dhamann

personally, early season is about conditioning and remembering bad habits. late season is just about being outside snowboarding. i don't ride a performance minded board at either stage of the season, with some exception. my alpine quiver is all kind of performance minded... so it's softies early/late. non custom boards, easily replaceable.

maybe a Mystery 6 ground. has the ring of an alarm clock. an M6 and a mystery air.

never molded, intuition SBC liner, size 12/M30, 100+ship left foot and right foot

i know you're not lost. kidding. long story short, of the four you've narrowed down in that list above, the superpig could be a good start... while understanding the compromises and the intended use. short and whippy. too whippy for fast riding imo. although i'm pretty sure that board made it to the podium at some banked slalom races on the ice coast. the commissioner is better but not wide enough. get some of those virus isolator plates if concerns about drag still linger. the plates could go pretty quick around here if they don't work out for you. wink wink. why not just get the donek then? more bang for the buck while having plates can be more beneficial from board to board than just having a board that may take a bit longer to adapt to given the jump in width if you were on that NS summit 25.5w and again, intended use. significant difference in effective edge too so more speed/real estate may be required. i don't even wanna know how tight it can get at wawa on a weekend. the pig with plates would probably still be lighter, if that's part of the equation. it might be the impulse buy now option, but time is on your side. i'd sleep on it. seems there's plenty of those superpigs available and that could also say something. good news for you if that's what you're after though. i've been keeping an eye on a two year old discontinued board, only one left for a few months now. it's just a snowboard.

are you lost? this is an old thread. 'wide' boards have gotten wider in the past couple of years; also more options above a 26cm waist are available but kind of limited above 28cm. 26 seems to be an older norm of what 'wide' is. more 27+ options available now, but not necessarily boards geared towards groomer carving. 28+ are just plain rare. then on the extreme side of the spectrum are 32cm+ wakeboards that are custom. compromises will be made with any sort of budget. also looking for an in stock, buy it now 'wide' snowboard to carve comes with compromise. nobody needs to spend a grand on a carving board because we all know that all boards can carve. they sure are nice though. finding what's right for you is to start to narrow down the preferences and tick them off the list. most will find themselves easily justifying a custom made board pretty quick. that's almost too easy though and i enjoy the hunt just the same. here are some preferences I typically lean to when window shopping for boards. if budget is number one, excuses become plentiful. preferences don't start with the numbers IMO; ie waist width. they start with how you intend to use the board. also the terrain, snowpack and snow surface the rider will ride the majority of the time. did your area get 60" of snow or 600"+? ability of and style of the riders intentions (freestyle, switch riding, freeride, sidehits, directional freecarve, slow carve, fast carve, aggressive bomber style), etc. then the other equipment: boots, bindings (stance), plates then get into the basic numbers. rider weight, height, boot size. now get into the numbers of the board. length, sidecut, waist now construction of board. flex, profile, woods, titanal, fiberglass, carbon, kevlar, vegan, etc. what budget? I have no problem compromising on about half of my quiver (nitro, SG, OES, kessler). it's just a snowboard, ride it. some folks just need to have full custom everything though. i get it, but i also enjoy the inclusive options out there. if no compromise of ride, experience, performance can be had then skip the bullsht and pick a board builder. share riding footage with them and start the process. OES FR and TT, medium flex, glass deviation works, moment generator SG soul personal preference... highly suggest a plate with any off the shelf board due to some compromise on width (quicker edge to edge), dampness and edge hold pressures.

tested soft boots yesterday after a 2/9 ankle surgery. rode the morning and switched to alpine at noon. a firm upper flume and chunky sunset were the only carvable spots. kind of obvious this time of year, but the rest of the place is slush. dam it's a lot of work to ride those conditions. like riding a bike, except for the recovery part. as long as the woo's keep coming from the chairlift, one good turn deserves another. hoping for some decent turns next week on timberline a couple clicks north.

splinters in VT if local options don't prevail.

