ALPINE

JACK MICHAUD AND OTHERS HAVE ELOQUENTLY SAID WHAT IS ON ALL OUR MINDS SO WELL. BOMBER IS ONE OF THE CARVING COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS THAT HAS PROVIDED EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THIS RIDICULOUS LAWSUIT IS CLAIMING. AS A 47 YEAR SKIER, AND 15 YEAR CARVING SNOWBOARDER, AND 33 YEAR TELEMARK SKIER, AND 20 YEAR SKI PATROLLER I HAVE SEEN A LOT AND EXPERIANCED ALMOST AS MUCH. I HAVE 3 PAIR OF TRENCH DIGGERS AND ONE PAIR OF BISHOP TELE BINDINGS. PRIOR TO MY FIRST PURCHASE OF TRENCH DIGGERS I BROKE BINDINGS AND CRASHED MORE TIMES THAN I CARE TO REMEMBER. ALL ON OTHER MANUFACTURERS BINDINGS THAT COULD NOT COME CLOSE TO STANDING UP TO THE RIGORS OF CARVING. IT DID NOT MATTER IF IT WAS A BIG NAME LIKE BURTON, OR ROSSIGNAL THEY ALL FAILED TRAGICALLY. I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH THE TRENCH DIGGERS THAT WHEN I UPGRADED MY TELE-BINDINGS THE ONLY ONE I WOULD CONSIDER WAS THE BISHOP MADE BY BOMBER! I HAVE HAD MY TRENCH DIGGERS SINCE 1995 AND NOT ONE PART ON THEM HAS BROKEN. BOMBER IS THE ONE COMPANY THAT WE AS CARVERS CAN TRUELY RELY ON. IT WILL BE A TRUELY SAD DAY FOR CARVING IF THE %$#^*&^% LAWYERS WIN THIS ONE. BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK TO FIN & MICHELLE PS: ISN'T IT TIME THE LAWYERS ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME ACCOUNTABILITY THEY SO ENERGICALLY PERSUE OF EVERYONE ELSE.

I AGREE WITH ALL OF YOU IN PRINCIPLE BUT TO PUT IT IN ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE .....LIKE YOU GUYS I HAD A FRIEND WHO STOPPED BELOW A LIP OFF THE SIDE OF THE TRAIL AT THE RACE COURSE START AND WAS HIT BY A SNOWBOARDER CATCHING SOME AIR, SHE WAS NOT SEEN BY HIM AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THERE........HE SHOULD NOT HAVE JUMPED THERE WITHOUT A SPOTTER. GUESS WHO LOST ??? SHE DID 6 FX RIBS, PUNCTURED LUNG, I WAS THE FIRST RESPONDER FROM PATROL TO GET TO HER ( A CLOSE CARVING FELLOW RIDER) IT TOOK ALL MY TRAINING AND 30 YEARS OF EXPERIANCE TO KEEP HER ALIVE AND BREATHING. SO KEEP IN MIND IF AND WHEN YOU HIT SOMEONE CAUSE YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE A FEW STEPS OR HIKING, OR TOO LAZY TO HAVE A SPOTTER YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE GUILT OF ENDING SOMEONES LIFE OR CARVING ABILITY.

Gotta put my 2 cents worth in LITTLETON, NEW HAMPSHIRE !!!!! within 1.5 HOUR DRIVE CANNON BRETTON WOODS LOON ATTITASH WATERVILLE VALLEY CRANMORE BLACK MTN WILDERNESS ( BALSAMS ) WILDCAT SUNDAY RIVER SHAWNY PEAK JAY PEAK BURKE MTN SUGARBUSH STOWE SMUGGLER NOTCH MAD RIVER SUNAPEE BOLTON VALLEY GUNSTOCK RAGGED MTN TENNY MTN AND FOR YOU BACKCOUNTRY BUFFS TUCKERMAN GULF OF SLIDES WILDCAT TRAIL OAKES GULF TUCKER BROOK MT MOOSELAUKE THE ONLY OTHER PLACE I KNOW LIKE THIS IS UTAH!!!!

