Kneel

It's always been my feeling that Intec/Fintec heels are meant to be disposable items. Sure you can keep throwing parts at them, but what is your time worth? What is the time worth for the inconvenience of losing a half or full day riding at the mountain? Set a limit on them. My personal limit on Intecs is 150 days. For some guys that's only one season, for me it's three. Plenty of guys have double that so the only real science to it is how you take care of them. I spoiled myself a couple years ago with Fintecs, but I don't think the internals are different so I'll probably move these to the spare pile and start fresh next season. Heels are $100/$150. We're riding $1,000 boards while wearing $700 boots with $1,000 season passes dressed in fruity $1,000 Arc'teryx upper and lower shells. Buy yourself some new heels every year for cripes sake.

Being a "full figured" rider, I'm a little concerned about being on only 3 bumpers per side. I've broken geckos already. I think there is a post with a picture somewhere. However, I might be tempted to drill another hole through the P in "APEX" and fit a 4th bumper to disperse the pressure. 4 might support the binding heel and to enough without affecting the ride... The KK.

I know, friends don't let friends snowboard at the mall, but every time I've been to BigSnow there are a handful of the softboot carvers you describe. Super nice too and I'm sure they'd be happy to offer help. The compact space and consistent conditions are also good for some deliberate practice. Also, Dan Richards who goes by @icecoastcarver on IG is also pretty solid rider frequents there...

Yep. Was still cold, windy and icy as of March of 2022. Nothing in the way to disrupt the bitter cold flowing down from the north country. Suggestion...IF you're gonna be up at that latitude, you're in northern VT already, you may as well get on the lake effect side of Champlain. While conditions are poor now, it IS still early. Stowe, Sugarbush, and one of my favorite little mountains...Bolton Valley. That air coming off the lake funnels right into BV and it can get dumped on in a hurry. Empty during the week and on the weekends, Burlington flocks to the other two. The northeast is just coming out of the December thaw. Winter WILL return with a vengeance...

Besides, tomato sauce trails on top of cheese makes Joe Pesci cry...

@Mr Wontonhas quite a few more days than my 2 so he'll have a more robust experience to share. I went with him twice, the first in September and second in October, and honestly the crowd wasn't too bad, but I think it was trial by fire to find those optimal days. Ticket times are staggered as well so of the 2 hour block, the first hour is best, which after a dozen or more 300' runs inside a freezer at the mall, your skin starts to crawl and you can't get the **** out of there fast enough. HOWEVER, that being said, to snowboard on a 70 degree day in October, shit I think it may have been pushing 90 in September, was pretty cool, not to mention Mr. Wonton is great company and somehow can tolerate my constant griping. Its a win so it didn't take too much of my therapist's time. Oh, I do think board selection is very important as turn real-estate is at a premium. First trip there was on the SF, but it was a wonky groom and I just wasn't feeling it. Second trip I took the MK and it was magic. I think my best was 12 linked turns. Just don't blink as it's over fast. People are pretty considerate about dropping in as well. Every once in a wile there is a lesson going on. You'll be introduced to a new term. The "throw-away run".

It may be the only game in town after this week...

Friends don't let friends snowboard at the mall.

Yikes, I should have just looked at the webcams. Amazing the difference that a week will make. We have a family home in Dorset. Trend looks cold enough after Wednesday so hopefully it turns around when I get back, but cripes the last couple of years have been heartbreaking...

Flying to Colorado for another 10 days on Wednesday. I'm in IT and can work anywhere, so may as well do it where my son lives and sneak in a day or 7 of riding. I heard Stratton wasn't too bad? Yeah that 30" got wiped out by the recent rain, but mountain ops was doing a pretty good gob making lemonade...

Forecast for Vernon tomorrow is 53 and sunny. They'll be throwing fists at the cab by 8:45... I wish the Creek had a webcam. This is Camelback. I'd double this scene for tomorrow...