thanks for the feedback @crackaddict. i see that the cv ltd has the same base plate composite make up (nylon/carbon) as the xv but beefed up and higher by 15mm at heelcup and the high back is essentially the only different component between these bindings. ankle straps look more reinforced than apollo or odrive too so those'r good. my thinking is that... would a more forgiving high back allow for a little more margin for error at high speeds or just create more rebound (ie bounce/chatter)? curious if this balance actually jives in practice while carving both soft or hard groomed or chunder conditions (ie a tracked out race track)? the regular cv has a nylon/fiberglass blend base and the same highback as the cv ltd but the higher heel cup. i'm sure the xv performs very good (seen your riding. ), even without having to put a soccer shin pad in the boot but the slightly softer high back may balance this out (to a degree). i think it's a sleeper binding and might just have to try em out. carbon high back on cv ltd would be the jam, but doesn't exist. thanks again. any other experiences with any of these models, keep em coming.

does anyone have experience carving with the cv, cv ltd or xv model bindings? the xv has a carbon highback where the cv and cv ltd do not. xv is "stiff" flex where cv/cv ltd are "medium". however, what intrigues me is that the heel cup on cv and cv ltd is 15mm higher than xv and appears to be a lot beefier. looks like the higher heel cup puts ankle strap higher on foot. my assumption is that these combinations provide greater support, hold and response, especially laterally. ie also somewhat restrictive? unfortunately, with the higher heel cup on cv/cv ltd it doesn't appear one could swap an xv carbon highback onto the cv or cv ltd, given different molds. feedback appreciated. (not a fan of flow, broken too many odrives, have a set of odrive backups and brand new in box jones apollo; looking for more without going metal) i see a bit of surplus with these bindings towards the end of the season so if they fall apart somehow, i should be covered. are they worth a try?

there's more stock spec'd wide and ultra wide softboot carve specific boards being offered in europe than in the US or north america. as mentioned above. another is OES.

tried it @JohnE and i'm sure others have as well. i think you know the answer. just standing in place told my body that the skeletal structure isn't going to like this. i wanted to like it and was fun for a few laps, but the reality of this test concluded that i will just pick one. the two sports/disciplines are not intended to be combined, aside from abnormal circumstances. i don't believe the equipment is designed or meant to take on the forces for such an idea and my body let me know this when i was in my late 30's. way too many adjustments, tweaks, etc. then again, some folks prefer to ride duck in hardboots.

west mountain oneski special order. nice. just in time for reggae

Whiteface, Springfest Banked Slalom, Snowboard results, overall after two runs. Men's . Jeff Stevens 34.70/35.93 2nd . Mark Doering 40.41/38.21 . Josh Wagner 36.84/35.81 . Mike Champagne 35.94/35.77 . Tyler Eaton 36.72/35.64 . Dylan Aldridge 52.90/37.81 . Dale Mortensen 33.90/33.80 1st . Luke Peduzzi 37.18/35.69 . Everett Renderer 36.72/35.64 . Ryan DAllessandro 38.63/38.61 . Spencer Neal 38.32 . Erich Stefanzick 38.08 . Jameson Lecomte 39.05 . Joan Haynes 45.16/43.09 . Ken Feseite 39.53/38.42 . Rob Vidile 38.72/37.59 . Devon Rosh 40.45/39.94 . Glen Haran 50.95/39.66 . Robbie Sinclair 36.82/39.99 . Cody Voit 35.11/34.80 3rd . Ben Shubert 36.67/35.83 . Kellen Mack 37.58/36.67 . James Russo 108.34/101.93 . Liam Redding 59.79/100.20 . Rainer Pfendler 47.91/47.44 . George Estrada 37.00/36.55 Women's . Brynn Haran 42.71/41.79 1st . Lula Pfendler 43.01/43.39 2nd . Elle Russo 47.72/47.50 3rd

thank you.

that might be motivation to splurge for the ridiculous cost of the silver ($orry gold). wtf north and south ride like mountains where the guts ride like hills. something for everyone. just watch out for @RobertAlexander crevasses on northstar.

