Tommy D

Check out LOADED and INSECT longboards if you want to freecarve. Lots of good info on SilverfishLongboarding.com. I have a Loaded Pintail with Seismic trucks and Abec11 Flashbacks. (To be swapped out for Grippins.) She handles awesome and carves turns not unlike my alpine board. If you don't have a local skate shop, I recommend http://www.milehighskates.com/ for really good service and prices.

Hey, thanks for the info! It's good to hear about the solid base coverage. The snow yesterday was wet and heavy, but this coming week looks to be consistently on the cold side, so it's looking real good for this coming weekend too.

What's the snow like up there? I know it's warm, and would like to ski in some nice spring corn. Will it be wet slush? How's the coverage? I have a day trip planned, but don't want to be dodging rocks or riding in mashed potatoes.

There is a lot of debate out there regarding detuning. I haven't done it to my new Freecarve yet, but I'm also still running 0/0 for my edge, which I might changeup for next season. Base bevel definitely makes the transistions easier; coming from a race oriented background I can appreciate the benefits (of detuning, too). I also find it helps on hard/icy surfaces when skidding to a stop. Also, as you mentioned, I really like the base bevel(1 degree) because it allows me to maintain a 90 degree base-to-edge angle, while keeping a "1" on the edge, which helps keep the edge sharper for longer.

What's this "freestyle?" Does it cost anything? Sorry, I couldn't resist. Alpine riding hasn't helped my freestyle, 'cause I can't (Haven't tried). However, it has tremendously helped my skiing regarding turn initiation and angulation, wieght transfer and body position. I would say this is true for all kinds of complimentary/crossover sports: Each augments the other in some way (no matter how small.)

With a sharp edge file and sturdy file guide! You'll get all kinds of responses to this question, but I prefer a 1 base/1 side bevel for carving in Vermont. I also prefer to detune the tip/tail a couple inches.

Phil: What length are those? I want new skis, and was thinking of going the slalom route myself. They look like a blast, and I sometimes get slalom ski envy watching all the racers rip the slalom turns outside the course.

I still swap between skis and snowboards, frequently in the same day. I love both sports for different reasons. Although, my skiing is suffering a bit because I'm spending all my money on good snowboard gear, even though my ski gear is worn out. EDIT: Typo. Thanks, little buddy! :p

Carving at Panorama was wicked! Well, on the days they groomed. I saw some other carvers there. Anyone from this board?

What ever happened to the Y-format PGS? I enjoyed watching that. Oh, I think the womens PGS coverage tonight was worse than the mens.

I posted this in the wrong forum a few weeks back. Some friends and I will be at Panorama next week. If anyone else will be there, look for us on FRS frequency 13 31. I'll be on a blue Donek wearing a yellow coat.

Have you checked out the WELCOME CENTER? Lots of articles on setup and technique there. Check them out! They helped me quite a bit.

Hey, nice wallpaper! Got any more good shots like that one?

I started out on a Volkl RT SL, 158, and moved up to a 163 soon thereafter. Sure, I got knocked around a bit the first few days, but once I figured out how the board wanted to be ridden, it wasn't any trouble.

NBCOlympics.com has the Women's SBX final. I'm watching it now. Click on Snowboarding --> Womens' SBX: It's the top story today so click on "Watch" under the headline.

Yeah, the coverage was totally lame. It must have lasted at least a whole 10 minutes. Too bad I couldn't watch it during the 4-5 coverage. Typical Lame-butted NBC sports coverage. They seem to screw up every sport I want to watch, from skiing to auto racing.

I'm interested in hearing what kind of alpine gear they rent. A friend of mine wants to try it, but doesn't want to lay out the cash to get started. Rentals would be perfect.

Throw caution to the wind and jump on the SL. I made the transition straight from skiing to snowboarding by slapping some old ski boots onto a Volkl RTSL 158. I say go for it, especially if you are already carving.

Haha! Trying to get a pic or vid of her ride is like trying to get spy photos of the latest gear. We have a vacation coming up in a week, so I should be able to sneak in a few pics then.

I would love to go to the ECES, but won't be able to make it this year. We're going to Panorama the week before!! :D Next year is more likely, I think. Thanks for the responses! Keep them coming. So far, the responses are confirming my hunch: Time to get her on a new board!

I know a lot of you are bursting with all kinds of great advice, so I'm posting this question: My girlfriend is tired of her 152 Ride Fuel, and wants another board; a board better suited for carving. What would be a logical next board? She's very smooth, and can consistently make turns heel and toeside, and is confident in all kinds of conditions from ice to mush. However, she has yet to link carved turns (This is more speed-psych-out than anything). This is her third full season riding. Should I encourage her to carve turns on the Fuel first? She's very enthusiastic about carving, and wants to make carves rather than skids. I've been toying with the idea of letting her try my old 163 RT SL. I should mention she's already riding with TD2's on her Fuel. Thanks!!

Yep, I love doing that too. But at Stratton, it can be more risky; At Stratton, they actually have "Police"(Disguised as "Safety Ambassadords") at many of the slow signs ready to chase down anyone going "fast." Fast, I think, is a relative term. But I do adjust my speed accordingly because no matter how in-control the "speeder" might be, they will chase you down. I had it happen to me one year: The "Safety Ambassador" was so intent on scolding me (Never mind there was nobody else on that section of trail at the time) that he came running through the lift corral, pushing others out of the way, and nearly fell over, had he not grabbed onto me for stability. He was all blustery and self-important until he realized we were the same age, and two of my "body guards" were on either side of me. The look on his face was priceless when I told him I was ignoring his waving arms and police whistle.

Not to beat a dead horse ... My girlfriend started on softboots a couple years ago. Through some coercing on my part, she acquiesced to trying hardboots. Since then, she looked back only once, and vowed not to look back again. Both her experiences were on the same freeride deck. However, I'm wondering now about the ankle strength argument ... Being a relative beginner to both soft and hardboots, it is possible that her ankle strength wasn't great enough to get the most out of her softboots. That said, she has way more control in all conditions with the hardboots than she did with the soft, and she's a lot smoother too. More importantly still; she's having a lot more fun, and aspires to laying down some trenches! There was another 'thread' within this one about softboots helping improve the hardboot experience/skill. Having never used softboots, I cannot comment on this. Although, learning how to carve a snowboard has definitely improved my skiing. I love to ski, and ride hardboots, and will likely do both on all kinds of terrain. And, I'll always be searching for the perfect carve. Oh, I fall into category "B" - people who love controlled, sustained speed (and carving all kinds of corners!!!)

I'll be at Okemo or Stratton Saturday, and definitely Stratton on Sunday. This storm is exactly what southern VT needs. Let it SNOW!

I'll be skiing/carving up Panorama those dates. Any locals out there want to show my friends and I all the good spots? More importantly, how's the snow been this year? Thanks!