forrest

I wear a 10 pretty much across the board. I have narrow to regular feet in general. I sized my boots by using the tracing method. My boots are tight as I was looking for an aggressive fit, having said that I have one pressure point that can be punched out and the boots are comfortable otherwise. I think the large number is the sole length with the ski toes/heels on. I would guess the smaller number is the distance between the toe shelf and the molded in heel shelf you'd use for SB bindings. I think Dan Yoja is pretty good about exchanging boots, obviously you lose shipping cost, if you do end up getting the wrong size.

I have the RC-10s in a 26. The sole length is 287mm. Mine doesn't have two lengths marked like the green pair pictured above.

Hey Guys, Thanks for the thoughts. I'll definitely check out Bazi. One needs a bar to have a few wildly expensive high test belgian beers at now and then. Its looking like I won't be able to get a pass to Meadows, looking like a night pass to the Bowl at the moment. Are there any good second hand ski and board shops in the area? I'm fond of picking up random old equipment from time to time. Bryan, sorry I missed your question. Tripples are my favorite then Blonds, Ambers, Doubbles, I tend away from the hoppy beers in general. Thanks Again, Walker

I love Elk, I had a housemate last winter who hunted and passed along a couple pounds of ground Elk.

Hi All, I've just arrive in the Portland area and knowing there is a large contingent of carvers up this way I wanted to get some thoughts for you all. I'm thinking I'll ride at Hood this winter and I was wondering which of the three resorts has the best carving terrain? Timberline is attractive just because of the location but I was wondering what the consensus was. Beer, Belgian Beer specifically. I've been loving the beer selection, seemingly available on every corner such an improvement from Utah, I'm wondering if there is a bar around that specifically does Belgian beers. Finally I know there tend to be a fair number of Engineers here. I am a biomedical engineer looking around for engineering work, could be in the field or a change could be in order. If anyone has any leads I could follow I would be much appreciative. Thanks and I hope to meet on the slope this winter Walker

Scrutton, I see what you mean. I wasn't seeing what was going on in the picture properly and had the wrong image of what was going on. I agree one could use a spokeshave but it would be a pain in the ass!! Thanks for catching that, forrest

I wonder, given the apparent difficulty of shaving an edge with a wave in it as the magna traction or any irregular shaping, if a spoke shave would be a good tool for the job. Takes a bit of skill to use but ultimately not that difficult http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=62800&cat=1,50230&ap=1 This is an overly nice one for this use.

I tried this once years ago. It was the most singular painful set of runs I have ever taken. You know that awful pain when you are first learning and your legs just don't like the way you are trying to use them? That was all I felt each run, its bad enough when you are learning but I was able to ride and knew there was a way around the pain but I couldn't find it for the life of me. I think it would be an interesting thing to do when you are working on teaching someone new as it brings you back to that level so you won't get bored sitting on your ass and running greens all day. Perhaps this will be the year I try it again

Hey Guys, Thanks for the advice. I'll take both parts of it. I presume you are speaking of the Surefoot at the Canyons.

I know this has been asked in the past but I was unable to find it with the search. I'm looking for a good boot fitter in the Salt Lake/Park City area. Thanks for any suggestions, Walker

I had that Rossi as my first board. I think mine was a 153, its across country now so I can't check. It was a bit of a pig from what I remember. Really wide and not too quick edge transition. I love that they made a symmetric board asymmetric. I believe you were supposed to be able to change the V.A.S to either side depending on your orientation, though I believe they made the weights for either stance. I think those have been swapped as I believe mine angle inline with the binding.

Hello, I came across the Donek Hazelwood the other day and I was wondering if anyone had ridden it or knew anything about how it behaved compared to the much lauded Tanker. It seems as though most of the big Tankers being sold are NOS or special editions. It appears as though the Donek is a similar beast and more readily available. Just curious as I am interested in a large powder board that is still capable of carving well with plates and would like to hear any opinions from those with experience. Thanks Walker

I have a 2009 pair of Lange Exclusive 100 Ski boots in Size 23. These boots were used for a couple of runs during one day of skiing and are in great condition. Typical story they were too small due to an improper fitting. This is an aggressive ski boot that is a step below Lange race boots. These are a little softer and tuned a bit more towards all mountain skiing. I am looking for around $225 +Shipping These are a great boot and should serve someone well. Please E-mail with any questions.

Has anyone ridden on a new set of ski boots? The last ski boots I used where of the old stiff variety and they are less forgiving than snowboard boots. My girlfriend just bought a new set of ski boots this year and frankly they are soft. These are a intermediate to advanced boot and they are noodles compared to old style boots. The stiffness seems much more like a snowboard boot. Shape skis have brought about a softening of ski boots that I think brings them quite close to snowboard boots. With a binding that has a fair amount of suspension like the TD3 I believe new ski boots can be used in a fairly comfortable manner. This may all be wrong since I have not been able to ride with new ski boots. anyone able to confirm or deny any of this?

I think the way I most clearly see the financial aspect to the decision to ride older gear is when the gear comes at the expense of days on the snow. Its maybe a hundred dollars to get to a mountain and buy a lift ticket, hell I know most of the cheap days around me and I don't think I can get there and back with a lift ticket for less than $75. If I get out 20 days or so with old gear buying a new stick would knock me down to 10 days or less. Not worth it. I want to be out on the snow not sitting on the couch thinking about how if I were riding I would really enjoy the new board sitting in my living room.

