AcousticBoarder

Just my opinion... It gets messy, hard to tell what advice is geared towards who, not to mention keeping track of what goals an individual has, or keeping track of the suggestions received.

In line for the Kessler

It's definitely a catch 22. I think people are interested, or atleast around here they are, but in order to peak that interest you need exposure. The problem is there are few of us and we don't like to ride when/where it is busy. Ccase in point, our big carving convention this year was a private event at a lesser known mountain, off the beaten path, that we rented out. This is not to say it was not amazing because it was, but for the sake of this argument, it did very little to grow our sport. Likewise, the gear is nowhere to be seen so it can't just speak for itself either. If we manage to get someone interested though with the minimal publicity or marketing we have, how would they get into it? The gear is very expensive, even used gear when compared to soft gear, and is inheritly complicated and finicky. There's no rentals at the local board shop, and even if there were, I don't think there is a single one of us here who was able to get their gear setup perfectly in their first season, let alone first day, even if we did have help. Many of us are still tinkering years later. So there is no easy way into it, making the first step incredibly difficult. If we can get someone interested and trying the equipment, they wouldn't just abandon their other setups immediately either, so they likely still want to devote time and money on skiing or softboots, as well as not wanting to skip conditions for them. So if they can get the first step of gear, how would they be able to spend time and resources on perfecting unless they feel the hook right away? I too think the Callen's had a good thing started with the groomer days and all mountain advertising rather than race specific. But honestly, when/ in what conditions is the best time to break out the alpine gear? Early morning groom, mid week. Why? Low crowds, untouched groomers because most, especially the young blood, don't want to get up that early to get ready and be there before the lifts open and take time off in the week. It gets crowded around 10 or 11, especially on weekends, when the conditions deteriorate, and many of us throe in the towel. Again, we have the problem with exposure. The trend I do see aiding us is people like @Ryan Knapton who are doing some serious carving and generating publicity for carving, but in soft boots, and with some relation for the park rats. Here there is an easier entrance which for some might just be the gateway drug into hardboot setups. If we want to grow our sport, we may want to consider partnering with people like Ryan (as Donek and to some extent the Callens have done). Alternatively, if there is one among us with the right personality and resources available, they may want to work to becoming an internet sensation where time and distance no longer matter in generating exposure, especially with the younger crowds who utilize the internet more. I myself am actually young blood, so I wasn't around at the time, but how did snowboarding itself start and become mainstream? How was it marketed? How was word spread? How did people get into it? There may be something here we could learn from. If we somehow had the exposure, whether by these means or other ideas, demand should increase, and in turn supply should to meed the demand, so more are doing it generating additional exposure and demand to the point that shops start carrying equipment, and it continues to snowball.

I am in a sililar situation so I don't know how much I can contribute, but I am also recommending custom footbeds. I noticed a huge difference since I got mine and cannot recommend them enough. More than that, if you do not feel relaxed/ you are tensed up when carpet carving, something is probably not right; read over @Beckmann AG's guide again. I also found some helpful advice in the following threads which seem like they may benefit you as well: Good luck and have fun!

As others have said, the flows have one of the smallest, if not the smallest heel cup which does help for overhang and heel boot out. But there is a love them or hate them relationship for most people with them. They can be finicky to get setup at first, and some just don't like how they feel. The general consensus is to NOT do the hybrid strap that goes over the toe. I like my flows but they aren't perfect. Some question on reliability too if you hard charge them. @slopestaralmost exclusively uses them and seems to never leave home without a bucket full of spare parts or atleast one spare binding set.

I just made the opposite switch from stock to dgss. I liked the or second to forward most lean setting usually on the upzs (I also ride 6 and 6), but it also felt too limiting. Half the time I would ride in walk but I was not comfortable when I did. I didn't have enough travel in them for my liking in locked and there wasn't much response in walk. I installed the dgss with green springs and it didn't feel good for me. Way too soft and too much travel. I then switched out after a few runs to the blue springs and it felt way better, both compared to green springs and to the stock mechanism. I don't EC so I wasn't looking for that, but rather some more range in motion. The other thing the spring system has done is the "resting" lean is more forward than the upz, which feels a lot better too. I want to look at moving the lock nuts to perhaps adjust the resting forward lean to be a bit more on the back leg and maybe a tiny bit more upright in the front, but I need a bit more time on them in different conditions before playing more. Dgss isn't for everyone of course, but so far I am liking them. More range in motion while still retaining responsiveness for me atleast. It is a bit contradictory, but it honestly feels like the boots now have more flex when I need it but they aren't any softer/ the stiffness is still the same if that makes any sense. I also know @daveo replaced the small back travel springs with blue which may be another thing I eventually look at. I believe @DRUPI even has red springs which are even stiffer.

Completely out of curiosity... what makes an extreme carve board an EC board? I have a general understanding how SL and GS boards compare to freeride boards as well as all mountain, but what is different in an EC? Flex profile? Sidecut? I guess width might be expected to be wider on an EC board as I've noticed a trend with shallower angles, but what else? Could an EC board be treated as a freecarve board if one were to remain more upright/ instead of using extreme carving technique use "bomber" or angulation? How would it ride comparatively?

