Jack M

Welcome back. Some great advice in this thread. This is a super reentry package that will stay with you for a long time. So much better than trying to do it on the cheap with 20 year old stuff that belongs on a wall in a man-cave. The difference is that you're setting yourself up for success, and if you decide it's not for you you'll be able to sell all this stuff easily. (But that's not going to happen!) You might outgrow the board in a couple years if you really catch the fever, but the boots and bindings will last many. Metal boards are easier to ride especially here in the east if you can budget it. 3 years ago I switched from Deeluxe T700s to UPZs and I would do it again - much better heel hold for me and many others here. At your size and weight you should save yourself some time and shipping expense and get the stiffer silver tongues at the same time when you buy the boots. They're not crazy stiff, I've moved on to the stiffest gray tongues, but the black ones are very soft. I sensed imminent ankle injury when I tried them. Swapped them out after one day. Isolation plate can wait at least a full year. Riding with one is a different game with the extra height, weight, and different performance. They're expensive and not necessary for freecarving. Perhaps I am just too set in my ways but I don't use one and I don't even own one at the moment although that may change this season. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Bomber skis is Bode Miller’s company. Fortunately for him, Fin is a laid back guy. http://www.bomberski.com

I totally agree with this. Even if these efforts do nothing for climate change, they are still the right thing to do. I just find the sunspot theory interesting and credible.

Not related. Some other ghost in the machine I guess.

all-boards.com is the new All Boards Sports, a shop with a long history and reputation. It is just getting started. Have some patience while they fill out the site. allboardssports.com had no shopping cart because it was just an informational site for the physical store. Thread locked.

Mt. Hood. Beartooth Basin. I am counting on the scientists who are saying that reduced sunspot activity is going to send us into a mini ice age in the not so distant future. https://www.iflscience.com/environment/we-could-be-heading-mini-ice-age-2030/

Guys... let's keep it nice. We're all in this together. Bola is one of how many, 3? people in North America to sustain a brick and mortar store that carries alpine gear? Just the other day I had an idea to get a Kessler 168 with Allflex inserts so I can do a test against my UPM K168... who's got one in stock? Yup, Bola. Let's chill.

I couldn’t think of another game sport that’s analogous to golf. And actually it's quite common for golfers to also be tennis players and vice versa. Eye-hand coordination.

There is no denying that what Ledecka did is uniquely extraordinary and not outdone by any of the other nominees. If Molinari had won a Formula 1 race or a Tennis major during the year, that would compare.

There is a bit of a giveaway here: http://www.kessler-swiss.com/en-US/technology/kesslerShapeTechnology Seems like the idea is that the tighter radii at the ends will bend the middle of the board into a tighter arc, and the longer radius in the middle resists the tendency for the board to simply fold or kink between the feet. The result should be a smooth consistent curve. A clothoid curve is used in rollercoaster loops to keep g-force on the passenger constant all the way around the loop. It compensates for the fact that the speed slows to a minimum at the top of the loop, then accelerates again. Clothoid is also called a Euler Spiral. I suspect that for the GS boards and maybe the SL boards, the radius is longer in the tail than the nose, but I think it may be longest in the middle. I suspect that for the 168 (and my new 175) there is less of a difference between nose and tail radius, but again, longest in the middle. I tried to measure the sidecut of my 168 by measuring the width of the board every 5cm. Around the waist, the board's width is a constant 202mm for a surprisingly large span - about 15cm. This would imply an effective radius significantly larger than 12m in the middle of the board.

Here is some rather specific advice which may be too late, but here it is anyway. Back when I was a sophomore in college, a friend of mine and I were hired as part time instructors at the same time. We did not have any certification or experience, just riding experience. We showed up at hiring weekend and passed the group interview process. It helped that I already knew and had ridden with the hiring manager (Herr Beckmann). My parents had already purchased my season pass, my friend did not have one. The resort gave him a season pass right away. They did not refund my parents for my season pass until I had worked many hours. So if you don't want to be in the business of giving a ski resort a small short term loan at zero interest, don't buy him a season pass. If that would be no big deal, then disregard.

Seriously, no idea. But I hope you got it that she will be 24 in 2030.

My daughter informs me she'll be there, at age 24... we'll see...

All 3 are great boards. The Proteus 175 was a great balance of lively and damp, definitely an energetic board. The 12m single radius sidecut (actually parabolic) was turny and liked to finish turns. I wouldn't have sold it so soon but there was a scare that Bruce was going to retire so I wanted to get one last Coiler. I got the Nirvana Energy 174, 12-14m. Of the 3 boards this was the most laid back and "comfy", but it could still bring the excitement and air time between carves. The dual radius VSR I felt had a smaller sweet spot, and protested if I wasn't in it. On the other hand it was the most willing to let turns run long if desired. This custom Kessler 175 (10-14m) is the stiffest and most energetic of the three. It's stiffer than my stock 168 and 180, and launches me out of carves. A thrill ride for freecarving, it is indeed a big brother of the 168. Unlike Kessler race boards, it really likes to finish a turn. There is something special about the KST sidecut. Very smooth, does not reveal itself as a VSR, it just works. Big sweet spot, great edge hold. Not cheap, but glad I treated myself. I'll have it until I grind through the base.

That’s awesome, Tim, welcome back! What is it overall, 170?

See you tomorrow! (Red jacket)

Goofy footers rule!!

Ha!

@Erik.H, talk about starting out right! Enjoy. I have a K168, I agree it’s everything I want for a “short” board. But I need at least 3 alpine boards, short, medium, and long. Kessler doesn’t make a stock medium freecarver, so that’s why I had mine made. I told them I loved the way my 168 rides and that I wanted a board just like it only longer. 175, 20.5 waist, 10-14m radius range. 168 is 8-12m. They nailed it. If I could only have one alpine board this would be it. Similar boards I’ve had are the Donek Proteus 175, Coiler Nirvana Energy 174. Both awesome, I’m just playing the field. Call it a midlife crisis.

Hi folks, Time marches on and the forum grows trodden paths where no pavement was laid. Therefore the Ride Board is now officially an area for local discussions as well as meet-ups. The Equipment Reviews section should remain exactly that, for equipment reviews. The first post in each thread in that section should be a review of gear that was used by the person starting the thread. Ensuing discussion of that gear in that thread is totally fine. Gear questions and discussions not related to a specific review should be posted in Carving Central. If we don't do this then actual reviews will not have a home. Carving Central as always is for discussions and questions about carving-specific technique, gear, stories, and news about the world of carving corduroy. If your post is a story/question/comment and includes photos/video, you may post it here. If you just want to post a cool photo or video on its own, please use the Photos or Videos forum. The Lodge (formerly Off-Topic) is a welcome place for almost anything else - general snowboarding, music, cars, mountain biking, skiing, competition barbecue... anything but politics/religion. Thanks for making this a great place to hang out!

@GeoffV??

I haven't heard of a "youth" insert pattern, but in general F2 bindings will not fit on a Burton board without a Burton 3 or 2 hole center disc. I would think your bindings will fit any standard 4 hole insert pattern.

Nice @Corey! Glad to see Bruce is getting plenty of mileage out of those '89 Safari graphics I had vectorized in 2008 from a photo of my buddy's original. Regrettably, I had to sell mine in order to fund a '91 PJ7 because my parents thought snowboarding was a fad and made me buy my own boards. (I know, nice problem to have) Hence the tribute graphics.

Some serious carving going on here

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hardsnowboardingitalia/permalink/2331726963563894/