Atom Ant

A pair was just sold out from under me, just the way it goes. I am looking to purchase a pair of these, please let me know if you have a pair you are willing to part with.

I shifted to softboot and park about two weeks ago, with the exception of one particularly hard morning at Loon, NH. Once it gets soft and the races are over for the year, I always shift back to freestyle riding for the last few weeks of the year. Have you thought about switching to SB's for the last week or so? Easier to dodge those knee-busters, but I guess it depends on what type and size alpine rig you are running.

Fusion163, do you have any pics you can post? or, PM me directly.

Hey all, Looking for a BX board in good condition, sized anywhere between 162-168. Let me know.

Great time today. Always a blast at the Beast. Mark, as always thank you for putting this event together every year.

Please put me down for a +1... my brother may be coming and he has never hard booted before.

king, You did, thanks.

Absolutely would be the blind leading the blind. No doubt about it. I don't have nearly enough experience in racing to coach anything other than a beginner, I apologize if my initial post came off as anything other than that. I used coaching in the same sense as instructing, in that I called my high school basketball coach "coach" even though he never played in the NBA or college. Past experience instructing is amateur only, non certified (Blue Hills, while I was in high school). I modified my initial post to reflect all this, to avoid further confusions. Apparently i am not going to get any good information out of this thread, just personal attacks that miss the point that all I am trying to do is find a place to hit gates and improve as a racer/snowboarder (maybe give back a little), and am not looking for a plan to dominate the snowboarding world. Pretty modest goals: I want to have fun and a little competition, nothing more. There are other leagues / avenues of competition outside of USASA- pending ones goals and weekend obligations, USASA may or may not be a fit. Just as "a very good snowboarder" is subjective, so too is "competition". It doesn't automatically mean, "high level competition". I just want to have fun hitting gates and am seeking advice on how to best accomplish that next season. If the best avenue is instruction, I don't feel I am overstating my qualifications (or lack of) here. If I was to instruct it would be because I love carving and want to see this segment of the sport grow. Instructing wasn't the only option I have to-date thought of, it just seems to be the one getting the attention here.

I have no experience setting gates; I imagine myself being more of a "carving instructor" than anything else. Someone could teach me how to set course, or I could look it up I suppose. I obviously not be a world cup level coach, and as I mentioned I wouldn't be an appropriate coach for an advanced or even perhaps intermediate racer. However any boarder looking to learn how to carve well and fast I could help out. BX maybe? KingCrimson, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately the riders from my freestyle days are all retired, for the most part. I don't have many connection in the BX/Alpine world. Have you found coaching to be a way to not only give back, but to improve yourself? Thanks all for the responses, any more advice?

Hey all, I thought I would leverage this forums collective experience and wisdom by asking for recommendations on how to train for GS racing next year. A little background: I am 28 years old and am a lightly competitive racer with three years of experience but 16 years of snowboarding (including BX racing) experience. I am a quick learner and am easily coach able, and am a very good snowboarder generally. I now have no place to train--not even Nastar, as it is no longer present at any of the resorts on my season pass (the New England pass: Loon Mtn, Sunday River and Sugarloaf pass). I am seeking advice on how to continue to train for GS snowboarding, which I wish to do because I enjoy hitting gates. Not looking to start FIS or World Cup. I am looking to have fun. My two current ideas: 1) Get the Okemo, Stratton Sunapee pass next year, as Okemo has NASTAR and, from what I understand occasionally sets snowboard gates. Also I think multiple racers practice on NASTAR here, but I could be wrong. Possible to meet up with other riders at either Stratton or Okemo. 2) Coach/instruct: I am definitely not qualified to coach experienced or novice racers, however I am a good coach when it comes to form-fundamentals, advanced riding techniques, and basic race course approach/strategy--so a "carving" coach. This probably is of use to 98% of those looking for snowboard lessons, who are mostly non-carving soft booters. If a mountain was to take me on as the "carving coach", we could set stubby courses which of course I could hit--this would be for fun for both me and the instructed. This would also be the least expensive option, although the most limiting one (no more free weekends, etc...). I have been an instructor in the past, non-certified. I would greatly appreciate comments, suggestions and new ideas should anyone have any. Thanks everyone.

I...suck.

Hey all, I am trying my darndest to make it this coming Sunday (Saturday is a key race for my ranking, so I got to go), so I hope to see everyone there. I thought I would briefly hijack this thread to mention that I have three boards for sale: a Burton Custom X, a Donek 162 SL - brand new basically, and a F2 182 GS (a bomber's dream). Let me know if you are interested in any (or all????) of them. Ready to make a deal, as I am looking to consolidate the quiver. Hope to see everyone soon. I love this event.

