Beckmann AG

And while you're at it, craft a complete binding out of tinfoil. The center of the TD2 is only a few mm thick, whereas the screw head bearing area on the 1,2, and 3 is .250". You'd be fine, so long as you adjusted your technique a smidge. You might even like it, and/or gain valuable insight. Besides which, persistent reference to bumpers and pads as a 'suspension' system is misleading, and delays the development of an actual suspension. ->I've got plenty of TD1 base plates if you want to fix a set to the Geckos. I don't have any step ins, so you're on your own for the toe and heel blocks. Might even be able to make you a custom set of TD1 pucks. I still have that raw disc you gave me waaaaaaaay back when. The WC and OS1 did not use an o-ring, relying instead on sufficient bearing surface between the nut and base plate, and also particular attention on the part of the user to properly assemble. Building the better binding is like brewing the better coffee. Most won't be satisfied with the product on account of previous experience/unrealistic expectations.

Go swimming. Avoid wearing shoes with rubbery/bouncy/gimmicky soles. When the pain is gone, brush your teeth while standing on the sofa. Walk barefoot on the beach. On the hard sand to start, and for very short distances on account of the gradient. If the water is calm, walk in the surf, both ankle and knee deep. As the knee heals, move into the softer sand. Ride a bike with light resistance, unless you're not a cyclist, in which case, don't. To avoid complications, try to find out what, if any, connective tissue was affected by the surgery. One of the difficulties with knee repair is that operative inflammation can linger and/or lead to tendinitis. Especially if one isn't careful with their 'recovery' regime. More of a problem using patellar graft for ACL repair, but you don't want to create one problem while rehabilitating from another. Make sure you fully understand the difference between the 'pain' of exertion/muscle development, and the pain associated with the body damaging itself.

^Not sure yet when I'll be at the mountain. If you're in a hurry for the press work, I might have enough tooling in the NH shop.

Nice leave.

Drive through binoculars. You'll get there faster. Or slower, depending.

Depending on where the boot needs expansion, how large that area is, and the press dies/ talent on hand for the job; you should expect an easy 5mm, 10 or more with patience.

A plastic version of that toothed bi-partisan cant disc was offered by Sims for their alpine boards in the 90's. Might have been produced by Fritschi? It might look attractive, (mostly on account of being different), but it doesn't really resolve any of the complaints associated the TD/ Catek.

The Art of Alpine Ep 1. ‘Art’ should evoke response. That response can be positive, negative, indifferent; or a combination that evolves. Could be that the title is purposely configured to be misunderstood, such that the casual viewer assumes the ‘art’ is in the riding, rather than the video itself. A simple mistake to make, given a tendency to initially view things from a very specific and personal perspective. Often in a binary manner. Like/dislike. Black/white. With a few notable exceptions, most of you were not awesome your first time out on hardboots. Quite often, the experience is noisy, discordant, and somewhat confusing. Like the video. One could assume, given the intermediate level hip gyrations/sitting on heelside, and related hand/arm affect, that the featured rider is in the earlier phases of rider development (Ep 1?), an area with many questions, and plenty of misleading answers. Perhaps, rather than rutting out the typical dog and pony snow, the videographer/author took aim at something a little more esoteric, more nuanced; something more in keeping with the nature of the sport. If so, it seems to be working.

Generally speaking, when you go to a flatter numeric binding angle, and a wider stance width, you're going to have more conflicts with the boot cuffs in the medial/lateral sense. Typically a rider will use inward canting to reduce that interference, but (unless the leg conformation indicates inward canting in general) that compromises ankle mobility, making it harder to 'float' the board under one's feet, which then prompts the rider to use a more flexible binding to reduce errant inputs to the board. If you want to prosper on a powder board in soft snow, you will find gains by using a specific boot with softer/modified cuffs, most likely in combination with a more elastic power strap. In the event you're fond of the 'Slash Gordon' mode, increase the splay angle by a few degrees. However, it's worth noting that when you're standing comfortably/ not fighting with the board, it's a lot easier/faster/more effective to use rebound to move the board around, rather than trying to kick the tail from place to place. Might seem counter-intuitive, but it's worth exploring.

Depending on what else goes into the board, and how much goo there is between the board and rider, using carbon in the construction should enhance snow feel (or a sense of what is happening at the area of engagement), which then affects the feedback loop controlling equilibrium, appropriate inputs etc. This a demonstrable principle with regard to alpine ski boots (Dodge), XC ski boots(Salomon, et al), as well as cycling shoes (Sidi) and select hand tools (LightningStik pole pruners). Depending again on construction, and fiber choice/orientation, the use of carbon can serve as a filter to enhance rider comfort. This is readily apparent if one swaps out an aluminum/steel road bike fork for one made of CF. By way of selective fiber alignment, a board can be made stiffer in torsion without making it too stiff longitudinally. Carbon fabric varies somewhat in cost depending on supplier. From memory, 'linear' and 'hoop' runs around $22/lb, Whereas 'twill' runs closer to $27. The 'high modulus' version is considerably more expensive, but weighs less, and has other advantages. If it's pre-preg, you'll want to store it in a chest freezer to prolong the effective life of the epoxy. A chest freezer, on account of the minimum sales quantity being far too large to fit in anything smaller. In short, if the application is warranted, and if the end user is remotely discerning, CF can significantly enhance the utility of a product.

