Jack M

Setting up your bindings so that they can be closed with one finger is, IMO, asking for a long ride in a wheelchair. Also, if you read the fine print, it voids the TD2 warranty.

shoulda held out for Indy's.

Glad to have another eager carver-to-be, especially one who writes funny posts. Something you should do before you buy anything is to make sure you can do The Norm on your existing setup (no need to do it at warp speed either). That's the gateway to carving. http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/feel_the_carve.cfm ps - Snoopy rules.

now THIS is a chainsaw, people.

I would say that if you're going to get a >2m board, you should get a big radius on it. My Madd 180 has a 16m radius and it needs no more length than 180. So putting a 15ish m radius on a 200 means you're hauling around a lot of extra lumber for nothing. Unless you're a real big dude and need the extra edge. I've spent a few hours on Todd Brown's Donek 205 with the 18.5m radius, and it's awesome. Talk about "taking it to the next level". I wouldn't want to take it out on crowded or choppy days though. You have to make an appointment to hockey-stop it.

http://www.sugarloaf.com/daily.html

If by "different", you mean adjusting your bindings so loose that it only takes a finger or two to close them (I have video of an EC'er demonstrating this and the way they flex the crap out of their bails) then, well..... "wrong" is a strong word when talking about snowboarding technique or equipment usage, but in this case it fits. These people cyclically over-stress their bails and work harden them to failure, and then complain that the bails aren't designed properly. It's not smart. These people would be better served by Flows or Catek Freerides with a 3rd strap rigged up. They're certainly not using their hardboots for anything. If Phil, one of our known experts, at 230lbs has never broken a Bomber bail, then nobody should have to.

Haha... no. He is a known quantity. This is a conversation for email.

Hi Ben. I'd say your first alpine board should be somewhere between 158 and 163. Check out our Welcome Center for info on getting started with the sport. Before you try carving on a hard setup, make sure that you can do The Norm on your soft setup first.

thanks for the support folks, but let's all relax. Linus has been on the forum since 2003. Maybe he's having a bad day. No worries.

Um, well, I'm not sure how many hundred days I've got on the bindings, but I weigh 170 and carve hard. I think it means I know how to adjust my bindings properly. Crave-- I challenge you to a clip in duel! We'll call it the BINDING MASTER CHALLENGE! Oh, and it has to be at Stratton and will be judged by my mom. ;)

then I'd be very surprised if they were adjusted properly. I don't suppose you're talking about a guy with a name like a pry-bar? Not surprising. Cyclic loading is a death sentence to metal parts. The tighter your bindings are, the less cyclic loading. This is similar to preloading screws. You tighten a screw to the point where the screw is under a constant tension greater than whatever tension is trying to pull your two parts apart. I've never snapped a Bomber bail.

I don't get all this talk about Intecs being stiffer. I have not noticed it one bit. I think if you have your standard bails adjusted properly, the stiffness difference is insignificant. That is, it should require some muscle to latch/unlatch a standard bail with one hand. In fact they should be tight enough that using two hands is helpful when latching in. If running tight bails or Intecs is too stiff for you, get some soft e-rings or the suspension kit. Don't cluge your bindings, use engineered flex. PS - I'll never go back to standards. The convenience of SI's is so great.

www.snowboardjournal.com

not saying it can't happen, it's just that nobody ever follows through. I'll buy you a pint if you do.

I'd upgrade that slideshow on the front page to crossfade between images. You can get such a script for free at www.dynamicdrive.com. Like this one: http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex14/fadeinslideshow.htm example: http://www.eces.us/slideshow.html

this gets proposed here every year. it never happens.

Can't see your knees, but I hope I'm carving that well 31 years from now!!!

Actually on Christmas it will become my brother-in-law's. One day, we shall carve figure-8s. Oh yes. We shall.

That might work, but I'd be very surprised if you ended up liking riding flat on both feet. The forward lean in your boots (even at the least setting) will make it not very comfy. I'd recommend starting from a equal toe lift/heel lift postion as the default. This poll indicates two thirds of respondants use some form of toe lift on the front foot, and over 87% use some form of heel lift on the back foot. Hardboots may simply not be for you, but you can't say for sure until you've at least tried moldable liners. Ideally you should try custom footbeds (orthotics) too. Liners are great by themselves and the combination is a dream come true. Even if you still don't like hardboots after that, the money wouldn't be wasted as you could use the footbeds in your softboots, and the liners in your ski boots (if you ski, if not you can sell them if you haven't molded them too many times).

is that your snowboard is narrower where your rear foot toe is, and wider where your rear foot heel is, because of the flare of the sidecut. Your boot can be centered on the centerline of the board and appear not to be. It's an illusion. Some people "bias" their bindings so their toes and heels are both right on the edges. Realize that this requires offsetting your rear boot towards the heel and your front boot towards the toe, and then your boots are no longer centered on the centerline of the board. You may or may not notice any effect.

I understand why you think it looks uncomfortable. There are a lot of people who carve very well but with a very bent-over style that is not helping anything. I try to keep a more upright torso: In this case it is not uncomfortable at all, and I find it very natural. Even when really laying it over, there is no need to "pike" forward at the waist.

I stand corrected - I thought I read somewhere that you spent most of your time out west - a lot of midwesterners do. My point in citing my grandmother wasn't made to belittle you, it was just to say that it's impossible to evaluate someone's abilities on the buff buff cord cord. Sure, you can learn to carve quite well and have a lot of fun with an older technique. I spent many years riding that way (4 on an Asym! The horror!) and had a blast and got whoops from the chairlift here on the Ice Coast. But I moved on and I ride better now than I did then.

Dan, my thoughts on the Prior Metal 177: http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=9747

1 - I'm *pretty sure* I saw JJ riding at the 05 SES, based on his avatar, the pictures he posted here, his technique, and his equipment. Whoever it was, he was ripping. I was impressed. Very clean, very graceful, very playful. I was like, man, look at that guy make that old school technique work! However the problem is that on those conditions my grandmother could rock on a Hot Logical. 2 - I know how Bordy comes off in these threads, and I know what people might be thinking of him right now. I also have had the privilege of riding with him and getting to know him. Let me put all concerns to rest - he is the real deal, he walks the walk, and he is a hell of a good guy. He is a true master. When he talks technique or technology, I have the good sense to shut up and listen. It would behoove anybody else here to do the same.