Jack M

Okay, then I apologize for inferring that you are a terminal intermediate. Friends? Back on topic now... I would say that the original question was somewhat technical in nature, unless it was only supposed to be a poll, because how are you supposed to answer without getting a little technical? I happen to think the question is - what's the right term here, trivial? Because I don't believe any softboot setup will ever match the carving performance of a hardboot setup. If there was such a thing, of course, who wouldn't use it? -Jack

Bordy, Did I call Eddie a terminal intermediate? No. Don't infer. Don't interpret. I stand by my post. People who live by the mantra of "just shut up and ride" or, "just do what feels good" <i>typically</i> will reach a plateau in their riding and stay there. Am I wrong? If Eddie is not one of these people, then he should know the comment was not directed at him. If other people are going to label him now (which I highly doubt), that is their stupid problem. It's just a little irritating when we're trying to discuss technique in the hopes of improving ourselves, and along comes someone who looks down their nose at us and says something like "you guys need to go ride and get your head together", as if there's something wrong with us. Of course we all want to just go out and ride. That should go without saying. Also, your list of associates is quite impressive, but I'm not sure I need etiquette lessons from someone who yelled "softboots are for..." at a halfpipe contest. By the way, I thought that was hilarious. I might have chosen different words, but you've definitely got big ones. Eddie, Sorry to make an example out of you. I think you and everyone else knows that I don't have any idea how you ride, nor do I know if you live by the "shut up and ride" motto or not. Therefore, the terminal intermediate comment wasn't directed at you specifically, so don't take it personally. I'm very glad that my articles here have helped you, and it sounds like you are hungry to learn (as am I), which is great. I have also enjoyed your other posts, you seem like a good guy. You are definitely right that at some point someone does have to step back and shut-up-and-ride, but I don't think that here is the right place to tell someone that. I think only an instructor watching your riding in person can tell you that. Here is where people come when they're <i>not</i> shutting up and riding. As for the repetitiveness of the info discussed here, it is because not everyone is in synch with you and everyone else in their carving progression. It seems every week there is another green carver showing up here with the same old questions, and that's great, that's why we're here. As for new stuff, well, start something! I'm working on a new tech article myself, but I can only do so much, being the working stiff that I am. I also think there is some good fresh stuff that gets discussed every now and then. Peace, -Jack

You know, it's only a matter of time in each thread, if it gets heated enough (read: interesting), that someone says "just go out and riiiide, maaan". This is the mating call of terminal intermediates. If you just want to surf the mountain and take in the good vibe, great, that is way cool. But some of us actually <i>enjoy</i> debating technique. This is what advances the school of carving theory, and results in the equipment that allows you to surf the mountain better. -Jack

look for Flying in a Blue Dream, and Summer Song, both by Joe Satriani.

Thanks Bob. I agree we all need to be ambassadors for our sport, but I was actually insinuating that someone like PSR or Vin or whoever ought to take the reigns and create a softboot carver's reference that we could use here. I am no authority on that subject, and honestly I'm not interested in becoming one. A section like that would dovetail nicely with the Welcome Center, under the "Not Quite Ready?" link. And John Dahl just hit it on the head too.

I think you are absolutely correct that if carving is going to be mass-marketed to softbooters, that it should be done on their terms. Which is to say, it should happen with softboots. There's no doubt in my mind that if a softbooter realizes he can carve better turns with more responsive equipment, that the chances of that softbooter eventually trying and liking hardboots increases exponentially. My point is, the ultimate goal for any carver should be mastering hardboots and race boards. You seemed to be calling to us to open our minds to softboot carving. Not gonna happen, been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. As for whether or not the hardboot market is floundering in the ocean and in dire need of being tossed a life-ring, I think you're off the mark. If alpine was going to die, I think it would have happened already. Burton has been "out" for quite some time now, if you measure that by the fact that they ceased all innovation and effectively all marketing many years ago. The market is becoming more centralized via the web, and I think here it is growing. I know that Fin's sales increase each year, and this year he sold out in record time. Catek is obviously flourishing too, and even KlugRiding is having trouble responding to demand. <i>"I used to think that it would get bigger as the boarders who started 10 years ago came of age and did not want to freestyle anymore.It did'nt happen."</i> Umm, take a look around. That's exactly what most of us are here. I think this progression is exactly what is happening. Young people generally aren't going to get into carving en masse. They are worried about what's "cool" as much as what performs. Most softbooters simply dismiss hardboots out-of-hand because they wouldn't want to be seen in them, or because of comfort misconceptions, or because they wouldn't be able to go show off in the park every other run, or just... because. I can understand that. I mean, the Monte Carlo could be the best car on the road, but I'll never know because I think it's one butt-ugly car and I <i>hate</i> Nascar. So don't expect to convert droves of young riders. They will come to us when they're ready. Indeed, this site serves mostly as a "receiving area" for people to come to once they've discovered or have decided to honestly try hardboot carving. Maybe we need to be more pro-active about bringing the joy of carving to the softboot masses? Anyone want to take that torch and run with it? -Jack