Do you have a picture?

How do you guys use a cable tsa lock? I used one this trip but looking at it now I'm not sure it would survive another outing without being sheared.

Here's some photos

Got a sport tube 3 for MCC. Packed it with the following: 3 boards: carving board, softboot carver, and my gf's softboot board. My carving went in a bomber bag, bindings off and in my boot bag. On top of that went the carving softboot board, no bag as I don't have one that fits it and haven't made one either (yet). Bindings also off On that the other softboot board. It fit in a bomber bad (barely). Again, bindings off. All 3 boards I velcroed together with the velcro straps provided, sandwiching the non-bagged board, but could be with any straps. I then put the softboot bindings for both boards on top to take up the space. Assembled it came out to 49 lbs, just within flying weight. I would want to look at some padding next time to add, but would have to take out a board or the bindings due to weight. Might also get a sport tube 2 for just my carving board.

So that should read "without being tensed and some leg shaking" not to be confused with intense shaking. I looked at it on the carpet after reading up on the relaxed riding thread because of how difficult and uncomfortable, even painful, the first day this season was. My basic first approach once I tried carpet carving and realized how tense I was, was to put my boots on and stand approximately in the stance and facing forward, then to get low and analyze how the boots were roughly canted. I then made gradual changes to 0 or just lift, and then went to a bit inward canting. If I am following the question correctly then my footbeds are not posted either way/ they are flat to my knowledge. Side note, my front boot cuff alignment is slightly outward based on the test (I think last season) of buckling the boot in the binding and standing with the footbeds but no liner and adjusting so that leg is centered in the cuff. I also remember last season before this adjustment remarking how on heel edge my front leg would pressure the side of the boot before my rear leg would. Now that I have some basis again this season I may be double checking in more detail these adjustments, though I know I am atleast close as I comfortably survived MCC this week with little discomfort.

I re-evaluated mine after my first day this season when it didn't feel right/made me uncomfortable and could not stand without being tensed and some leg shaking. After I got rid of it I have been better off in a more forward stance. Everyone is different though, so whatever keeps you in a relaxed posture imo.

Wish I could help you there but I have small feet of m25. Best of luck finding some and hopefully we can make some turns together sometime!

Had a great time, thanks for putting it on @dredman! Pow was fun, and we had a chance to take advantage of that for what was "groomed" in carving thanks to @Corey with a carving mixed terrain clinic! Also a big thank you to Corey and Kathy for all of the clinics and lessons put on, the volunteers of Turner mountain including ski patrol to ensure we were safe, the cook's providing delicious food for fantastic prices, rental/ demo staff, as well as all of the manufacturers who had gear to try out! And of course to the grooming team who worked though the night to get us some groomed runs in the midst of all the powder! Renee and I plan to be back again next year!

Thanks! I am just looking around for info as I am getting a board from Bruce soon and considering branching out in bindings for it. Turns out though I won a set of TD3s at MCC so looks like I won't be needing another pair of bindings now! I'm still curious though and would love to try a couple others at some point, especially that allow me to center my boots properly.

Got a donek free carve (2 I think?) I think it's a 176 or 178. I'm back from MCC Friday night/Saturday and can check then if interested

Many things for me over the years, biggest of which is this forum (and previous versions of it) . I think the first equipment though was boots that fit/ going to a boot fitter and getting proper insoles. After that, or roughly the same time, upgrading from td1s to TD3s. So much more adjustability with them I finally had the capability of adjusting my stance to be comfortable and carve worthy. After that it was a lot of trial and error, but help from good people on the forums was amazing, some specific thanks to @Beckmann AGand @Corey. They helped to get stance cleared up and provided general carving tips, either directly or indirectly. From there it was a board made within the last 15 years, specifically, a custom coiler nirvana. I only had it a couple days before I had my first group meet up in Tahoe for TTC. Learned a lot there, but still more to learn! The latest thing that has helped are gecko plates, they really do make a noticeable difference in how carvable a choppy run is.

I'm a 25 as well, I would love to try some f2s at some point, so I will take you up on that next time I am around! I am also just curious though in general, and if my gf gets to trying Hardboots some day she is a 23 I believe, so anything I have won't work for her

Great thread! I was wondering the same thing myself. Both are boards I want to try out! Hope I can this week!

Especially for you UPZ users out there with small feet, what have you found works best for them while retaining adjustability and durability? I'd like the option of step ins too, are there any that use standard intec/ fintec heels that work with small boots? I really like the TD3s, but I'm basically at minimum settings, and no chance of ever using step ins. Price is a bit high too... How small can catek OS2 short go to? How about step in version? I have heard that the F2 bindings have a small, medium, and large. Is it true small and large are the same thing with something adjusted? I wish they had some finer cant/lift adjustments though. Thoughts? Are step ins possible? Is there something else out there worth looking at?

Interested in the short.

Anyone up for doing a meet up this year at June mountain? Maybe late March or early April?

Anyone ride here? How is it for carving?

It is the "C" that a pirate truly loves!