CB Utah

The following are the parameters for my test of an April 2024 manufacturing date XC: XC WARP 171 cm, (RFF), effective edge 156 cm, 19.5 cm wide (as measured by me), SCR comparative average 11 m, flex index .299. Important distinction: the nose shape on this XC is a new style. My review will be written without reading previous reviews. Sorry if anything repeats; this way it's my impressions and mine alone, without influence. Conditions ranged from groomed hard pack to rough, noisy frozen crud in the shadows to smooth slush to irregular bouncy soft slush piles and 35-55 degrees F (yes, it varies a lot). I used Fast Stik Warm. For comparison, I typically ride a 184.5 cm or a 181 cm board, ~18.5 cm to 20 cm wide. The Good: The board is light, lively, composed on hard pack with great edge hold, fun in slush and nimble. It makes a distinctive noise going across hard pack. Biggest finding of the day: There is something going on with the way the new nose is now shaped on these boards. I can only describe it as the edge to edge transition and turn initiation felt even more instant and precise. To put it into another perspective, it felt like the difference between riding ice or hard pack with 90 degree edges versus finely honed ones at <90 degrees. It basically felt like a scalpel, as if the nose was more narrow than it actually is. The turn radius could easily be tightened. It was not twitchy or nervous and did not feel like I had to be constantly working it to have fun. I rode with a relaxed, neutral stance. I don't even feel like I explored it's limits because I'm not a great rider. It was easy to ride. The riding varied from wide open western runs to moderately narrow runs and cat tracks. It carried speed well on the slushy cat tracks, tracked flat nicely and enabled me to pass skiers and boarders unless they were swerving back and forth and I needed to scrub speed. In the hands of a racer, this board may be the ticket. I want to see someone race this to see what it can do. Again, that nose shape is doing something different with the edge engagement. The Bad: I had no powder to test it in. The season is ending in a month. I did try a side hit run up a slope but it was just soft, melty and sun-pitted, not fluffy. Bonus Good: A lucky chipmunk on the cat track thankfully made the wise decision to zig instead of zag and thus avoided ruining both of our days.

That’s ridiculous for pricing. Isn’t one “benefit” of the 24-25 season pass that if you don’t own property there, you get excluded from the new private runs and lifts? Kind of a pay way more for way less sort of super bargain? Maybe I misread the articles in the news but that’s what I thought it stated. Unrelated but damn, they’ve been blasting avalanches all morning, since before sun up here.

@Hug Masso, hope you are having a great season. If your bare feet have been measured at 28,3 and 28,5 centimeters, and you don’t have feet that are really wide or unusually shaped, the mondopoint 28 UPZ boot of your choice with the UK 9,5 liner should be spot on. It is critical that you measure your feet and purchase a pair of boots based on the actual length of your bare feet. Once you receive your boots, do a shell fit test without the liners. You should barely touch the tip of your toes to the toe box and then have about 1.5 fingers width between your ankle and the back shell. The liners will feel tight at first; please give them time to flow around your feet. If you have thin shins, you can buy replacement UPZ thick liner tongues to build volume or if you have thick shins, they’ll sell you thin liner tongues. For a low volume foot, you can add a boot board to fill space. If you have a boot fitter familiar with injecting foam ski race liners, you can purchase a UPZ foam injection liner. They make 4 types. You can customize your boots many different ways with 4 different outer tongue stiffnesses and 3 different springs that are adjustable. If you disassemble any screw assemblies on the older boots or newer boots, I recommend blue lock tite or blue thread locker liquid. Best of luck!

I have a Swix boot bag and another brand. I was checking out bags at a ski shop in PC today and got lost in deep, post-snowboarding thoughts. What features, number of pockets, volume of bag, padding or none, etc. makes the ideal bag for you? If it makes it easier, let’s separate into 1. boot bags for airline travel 2 boot bags for non-airline travel

Similar issues. Have used Camelbak or derivatives since they launched, but for MTB or enduro. Agree that smooshing the pack on the chair is a drag. I simply buy shells or insulated jackets with monster pockets and bring water bottles. Nalgene makes all different sizes. Either that, or I ask someone else to carry the pack with the camera, the food, the water…

All I can say is sit next to someone in the airport or on a plane or bus, and watch them swipe swipe swipe pause on Instagram. Crazy reels = likes But damn, that’s the floppiest, loosest style ever. Alas, someone will modify and incorporate that into an even crazier reel, maybe with a knuckle huck dressed as the Easter bunny or a cliff jump over burning logs after parachuting… (Note crafty incorporation of the rabbit theme into my response)

I think @philw has some of the more interesting perspectives, based on the shear number of powder days. I say you go helicopter or snowcat boarding and experimentally try at least two differing approaches. (And invite me because, yeah, you need someone to document it)

I just saw this, sorry. Was at Brighton on Thursday day and into the evening to ride with some cool dudes. Not going today to PC this morning due to glare ice that formed on our neighborhood roads, driveways and sidewalks. Got lots of fluffy powder last night though! Parley’s, Assessment, Silver Queen are all nice on the PC mountain side. Start at the Crescent lift and work your way up. There’s many others but I just started riding that side so I’m learning my way around. I typically rode the Canyons side. Echo is a fun run but earlier in the year, because of sunrise being later, and it being shielded by the surrounding terrain, it is DARK over there for first tracks. It’s better now. Lots of fun to be had off the Orange Bubble Express and by using that, you bypass the awkwardness of people scratching your board when they do weird things like take their skis into the gondola.

I’ve been best friends with trees for enduro, MTB and hiking, just not tight trees while snowboarding so I can’t assist with an assessment. Sorry, I’m more of a scenic open glade type of guy. I also have a few other boards you can try, including an X model.

Hey @RRrider, I own a Thirst 181 PC that’s 20 cm wide. I went from a 156 cm board to a 184.5 cm Thirst 8rw in one season. I took a chance and never looked back. I too was initially freaked out about the length but I trusted what others said in Thirst reviews. @big mario and @bigwavedave, I’m lookin’ at you. Thirsts are anomalies that erased my preconceptions. Easy to ride neutral on, carve and goof around on. Hold edges incredibly well across good and bad snow, they’re light and just shriek on ice. I ride my 181 everywhere and it seems nimble but holds a carve on steep ice. I can’t describe it but that swallow tail feels long for support in a carve but feels as short as you need to throw a quick fat slash or turn quickly. Again, brain melted and what I thought I knew has been redefined. Holler if you make a trip out to Utah or Colorado and you can demo mine if you’re goofy foot. (You too, @Eastsiiiide!) Non-stylish/non-dramatic photo attached from Assessment at Park City but you get the idea, can ride this board all day everywhere. Mainly running UPZ RC12’s with F2 Ti Intec at 60 degrees.

Yo @Keenan I purchased exactly what you need. But I keep losing the anorak every time I take it off…

Anyone else encounter F2 gasket ring greasy goo when removing bindings from the board?

Oh, I see how it is now. You get red flannel, I have to get red flannel. Now I have to buy blue flannel just to keep up. Sick board and great theme photo as usual.

What model of UPZ boots do you have? If you want factory UPZ parts to fully mod your boots, there are stiffer spring sets available, in addition to a full suite of springs with the RCR boxed set. You can also order stiffer outer tongues and swap cuffs if your cuff isn’t the stiffest version, depending on boot. No need to go over seas as the North American market is covered by the aptly named UPZ North America. Direct your browser to UPZBoots.com to order. They are located in the inter mountain West of the United States now. They are also on Instagram.

Great run, close finish and yes, the UPZ North America website UPZBoots.com is up and running now.