may seem senseless to some but it really keeps me from getting bored on small hills. you can also use it so circle objects. I can get 2 towers on this 400 foot hill before I am back on the chairlift. and, of course, it gets more smiles and cheers than any backflip. Besides I'm 60 years old in December so I guess people think I'm just lost or something anyway :) Sic.. failed but pretty the real deal abusing the privilege

well, this is a bad habit you definitely want to get out of. #1. if you are plowing that much snow with your hand you have significant weight on it and its unloading your edge. #2. secondly, with weight like that on your hand, and your hand low and in front, it is only a matter of time before a death cookie (or some other frozen slope abnormality) breaks your wrist. safest toe side move is inside arm high over head and outside arm at your side (both arms safe and out of trouble). Sic.. failed but pretty the real deal abusing the privilege

4 years ago I caught a back edge doing a 180 on glare ice (softboot, shallow angles) and got body slammed so hard I was unconscious for about 4 minutes according to ski patrol. I came to, hallucinating, that the world was a sea of blood. Turned out it was just the 5 patroller "red" jackets attending over me ! as my mind cleared and reality calmed me down. And I had a quality foam-lined helmet ON. great pic you posted there. (( yes, I retired the above lid )) Sic "you can't carve soft boots"

The Olympic snowboarder downhill (using same course as skiers on a different day). WE DO NOT COMPETE AGAINST THEM. Let's get that straight right up front ! #1. perfectly groomed (before the snowboard runs being) #2. no speed suits #3. some gates repositioned. do not see a problem with it, except that, the common "skier" downhill could be extremely unfair to some of us (ie; is it a "goofy" advantageous run or a "regular" run). that would not be cool. Other than that, what's the big deal? Going fast on a perfect groomer? With "no wheels turning" the fastest speeds I have ever hit snowboarding "felt as fast" to me as cruising in a jetliner at 38,000. Sic...

I don't see why a snowboarder could not do the skier downhill course. Maybe shift a few gates around. Disallowing speed suits would also allow the boarders to peak out at a significantly lower top speed. I think with a few "adjustments" it would be just fine. What boarders could not do well would be slalom or the skier mogul fields. That would be butt ugly. But, you know, the boarders do "boardercross" and if that is not butt ugly I don't know what is. Arms flapping like they are in the middle of a penguin rookery. Not to mention all the ptex slides. Maybe its just me but I think it does not promote of positive image of snowboarding. I mean, really, would they look worse if they were on cafeteria trays? You could roll an apple down that course and it would finish. So I say, "bring on the downhill". Let's see some style out there. :) Sic..

wow... that is such a concidence because there is a young guy who works the evening shift at Hidden Valley who does the exact same thing ! everyone gets a hand punch. no exceptions and it goes on all night. if the guy at MC also says "I love this job", after the hand punch, then it might be the same guy !! Given that the resorts are only 2 miles apart it makes me wonder. Sic...

here's what the carving "3" is all about: bombing straight at a "target" so they get a look of apprehension on their face, then diving it in and carving a perfect loop around them so they look surprised when you come around for the second time. the only problem with this spot is that if I bury the nose on the entry carve the lift line will go down like it got hit by a load of canister shot. :) oops softboot carve 157.5 Burton Balance with 7.8 sidecut old Ride strap bindings stance: 21/9 guess its time to break out my plates now. Sic...

The problem with insane entry speeds (which I absolute live for ! ) is that the board is at such a high angle of attack that the nose of the board begins to act like a snowplow. There is so much drag that no matter what you do there is never enough energy to complete a clean circle. (( think walking halfway to the wall, you never get there. same with high entry speeds )). So, yes, you want to come in somewhat HOT but "just off" the point that the nose begins to act like a snowplow, especially if the conditions are not crispy. Now when you hit that equilibrium point (about 1/3 of the way around) you just "ride the norm" for the rest of the loop. Its still a hot loop for sure as the g's are significant and unending. So its best to do when you are fresh. this nose "snow plow" thing is such a problem that I don't understand why a board needs a nose at all. I would just as soon heat my board up in an oven, then lay it on a concrete floor and flatten the nose to almost nothing. Now that would be a good 360 board. But then I suspect I have just not spent enough cash on my equipment. Sic..

10 meter sidecut radius ?? are we really talking about a 65 foot diameter circle here? that sounds awfully generous to me. of course, entrance speed is a big factor but no one ever seems to chat about that in here. so I submit, at average hardboot carving speeds (that I have observed over the years) that would be one HUGE circle ! or is the math wrong ? Sic..

softboots 160 Donek Incline Flow Bindings Stance: 18 / 6 Sic....

$449 uhhh... oh nevermind ! Sic....

nah, no comparison, I have pairs of those home too (burton freestyles). in fact, ALL burton freeride bindings are junk. Bad baseplates. Like something made at Toys R Us. Old Rides are beartraps. Super strong. Sic