whether on a trial with dedicated features or not, ask yourself, are you freeriding or are you carving? the answer to this quandary lies within. i don't go to a mountain to ride the park like i used to, but depending on the layout there's some good lines to be had. ie using the sides of jumps as banked turns, etc.. Keeping off the takeoffs and landings (including runouts on large jumps) with ruts demonstrates respect. the majority of park riders are still figuring out what snowboarding actually is and how to do it. they're stunt people that ride over man made things. this is fun for them so let them be. eventually, they'll see the light and understand what the side cut curve of a board is actually intended for. it can sometimes be helpful to demonstrate this in their own habitat. believe me, most people know who the carvers are on the mountain any given day. we also know who's there to just jib in the park and go to the bar every other run. s.m.a.r.t. style, know your limits, etc. it's similar to hot lapping the trail before it's closed that's shut down for gate training almost every day. same deal. also, there's the instructors with about eight five year olds going through the bx course and stopping midway. not s.m.a.r.t. if you can't read the terrain (OR SIGNAGE) and understand what it's intended for then maybe it's better to just use the rest of the mountain.

rewind. i've never heard of that interpretation before and never felt my boards to hook at the tail while finishing a turn as they do at the nose to initiate the beginning of a turn with a vsr. an 8.5-10m scr is 8.5 at nose and grows to 10m at the tail. if it were 8.5/10/8.5 then it would not be a variable sidecut radii. this example would average a singular 9m scr. add the three and divide by three. add the two and divide by two and you get 9.25m average vsr. generally speaking. i don't quite follow the elliptical sidecuts as with kesslers, etc, but frankly i could care less. give me the average and let me know if it's vsr like sg snowboards does and i'll figure it out. singular scr vs vsr are helpful to know when buying so hopefully this helps clear things up. a 9.5 boot has never had to deal with the struggle of board widths like a size 12. thankfully this has improved with manufacturers in more recent years and custom boards are more readily available. my compromised riding history is probably why i prefer to be ontop of the edge and not need the whole boot to be inside the edge to turn and carve. i see no need for it except to make excuses, bragging rights and sell boards. ie. 'if you're not on the edge you're taking up too much space'. applies here too imo. why are the smaller footed countries so far ahead of the softboot carving world? aside from being extraordinarily limber and young. never had an issue with boot drag, but they're not all size seven either. for example, average asian foot size is 9 where american is 10.5. a 26 waist was 'wide' just a few years ago and obviously works for 10.5 because this is the sellers boot size for this board. i recall that Sean didn't agree with my 26.5 waist when i had it made, but he also wanted to go much wider than i felt comfortable with. this all comes down to preference at the end of the day. there's a lot of discussion and information throughout these pages where there is no 'secret'. it's just a matter of finding what's right for you and understanding the differences. gotta get out there and ride em. this comes with time, buying and trying different boards and other equipment. as it's been mentioned before, you can buy a board from someone here, try it and if you don't like it then put it back up for sale for the cost of shipping. might as well get started somewhere. although this board is a sweet board for you, a 168 might be something to work up towards. however, the smaller vsr than what you thought you may 'need' makes it a contender though. it will ride like a big boy board for you if a 160 dart is the largest board you've been on. if compromises can't be made (well understood around here), then be prepared to keep that wallet out. sorry to hijack the thread @pmorita. this board is perfect for most anyone described above. she's a keeper for someone. can't believe it's still here actually.

hey Z. no pressure. we're all friends here. this board is pretty mint; especially for a first time dedicated carve board. current owner has a 10.5 boot while a 9.5 step on would be even better. you both ride northeast terrain and surface conditions. this board will have a stiffer flex and different riding characteristics than an 8.6m dart. the 10m tail will send you downhill and will take some getting used to if you've never ridden vsr before. my first dedicated board was a donek saber with an 8-11.5m scr for bx racing, 26.5 waist with a size 12 boot. i rode with power plates to raise my feet that made this work better, but still. i have some JJA plates listed if that interests you. you're ahead of the game with this one imo. or go custom for 900+. idk man. just trying to help. pretty much led to water with this one. food for thought.

