J0hn

I am a big fan of UPZ as well. I'm riding the RC12, but they have a model called the XCR which has a softer lower shell. And I believe comes stock with a softer tongue than the RC series. That might be the ticket for you.

I rode a stock 172 axxess for years and loved it. Currently riding a semi-custom version of the axxess after a conversation with Sean Martin at Donek. Even though the axxess is no longer listed on the Donek website, I imagine they can build whatever you want after a design consultation.

But will they allow it at Alta and Deer Valley?

I use duct tape to hold the cable housing to the inside of the boot shell. It keeps the cable from drifting and sometimes ending up pressing on my ankle bone. It also prevents the cable housing from riding up and out of the hole in the heel. I use about 5" of tape so it stays put. While I'm here, I learned another clever trick with tape from someone on this forum several years ago. I am using TD3-si bindings. But I suspect this same problem can happen with other binding designs as well. Often snow will pack into the indents in the toe block where the bolts go. It's particularly bad on warmer days. After a few runs, I will end up with a large block of ice on the toe block which prevents me from clicking in. Chipping it off is a hassle. Applying a piece of electrical tape to the toe block over the bolts will prevent the ice build up. It's cheap and works brilliantly. Good luck.

Yeah, I'm staying in Wheat Ridge. I will look into Christie's. Thanks again.

Mr E, thanks for the info. I don't think I want to drive all of the way out there for a tune though. Two round trips would be 400 miles

Howdy all. My Donek is in need of a good tune. I want to get a stone grind to make the base flat again. I live in the DC area, and I'm headed to Denver in a couple of weeks to ride. Can anyone recommend a good tuner in the DC area that can properly tune a carving board? Alternatively, I can have it done once I arrive in Denver as I expect there are more good shops in that town. I'm not riding on the first day of my trip, so there is time. Second question; I'm pretty sure my board came with a flat base and I rode it that way for a while. I never caught my edge, but it was a little grabby. I had a stone grind done using 1 deg base bevel and 1 deg side. But I felt like I really lost some edge bite that way. Is 0.5 deg base/side more reasonable? Are the grinders precise enough to do 0.5 deg? Thanks! J0hn

I watched some of the Special Olympics yesterday and they did a profile on a snowboard racer named Daina Shilts. She races GS and Super G (not even in the regular Olympics!). Daina is a hardbooter and she's rocking a Donek Pilot with TD3 Sidewinders. She got a lot of camera time. I'm not sure if she's actually raced yet; they seemed to be explaining the events and introducing the athletes. But on that gear, I'm pretty sure she's due for a medal.

Update: I spent two days in the boots without footbeds. Removing them did allow me to ride, but was not a permanent solution. I was ready to discuss stretching the shells with a bootfitter. But by the end of day two, the boots were feeling a little sloppy. I couldn't believe it. I put the footbeds back in and today they felt great. I am happy to be in properly fitting boots, but I'm not confident that these liners aren't going to continue to change shape. Perhaps that is the nature of heat moldable foam? When I'm due for another pair, i will probably try one of the other brands mentioned. Thank you for all of the help.

Thank you all for the responses. I don't think remolding is going to do the trick. I already tried twice using extra padding and cranking the buckles to the point of real pain. The shells are the right size as my previous liners fit fine. I already went to a boot fitter and they had no magic to work. I could have the shells stretched. I will give that some thought. But it is a one way trip. I would prefer to modify the liners if possible. On the subject of footbeds, i do have them in the boots. Today i removed them and it freed up a lot of room. It was my first day this week without significant pain. But the boots feel strange since they were molded with the footbeds inside. I am inclined to take a knife to the liners, but i will go talk to the guys in Surefoot again about stretching the shells. Thank you.

Hi all I wear UPZ boots. I had been using thermo liners, but they packed out. I replaced them with Palau 141 from BOL. They are much higher volume liners than the ones they replacedd, and they are too tight. They are crushing my forefoot from both sides and top and bottom. The heel cup and cuff are perfect. They're also the right length; nut pushing on the end of my toes. I molded them twice using a toe cap and foam shims to take up space, but it did not help. I also went into Surefoot to ask for help, but they told me there is nothing they could do. So I'm looking for advice. Can you grind away the foam on these liners without destroying them? If so, what is the recommended method? Dremmel or angle grinder perhaps? Can they be clamped to permanently compress the foam? Any other suggestions? Thanks.