NOT SURE IF THIS IS FUNNY OR SICK................ WHILE WORKING ON SKI PATROL, ON MY CARVING BOARD I STOPPED TO HELP A SKIER UP WHO HAD FALLEN DOWN AND COULD NOT GET UP. ( SHOULD HAVE LEFT HIM DOWN AND TAKEN HIS SKIIS ) LIKED THAT IDEA - PREVIOUS THREAD HAVE TO TRY THAT ) I GOT HIM UP, ACROSS THE HILL SO HE WOULD NOT SLIP AWAY GAVE HIM SOME SUGGESTIONS ON SNOWPLOWING AND WENT ON MY WAY....................................... FOUR TOWERS DOWN WHILE MAKING SHORT SWING TURNS I SAW A SKI INSTRUCTOR WAVING HIS ARMS AT ME FROM THE CHAIR LIFT.......PULLED UP TO STOP AND BEFORE I COULD STOP I GOT HIT FROM BEHIND. I GOT LAUNCHED INTO THE AIR AND CAME DOWN ON TOP OF THE SKIER WITH MY BOARD ACROSS HIS NECK. ROLLED OFF HIM CHECKED HIM OUT TO MAKE SURE HE WAS OK WHICH OTHER THAN BEING SHAKEN WAS NONE THE WORSE FOR WARE. LOOKED CLOSER AT HIM AND RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE VERY SAME ONE I HAD JUST PICKED UP. CALLED FOR A SNOWMACHINE TO TAKE HIM TO THE BUNNY HILL!!! MY BACK HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME. IT IS A SIMPLE RULE "YIELD TO DOWNHILL RIDERS !" NO EXCEPTIONS. HOW OFTEN DO WE VIOLATE IT?? THEN THERE IS MY FAVORITE " LOOK UP HILL BEFORE MERGING OR CONTINUING DOWNHILL" NOW THAT GETS VIOLATED EVERY DAY !!!!! SKI PATROLS DO THE BEST THEY CAN BUT IF I HAD A DOLLAR FOR ALL THE RIDERS I HAVE TOLD TO SLOW DOWN AND RIDE UNDER CONTROL THE MTN WOULD NOT NEED TO PAY ME. ALL MTN MANAGEMENTS NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR PATROLS AND BE MORE PRO-ACTIVE BY VOIDING SEASON PASSES, PULL DAY TICKETS, AND MAKE RIDERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. I HAVE STOPPED RIDING AT KILLINGTON FOR THAT VERY REASON, WEEKENDS OR WEEKDAYS MAKE NO DIFFERANCE. HELMET OR NOT IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK OF LIFE AND LIMB.

As with most things in life it's all relative, the kind we get in NH is mostly very, very veryveryveryvery hard packed snowmaking snow / ice that is skier packed or scrubbed off, and looks blue like a glacier. ski poles bounce off unless they are carbide tipped. Most all eastern ski areas experiance it on the most heavily traveled trails. Then there is the stuff that happens after a freezing rain on top of the previous described conditions and those days are meant for the pub.!! The very packed snow that is white but very hard makes the best carving since you actually do not make serious ruts that can hang up you toes or most often heel out an edge on. and not so soft you bury your nose. I often call it styrofoam snow since your edge holds like velcro with a razor sharp board, properly set up, and riden properly. probablly the most important point after sharpening is weighting of the edge thru the turn such that you are fluid and follow the direction of the carve, no weight shift front to back mid carve. the old Burton PJ 's rode that way in order to keep the edge on the snow. Now back to the relative part, ........after spending 15 years out west.......way out in fact Pacific NW most native Cascade or Rocky Mtn skiers really don't know ice. An experiance I had in Washington after a Chinook rain the 15 ft of snow we had on the ground had a 3 inch crust that was very firm. None of the locals wanted to ski / tele on a clear sunny day cause it was ICY !!! The three of us from the east ( VT ) went out and danced on it all day and were in heaven !! my motto is if its white under neath you can't ask for more everything else is a gift !! You carve, you carve, you carve, you carve, you carve, you carve, even if it's icy .....................no slide !!!!!!!!!!!