@zyzgerry some good advise here and some comical. i see you're from jersey so if you're riding a hardpack surface in the northeast the majority of the time, side cut and waist width are imperative to carving at a high level. kind of obvious, but where do you start? well, you've already started. you're carving on a dart, but looking for more. begin adding to your quiver. this takes time. finding or waiting for the right board to pop up, etc. someone who rides fairly open terrain with 300"+ annual snowfall will probably have different preferences than someone who rides 15m wide trails with man made half+ the season. reality is that most northeast resorts boast about snowmaking capability more than annual snowfall. apples/oranges. generalizations are worth considering and welcomed knowledge, but as it's said above test test test and try different things that work best for the conditions you may encounter. of course a dedicated carving board is going to help you carve and improve your abilities, but not immediately. there is a learning curve. stepping into hardboots will point out your mistakes a lot faster, but stepping up from a rocker style shovel nose board with less ee to a full camber carve focused softbooter will also point out mistakes. eh, not mistakes but habits that may have developed over time from riding a cheater board. some of those habits may never go away. a lot of boards on the market seem to be designed to almost ride themselves. if you're reading this, you're probably looking to improve and in search of a challenge. i see it like this.. carve focused boards are not 'easy' riders and the rider is the driver with little help from the board (as learning goes)... until you tame it. like a wild horse. then progress within it's capabilities. this progression will improve your carving. build a quiver if you're looking to improve from where you're currently at and might be bored with the limits of the current boards you have. flavor of the day if you will. for instance, my softy boards vary from an "8/10" stiffness with an 8m sidecut to a "12+/10" stiffness with a 12m sidecut. mondo size 30 or size 12 boot. 27.4-28cm waist. a couple others to fill the void. risers on all boards that help with bootout and keep toes/heels ontop of the edge of the board with my riding angles (+36/+9 or 12) but not over. one could add maybe one or two cm to this if they don't use a riser plate, but riding a little narrower helps with quicker edge to edge, control, feel, bite, etc... "quick" with a 28 waist, not a 16. i find that some taper also helps with quicker edge to edge. ankles and softboots flex so the board will never be 90 degrees, railing an edge, digging into the snow to permit needing a board waist wider than your foot size imo. if the board is at 90 degrees, dragging forearms get involved. unnecessary strain on ankles, legs, arm, elbow, jacket and back. different strokes for different folks.

i think the reference is to this. https://www.instagram.com/p/Co5dUyyABcw/ recovering from collarbone injury incurred i believe March '22. original treatment did not go as planned. reoperation November '22. team of docs, specialists help but patience is tough to overcome when you're an athlete of this caliber. the clip above is from about a week ago. 'it's a long road to the top if you wanna rock 'n roll' everyone can win, not everyone can lose 2/26/19

Northeast Banked Events 2023 12/18/22 originally, rescheduled to 2/4/23. Methodology. Gunstock, NH. link to event. results 3/3 - 3/5/23 Slash and Berm, Killington, VT. link to event and results 3/4/23 Springfest Banked Slalom, Whiteface, NY link to event 3/11 Not Another Banked Slalom, Ragged Mountain, NH. link to event. results 3/11 – 3/12/23 Blauvelt’s Banks, Bolton Valley, VT. link to event and streams. Saturday, Sunday Finals 3/11 – 3/12/23 The Vermont Open, Stratton, VT. link to event. Saturday, All Results (Saturday up to 4 laps timed, Sunday 2 laps and combined best from Saturday and Sunday, top 5 move onto finals, 2 runs, best one counts) 3/18/23 Back to the Banks, Saddleback, ME. link to event. Results. tight top 7! 3/24/23 Homesick, OG downhill, Stratton, VT (might as well slide this in too) 17 and under women, 17 and under men, 18-39 women, 18-39 men, 40+ women, 40+ men pg1, 40+ men pg2 3/25/23 Sidesurfer’s Banked Slalom, Sugarbush, VT. link to event. results 3/25/23 Sugarloaf Banked Slalom, Sugarloaf, ME. link to event. stream, results

For reference, Size 12 here as well. 65/60 binding angles on a k80 with 20 waist to rid the possibility of boot out. Due to large nose: Front binder all the way forward and position rear binder to preferred spacing (stance width) is how I set up my k80. Right, wrong, suggested or otherwise. Fine tuned on slope from there. Slice on edge across slope with front foot clipped in only so tail doesn’t slide out. I once read that that’s a theoretical goal to optimize edge hold. It’s a beast of a board to freecarve with, even in the right conditions. Fun eventually, but can be taxing on the body for sure.

@lafcadio i wish! i see it's a nice surface out there almost everywhere right now. likely M-F next year.

heelside looks lazy af (in a good way), but ... and for riding anything but steep terrain. getting lower may not be the objective when carving unless ec is the goal. define your "lower".

Nice @Termin8tor but pretty sure I’ve seen you race banked turns with a harder ice than that.