Jack M

he's falling. still a cool capture.

Agreed all around Michael, except I wonder about this... I was thinking about this very thing just yesterday, how maybe an in-binding suspension could be omitted, and how there could be an integrated plate + binding for even more weight savings. But then I remembered that the World Cup guys are still running flexy bindings or Sidewinders. I think the suspension in the TD3 and the Sidewinder is a different kind of suspension than what a plate provides, and maybe there is still a place/need for it. Of course I won't know until I ride a new plate. As for weight, this is crucial. I'll say again I didn't feel like the Vist was worth the weight for my freecarving enjoyment. For racing, absolutely, but not for a full day of playing, imo. For my money, if a plate weighs as much as a Vist, it better perform so well that I don't want to ride without it. As for the price, I think there will be room in the market for budget (freecarver) and premium (serious freecarver/budget racer) and super premium (high level racer) plates... that is unless a lower priced plate equals or betters the performance of a higher priced one, lol!

yeah... and BOL is the room.

The original TD was that. Boards couldn't handle it. Then the TD was modified with a slightly larger disc and the bumpers. Then when the TD2 was designed to incorporate suspension, the footprint grew to what it is today. Although the rigid metal footprint of the TD2/3 is still similar to the TD1 - the TD2's suspension allows the board to flex more than if the entire footprint was rigid metal. It's more jarring to the rider, because the sole of your boot gets tilted up and back as the board bends, which is magnified up the boot cuff. And also some of your canting and lifting kind of goes out the window. Take the diagram I posted above. If you alter the radius of the circle (flex the board), fix B and keep the length of BX the same, the movement of X along the circle is pretty small for reasonable changes in radius.

Thanks John, great stuff. The input you sent me for my article will be included someday, I promise! I agree to the best of my memory about the Sims Blade being the first alpine board. Two small nits though - the Express was Burton's first alpine board, before the Safari, but it probably didn't carve well due to almost no sidecut. And the Elite 150 was most definitely not flat. That was my first board and it was horrible on packed snow. I don't know how I learned. I'm dumbfounded by the return to non-flat bases on Burton's kiddie LTR boards.

There would not be a (big) flat spot under the back foot, because the plate is elevated off the board, and only touches the board via an "axle". The flat spot would only be as big as the hardware used to mount that axle to the board. A big part of the whole point is that your feet do not move relative to each other. The board in a carve forms an arc. The plate forms a constant chord spanning that arc: So if your board is the arc from B to X, the plate is the red line from B to X, and its length never changes. B is fixed in place but allowed to hinge, and X is free to slide or roll along the arc. From here you can imagine how as the board arc changes or undulates due to carving or impacting terrain, there is a reduction in impact to the rider, and the board enjoys greater freedom to flex independently of the rider. I think the rear should be the fixed axle, because terrain impacts to the board generally come from the front. The centrally fixed plate I am imagining would either need to be able to flex, thus eliminating or reducing the major benefits of the Apex style system, or it would depend on some squishy material between the plate and the board under both ends of the plate. I think that would be heavier and less effective, because it would affect the flex of the board.

Just thinking out loud. Yes, a plate that can fit a 4x4 insert pattern will sell more plates, of course, but I'm not optimistic that it would be the best or lightest design. Also it may sell less boards. I can imagine people thinking that a plate will breathe new life into a board they were about to replace, and it will to some extent. So then they buy a, what, $300? plate instead of a new board.

I'm not surprised! ;) Agree completely. That was my impression when mounting up the Kessler 185 with the Vist. It was too much for my freecarving tastes. In the carve, sure, it was great, but in every other aspect of a day of snowboarding, no thanks.

I don't think so. Think about it. We're going to see the emergence of a new standard insert pattern. When you buy your next board, you will choose whether you want 4x4 or Apex inserts (for lack of a better name). If you can't afford to buy a board from a company that will give you that option, you probably can't afford a plate either. Being able to mount this to an old board you've been using for a season or three might be "nice", but if adherence to the 4x4 insert pattern increases the weight of the system, I don't think the industry should go there.

OK.... so what you said in the video seems to severely contradict the camp that believes being able to use independent foot movements to bend the board into a tighter arc or otherwise "work" the board are good things. Your impressions of this new breed of plate, along with the acceptance and dominance of this style of plate on the World Cup and in the Olympics seems to support my belief that bending or twisting the board with your feet to some benefit is a myth. As for your plate, looks promising! I have to wonder whether the suspension benefit will offset the weight penalty. I didn't feel like the Vist was worth it, for freecarving, but this style of plate appears to work better, mechanically. I think minimizing weight should be your second priority - the first being getting the thing to work well and reliably, of course.

funny, I'm at a breaking point too.

