Apex Insider

We have some 185 Kessler national team stock that we're clearing out. Not glass but plenty stiff. http://www.apexsnowboard.com/kessler-test-stock.html

If you stick with the standard ASIP (UPM) insert spread of 64cm, the risk is minimal. There is plenty of core material at that point. However, when you push the inserts out to 72cm like your custom pattern or 78.4cm like Allflex, then the core becomes very thin and the risk becomes real. The risk is further magnified by the fact that the Allflex pattern has 4 inserts placed across the board instead of 2. I know that a lot of board manufacturers resisted the Allflex pattern for this reason. But, after 2-3 seasons of building, they have adjusted their construction methods so that breakage is less of a problem. For a pro racer, who's career hinges on hundredths of seconds, board breakage comes with the territory. Us amateurs, who don't make a living on our boards, have to decide if the extra performance advantage of an isolation plate is worth the added complexity and cost. There are other plates that offer leverage and dampening and still use the tried and true 4x4 pattern.

Atom: Some great info already posted. Let me just add that you are a lucky man. The scenery there will take your breathe away. You are very close to Braunwald which is the home of Kessler. If you get a chance, visit the town. It's a car free zone where you have to park your car at the highway, take a funicular up to the town and then walk the rest (pro tip: don't bring a lot of luggage). In the summer, they have a fixed ropes climbing course that Hansjuerg Kessler himself helped to install. In the winter, there is a ski resort that almost runs through the town. They have the only sideways facing chairlift in the world. It's also a very reasonable lift ticket price (compared to other Swiss resorts). http://www.braunwald.ch/en/ If you're a hockey fan, the local pro league is very high calibre and the fans are nuts. Zug has a team. The only downsides to living in Switzerland is the high cost of living ($10 for a bottle of water in the Zurich airport) and the food which is high in cheese and low in veggies. Let us know when we can visit!

You cannot use a 4x4 configuration without doing some re-engineering like lordmetroland. The 4x4 discs are not available from Ride. For that reason, we're going with Drake Forum bindings for a high end, stiff soft boot solution.

I don't doubt that. But it will take time and a lot of test boards in the trash to get it right. That's why I'm glad I have a couple of metal Coilers already in my quiver.

Kessler is expanding their manufacturing capability and making big investments in new machinery. While they are being quiet about it, I don't think it's a coincidence that they are expanding at the same time that AMAG is cutting off .3mm Titanal supply. Based on their history of innovation (one of, if not the first, to use metal in snowboards), if anyone is going to figure it out, I would put my money on Hansjuerg Kessler.

You might find this useful. The Graduated Plate System by Mark Fawcett

The Kessler 168 and SG 175 are two different animals. The Kessler 168 is designed to be an all-round men's carver. Suggested weight range is 65-95 kg. It has a relatively tight 8-12m radius. The Kessler 168 is not a short GS board or a long SL board. It's meant to be a versatile carving deck although construction is the same as the race boards (Titanal layer, UPM and 4x4 inserts). The SG is a GS board for light weight racers. Radius is 15m. SG has 175 boards with and without Titanal. The come only with 4x4 inserts.

Maybe, in 20 years, our Titanal boards will be like Northwave boots. We should start hoarding.

Northwaves have a unique plastic. We think it's nylon filled. It holds up to stiffer springs and doesn't collapse. Also, the ankle joint is higher and the heel feels more seated and secure than other boots. To be perfectly honest, I think most of the Northwave magic is psychological. Andi Prommegger rides UPZ. Matt Morison and Michael Lambert rode modified Dalbello ski boots. And they did just fine. But, many Northwave riders feel their careers depend on their boots. I ran into Benjamin Karl in an airport lounge once with his Northwave boots securely over his shoulder. I asked him what he would do if his boots broke. He said he had spare parts. I asked what he would do once he ran out of spares. He said "Retire". If your livelihood depends on a psychological boost and you have to spend $4k for it, who is to argue? Pro athletes pay much more for sports psychologists. No one is suggesting us weekend warriors should go out and spend that much on boots. The Northwave mystique has zero impact on the recreational carving segment.