Nice trap. Your question is worded so that only a fool would disagree. The problem is, no softboot setup will ever carve as well as a hardboot setup, <i>while still performing like a softboot</i> for other types of riding. Two <i>major</i> things softboots will never provide as well as hardboots, without crushing your foot, are response (i.e. lack of slop) and lateral support. These two criteria are paramount for carving. Even if there was a "softboot" setup that could carve like a hardboot, it would sacrifice performance in the areas of snowboarding that typically use softboots. Witness the Flow binding. Arguably the most carvey soft binding out there. According to you, it should be putting all other binding makers out of business. But you'll notice it isn't even close to being the most popular binding on the hill. Or even popular at all. Why? Hybrid soft systems have come and gone. The Craig Kelly toungue, the Elfgen toungue, hybrid hard/soft boots, mountaineering boots... all history. And step-ins aren't even conquering the marketplace as was predicted. And speaking of comfort, I use custom footbeds and Thermoflex liners. I wear my hardboots all day without touching the buckles once, not even for lunch, and my feet do not fatigue. You don't buy snowboarding boots to walk in, do you? Bottom line is, what you're talking about is a compromise. Sure, there are always people who can carve better than other people using multipurpose equipment. But purpose-built equipment in the hands of experts will always outperform compromise equipment. It is true just about everywhere - skis, cars, motorcycles, windsurfers, you name it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that your setup is bad, I'm sure it kicks butt, and I'm sure I would enjoy it. It's probably what the majority of softbooters <i>should</i> be riding. I like the idea of promoting your setup to softbooters, to get them to think more about serious carving. So I think you're barking up the wrong tree here in this forum. Softbooters should aspire to carve like us, not the other way around. -Jack

Go for a wider stance, like 48-49cm or so. This helps your balance and stability. Using toe lift on your front foot and heel lift on your back foot allows you to do this comfortably. The days of 43-45cm stances are long gone.

in the chair ahead of me, or in liftline. ugh.

Well, both those questions are specifically addressed in the article, but a good place to start is with a stance that is either centered on the sidecut, or a little bit back. This will probably be the middle sets of holes for each foot. I'm about your size, and I like a 19.25" or 19.5" stance width. As for binding angles, you want to have your toes and heels as close to the edges of the board as possible without hanging over. -Jack

I love using toe and heel lift, I think it's quite valuable to be able to use a wider stance comfortably. The wider stance improves balance and stability, and using the lifts increases your mobility, all which will help your carving. Some people use only heel lift on the back foot and do quite well, but I don't know how they do it! I tried it last year just for the sake of experimenting, and I got major front leg burn. -Jack

CR is a bit of a conundrum - it is an excellent resource for items you know little about and aren't super critical of - but it can be frustrating when reading about products that you are passionate about. And their objective data is more valuable than their subjective opinions. For instance, I've used CR to research buying things like tires, a blender, a dishwasher, computer, a point-n-shoot film camera (gift for my parents), a digital camcorder, and a few other things. However, I find myself shaking my head when they review things I really care about, like speakers - you KNOW Cambridge Soundworks or Pioneer can't be better than NHT or B&W. They also seem to be biased against American cars, and sometimes they seem to judge cars for what they are not trying to be. I'm sure if they reviewed snowboards, their findings would be totally meaningless to us, compared to what we know about snowboards. They'd probably say something like the Burton Custom is a smooth ride, while the Donek Axis is harsh, unforgiving and too narrow. Overall, it's a recommendable service. The online version is quite handy to quickly research a product you are considering, when you are considering it, instead of waiting for a magazine article to come out. One recent review I thought was extremely valuable was one on ski helmets. Much to my delight they liked my Giro nine.9 the best, but I was shocked to see that they found a couple with dangerous flaws, like one that shattered on impact, and a couple others with flimsy buckles that can break, allowing your helmet to fly off. It sounds like the Pirelli P400's would suit you nicely, and that the tire review in CR would be useful to you as a typical driver who needs reasonably priced all-purpose well rounded tires. -Jack

Bauer has had some success racing boardercross and the Baker Banked Slalom, right through last year. His name has been clearly absent from FIS World Cup results sheets for the past few years, but I don't know if he's been racing at a lower level. If you search on his name at www.twsnow.com, there's many articles and event covers that mention him. Nerva, I believe, pretty much removed himself entirely from anything having to do with hardboots or racing some time ago. They should make a comeback and make another movie. -Jack

And damn good bindings at that! For softboots anyway. Made me believe I could live without hardboots for several years. btw, Free series was 1990. '89 was the Cruise. I wish there was still a 3-strap option out there. They'd be good on an all-mtn, bx, or powder board. I guess Flow is the closest thing now. -Jack

How To Buy an Alpine Snowboard

Ask for Erik Beckman. The master.

