Jack M

Not much.

I've owned 6 Kesslers and ridden them all with Bombers. Never an issue. Maybe you don't see Bombers on the world cup because there is a massive lemming mentality among racers. I help coach a team and I just tell them all to get F2s because I don't want to hear "my kid is losing because they don't have the same bindings as everyone else" and I don't want my kids to get smack talk about their bindings from other racers with attitudes like yours. I've tried F2s and I think they're crazy flexy garbage. I can see why world cuppers travel with multiple backup pairs. A former successful NorAm racer I know exited competition due to covid and went to college. But he was still freecarving and was in need of new bindings. As an experiment I offered to buy him a new pair of Bombers in exchange for the price of a new pair of F2s. He could not believe how much better and more performant the Bombers were. He's still using them. YMMV.

@barryj you’re not wrong. At this point all their alpine boards are custom. But yeah they should have something on the website. My 163, 170, and now 185 are a great trio.

2024 model early release! The next in the @Winterstick Squaretail Plus series… 185 20.5cm waist 14-16m clothoid sidecut 2 layers of Titanal 4 layers of Q-iso carbon fiber 4 layers of rubber extra torsional reinforcement between the feet It’s soooo good.

Whoah. Wonder if he was fined for that comment!

Yes, 100% poly. Good for riding. I feel mine is true to size, ymmv. Click the "specs" button on the Jerzees site for the size chart.

For all 3 Apex X-plate mounts, the mount contacts the board below the axle. I've ridden all 3 on Kessler 168s. In my experience the UPM and Allflex versions rode identically. The 4x4 version rides a little differently for different reasons - it is supposed to have 8 bumpers, and that's how I rode it. The Allflex mounts did not make my board carve a longer radius. Mechanically I don't see how that's possible.

The shape of the plates is different. I believe the axle distance is the same.

Please post them here and do not solicit members over email, thanks.

Yeah that was true in like 1994 with the very first generation TDs with the binding elevated on the tiny center disc. Subsequent versions of the original TDs had larger center discs and urethane bumpers which significantly reduced that issue. TD2s and TD3s have a much larger footprint and do not break boards. F2 bindings are too flexy for many people.

If you have UPM inserts, this would be better: https://forums.alpinesnowboarder.com/topic/55185-apex-x-plate-upm

So nice to see sustained clips of multiple linked carves. And armpit dragging not needed.

Umm... don't do that.

The maximum boot size for medium step on’s is 10 1/2. If you can’t go to that size, I’d recommend risers. If you can find used Apex Gecko Stealth’s I think those are the ultimate, but they’re not made anymore.

I seem to recall Secret construction did not involve any metal, but I could be wrong. The point being that metal is difficult to laminate, and also some people feel metal boards are too damp.

YYZCanuck neoprene board sleeves are 10x faster and better.

That a board built with both metal and “secret” construction is a good thing.

No, it’s US$1800. That’s CAD$2426 according to the google.

https://www.winterstick.com/products/50th-anniversary-swallowtail®-snowboard scroll down on that page for more pics

More 195 fun. Digging the Gumby outfit. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CobpmMjI8Oa/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Great shots carvedog! Oh man I hate when I do this to myself!!!

Hey Justin, your equipment is great, but it sounds like you have your bindings canted inward? And no toe lift or heel lift? If so I think you should try removing the cants and putting an F2 lift kit under the toe of your front binding and another under the heel of your back binding. This stance is more stable, comfortable, and powerful. Try it and if you feel you need to add one or both cants back in, that's fine, but toe and heel lift are important. The bindings come with one lift kit. Order another from Donek. If you only have one and you're going to ride/race before the new one arrives, put it under the toe of your front foot. The boots have significant ramp angle built-in due to the design of the heel, so you want to cancel some of that out on the front foot. Perhaps you need to detune the edge near the contact points? That 179 is a great board for that course. Also, not sure how much freecarving you are doing but definitely practice outside the course in your free time as much as you can with your race gear. The more familiar with it and in command of it you are, the better you will be in the course. As for the plate, I've moved on to Allflex for GS and honestly I can see why all the world cup racers use them. If you put your Apex back on and you like it for freecarving better than without, then it would probably help you in the course. If not, then don't bother. Pretty sure I will be back in the Pleasant Mt. beer league next year.

hardbooter at the end: "hold my beer."

Still catching your breath? How was it?