Jack M

Thanks for the input Allen. We actually have a FAQ ready to roll. Just waiting for the next big update.

If we segregate Gear and Technique into different forums, what will become of the "main" forum (Carving Community)? I think it would spiral into a chaotic and useless mess. We all come here mainly to discuss <i>carving</i>. Gear and technique are the meat and potatoes of the carving discussions that go on here. Personally, I think the technique threads are the most interesting, and often it is the newbie posts/questions that spark the most useful, information packed discussions that add a ton of value to the CC. If you really want a response to your post, you are welcome to bump it. And if you're looking for something specific, try the search function. The BOL Carving Community is a great place for a reason, I say let's not mess too much with success. The forums proposed above appear to me to be a complete dissolution of the Carving Community as we know it. The Ride Board is coming. Soon. Also a forum for racing-specific discussion. The only other forum I think could be useful is a resort review/discussion forum, but perhaps that will be covered by the Ride Board. (?)

Oh. Right then. Umm, fancy a pint?

What the hockey puck truck are you talking about?? A proven liability? I've only witnessed success with the toes/heels-on-the-edge starting point, given a reasonable match between board width and foot size. ps - kjl, bring back Optimus Prime!!

Bob: "So, if the boot cuff flex is linear with heel/toe, [...] wouldn’t the force exerted on the side of the boot cuff extract more leverage?" I really don't think so - your calf muscles make up the difference and then some. Do a little experiment. Go outside and do a 25 yard dash and time yourself. Then do it again without letting your heels touch the ground - run like a cheetah, all on the balls of your feet. I guarantee you will be faster. There is a similar advantage to using your feet/ankles/calfs while carving. Ignoring your ankles means you're doing more work moving your hips and shoulders over the board. But as several people have noted, there is a balance point where ankle action and body alignment are optimized, which is why we don't all carve at 0/0. This point may or may not fall with your toes/heels on the edge of the board. But starting with them there is a good idea, especially if you don't know where to begin. With Sean's and my own empirical evidence, I stand by that recommendation. Myth... harrumph! I'm afraid my articles have given you the wrong impression that the ankles aren't part of the equation and it's all hip to hip leaning. I wrote many of them at a time when asym boards and heel-to-toe asym technique were still popular, so I emphasized the benefit of lateral hip movements, perhaps at the expense of giving the ankles thier due credit.

Bob, meet me out by the bicycle racks after school. I'm going to kick your ass. :D

JJFluff - what I believe you are describing are "cross-over" edge changes. There's more than one way to change edges, and cross-over is the least efficient.

Sorry, my "side note" was a tangent, I shouldn't have mentioned it. But my point is that the force applied to the board by your ANKLE <i>does</i> change with binding angle. At 90 degrees your ankle can apply no force to the edge.

Yes, the leverage your c.o.g. has over board inclination is not affected by binding angle. I believe this is Bob's argument. This neglects the leverage your FOOT has over the board, which is significant. If you're doing it right, an edge change starts in your ankles. I'll bet Phil and Kent will back me up here. The closer your binding angle gets to 90, the less control you have over the board with your foot/ankle. At 90 degrees, such as on a Skwal, your ankle is completely removed from the equation, and your foot has zero leverage over board angle.

Yes, it does! :) I'm happy to discuss carving physics any time, either here or in email.

http://www.bomberonline.com//articles/physics.cfm

Great news Bob, that must be a relief.

you won't get a response out of me. oh wait.... damn.

here's an article about buying an alpine snowboard: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/how_to_buy_snowboard.cfm

Only for AARP members. You can polish aluminum to a mirror finish.

I NEED the Aunt Edna kit. by the way - most impressive. indeed you are powerful, as the emporer has foreseen.

M&Ms turned down the opportunity to be used as a prop in the blockbuster movie E.T., thereby squandering one of the biggest product placement goldmines in Hollywood history, and allowing it to pass to their competitor (Reese's) who benefitted mightily.

and it happens to be my favorite. I find it pretty easily here.

check out this article... http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/how_to_buy_snowboard.cfm

I've taught hundreds of never-evers how to snowboard. Believe it or not, all the skiers I taught who started in hardboots had a markedly easier time than just about anybody I taught in softboots. I've elaborated on learning in hardboots here: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/snowboarding_day_one.cfm

it's like a Tierney board.... without the board!

kjl - your difficulty making the switch underscores my lament of the demise of 3 strap bindings. Going from 2-strap softies to 3-strap softies isn't a big deal. Going from 3-strap softies to hardboots is an epiphany.

ugghh... no. You really should take a lesson. A lesson will save you at least a week's worth of flailing about on your own.

Recalling my days of jumping off "the trestle" at UNH, I'd estimate that's at least 60 feet. at least.

Unfortunately the code is ambiguous. One item says to ski/ride in a manner in which you can avoid people and objects below you. Another says to yield when starting downhill or entering a trail. Another says do not stop where you are not visible from above. So it gives one rule and then two rules that let you break the first rule. Which one takes precedence? Are the rules weighted? But I agree, random turns or being in over their head do not excuse you if you hit them. If they are underway and below you, you have to avoid them.