Ignore the mess. Have you tried using some toe lift on the front foot and heel lift on the back foot? This will allow you to comfortably use a wider stance. You'll have better balance and greater stability that way. Not that your riding is lacking, but I think you'll enjoy it more.

Read up on Pebble Bed Reactors. Self-extinguishing if left untended.

Technically alpine came first. There were races before there were freestyle events. It was only after the invention of the half-pipe (Kidwell/Sims? '85? '86?) and the kick-tail (Sims?) that there needed to be any designation. Burton's first true alpine board was the Express, before the Safari. I've blabbed about this more here: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/brief_history.cfm

66?? My hat is off to you sir. Great video. I agree with Rob though, have you tried a wider stance?

WTF?? Does he have footstraps or those foot-hook doohickies on his board? Everything I though I knew about surfing just went out the window.

Glad it worked out for you Neil. Bob? We are talking about alcohol here. Not living to 100. :D

solution, answer, magic wand, whatever. Our elected officials are only interested in being re-elected. The answer there is a single term limit, and a 6 year presidency.

We did a study at UNH engineering school to see how many windmills it would take to equal the power output of Seabrook NH's nuclear plant. Assuming a 75 foot wingspan, spaced 25 feet apart, a single row of windmills erected on the coastline would stretch from New Hampshire to Virginia. I like the idea of windfarms as a supplement, but they're not the answer. The answer, imo, is fuel cells and pebble bed reactors. PBR's are said to be self-extinguishing if left untended, so they can't melt down. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor

Yeah, I got the idea from a fellow tequila snob, and it was definitely the final touch I had been searching for. I no longer feel a need to continually tweak and test. I know, it does, and I didn't try 2 parts for a long time just on principal. It makes the marg easier to drink without diluting the flavor significantly. This is with regular ice cubes though. With crushed ice probably 1 part is better. Alaskan Rover, I bow to your sister... that is over the top!!

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I'd like to share my favorite Margarita recipe. I've been working on it for years. I've tried all the mixes, Lime-ade, boiling, zest, recipes that take 2 days to brew, all kinds of ratios, and all kinds of tequilas. I've finally settled on a favorite: 1 part fresh squeezed lime juice 2 parts 100% blue agave tequila 1 part triple sec 0.75 part agave nectar 2 parts water shake with ice I prefer reposado or anejo tequilas for margaritas, usually reposado. They give the marg another dimension apart from silver tequilas. Patron is an easy choice for a top-shelf tequila, but Cabo Wabo is just as good for less money. El Tesoro Anejo has a very unique flavor and makes a bold margarita. Cuervo Traditional and Herradura are good on a budget. Cuervo Gold is swill. Agave nectar is a honey-like sweetener that can be found in most supermarkets, often in the health-food section. It is the "secret ingredient". It has a mild flavor that incorporates into the margarita with much better transparency than sugar or simple-syrup, probably because it is made from the same stuff as tequila! It will also dissolve completely in cold liquid. When I was using sugar I would get inconsistent results because sometimes it would dissolve less than other times. The amount you use determines how sweet or bitter the marg will be. I'll vary mine from 1/2 part to 1 part, but usually 3/4. Organic limes actually make a difference. Sometimes I'll use Key limes for a subtle change. If you need to get drunk <i>right now</i>, use an 80 proof orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc) instead of triple sec. Enjoy!

At some point, BP can file bankruptcy, or beyond that, literally run out of cash and liquifiable assets and disband. You can't get blood from a turnip. The taxpayers, on the other hand, are a bottomless well, as far as some people are concerned.

It's a great light beer. Really awesome at lunch during a day of hard carving. Wow you obviously have no idea what you're talking about.

Camera error. Very cool looking from a gizmo point of view, but looks heavy. I think the Apex plate looks like a simpler solution to eliminating binding footprint and allowing natural board flex.

Actually we could shoot it n 1080p with my 5DII. The season finale of House MD was shot on it. It airs May 17, check it out. And no Kieran, this will not be "carvers gone wild". You'll have to come to an expression session to see that stuff. ;)