Stay clear of solid objects for the first hour or so. The OE 158 can be a slingshot in the hands of an angry god.

One could assume that having the right amount of weight over the back end in a rear-drive car should permit a faster turn exit, all other things being ‘equal’. Similar to how a board performs, once you learn how to manipulate fore/aft pressure distribution with respect to time and turn shape. Maybe it’s not a waste of talent. Maybe the talented drivers are capable of exploiting the rear engine layout to get something out of the car that ‘lesser’ drivers simply cannot? Toivonen won the 84 edition of Costa Smeralda in the 911, and he wasn’t even capable of walking without crutches at the time. Mouton appears to be having a seriously good time in her car as well, while the esteemed McCrae seems tickled by the platform. Each of these drivers come across (historically) as more intent on exploring the possibilities of circumstance, rather than trying to exert control, or to stamp their identity on things. In a sense, that allows for a more fluid response to situations in which lesser pilots might revert to preconceived notions of how a car should be driven, and by so doing, undo themselves. Meanwhile, those with a different mindset prosper against apparent adversity. As with skiing/riding, and many other activities, the magic happens when you let go of what you think ‘should be’ and fully immerse yourself in ‘what is’.

Probably has something to do with ability, and Weltanshauung.

One of the difficulties in learning to ride (or ski) beyond the intermediate level, is realizing that just because something 'works' in the moment, doesn't mean it's good for the long term. Tilting a board by way of medial/lateral knee movement certainly gets things done, but then one can't very well maintain/effect edge angle and alter knee flexion at the same time, a principle which effectively locks what could otherwise be a very effective means of suspension. Granted, half the difficulty in riding 'out of the feet' is boot/binding configuration, but the other part is the awareness of what it actually feels like, and that it feels different that what came before. Make extensive notes on how you found what you found, so you can find it again next season. There are few things quite so transient as the sensation of truly effective movement, and summer has a way of wiping memory like a jostled Etch-a-Sketch. Regarding the ski carving talk: Some of it is valid, much of it is not. ->At the end of it all, good skiing, like good riding, involves doing almost nothing with great proficiency. Meanwhile, congratulations on your discovery. Things should get more interesting.

EDM, FTW. Regarding stainless fasteners, some of those are 'grade 2' soft, like a decent cheddar, so make sure to check the specs and use the tougher alloy. Moving forward, all of you step-in enthusiasts could orchestrate a group purchase on a batch of nitrided fasteners. Often it's the start of the next problem.

^ ^ That was a fun course. "Only been 20 plus years since i snowboarded but had a rossignol deal back in the day so am hoping it come back like riding a bike!" Your 'new' boots may feel dramatically different than your old boots, (on account of sole geometry), so go easy your first few runs.

Do you have any decent footage of your riding? Specific goals and/or apparent needs?

You can probably see this coming, but: If their boots/bindings are properly configured, they frolic. If not, they struggle for a bit, then turn in their day ticket for a voucher. For both snowboarding and skiing, the plastic should support laterally and to the back, and be compliant to the front. Otherwise, knee and ankle flexion as a means toward pressure modulation/suspension/equilibrium tends to lever the front end of the platform, and that can get ugly quick.

The raw aluminum will bleed, but other than the mess, shouldn't be a problem.

Having difficulty stripping meat from the Bomber Industries carcass. Should probably update from MacOS Vulture to Condor?

In 'real world' terms, that's seriously cheap for a functional one-off.

Russians on a Canadian sled?

You may not need heat. Your boots will dry faster if you stand them up, and run the air in from the top with flexible ducting, rather than inverting as suggested by your photo. I used a computer fan, ammo box (as plenum), and flexible conduit from the hardware store. That was sufficient for two pair of boots used on a daily basis.

Given that a lot of 'custom' footbeds aren't significantly different than 'off the rack', perhaps a bit of skepticism is in order. And then there's the part where many take their feet for granted, not realizing the gains that might be had from properly tuned support. ->With regard to your crew, are you looking to resolve/enhance comfort, structural support, or data transmission between feet and brain? Fyi, 'arch support' is a misnomer. Be careful stabilizing a wobbly foot by way of arch fill. I have seen cases where it was necessary (in conjunction with metatarsal support) but in those situations the arch structure itself had almost no integrity.

With nobody to produce new parts, the surplus inventory is theoretically worth more right now, than it was six months ago. Not picking on you, Dave, but this is the kind of mindset that tends to keep qualified shops from branching out into niche markets. And I was just about to sign the papers on a new VMC, so as to produce the new ICARUS binding. Guess I dodged that bullet.