Corey

If they can ban sleds, they can ban other equipment too. This reeks of either a bad collision or hurt feelings of someone with connections. I recall how trashed Ruthie's was in the old SES session in Aspen. We thought it was so good that we went back for a 2nd run, it was awful! Maybe multiple race teams rutted out all of Roundhill?

Neat podcast, Loveland is prominently featured: https://freakonomics.com/podcast/ski-areas/ Most won't be new to people here, but it was still a good listen.

Now, the straps holding it down have too much flex. Maybe add toe and heel lips to engage with bails? The cable is a big failure point. Maybe add 4 buckles spread across the boot? The binding highback is a little redundant, maybe remove that? Boom, a whole new design that no one has ever seen before!

I'm going to be in Abbotsford/Surrey/Vancouver in a few weeks with family. Any recommendations for lift accessed MTB for me and kids aged 9 and 15 while we're there? They're flatlanders and we'll likely stick to green runs. We'll need to rent bikes too. I did Whi$tler 15+ years ago with a different family member and it was great fun, but I'm hoping there's something a little cheaper and/or closer. Any wise tips from locals? Should we bring our basic bike helmets or are we dumb not to rent full-face? No need for black diamond runs or cool jumps. I'm not sure the 9-yo has ever seen a hill before. Thanks!

I've since pivoted (see what I did there?) to a Carver C7 setup as my favorite. It's lower and more fluid feeling for me. It all started with a cheap Santa Cruz Carver collaboration board that came with CX trucks. I loved it so had to try the fancier C7. The shorter 80's style board and lower height made for even faster turns and a playfulness that just tickles my brain. I can have fun just rolling down a sidewalk, going around benches, poles, etc. The Carver videos on YouTube are a fun taste of what's possible but they're very short.

It's a good exercise to tame hand swinging and show you that it's unnecessary. The first time you loose an edge on a toe carve will reveal why it's best saved for low risk situations. An alternate is to hold your jacket hem at your sides. That makes it less messy if you need to swing your arms for something.

For reference: A TD1 has a fixed 90-degree cant angle. At 85, he's got a tiny bit more toe lift and an even tinier bit less cant than that.

You are wrong, that doesn't work. I kid, I kid! I'm enjoying even pure carving at lower angles as well. A 22 to 23-cm board is my new 'comfortable', with 20-cm boards feeling more like a skwal now.

I guess I'm just lucky.

What makes you think this?

Once a rust spot has formed, a gummy stone is pretty amazing. Feels like a grittier version of the blue end of old erasers. It surprising how little work is needed for minor spots. 100% wipe the snow off before putting your board in a car, and I prefer getting it completely dried if it's going in a bag. Then pull out of the bag ASAP after the trip home and wipe it again.

I put my bindings on the center of the insert packs. I'd like to think the board makers know more than us, that's why we happily trade our money for their wares and decades of experience. If I were smarter than them I'd make my own boards! Bruce from Coiler suggested that you could shift your bindings a little forward if a board felt too stiff for you, and backwards if it felt too soft.

Shred, are you ok man? That's a lot of hardware to pick up! Have fun!

Whoa, that's an interesting board!

Nice to see my Black Snow brothers in here! I lusted for that Black Snow Edge in the 1987 Sears Christmas catalogue for months. Then it arrived Christmas day! It was a pow day, and I fell in every way possible while hiking the side of a river valley.