Gecko

The concept of leashes has pissed me off for 18 years...why have we gotten rid of fins, horizontal lamination, nose ropes but still we have leashes...I have used the same leash for years, somehow my leash wasn't stolen with my 3 boards years ago so it has a bunch of history but I still hate that damn thing around my calf...well no more! Yesterday while boarding I saw the perfect minimum leash...made from a key ring, a snap swivel, 6 inches of webbing and a shoelace...of course at the resort they wanted 1200Yen (about $11.50) so I waited until I got home and spent $1 on parts and 5 minutes on a sewing machine to make my own. The key ring gets laced in (I use Clickers) y'all hard booters can just clip onto a bail (or rivet a D-ring to your front boot) as that's what most of the carvers here do...yeah leashes suck but as long as they are required I'll conform...I don't spend enough time on gondolas to care about extra time

I've been wondering about the Axis...of the three custom makers, Prior, Coiler and Donek, its the Donek's Axis that intrigues me the most. It's shape and and attributes seem most it tune with my preference of a slightly wider all mountain board that I can ride with my Clickers...Anyone ever used an Axis with Softies???while there is no way I would consider a true race/carve board the nature of the Axis seems to lend it to a middle style not hard not soft...anyway I ramble

When I surfed regularly I used to use a board sock to keep road crap off my board...nothing heavy just a simple drawstring top terrycloth sack that covers the board. I bought one for my snowboard a few weeks ago made by Quicksilver

My Ride Vapors that I use with Clickers have just such a strap. I have toyed with the idea of removing the highback though as of now it remains...later this season it may come off for a morning to "test" the new liners' stiffness. If it works then weeee less weight. Something to consider (I did) there is/are a bunch of NOS (new old stock) SI bindings that turn up on Ebay...I love the ease and comfort of mine

My first was up at Mammoth coming down Scotty's in fresh windpack on a 177 raceboard...I was going way to fast and needed to slowdown I just remember cutting this long heelside so far that it went uphill a bit before I rolled it back and dragged my chest carving out of it... I spent the rest of the day trying to repeat that feeling (I didn't until later that year up at Grand Targee on +50degree corduroy). Come to think of it I still get wood thinking of that day...it totally changed my way of looking at snowboarding

My soft (and only) setup Flite 162 Weapon Asym K2 Clickers Ride Vapors the Flite was the last board that I had a hand in making years ago when I was working for Flite (I'm pretty sure they ceased to exist in the mid 90's) it's old but only has about 50 days on it so it's still quite stiff. I T-bolted it to 4x4 last year for using the Clickers...for my feet Ride boots are comfy...DC are more comfy but they don't make Clicker boots...oh well. I have never owned a Burton product and I never will...I don't like Jake...besides there are better products out there.

OK I use 48/45 on my ASYM...and I use K2 clickers...I just haven't brought myself to the point where I want to ride hard boots...though I am approaching that point in the next few years

While I agree with this entirely I still have a problem with hit campers...I tend to roll through at speed upsetting their lines not because I want to screw them but because I want to get away from them and back to a section of the mountain where I can just cruise

while cruising the local Japanese bookstore (I live in Yokohama) I've run across a butt-load of how to book written for the Japanese....the interesting thing was of the 12 that I perused 8-9 of them were written about carving and the other three had at least a small portion on carving mixed into the Jibbing. I looked a while before finding at book that was both useful (I need photos since I don't read Kanji) and that I actually agred with the techniques being shown...However my experience with Japanese How to books is that they are usually very well done.

Satriani is good, Currently in my Carving mix on my IPOD are Chemical Brothers, Crystal Method, some Hard trance, Tracks from some Micro Tech Mixes, a bunch of indy Ska, Evanesence, Satriani, Husker Du, Hamerbox, Limp BizKit, Linkin Park and Medicine to name a few. I have found that mixxes that work for motorcycle riding also work well on the snow. Interestingly the Soundtrack to the new SSX3 video game has a soundtrack that sounds good for snow...Duh it was written for it...

its the other snowboard related stuff that I am really looking for I need new pants and a bunch of other little stuff, and my wife is looking for some outdoor gear. I plan on getting a few more seasons out of my Flight and then ordering a Prior/Donek/Coiler when I return to the USA. The concept of another custom board is too much for me though I can't justify a new board right now...I spent a lot of time building my Flight (I was one of the factory rats years ago) and it is still in good shape though it's now T-bolted.

Help!!! I while back (2-3 months ago) I was browsing the boards and I ran across a series of posts about board/gear shopping in Japan/Tokyo. I know there is an area (of tokyo) that is dedicated to outdoor equipment sales... Segue 2 months at sea and now I can't find it...I know it was in a thread about Carve magazine...Any help would be appreciated... As for me I'm a returning carver...I've been in the tropics for a decade (hence the old snowboard) and have been surfing but I long for the feel of snow again...I plan on spending the sending half of Jan. up in the japanese alps. Peace Tony