We are evaluating bindings to try to find one soft boot carving that we could either carry in our online store or recommend to our customers. The el Hefe is in our shop. We really like its construction but, it does not have a rotating high back. Is that a deal killer for soft boot carvers? I don't think it would be an issue unless you are using very high binding angles - 35 degrees plus.

TIL there are two pro snowboarders named Jeremy Jones.

Well Jones lost their factory this season when GST closed their doors. http://www.angrysnowboarder.com/the-gst-factory-in-austria-is-closing/ That left Jeremy in the lurch along with a bunch of other brands. I haven't heard if he found a new factory. Ya, you should grab that Hovercraft. Or wait until Bruce comes out with his Coiler powder board.

Just got an evaluation pair of Ride El Hefes in the shop. They look fantastic. Best part, besides the full carbon fiber highback and aluminum chassis? They come with 3 different canting options. I hope to get out on them this weekend. Will report back.

They have been and remain to be a real headache for me because Catek claims to be a Kessler dealer even though they havent done business with Kessler in over 5 years. Jeff or whoever owns the site is unresponsive to requests to remove the Kessler references.

Also consider the Flow Hylite Focus boot. The best fitting soft boot I've ever tried and smaller footprint and lower profile than my 2009 Burton Driver X. Plenty stiff. I notice no decrease in stiffness from my Burtons. Super light and comfortable but they are b*tch to pull on and off. For bindings, I tried a bunch last season and really liked the comfort of the Diode. The helical gearing on the buckles and straps are a nice touch. However, at the end of the day, they couldn't bump my old Burton C60s or Nidecker Carbon 900s. Both are a bit heavy but stiff and comfortable. This year, I am testing Ride El Hefes and Union Ultras. I can report back in a few weeks. Henry

Anyone for CAD$175 shipped in Canada. USD$150 shipped to the US?

Kessler makes a 138 out of their custom workshop. There are at least four in North America that get sold and handed down as kids outgrow them. I could make inquiries for you if you think it would work.

Price reduced to $125 USD + shipping.

SOLD Deeluxe Indys in good shape. Size 27.5. Lower shell says 27.5. Sole length is 299mm. Stored in dry dark basement for the past 3 seasons. Themoflex liner appears to be in good shape although they have been molded at least twice. The outside of the liner has been worn through in one spot above the heel but I don't think it will affect the ability to remold them. I'm keeping the orthotic footbed. I can throw in a crappy stock footbed if like. $150 US dollars or $200 CAD. Price drop - $125USD or $175CAD. CAD$175 shipped in Canada. USD$150 shipped to the US. Open to offers.

Sent you an email

Yes, these bindings are quite stiff and very burly. We bought them to test our Gecko Stealth plates with a variety of softboot bindings and they worked very well together. I think $200 (+shipping) is more than fair for what are virtually new bindings. I will even provide a receipt for warranty purposes. And yes, they have a toecap. They also are canted 2.5 degrees inward and have a lot of adjustments to get the fit just right. Good info here: http://flow.com/technology/bindings

Top of the line Flow hybrid bindings for those guys who don't like sitting in the snow to strap in. These were used for one day for some testing then put back into original packaging. Condition is like new. SOLD.

Not Hakuba exactly but Koji Sasaki coaches in Gunma prefecture. Also, there is this: https://www.facebook.com/carvingpark/ If you can't make it to those locations, they might have leads for you in Hakuba.

As the guy who made Mark Fawcett drill those holes, I can tell you that board is some of Hansjuerg Kessler's finest work. There are certain boards in certain years that HK has really dialed in and the 2014 180 was one of them. We have two identical boards that we use for testing and I personally find them a blast to ride. It has very few days on it from what I know and was prepped by one of the top techs on the World Cup. We drilled it to mount an experimental plate but that project was short-lived. At $400, it's a steal. New custom boards are now in the $2k range (third world Canadian dollars). Jump on this deal if you want to know how an Olympic snowboard rides.