mackDan

The bindings have been sold, are gone, kaput, not here, adios, elvis has left the building!. Thanks.

I've been riding hardboots all over the mountains for about 10 years now and it is good, as you say. The one place its not great is the Half pipe, but you can still venture in. Depending on what you want out of it, you can, run your plates on your freestyle board, or get a board that works a bit better in all conditions with plates. I used to ride hard boots on a Winterstick 159 all mountain board, and am currently on a softer Hot Shine 162 that I like for all around conditions/riding, or the Oxygen Proton SL boards are good too. There are other similar SL type boards that are a bit wider, a little softer and shorter (about the same length as your freestyle board). I also like the boardercross boards, which is similar to the Tanker , a rounded but chopped, maybe slightly narrower tail. My new (1 y/o) powder board is a Oxygen Super X 164 (i'm 5'8" 160-170#), nice and wide with great float. Lots of good BX boards out there to run plates on. Stance angle: I'm riding the Super X at about 50/48. I've tried less angle but really didn't like it, but that probably is just getting used to what ever angle you ride at and dealing with something that is different from the norm (62/60 on the Proton) I ride with my boots the same tightness pretty much all the time, although I tend to like the ankle tight and the cuff just a bit loose. And for off trail/powder/moguls I definitely ride in "Walk" mode.

Those board bumps are similar to what Oxygen (atomic) had on their Apex. Maybe Nitro was playing around with the stiffness/dampening. The O2 Apex had about 4-5 rounded ridges that ran the length of the board, in front of and behind the binding area. They were able to lighten the board, but stiffen the ends with those ridges. It had a pretty good softer ride, with a bit more flex across the board than an normal board, but good stiffness (on the soft side) lengthwise. It was a good powder board, and all around beginner board. Atomic still uses that technology on its skis, except there are only two ridges that run the length of the ski.

Dirk, Did you ever ride that board at Squaw? Met a guy once with a Wild Duck, thought it was tan/brown. One of the few WD boards I have ever seen in the USA.

I just bought a couple older boards with bindings, but I don't need the bindings. So they are available. FOR SALE: One pair Burton Race plates in pretty good condtion. Black and Yellow with white plastic 4x4 disks. Includes one Burton multi cant with all the parts, but has a couple chips out of the edges of the upper disk (does not effect performance). $65 buyer to pay actual shipping. FOR FREE: One pair Snowpro plate bindings, good condition considering their old. Black with just 2 small purple inserts. They have small cant shims in each binding, for side cant, which can be set either outside or inside. All the parts are there, but the screws used for mounting should probably be replaced. Just pay for shipping. Pictures will be available by request.

Took a snowboarding lesson at Squaw Valley Jan 12 1993 with few skier friends. I was telemark skiing after having gotten frustrated with Alpine skiing. Next year I bought a Nitro Fusion 162 soft boot set up which I rode for a couple years. 1996/97 I moved to Princeton NJ for 9 months of work, and went Tele skiing a few times, but it sucked so bad, I wanted to get back on a snowboard. So I stopped in a snowboard shop I think it was at Killington and was checking out boards when I saw a Oxygen Proton 164, and a Burton Factory prime 157 Assym. After talking with the shop guys a bit, I rented the Proton and headed out, only to meet two guys riding alpine boards on the same lift (quad serving a wide beginner/intermediate run). They were runing front and rear cant. I spent the day trying to learn to carve using all the little kids and their wide eyed parents as pylons. The parents were watching closely as I zoomed by their kids. I had a good time and wanted to learn to do it right, so I went back and bought that Burton Asym 157 and some burton plate bindings, but didn't get to ride it unitl I got back to California and picked up some boots. Sadly my Burton 157 Asym (goofy) and an Oxygen Apex 164 got ripped off in Denver bagage, on my way to Jackson Hole a couple years later.

Scott, Sorry to post this post trip, but you screwed up amigo. The Heavenly Value Season Pass for $319, includes 3 days free at any of the 4 resorts, Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, or Breckenridge. At $81/70 per day, the break even is 3 days at Vail, and 1.08 days at heavenly, or 2 vail and 2.25 heavenly. You have to check in at Heavenly and actually get your pass there first, cause in the past it was 5 days at vail, adn people were buying them just to go to vail. I've got one, expect to get a few days in a Heavenly, adn will be at Breckenridge Jan 7&8. next year.

You need a trip to Tahoe or Colorado. Lots of good boot fitters in those areas.

The snow is better at __________, or The runs are better at _________. Just fill in where ever you are. Because as my buddy johnnie (softboot rider) says "The snow is best right below your feet". I think that applies to runs too. Heavenly has some good runs for carving, as does kirkwood, and N*, and Squaw, and Rose, and most other ski areas. Just enjoy it.

Like any other surgury on joints, shoulder surgery is tough to recover from. Find a good Physical Therapist, who will help you get back in shape. That means being able to push your therapy to the limit of the repaired joint without damaging it, but also pushing you hard enough to workout the shoulder until your exhausted (shoulder wise). Then get swimming, some back stroke especially. Get that flexibilty and rotation going, along with strenghtening.

