Heenalu Kahiko

Unexpected pleasure to meet Jack at Sugarloaf on Sunday. My handy, attention grabbing, Thirst TS 202 was parked next to his Winterstick outside the popular local bar The Bag. All Jack had to go was find the guy with the hard boots. Turned out we were sitting together at the bar and agreed to meet in the morning for some runs. Wow, perfect conditions, Jack sends it! I got a lesson and some tips for better carving then I ever achieved before. Many thanks Jack! Special thanks to Mark Miller for my sweet longboard. I’ll see if I can find a few good turns and ask Jack to add video to the thread.

Board and Plate have been sold! Won’t be long before we’re back on it. Enjoy the fall!

Cool! I’m sure you are going to enjoy it. I had the same experience with his old 8RW that he offered me. I waited a couple of days and it was gone by the time i asked him to ship it. Any interest in a Thirst X. It’s a bit short for me and stiffer then i like. I’ll post it if not.

After driving Mark Miller absolutely crazy trying to figure out which of his many designs would work best for me, i connected accidentally with the board that satisfies a life long Thirst for a carving board that is forgiving, stable, rails turns and rides all over the mountain. The connection came while i was on a call with Mark during which he shared the fact that he had the sister ship of Keenan’s TS in inventory. He explained that he was dying to mount it and take it for a test drive but didn’t want to do so because it would reduce the board to used and take from the sale price. I asked for a picture and was intrigued by the sight of it. I got Mark back on the line, and he detailed the boards specs. I want to say the flex index is 157 which is on the lightest end on the spectrum for Mark’s boards. The effective edge is likewise very short relative to boards 15cm shorter. After corresponding with Keenan, I decided to take a chance on it. My only regret is that i didn’t let Mark mount it up so he could experience the absolute perfection of this masterpiece. When i first climbed on, i felt the edges at slow speed and was like uh oh. With some speed everything became fluid. Conditions were perfect, wide open groomed run and i laid the board on edge, looked to the right, and there it went. Suddenly i was railing long smooth turns like i never have before. The board initiates effortlessly. I decided to give it more pressure, it tightened up, i sunk into the center and my hand was on the ground. Shoulders forward, the length carried my large frame (250#/6’1”) so predictably and before i knew it was carving beautiful linked C shaped turns into the 11.8m sidecut. I had my bindings set at pretty high angles for my initial ride and sent a picture to Mark explaining how much i enjoyed the board. I commented “i wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of her” because the transitions were a little sticky. Mark wrote back suggesting i decrease the angles to their minimum to create more leverage to balance the boards width. No more sticky transitions. The board suddenly became super nimble. I honestly couldn’t believe it. Who am i anyway? I’m just an old surfer looking for a sweet bottom turn. This board feels like dropping into a head high super glassy wave on a favorite longboard. For the record, Mark Miller is an artist. His workmanship is impeccable, the graphics are just beautiful and how he took 202cm and turned it into an all mountain board that is forgiving, stable, quick/tight turning and super easy to ride is beyond my comprehension. Maybe a little help from a friend...Thanks Keenan!

Yes Give me a call 203 249-2215

Hello, Sorry for the late reply. I bought the Kessler in January of last year, the plate a few.weeks later. I purchased it to participate in a Beer League race series. Had to have the best! If it was a car, i would say it was driven by an old man to church on Sundays. I used it in the races on Tuesdays (two runs) and lightly a couple of times a week for practice through early March. Very little time on it. There is absolutely no damage to the board what so ever. The edges are perfect, the base is perfect, it has been waxed after every use by ski race techs.. It is the plate that i only used once. I found it to be to much for me, i enjoyed the board far more without it. Those are traction stomps. I 57, pretty fit but as i grow older, speed is becoming a lesser priority for me. This is a world class race board and with that plate on it, it wants someone at the helm with more horsepower. You can find the specs for the board on the Kessler Website. It is the Alpine 185. While it is a world class race board it is very forgiving, a comment that is expressed in many reviews. The price of the board new is like $1200 and the plate was something close to that. Something in the range of $1500 would seem like a reasonable price to me.

Make me a reasonable offer. Plate is Iron Rock Stiff, used once, board is beautiful.

No worries, I’ll probably wind up keeping the board and selling the plate separately. Though the Kessler 185, as agreed in reviews, is a world class GS race board, it is also surprisingly forgiving. (Without the plate) I accidentally got on some un-groomed stuff, bumps with 6” of powder on top, at Middlebury Snow Bowl last year, something i would never have chosen to do but, nowhere else to go...that board was all there for me. I’m a big guy, 6’1” and 240 so i can flex into tighter turns. I would recommend talking with Mark Miller at Thirst. His boards are hand made to meet your riding style and personal characteristics. He is very dialed in. I have a Prior FLC 173 that you might be interested in. I bought it and found out that it’s weight rating is for a rider 50+# lighter then me. It’s also in great shape.

I strongly prefer selling the two together. If you would like to make an offer for the board I’m all ears. We’re close, so we can save on shipping. Feel free to call me at (203)249-2215. I’ll be home tonight and in the car a lot tomorrow.

Lightly used 2020 Kessler Alpine 185 Black in near perfect condition for sale. Available with Iron Rock “Stiff” plate. Board has been professionally maintained by alpine ski race techs. It has been waxed using an infrared system following every use. I ride in pretty crowded Vermont areas and find this board needs more space. The hard plate was used once. I make no bones about saying that it was way to much for my riding ability. I’m just an “old surfer” looking for a sweet bottom turn. This board didn’t disappoint though this is a world class racing set up that would be best served by a rider that can take full advantage of her potential. Board and plate $1600 including shipping.