Jack M

Update: all sold, thanks. Standard version for boards with typical 4-hole inserts. Excellent condition, minimal use. 5mm version. All hardware included, not pictured. $350 shipped to the 48 states, more elsewhere. TD3 low profile lower assembly (thin center discs, thin cant discs, hardware) - really improves the feel of any plate system. Both discs are 3 degrees. Currently out of stock at Bomber. $100 shipped to the 48 states.

It seems to me that the industry has settled upon mondopoint sizing - the overall length of the foot in centimeters. How do these letter sizes convert to mondopoint? Or are these widths?

+1

I've often thought the ramp angle of Northwaves and UPZs looks excessive, but I've never tried them. (except for 2 runs on my new UPZs on the wrong conditions after Thanksgiving) I wonder if all the magic of the .950 could be preserved while redesigning the heel and reducing the ramp angle...? I wouldn't be surprised if not.

DONE! Thanks for posting that video, I feel validated. I've believed for a couple decades now that the vast majority of softbooters just set up their boards like their favorite pipe rider and never give it another thought. 26", 5/-5 or some such ridiculousness. Unless you truly want to ride ambidextrously, e.g. Knapton, I think most freeriders would have an epiphany like Mr. Bang there if they tried a narrower, more directional stance sensible for actual freeriding. He looks so much more fluid in that video than most. CK was the epitome of softboot style for me. Re-watching his old movies, the tuck-knee thing looks dated and a bit overdone, but he was a joy to watch regardless. I seem to recall he mellowed out on the knee tuck in later years.

I wouldn't want it any softer. My air tweaking days are over, and the stiffness of my boots and bindings is great for freeriding. They're still a far cry from hardboots. I don't feel a need for a 3rd strap though. I'd be interested to try bindings with a metal baseplate. The baseplate flexes significantly.

I got back into softboots last year. I got Burton Driver X boots, they seem very stiff, can't imagine tweaking any tricks in them. Also got Burton Genesis X bindings which I let my buddy pick out for me who runs the Burton shop at Sugarloaf. They seem stiff and carvey. Except they don't allow angles beyond 36 on the front foot and 27 on the back foot, so that's where I put them at first. With size 10.5 boots I would still boot out on hardpack if I tried to lay out carves. I have a Winterstick Seth Wescott 164. He has the same size boots so I figured the board would be a good width. Once I gave up on the idea of fully laid out carves, I had fun carving at moderate lean. But it didn't seem quite right, carving with a forward facing posture and the highest binding angles I could on softboots - like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I had seen @trailertrash carving full on alpine-style on his Coiler BX and Flow bindings, but he has no boot-out issues. Then another master softbooter, @jburrill, suggested that back foot angles higher than 15 degrees kill your toeside power. So I tried backing off to 27/15 and I'm loving it a lot more. Everything about it feels better - the carving, and the not carving. And he's right, toeside is way better this way. It's fun to be on a "normal" snowboard again when conditions aren't good for alpine. Makes me feel like a kid again. I've concluded that getting a softboot setup to compliment a hardboot setup and then trying to ride the softboot setup like a hardboot setup is missing the point. If I want to ride that way, I'll go get one of my alpine rigs. I'd be interested to try a wider softboot board to avoid all boot-out, like Ryan Knapton. Just for fun here's a pic of Seth Wescott from Sugarloaf's facebook page last week, laying it out on a Winterstick Roundtail 158 he was testing (which is wild, considering he's like 6'1", 195). I believe he usually rides at 27/9, so he'd boot out on hardpack too, but it looks like he found an accommodating patch of soft snow.

pic seems to be missing? I thought 2007 was the last year of retail production. The boards with individual names were 2005. If the topsheet is blue it's definitely 2005. In 2006 they went back to a more traditional translucent tan-ish amber-ish topsheet.

I like a little outward cant on the rear foot and some inward cant on the front foot. I'm weird, but give it a try. The outward cant on the back foot can really be an eye-opener on toeside. Probably no need to be fabbing shims from cutting boards with TD2 or TD3 or Catek.

Neil, I'm all for people expressing their opinions, and it usually goes without saying that a person's post is their own opinion. But talking about the safety of bindings is a more serious matter.

You said "F2 / Snowpro shims are actually the best and safest way of lifting/canting." That's a claim of fact, and it's wrong. Implying Bomber bindings aren't as safe as another binding on their own website without evidence is a serious claim, and seriously rude. You also said "They reduce the number of moving parts and connections, notorious for other systems." That's also wrong compared to Bombers and if you didn't mean to indict Bomber along with all "other systems" you should have said so. My bias is well known, and no, of course this forum is not a shrine to Bomber. But I find the above statements questionable at best, and presenting them as fact, here, is disrespectful. This isn't the first time I've felt this way about a post of yours.

@BlueB, the point is your post was highly subjective and inaccurate yet you pass it off here as factual expert advice to the less experienced. I find that rude to the providers of this forum, and misleading with an agenda. Say what you want about racers' binding preferences, but when discussing lift and cant adjustability (the original question of this thread) there are clearly better mousetraps.

I don't see how this is any better or safer or less parts than the Bomber system. Bomber is also set-and-forget once you get it dialed, and it's pretty easy to get it dialed, with clear markings on the bindings and no extra shims and screws to lose.

The very best groom... i.e., I don't have to worry much about edge purchase and can just let it rip, I pull out the world cup GS style Coiler 185 NSR. 5'11", 185lbs.

Stio - removable hood, $425: http://www.stio.com/mens-environ-jacket

Glad to hear it but he says he is unable to post in this thread anymore. I suggested refreshing his browser.

In 25 years I have never known Erik to slander anyone. He is an expert coach, and as a coach, he is going to tell you things that may not be pleasant to hear but are intended to help you improve yourself. Blocking him from posting in this thread or anywhere else is ridiculous.

I think part of the confusion here is that Beckman is, as usual, advising on how to achieve maximum performance. Jim is approaching from the angle of what would suit a more recreational rider. Those two requirements are often met with different solutions. Group hug? I take my carving kind of seriously and I do some beer league racing and Thermoflex DEL 141 have been fine for me. I could probably do better with Intuition or injected liners, but, meh. Most importantly, no liner conversation matters until you have real custom footbeds/orthotics.

I seem to recall asking for that.

Unless you weigh less than 150lbs, those bindings are unsafe. I had a pair when I was in college and 165. Broke them on day one, and I don't usually break stuff. At minimum, look for lightly used Burton Race Plates or Ibex. That board has almost nothing in common with Madd. All that gear is so old, hopefully it doesn't all shatter on your first day. Good luck.

That was part of the FAQ forum which appears to have been discarded. :-(

Das Amputator nose!

Another view. Proteus on the right is also for sale. Great board, very versatile.

Setback looks reasonable. ps, board on the left is for sale. I'll be sad to see it go, it's awesome, but time marches on. That nose on the right is going to BITE!!