Jack M

You mean like with speed suits? The commentators certainly thought it was showboating.

Size 29 boots on a 19cm board sounds like about 65 degrees with no overhang. You could probably back off to 60 or maybe 55 to get started. No matter whether your bindings are at 55 degrees or 65 degrees, this is going to be a very different experience for you. Trying to skid and steer the board like a normal snowboard at these angles is going to be very awkward regardless. There is a technique to it that can only be learned over time, basically you try not to fight or push the equipment. Skidded turns happen slower and rounder. You won't be able to just kick or pivot the board around quickly at first. For pure carving, the difference between 55 and 65 isn't a huge deal. If this is going to be your only opportunity this season I say go for it. You'll be able to sell it later if you want.

That's awesome. Looks like that board scales to about a 200 on me!

Welcome! Based on your height and weight I will guess that your feet are around US size 10-11. This board will be pretty narrow for you. Ideally you'd find something with a 20cm waist. Also if this is a Coiler All Mountain, you might find it's on the softer side once you get good and start putting power into the board. However Coilers are popular so if you bought this one you probably wouldn't have trouble selling it if you decide you've grown out of it. If you have ants in your pants and can't wait for the perfect used board to appear, this board could work. Binding angles are determined by boot size and board width to avoid boots dragging in the snow. At first you can tolerate some overhang, but as you get better you will need to keep all boot parts inside the edges of the board. This usually results in angles approaching 60 degrees. Good softbooters have no trouble trying hardboots if they know how to carve their downhill edge (here's proof). That is, can you roll your board from the uphill edge to the downhill edge and begin carving the next turn before the board points downhill? If you can't do that yet, that is step 1 before buying anything. Good luck!

Apex. Not to be confused with the former plate maker. They also make alpine race boards but they are not popular in WC for whatever reason.

Modern gear is a different story. You can haggle if you are interested in buying, otherwise MYOB.

1. There are spoilers in the thread. 2. Yes we are in a different time zone than Beijing. 3. You don’t own the thread. 4. Try not to be so obtuse.

Because there are spoilers in the thread.

https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=483320923206710 Quick video by Everett McEwan about @Dave Winters and Olympian son @Cody Winters Congratulations Dave and Cody! You made it!

Absolutely correct, it was my mistake to read it!

I should have known better than to read this thread before watching events I care about. Oh well, that's awesome. So glad she finally has that monkey off her back after the showboating catastrophe in 2006.

Freecarving with a race-style technique. I've tried 3 Contras now, but my experience with them is still limited, so YMMV. They do have very good edge grip and they resist chatter well. But 2 felt very awkward and "sticky" when skidding/steering/maneuvering or for basically any non-carving use. This was very off-putting to me. All felt to me like they weren't fully using their entire edge length. Like most of your edge pressure is being concentrated on two short segments just in front of your front foot and just behind your back foot. That's the feedback I perceive. They reward a more laid-back centered weight placement and center-back shift which is not my style. They do not seem to like forward weighting which IMO is essential on icy/firm conditions. They seem to me like they have a relatively narrow bandwidth of turn size. Kesslers feel to me like they are fully engaged, have large sweet spots, and can vary turn size more/easier. I can ride them in many different ways, including centered. I feel like my custom 180 sidecut wraps around me like a hammock. That may sound weird but it's what it makes me think of. I tried @johnasmo's Contra AC at MCC and I liked it better than the other 2 as it was not nearly as awkward when not carving. But the sidecut still favors center-back weighting and just feels very different to me, IMHO. This departure from more traditional shapes is clearly a blessing for some and I can see how it suits certain riding styles. I would have to spend time adjusting my technique to the board, and I don't think I should have to do that, nor am I inspired to. photo by riceball

Cody/David Winters mini bio video: https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=483320923206710

Hats off to Gloria Kotnik, medaling after coming back from having a baby a year ago!

Guess I'm thick. What do you think the answer is?

Price is on the website, EU 1199 for a stock version. A typical parabolic sidecut would look like that.

I've ridden older Volkls, they were definitely not contra. Contra feels like nothing else, and frankly it's not my cup of tea.

Contra is nothing like elliptical.

True, which is why I said they're not telling the whole story. But it couldn't be contra.

BUYERS: This stuff is old. If you ride somewhere with firm/icy conditions, you will have a much better time on newer gear. Heck, you'll have a better time on newer gear anywhere. There have been many big advances in materials and designs since 2005. Snowboarding is expensive - travel, accommodations, clothing, lift tickets... why cheap out on the most important part and suffer the frustration? Plastic, wood, epoxy, metal, and fiberglass have finite life and will deteriorate even in storage. Your first turn on your new old gear could be its last. That said, a nice older board with camber and edge life can work pretty well in places with typically good conditions. The best older boards are Madd, Donek, Prior, Coiler, Volkl, F2, and Oxygen. All better than Burton. A good older board can be a decent way to try the sport without breaking the bank. Pricing - the vast majority of older boards aren't worth more than $100-150. Many should simply be given away for the price of shipping. There are some exceptions, and sometimes a collector's item will come along. These are unusual. If you are looking for a board to actually ride, feel free to ask the group or report the post if you think the price is unfair. SELLERS: Members and staff are allowed to question pricing of vintage gear even if they are not interested in buying. ALPINESNOWBOARDER.COM BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY TRANSACTION STARTED HERE

Wow. That was fast. Now we just need @TVR's son to start winning World Cups on Bombers, muahahaha. I don't think it does, the board still has to interact with the snow regardless.

Finals did not look soft to me at all. Quite chalky and it looked like it was too firm for some riders. @Donek is probably punching a wall somewhere. Sounds like Secret construction. @Winterstick also has something similar available. Not sure I'll be giving up Titanal here in New England, but I'll try it. I think if a board is stiff enough it accelerates regardless. Impossible to attribute the win to the construction. Too many other variables like the purported 195cm length, and Karl himself. Their site also says the board has an elliptical sidecut. I doubt that's the full story because the common knowledge is that sidecuts that get longer towards the tail are faster. I can't imagine the sidecut on this Virus being symmetrical or single-elliptical. Here we go, the dawn of the Virus era in WC. Wonder what took so long.

It is. Technique only goes so far to compensate for it. Deeluxe is notorious for heel lift with many people. Others find a good fit in Deeluxe. Heel hold is a critical factor. If yyzcanuck is out of stock of the fitting pads, try here: https://www.tognar.com/ski-boot-fitting

Don't try to get down to the ground. Let the ground come to you. When you're doing everything right, it will. IMO, the EC heelside is really just a fun trick. I've never seen a racer do it. They'll lay out a toeside as a get-out-of-jail move, but never on heelside. EC is a blessing and a curse. I love that it attracts people to the sport, but new and intermediate carvers try to emulate it way to early. They end up just flopping from side to side, dragging body parts, killing speed, and having to wait an eternity to build up enough speed for their next flop. You can get low on heelside without dragging your armpit. photo: Dennis Mellon, at MCC '22 Commitment is key, and so is maintaining that commitment through the whole carve in order to control speed. Key to that is looking across the hill to where you want the carve to end, and not letting up on the edge angle. If you just look downhill or right in front of your board it will likely cause you to ease up on the edge, stand up a little, open your hips/shoulders to the fall line, and then you're picking up too much speed or losing edge hold.

Cody’s second run was quite decent, 42 seconds and change. He is 21. Karl is 36. Prommeger and Fischnaller are 41. Cody has time! She is a machine! I think she had great lines, high and early.