For those wondering what the hype is on MADD the answer is simple once you ride it on eastern ice I seriously doubt you will find a more respondsive board. I have a 161 SL LE that I rode for almost 8 years ! I got it used and it still had plenty of life left. I have owned in excess of 15 boards and none of them rode as clean, and responsive as the MADD. I currently ride Prior 165 and 175 WC which I like the best of what is available til now! John's comments are right on, soft snow is not Madd's world, it rides well but so do others. Maybe the bx will fill this void for MADD. but if you want the ice authority Madd is it hands down. I have had the pleasure of riding many differant boards in the 12 years I have been carving and I get goose bumps just thinking about the ruts I will leave in ice when I can get back on a Madd. 170 is the perfect length for all around riding with bomber's on them ....................heaven. YOU CARVE.......YOU CARVE .........YOU CARVE ............. EVEN IF IT IS ICY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

I AM INTERESTED IN 4 " DIA CANT PLATES NOT THE OLD ORIGINAL 3" CANT PLATES THEY COME IN ZERO, 3 AND 6 DEGREE ANGLES, WHICH DO YOU HAVE.

I AM INTERESTED ARE THEY THE NEW 4" CANT PLATES OR THE OLD 3" ?

I HAVE A PRIOR 175 AND 165 AND FIND THE STIFFNESS IS PERFECT FOR EASTERN FIRM SNOW AND IS A FINE CARVING TOOL!!! I ALSO OWN A NUMBER OF OXYGEN PROTONS AND OLDER AND FIND THEY ARE MUCH SOFTER AND DO NOT GIVE YOU ANY WHERE THE SNAP COMING OUT OF YOUR CARVES. I LIKE PRIOR MUCH BETTER COILER IS ALSO VERY GOOD.

Allee Your equipment is as important as technique. You will have better success euro carving if you have the right equipment and setup to begin with. I would recomend you look into a Prior 165 world cup or maybe a little shorter for you height and weight. Coiler, and Donek make similar boards of equal quality. I have older Oxygen race boards which work also but lose the Hots, Burton, Rossi etc they are all to soft outa the box and go flat way to soon not worth the money absolutely mount bomber trench digger 2 bindings with your binding toe and heel 1/4" in from the edge toward center line of the board. I have ridden all the rest and they are all junk compared to Bomber. no I do not work for bomber but I am a Professional Ski Patroler and ride every day in mine with out any equipment failure problems and the positive feel you get in Bombers is unsurpassed Next you can not euro carve on flats or going slow !!!!!!! especially starting out. As long as you are comfortable controlling your board when you lose it once in a while by pulling out and sliding to a stop.... go out on a wide groomed steeper trail that is not crowded and try laying out one turn until you can make it work. another hint your shoulders should favor facing the fall line not parallel or perpendicular to the board!! Keep your hands out in front of you and that helps with angulation. Oh as stated above a qualified instructor can help you refine all of this. NEAL

CAREFUL WHO YOU CALL OLD FART I MIGHT HAVE A FEW MORE GRAY HAIRS THAN YOU. HOW'S THE RIDING IN PNW. I USE TO LIVE ACROSS THE POND FROM YOU IN PORT ANGELES.

BEN HOW YOU BEEN. SAW YOUR FOLKS AT THE REFRESHER THEY LOOKED GOOD. ITS SNOWING UP HERE AND THEY ARE OPEN BUT A LITTLE NARROW FOR US. UNLESS YOU WANT TO RIDE YOUR 130. SEE YOU SOON STOP UP TOP AND WE WILL GO SCARE THE OLD FARTS. :D

FIN YOU GUYS ARE THE GREATEST. THIS WILL BE MY 9 SEASON I THINK ON BOMBERS. I HAVE 3 PR THAT I SWAP BETWEEN A DOZEN OR MORE BOARDS. THE ONLY THING IN HAVE EVER BROKEN ON THE TD-1 ARE THE SPRINGS. THE TD-2 ARE SUPER AND CANT WAIT TO RIDE THEM. I HAVE BEEN ON JUST ABOUT EVERY BINDING OUT THERE AND HAVE LOOKED AT THINGS THAT EACH NEEDED TO IMPROVE ON AND BOMBERS ARE IT AND NOW YOU HAVE TURNED AT 10 INTO A 12 WITH THE NEW REVISIONS. PS (I RODE YOUR TELE BISHOP BINDING ALL LAST WINTER AFTER I CRASHED AND BROKE MY CLAVICAL AND DITTO GOES FOR IT). KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND TAKE A FEW POWER DAYS FOR ME. :D