A few weeks ago I was riding with a buddy at Park City. After the fourth or fifth time someone asked if we were on monoskis, we see a guy on an actual monoski. So my buddy goes over to him and says "hey, is that a carving snowboard?" I started laughing so hard I almost wet my pants. He was very confused. When we explained, he had a good sense of humor about it. Later in the day he skied by again and yelled "hey, is that a monoski?". On the same trip we were running laps on a slope called "Assessment". I was making some pretty good turns on one particular run while a skier followed me down. We both stopped to rest at the same spot and just as I was starting again he says "You're a joy to watch." I was really flattered. That is the best compliment I've ever received on the snow. Last one. I was at Breckenridge in Colorado. I had just finished a run and this softbooter comes over all animated and flailing his arms. He says "DUDE, that things is CRAZY! Did you make it yourself?" I wasn't sure how to answer. I just said "I wish". I think he was disappointed I didn't have a better story.

Thank you for all of the suggestions and comments. I am having issues with the toe of my rear foot, not the front. I've been to a boot fitter before, but have molded liners successfully myself many times. I feel like I'm 95% there, but fully remolding means anything could change, and I just need to fix one spot. I think I will try heating the heel area and backing my foot up a bit as Beckmann suggests. And then redoing the toe if needed with a larger toe cap. I really like the idea of poking the toe through a piece of cardboard before heating; great tip!

So close. I've got a Kessler meeting those exact specs and I'm only looking for $75. You will have to scrape the wax though. Is that a deal breaker?

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I followed the bomber instructions and used a toe cap. Perhaps I need one with a little more volume.

I picked up a pair of Thermo Flex DEL 141 liners from Bomber to replace the older thermo's that had packed out. These liners seem really nice, and are definitely higher volume than the ones they replaced. I molded them a couple of weeks ago and they both felt great at the time. But I went riding last weekend and the toe of the left boot does not have enough room and it's really crushing my toes. About every second run I had to go inside and take the boot off for a few minutes. I know I could just remold that liner, but I'm wondering if anyone knows of a clever way to modify only part of the liner? If I could just punch the toe out a bit, I'd be all set. I was wondering about putting a shoe tree in there, or some kind of expansion device. Anyone done this before? Or should I just remold using a slightly thicker toe cap and call it a day? Thanks, J0hn

Definitely. Great product, great customer service.

I've got a Donek Axis metal and really like it. Remember, Sean will customize for the standard price, so you can get exactly what you want.

A few years ago I found it very easy to pull a muscle in my lower back while snowboarding. I did it on several occasions, and it was always on a heelside turn. I do have a herniated disc, but I think my form contributed to the problem as well. When I would get fatigued, I would allow my back to round out on a heelside and then the muscle pull was inevitable. About three years ago I started lifting weights. I do a fair bit of mobility work and foam rolling as well. I was told not to do deadlifts because they are bad for your back, but they have done wonders for me. I think the improvement has come from two things. The obvious is that my back and core are stronger. But I am also much more aware of my body position all of the time. I try to bend only at the hip, not by flexing my spine. I think about this the whole time I am carving. I have not had any issues from carving in the last several years. I should say, I don't just hit the gym a handful of times before a ski trip. I go about 3x / wk all year round. It's a lifestyle change. Being able to ride harder and longer is a nice benefit too. Good luck with it.

This is a concept bike. They're doing a 30 city tour of the country to solicit feedback from riders before bringing something to market. I don't think there's any reason to expect a production model to have a 53 mile range. And I'd be shocked (no pun intended) if they did not implement some form of L3 quick charging. This is going to be an awesome bike. website

Shred - I think something is wrong when the nose is more blunt than the tail! Looks like you're riding backward.

Haha, how did that poor skier get stuck with you three crazies? BTW, I really enjoyed your PCMR diary this year. It gives me something to look forward to when I'm stuck at work. You probably don't remember, but we rode together one day in January. I met Fred out there a few years ago and always give him a shout when I'm coming. 'Til next year.

Does anyone recognize the hardbooter at 4:42 in this video? Billy Bordy perhaps?

Jack, any idea who is riding the "Herbie Love Bug" board in this shot? I always liked that graphic.

That explains why Shaun White pulled out of slopestyle. He didn't want to be seen in that monstrosity of a uniform. It's even worse than the one from Vancouver.