It amazes me. Most freestyle riders own short (sub-158cm) boards, usually rockered that are slow, soft and lack pop. The incredible thing is that nearly all of the riders that hit huge jumps ride larger, cambered boards because without them they simply cannot generate the speed or spin required to be competitive, let alone knowing how to carve. A quick note on "street" snowboarding (bungee based, handrail or roof-drop, redirect driven riding): while I think it is dangerous, borderline irresponsible to encourage riders to emulate this type of riding (I have two mangled fingers that I can use as evidence of its dangers) I do admire the "do it yourself / anti establishment" spirit of it all. Skiers are now copying this type of riding, but snowboarders invented it (well, skateboarders, but still...). This type of riding removes the need for a lift ticket and cuts the resorts out entirely, making an otherwise ludicrously expensive, for-the-privileged sport accessible to those of very modest means. There are literally sponsored riders who have very rarely been to a resort, who will switch smith-grind a double kink like no tomorrow, or boost off a roof top and crank out a 900. I think this is very punk-rock, for lack of a better phrase. Just as punks made loud, innovative music by removing the need for music lessons that many of them could not afford, snowboarding is innovating by removing the need for access to mountains, expensive training camps, condos near resorts, and all the other "lucky sperm club" benefits of being affluent. This is particularly true of hardboot based racing: if your parents cannot enroll you in a program, buy you competitive equipment, get you in gates several times a week, etc... you likely will never be competitive on a national / international level, baring extraordinary talent, of course. A $2000 Kessler is simply out of the realm of affordability to most parents, let alone their kids. For adults, probably still true. I would not recommend street based riding to anyone, however: frozen concrete makes the hardest snow seem like powder. I think it is important to recognize that snowboarding continues to be an innovative presence in the alpine scene, even if the innovation is the removal of the alpine scene. Skiing cannot say the same in this regard. Still, obviously, I think carve based riding offers more to the long term success of snowboarding.

I don't know if this has been mentioned by anyone as of yet in this discussion (I tried reading through the entire trail of posts best I could), but learning to carve has incredible benefits for those wishing to pursue--at least for the time being-- a freestyle orientation. The X-Games have recently been showing the best of the best freestyle riders in the world, and every single one of them can carve the hell out of a trail... and park. How else do you generate the speed, rotation and cork of those incredible tricks? You have to carve off the lip. When I was doing freestyle as a pro-am, I was one of the few who new how to carve (since my father is a ski racer, when I chose snowboarding he wouldn't let me in the park until I could carve to his satisfaction). Not coincidentally, I was one of the few who could cork a large spin and maintain my speed through the park from feature to feature. Most instructors don't seem to make this connection (perhaps that is why they are instructors, not sponsored athletes). Here is my overall point, which comes from my own experience: learning to carve earlier than later contributes to lifetime participation because it is a skill that transcends the various styles and disciplines of the sport. I would not be hardbooting (or maybe even riding at all) today had my father not forced me to learn to carve while young. Eventually the freestyle will get old, because the snow gets harder as a rider becomes older, at which point carving becomes the new focal point.

I will be there both days, baring a race I need to attend. Mark, would it be possible to set up a short course of stubbies for everyone to hit? Like 8 gates or so.

"Dunkies"... suspect. I call it the place that F's my order up 8 out of 10 times.

I am on the lookout for a full isolation plate, specifically either a Bomber 4mm or an Apex, although if anyone has a different (but respectable) option I am all ears (not looking for any Donek plates as they currently are). Currently entertaining all offers....

As did I, please respond as I am sure we are both willing to pay you money.

Hello all, I put this board on here once before, and am doing so again at a reduced price. This board, aside from the professionally repaired spots (non-performance hampering, hardly noticeable visually) is in mint condition. Non metal, but a incredibly fast and stable ride at 183cm, I learned a lot on this board but have since moved on to a WC level 185. Couldn't recommend this board enough, its an incredible tool for rapidly progressing your skill level. Was for me. Price: $200 OBO

Sorry, that was probably a little convoluted. I meant that those are the two plates I would purchase in a pre-season/summer sale. Otherwise, I would wait until the new plates have come out before making my pay-full-price decision.

Okay, lets toss aside any suggestions that I should mod the plate I buy. I am not that handy (and don't think most riders are) and not rich enough to screw it up and buy another to try again. I spend a lot of money annually on snowboarding because I love it, and because I believe I am good enough that I would be shortchanging myself and my development if I rode less than capable boards. I started training hard on gates riding a 168 Prior WCRM, and as wonderful as that board is it took about a week before it was just junk in the gates failing me when I needed it most (it would collapse during intense turns). The Rev solved this problem, but cost me a good chunk of change. I think I am like most die-hard riders... save all year for new toys, but when it comes to buying those toys its kinda a one-shot deal. Spend the money, hope it works out or take a loss in selling on Bomber, not to mention having to race/train on less than ideal equipment while the next plate is ordered/shipped. Winter is too short. So no mods... but all the more respect to those who do, I'm just not one of them. As always, deeply appreciate all the advice. Love this community. I think its still wait and see (although APEX of BOMBER would be the choice as of now, since I have no idea what the AF Plate is aside from Sean s hints), baring a hook-up or summer sale on an APEX of Bomber.