This is an acquired skill that comes with practice. I find it's easier to do standing up, either on flat ground or holding on to something. If you have to do it sitting down, it is easier if you turn your hips toward the nose and actually sit not on your buttcheeks, but on the side of your hip. Make sure you have no snow on the bottom of your boot too. Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you may need to go back to your soft gear and make sure that you can really carve it. That is, can you do the Norm and carve your downhill edge on your soft gear? You should be able to carve thin tracks in your soft gear on the greens and maybe blues. Making the switch to a hard setup is much easier if you master carving your soft setup. Actually I'd say it's pretty much required. After you get that going, try some steeper angles on your soft gear, like 33/24. I remember the very first time I tried hardboots, I had only been boarding for 2 years on a Burton Elite 150. I hated them and swore I would never use them again. Then 2 years later after riding 3-strap bindings and a Burton Safari then a PJ, I tried them again and took off. I was in heaven. By that time, my softboots had been holding me back, and the hardboots opened the door to a new level. It doesn't sound like you've reached the limits of your soft gear yet. Of course, I could be wrong, I don't know how you ride. Like I said, try to get carving on your soft gear and try steeper angles there first. Going from 18/3 to 55/50 cold-turkey is a quantum leap. As for facing down the hill, that is technically incorrect. Relative to the hill, you want your alignment to rotate with the board as it travels along its arc. That is, either face your bindings or face the nose of the board, but whichever you do, maintain this alignment throughout the carve. It is a common mistake to simply face downhill for the duration of a heelside carve. This is bad for your balance. Whether you align your body with your binding angles or with the nose of the board is personal preference. HOWEVER, people who have the bad habit of facing downhill deeply etched in memory, typically continue to face downhill when they think they're facing their bindings. The only way to overcome this is to exaggerate the forward rotation, meaning, face the nose of the board. A good way to get yourself to do this is to drive (what used to be) your trailing hand forward and down over the nose as you enter a heelside turn, and continue to drive it forward throughout the carve. This is how it's done (cmc): The "correct" angles to start with are those at which your boots do not protrude beyond the edges of the board. This often results in parallel or near parallel angles. Since you won't be tilting your board up super high as a newbie, you can get away with a little overhang. I don't recall seeing anyone here recommending 12 degrees separation, and it certainly wasn't me. That's too much in my opinion, unless you are naturally extra duck-footed. Since you mention the EC site so much, I have to say that I think their newbie info can be confusing. This is partly due to english being their second language, and also because the site overall is promoting a very advanced style of carving that has nothing to do with teaching people to carve. Do not even think of riding like those guys until you are well advanced. It seems to me that they give some conflicting advice. One one page they tell you never to face the nose of the board, while on another and in most of their pictures and movies they are totally facing the nose. YES. Should have sprung for the TD2's, they have adjustable cant. But you can rig your TD1's to get you maybe what you want, or hopefully close to it. Since you have a Burton 3-hole pattern, you can rotate your TD discs in 60 degree increments. Rotate your back disc 60 degrees towards the toe edge. If you are super bow-legged, rotate the front disc 60 degrees as well. That is, you want your rear disc to be sloping towards the toe edge and the front disc towards the heel edge. If that is too much, you can return the disc(s) to the standard orientation (discs sloping towards each other), and sandwich pennies or nickels or dimes between the toe/heel pads and the baseplate. Do this on one side of the pads to achieve some canting. Only use one layer of coins. Do not stack any coins. NOTE: the manufacturer does not endorse the coin method. Make sure your screws are TOYGHT!! You should experiment. You should adjust the cant of your boots to suit your, um, bowlegged-ness. Most people like minimum forward lean on the front boot and more on your back boot. To wrap up, I can't overemphasize the importance of being able to carve on your soft gear first. Knowing what a real carve feels like before you try completely different equipment will give you a huge head start. This may only happen on the steeper greens, but that's fine. And for the love of Pete, DON'T head for the top of the mountain when you set out to learn your new gear. Start on the greens (not the baby hill though). You can't learn to carve when you're scared by excessive speed. You need to practice on a slope that will give you enough speed to lean into a turn, but not so much that you slip into self-preservation mode. I hope this helps, keep us posted. -Jack

Go for it. This is a great thing to do if you want to mix it up and switch skis/board midday. If your ski boots are super stiff race boots, yeah, they're not going to be <i>optimal</i>. Just get the soft e-rings with your TD2's. If the boots fit you well and you like them, chances are good you'll like them on the board. When you use them on your board, play around with any stiffness adjusters you have, and also give walk mode a try, if you have it. Also be sure to check out the Welcome Center on the front page here. -Jack

Can You Start Snowboarding in Hardboots From Day One? I taught my wife to board. She's never been in softboots.

Good point. I've had this idea in the back of my head for a while. We'll try to make it happen soon.

Yeah, Helmut took the liberty of rubbing my stick with that grease. Then he got that shot of me that I use for my avatar.

this is getting steamy!

"Jason Ford.... he's got a chick in every port. <i>Every</i> port." -Jeff Brushie

It is crazy fast. It lasts far more than 20 feet. About half a day really. I've never felt my snowboard go so fast as the day I tried it. It's actually so fast, I don't even want to use it again!

Shred Gruumer.... our own version of Jason Ford