I do hate to mix my politics with my recreation but . . . I may as well. Some info on me. I am self employed in the trades, have a chronic preexisting condition, purchase my own insurance, do not come from money and am not a socialist. I've watched the news with growing shock and amazement these last several months. Who knew I was being so mistreated and abused by the world at large and the insurance industry in particular. I wish I had known, I could have made so much use of that knowledge when picking up women. With respect to our amateur Constitutional scholars that chimed in earlier I can only express my dismay, though with scholarship being what it is today I cannot really argue too much with the title, it would be worth your while to explore the difference between positive and negative rights. The founding documents of this country all deal solely with negative rights, things that the government cannot do to you. The health care you are trying to claim is a right would be a positive right, things that the government must do for you, and therefore will not be found in the Constitution. Positive rights almost exclusively result in the tyranny of one group over another. Negative rights generally result in freedom, a concept many of you may be well served in exploring. There is an opportunity with the passage of this legislation to reinforce the concept that we are not subjects of the federal government but indeed the master of the federal government. Many of us were not big kids when Social Security was enacted or when Medicare was passed, we had no opportunity to protest at the time when it mattered most. We have an obligation if we truly disagree with this legislation to engage in disobedience when provisions come into effect. Cancel your insurance in 2012 or 2014 whenever this takes effect. Do not pay the fines they attempt to impose on you. I will be canceling my insurance when the time comes. I rely on medical care to maintain my health but I will pay out of pocket to my last penny to demonstrate that I do not acquiesce. If it matters to you take the risk and demonstrate your noncompliance and reaffirm that you are not a subject of the state, to quote a fine poem by Dylan Thomas 'Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'

I just wanted to second the earlier thought that unless you have rather long legs or the inserts are on that board are very narrow having such a wide stance may cause just the feeling you describe. This season I switched to softer boots which allowed my stance to widen significantly, as I adjusted it I had a similar feeling when I went too wide. For a beginner I would suggest having your stance centered on the inserts and set at a width where you feel little pressure in, or fighting between, your boot cuff while standing flat, in other words you should try to set your stance so when you stand relaxed you are not twisting or flexing the board but rather feel you are pressuring your boot cuffs equally, such as feeling your weight in both boot tongues or the nose side of both your boots rather than feeling pressure in the nose side of one boot and the tail side of the other. This may be expressed more eloquently by someone else.

Hello, Just wondering if anyone has made it up to Sugarloaf since the rain last week. I heard they closed most of the mountain down right after and were gradually opening as the week progressed. Is it all rocks and ice or were they able to groom it out? I'm hoping to get up there Wednesday. Thanks

ah I love semantic quarreling, so heres more gasoline. it is correct to say that pulling G's does slow one down. In aerobatics when one pulls more G's one slows down because you increase the drag when you increase the G's that you are pulling. It is the same with snowboarding. If you enter a carve at the same speed the more G's you pull the slower you will exit, of course there is an element of time to be accounted for but this is the internet so why bother. I think you could say that what they are attempting to do while racing is pull the fewest G's possible while going as fast as possible which as mentioned directly influences the G's. So they are pulling hard G's but they are also attempting to minimize the amount they pull.

I've found that the contact doesn't seem to have any affect other than little wear spots on the boots. I do tend to set my binding on the tight side of things so that may help alleviate any concern about accidental release. I do use the TD3 Standards and find them to be quite nice with these boots.

What a convenient post. I've just been out for my first day on UPZ boots after fifteen years of hardboot riding and I've got to wonder what all this nonsense about these being stiff/hard boots is. These things fold up at the drop of a hat. I will admit that I do not have the stiff tongues but even so I find these to be quite soft. I think that they will ultimately work out just fine but stiff they are not. I ride in Maine so this is not hero snow from out west. If you want the feeling that you can just push and push and push ski boots maybe the only way to get there. I know I'll get an ear full about that but I would share that I aint new to this and I aint half bad at it. There is very little to compare to the feeling of some nice hard snow and some nice hard boots. I suspect that where ski boots get there bad name in alpine riding is that they are uncompromising. If you are to ride them you must ride them b**ls deep. If you aren't totally committed they are totally s**tty. When you stick it to a pair ski boots you are rewarded with huge power, feel and ease. I would suggest to anyone wondering about why anyone would go for stiff boots that the next time you are out take a few turns and just lay into the front of your boots with no reservation. Before they fold up like lawn furniture you will have a toe side with some commitment and intention. You'll not be turning by accident but with feeling and enthusiasm. That said snowboard boots are far more easy to use in varied conditions they just lack that wide open mentality and the ability to be pushed.

Who knew there were that many folks on plates up to Mt Abram. I've been going there for years, cheap midweek and your own private mountain more often than not.

It doesn't seem as though you are remotely going too fast in that situation. Sounds as though part of the problem is that they are not consistent about what is too fast. I've been places where Slow means exactly that, painfully slow, but it is consistently enforced so you always know what the expectation is. Maybe not the case as Keystone.

I have some RC-10 's for sale if you are still looking. Brand new. http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=27813 Walker

bjvircks, I took apart my UPZ's the other day and I agree with you that there isn't any real need to T-nut the toe blocks. I was wondering what your thoughts are on using the Ski DIN heels, I would consider it much the same as with Intec heels requiring T-nuts, unless the heel release of a ski binding generally acts to release before the heel block screws are excessively loaded. Forrest