Deuxdiesel

Some of the criticisms leveled against snowboarders are not without merit, but there are also a lot of skiers who act the same way. The fact that Alta is on USFS land is troubling though, especially since we all pay taxes to support it. Ultimately, why would I want to ride around skiers who hate me just because I am on a board? The funny thing is, I can slap on a pair of skis (as well as tele skis) and blow the doors off 90% of those who ski at Alta.

I like the idea, but I would only use the front one most likely.

Use the German system- gudentite.

I really enjoy both, but Highlands has wider and longer runs. I would love to meet up with some fellow carvers. President's weekend (Feb 18-21)?

Spray antiperspirant on your feet, especially between your toes and then put a pinch of black pepper in the toe box of each sock. Sounds bizarre but it always works for me.

Where do you do most of your riding? I would be happy to offer you some feedback if the time and place work out.

I also just got a set from YYZ. Great customer service and the exchange rate helps as well.

If you are just looking for risers, the Donek's are simple and much less expensive. If you need some canting or heel/toe lift, the Bombers are the only real choice. You will definitely notice the weight of the Bombers on the lift ride up.

Remnants of my daughter's rapid growth. Free, just pay actual shipping. Do not buy to resell- if you can't use these for your growing kids or friend's kids, then please pass. Violators will be flayed and fed to my chickens. K2 Clicker boots, almost brand new, size W5 or Euro W35, heat moldable liners, very stiff and supportive. No bindings. Burton Speed Zone Grom, used 1-2 seasons, excellent condition, size US6 or Euro 38, biofit liners. K2 Cinch Tryst bindings, Wm's Med and Lg. Offset discs included, no other hardware included. Shipping will be from ZIP 48130 in standard sized boot/binding boxes, so you can estimate the cost yourself if interested.

I have a pair of 6 degree plates. I would swap you for one of the 3 degree plates. Are the TD2 and TD3 base plates the same?

Your board hasn't lost camber, it's just trying to identify as rockered now. Seriously, I had the great fortune to do some prototype ski and board testing in the past. I can say for certain that a stiff board with no camber will be snappier than a highly cambered board that is too soft. Camber also helps keep the contact points in the snow and keeps it from being "drifty" like rockered boards are. The old Hooger Booger boards built with the Elan MBX-style cores were like this. They had like 3/4" of camber but were ridiculously soft longitudinally, so they didn't hold an edge very well. Conversely, Nordica had some air core alpine boards a long while back as well, and they were so stiff that keeping an edge was difficult. Even with a burly board that has a ton of camber, it will still flatten out when the rider stands on it. Long story short, if it still rides well, no worries about the camber- it may just perfom better in softer snow conditions now. But it does sound like a good excuse to get a new board!

Even in the fringe segment of a declining sport, there are sexual references to a female athlete. Nice.

It looks like something Double O Szabo would use to dispatch skier baddies.

The contrast between light and dark is spectacular, as are the filming angles. Please share more!

Nice! I used to teach there and haven't been back in a while. Decent turns ya got there, especially for early in your carving journey- good carved turn segments! It's hard to tell exactly, but it seems a little wider stance, combined with some heel and toe lifts, would loosen up your flexion. This would allow you to sink downward before pressuring the edge, which means you wouldn't be as "locked in" on each turn. Try modeling your current stance, in your boots but without the board, on a carpeted surface. See how much range of motion (up and down) you have before your rear heel lifts. Also see if the front surface of your front and rear patella are on the same plane. Now add maybe 1/2 to 3/4" of shim under your front toe and rear heel and then repeat the movement. Some riders don't care for the front toe lift, but it's worth checking out. Even in hard boots, a good stance will give you a bunch of freedom of movement which in turn will help with balance and recovery.

Thanks for sharing that video- great stuff in there! I started teaching snowboarding at a local indy hill in 1989, the first snowboard instructor they ever had. I gave so few lessons I had to learn to ski so I could teach ski lessons and make any money. I taught there for 13 years and then moved away for other work. I eventually came back and was a patroller for 17 years. Vail eventually bought the place, and it literally lost it's soul. The whole "epic" mantra, a series of corporate d-bag managers coming though on there way up the ladder, the new façade on everything without really making many substantive changes... yuck. I haven't been back in 6 years and now spend our riding time at other indy areas, even though many are hours away.

Generally speaking, the wider your stance, the stiffer your board will feel and it will tend to be more sluggish on turn initiations. An inch or to on soft boots will not make nearly the difference in feel that it will when riding on plates and hard boots. With a narrower stance on hard boots and plates (like, extremely narrow) you can flex up and down more without getting as much heel lift, but you lose command over the board in dicey conditions. You might be able to bend the board more with a narrow stance, but the ability to work the board fore and aft suffers. This applies to soft boots as well.

Jealous!

It doesn't look like the Area is still in their line-up, but if you can still find one, the 157 is fine for your weight and ability. They now have the Blade, but I haven't heard much about it.

She is 5'7" and about 130. She is a hard charger.

My apologies for sharing another possible option for riders who don't need or want a board that is over $1,000 with a 12+ M SCR.

I was terrorizing local golf courses in the late 70's. I bought a wooden Performer in the early 80's. It's been a sickness ever since.

Here in the flatlands a good day is 20-30 lift rides. Gear takes more of a beating in the lift lines as well, especially with all the skiers poking at your stuff.

Nitro makes really nice bindings- I had a pair of the Phantom Carvers, but the large size was sloppy fitting for my size 11 boots, and the mediums were too small. I just bought a set of Ride A-9's, so I am hoping those do the trick. It's hard to believe that good soft bindings are $350-450.

How was the buying experience with OES? They have some pretty great prices on bindings. As far as riding tips go, I am over by Ann Arbor, but ride all over the state, including Bittersweet and C-burg now that my daughter is in Kzoo. I was an instructor and PSIA muckity-muck for decades, so I would be happy to help as well. Feel free to PM.