This is why I get the value pass. So I'm NEVER tempted to go this week. I may, however, make an appearance next week after the blackout dates. As always, first lift, in the truck by 10:30. Paging @Mr Wonton...

Just throwing this out there, but maybe your feet are trying to tell you something about your technique? I agree, it shouldn't move, but there's something dynamically fishy going on too. As my feet are carving here in the office under my desk trying to replicate getting the rear foot to go negative, you must really be pushing off the ball of your rear foot to get it to rotate back to the tail. Especially starting at 48 which gives you a lot of extra leverage compared to say 60 where the ball of your foot may be pushing towards the toe-side edge. There's gotta be an explanation in the Beckman Bible for this. I'm at +63 on the back foot and it feels like it's just along for the ride at times outside of some gentle heel/toe action...

Actually, just looking at it, that 4x4 isolator block looks like a much better solution...

Mini lathe. That's probably the correct stock too, but the female and plate receiving end. at least the last 5mm or so, was probably done on a lathe. Find something with a closer stack height, a silicon cushioning washer to fill the ID/OD space between the carbon, fasten the binding with and M6 stainless hex screw with washer and call it a day. Or, call Frank. Isn't the Virus rip-off...er I mean plate almost identical?

Where's Hunter? Surely you mean Huntah Mountain. Often the T can be silent as well as in "Hey, Tony, yooz goin' to Hunna Mountain this weekend? It's gonna be lit!"

Look for the trail of destruction in the form of bumps, bruises, black eyes and turn-anxiety left by gapers and straight-liners and you should find them.

Looks like your feet are on backwards too. You’re gonna make the call anyway. Just get it over with.

I’ll have to dig out the geckos and try them on my XC. I’ve had them on the SF, but it felt a little dirty. Stretch out the ee of the SF just in the tail section, sprinkle in some titanal and his magical thirst pixie dust. Am I right?!? I would slay Stratton after a typical 40 and raining turns to 0 and treacherous.

Honestly, when it’s soft, I’ll take the 8RW every time. It’s a long board that thinks she’s short. Lean over a little more.

@bigwavedaveHe’s on me to write a proper review, not to mention I’m on my way back to the east coast tomorrow, so I’ll keep this short. The Super 7.3m is his masterpiece. It’s so good I told @Carvin' Marvin that I was going to throw every other board in the garbage, to which he gratefully offered to dispose of my other Thirsts, then to his dismay I informed him his feet were on backwards, so I’m keeping them just in case. But I digress. In a nutshell, its everything you would expect from Mark. Buttery relaxed ride, tilt her over and she predictably goes. However , she’s got a dark side. You can curb stomp her, ride the tail, spit in her mouth, this board will turn wherever you initiate the edge and rocket you out of the turn to dig for more. And its SILENT. Not damp. It’s quite. No chatter. Nothing. It just holds the edge till you release it. Even with his stock tune I have no reason to believe it won’t be an ibex in northeast bulletproof. However…I’ll never find out as I’m leaving it out here in my CO lair. I’ve already hinted at a 166 XCSFm that will stay in the Dirty Jerz, but you know how he is. He probably already has the magical formula in his diabolical little mind, but he’s playing hard to get.

See yous guys Sunday.

You may want to stick some tape on the tenderizer as well so stuff doesn't freeze to it.

I see two issues with the sidewinder heel receiver. First is the omission of the icebreaker bar on the heel receiver, however this is easily overcome with a good stomp pad like the one the was already recommended. The second is the metal heel receiver itself as ice builds up in the corners of the base and receiver. What CAN'T be fixed duct tape! Perhaps better would trazon tape or flex/gorilla seal tape which would be waterproof and more durable. The trazon tape would certainly be a better choice for the boot soles. Snow/ice shouldn't stick to any of those choices...

Late, Friday, opening day report. Another fine rainy VT day kept the throngs away till about 10:30, which was fine as a belly still full of pie and the MK had me begging to stop after 5 top to bottom runs. Forcast after this weekend looking better for snowmaking...