workshop7

Have you found TD3 3-hole discs yet? If not, I have a pair.

I'm truly happy riding my board following friends and family down any trail. Weather it be green, blue, black, groomer, bumps or trees, I don't care. I'll always look for a good pitch of corduroy to link carved turns over everything else, but I really do just love being outside enjoying the snow with others. However. There is a side of me that has not faded since the early 90s. If I come across an aggressive groomer that's underneath a lift...showtime! I know, as all of you do as well, that most of the people on that lift have never seen a snowboarder do much more than scrape the snow off the trail. Not today my friend. My goal is to get everyone on that lift to turn around to look downhill and watch until I'm out of sight. I love ripping as many hard carved turns as I my legs will allow while listening for the "Whoohoo!" from one or two of them. Am I alone in this? A narcissist, or are many of you right there with me?

I worked as a ski tech in the rental shop at Temple mountain in NH ( now closed) all growing up. Strange layout, the lodge was across the trail and up a set of stairs from the parking lot. One day, in 1990, as I'm walking across that trail from the shop to the lodge I see one of my good friends on a Checker Pig G6 carving up a storm. To this point I had never had any interest in snowboarding. I skied from age 3. I was 20 years old and getting a lesson on hardboots that very next day. I haven't been on a pair of skis since.

I've been riding my Donek Flux a whole lot this season (and last). Been to Sunday River, Sugarbush, Tremblant, Stratton, Loon, Ragged, Pats Peak, Killington and more. I get the same reaction everywhere and often. In almost every lift line (especially in the gondi line since I'm holding it upright) someone says, "What kind of board is that?" or "I've never seen a board that wide." (28cm) or "I've never seen a board with that shape." The people I'm often with have heard it so much they've started making up stories.

Sold

This K168 belonged to another before I had it. He rode it once and didn't like it. He thought it was too soft. I bought it from him in the spring of 2018. I rode it for 15-20 runs during the 18-19 season. I couldn't get used to it. I know that everyone loves the K168, but it's just not for me. This one is in nearly brand new condition. It has never been on a belt, stone ground or had the edges sharpened. It is in the same state it was right from the factory. I waxed it twice in the 18-19 season. The second waxing was for storage. I have not been on it since. It has not been on snow this season. Since I'm not using it I thought that someone should. I am selling it for $1,000. Free shipping.

Yeah, it's just not for me. I don't know why I don't love it like everyone else.

Just got back in line. I had to give up my spot this past summer due to other priorities and a rapidly growing stock pile of new boards in my basement. I got a little out of control between the spring of 2015 and summer of 2018. Now I'm considering selling my K168 to make room for my next Coiler.

1991 - Mild concussion 1992 - Bruised tailbone 1994 - Ruptured spleen, hit a tree, hospital for a week 2017 - Torn labrum front and back

Don’t forget about the Stat...I loved my Stat 6.

I have had my Flux for the last 3 seasons. It's a 168 with a 28 waist. I am 6' and 190. My shoe size is 11. 28.8 is not too big. You could even go bigger if you plan to really lay out your turns. I love my Flux. I ride mine in soft boots as well. I've been riding hardboots since 1990 and I prefer to be in hardboots on a carving board. However, after spending 6 days on my Flux in Steamboat Spring this past February, if I could only keep one board from my quiver (I have it listed in my profile) it would be the Flux. When you get your Flux you're going to be shocked at how wide it looks. You'll also constantly get comments from others in lift lines about the board. Its not too wide. When you ride it you'll see.

@1xsculler you are setting yourself up for failure with that attitude. Reading your post bummed me out. You should try to look at this as a journey and enjoy this ride. Don’t you have fun getting out there and improving each and every time? I know I do. I’ve been carving in hardboots since 1990 and have several pictures of myself similar to the ones you referenced. However, I still aim to get better on every turn. That’s one of the things that I love about carving - the constant over analysis of my and other’s riding. The technical side of the sport is what keeps us all here on this forum in summer talking about it. Enjoy your time on the hill, think about it on the way home, think about it as you fall asleep, talk about it with all of us here, obsess over new gear, enjoy pictures of others who ride like you want to. These are all great examples of what else there is.....

The slowest rate with which I need to travel in order to start carving my MK and my Proteus are two very different speeds. As well, the speeds that I start to feel uneasy on each of there boards, because I’m starting to go too fast, are different. All of that being said, I have the most fun carving turns when I’m between 20 and 35 mph.

How do you even get out of a turn with stack height like that?!

I use the same mitts. I love them. The liners come out of the shell easier than any other two part glove I’ve seen. They’re warm and the palm of the shell is very durable.

Relax more in my turns. I'm too aggressive all the time. Those are two fantastic options.

I look up the hill on almost every toe side turn. If I see a skier/rider above me that was not there the last time I looked I will let them pass or head in an opposite direction if it is available. I always start down hill when I see a large window in the traffic. When I'm with a group I almost always let them all go first.

I wouldn't recommend forcing your upper body to face the nose of the board as much as you are. Your stance will dictate the angle of your hips relative to the board. From there you should hold your shoulders in line with your hips. Rotating counterclockwise in an effort to always face the nose of the board will rotate your hips out of position, in turn moving your knees, placing unwanted pressure/input on the board.

I’ll be at Loon tomorrow if anyone else is there and wants to hook up.

Yeah. It is softer than the other K Alpines.

This is how I feel about riding the MK. So much fun at slow speeds and on crowded and/or narrow trails.

@bigwavedave and @daveo It is clothoid and is the same design philosophy as all the other K Alpines. I have never taken the time to measure the board and do the math, I’m only going by the specs listed on the website for the 168 (8-12). I do know that when I ride it I can get it to turn as tightly or more so than my MK which is, by most people’s account, a 9. I can also get it to ride much bigger radius turns at higher speeds while still maintaining far more stability than my MK. In those situations the 168 rides more like my Coiler 174 (10.5/12.7.12). @Jack M any thoughts here?

I don’t believe that is how the KST works. The 168 in particular is 12 under foot and steadily decreases to 8 as you work your way out to the tip and tail equally. This, combined with some early rise in the tip and tail mean that the turn radius decreases the more you get it on edge (aggressively attack the turn).

I know this is vain but in addition to enjoying the view of my own turns from the lift, there is another benefit to riding trails under lifts. I love the hollers of approval that come from the lift.

I just read this from Jack’s original post. It’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in some time.