You can ride the steeps, moguls and powder at what ever binding angle you feel comfortable at. But when your start less binding angle is easier to learn. Of course you don't want the boots hanging over, so that kind of limits the angles on narrow boards. I run my 162 Hot shine at about 55 front. My Oxygen Proton 164 at about 60-62, my Oxygen Super X at about 50. I ride all of those on the steeps, in the moguls, but don't take the Proton out in deep powder, as its a submarine. I had it last Sunday and did a bit of hiking at Heavenly with my buddy John, who rides freestyle boards. Hit some nice old windblown. I use walk mode for anything other than nice groomed riding. I think riding off trail requires more of a three dimensional body movement (front back, side to side), and so you want the flex in the boots. I think good moguls riding is in the shoulders, you have to lead (be about 1/2 mogul ahead) and really drive your body and the board. Moguls have a lot to do with rthymn, and how you ride the mogul. If you get the rthyymn right, keep driving the board, and get it to snap a bit its kind of fun. I practice for moguls on the big snow piles that the beginner skiers push toward the end of the day. Its like one long mogul. As you cross start turning your shoulders for the next turn, dropping down the side of the long snow pile, lean back a bit to drive the board hard in a curve (fast short carve) and then pop over the top of the mogul/snow mound. Then repeat drving your shoulder hard into the next turn. If you get the pop just before the top of the pile/mogul, that makes it easy. You can add a tail lift (lift your rear boot) just a bit as you transitiion over the top. This works well on steep deep cut moguls and keeps the tail from hitting as you try and turn the board fast. The longer and stiffer the board the harder moguls will be. You need a fairly flexible board to get comfortable on moguls. A bit softer than most alpine riders like for carving. My Proton is stiff and longer and is a chore to drive through moguls. My old well used Hot shine is much easier in the moguls. Softer, but still snappy. Off trail on the steeps the jump turn is the easiest and if you stop, thats pretty much how you get started again. Once you get some speed (reasonable snowboarding speed, not super carve speed) you can turn more regularly. Its not really a carving turn, but whos really carving in the steep trees/gullies. The steeper the slope the more of a fall/catch turn is happening, since you need to initiate the turn, and your boot/body angle is not really helping. So you kind of fall over the board, just a bit to get the turn started, then do a carving turn catch, and then get some turn rthymn going. If you fall to far/to fast, you'll know it because you'll be down on the snow. The heel lift can help get into and through the turn, but on the steeps its a little earlier in the turn, just before the board is on the fall line (straigh downhill). It can also help drive onto the new edge without the body falling to far. Again long stiff boards don't do as well, shorter softer boards are better. The steeper the more tail catch.

Interesting thread. Don't use a Oxy Proton. My experience in riding moguls has lead me to think I understand a few things. I think you can ride moguls with just about any board (not too long) in the steep bumps, its really if you can keep the rthym going. The rythym is somewhat related to the flex of the board which matches to certain sized moguls for a certain sized rider. So the spring rate is important and related to the rider weight/skill. Length can be a problem if the board starts to bridge anywhere through the mogul. So shorter is better. Round tail is better, as the squared off tail tends to catch on the Uphill side at the start of the turn. The longer the board, the worse this happens, even for a round tail board. This stops the turn just as its starting, when your balance is starting downhill, and your body continues, falling down. This can be overcome slightly by lifting the rear foot, during the transition from LtoR and RtoL, which lifts the tail of the board slightly reduces the tail catch. Its the rythym. To slow and the mogul throws you, to fast and you hit the wrong part of the mogul. The Headwall at Squaw Valley, after 3 weeks of no snow. VWs on a double black.

Yeah, I have one. But I've only ridden it one day. I thought it was a bit softer than my 164 Oxy Proton (blue/black version), but I haven't really spent enough time on it too figure out the set up, ride.

"I guess I am looking for a do-it-all board (and boots) that holds a good edge and allows you to some carving, good in the trees, and doesn't penalize you too bad when you get lazy." Yeah, you were on the right track, boardercross boards, or softer wider Alpine boards. Slalom boards, Like the Oxygen Proton SL, wider, softer than race boards. I like my old Hot Shine 162 for ALL over the mountain, Steeps, powder, moguls (occasionaly), trees, end of day chop, spring slop, and perfect goomer days too (although If I know its going to be good, i'll get out my race board) See if you can borrow some to try out.

Well the first question I would ask is height and weight. Powder riding is all about float. But if your 5'3" and 140#s you don't need a 185. I'm 160#s and I ride a 162-164 board in the powder, but could go a bit bigger. Heli skiing for the most part is open bowls, and if you get good powder, you can run a longer board. If you luck out and get wind blown, or sun melt plate, you'll hate that big board. You can probably haul a couple boards in with you (you should ask), and then pick the right board for the day. Big board for fresh light powder, smaller board for less than perfect conditions. If you have a wide alpine board, a bit shorter than your weight (165 #, 162 board, 21cm wide), take that too. Directional boardercross boards work good with plates. The boards aren't too wide, and have good flex stiffness patterns, that work good all around the off trail snow. Go check out your buddy's board collections, see what you can borrow! Then duct tape the edges, and put towels between them for transport.

B amiga, As the only hardbooter in my group of riding friends, I have always been forced to ride off the runs, and definitely through new powder. As such, I've always gravitated toward boards that perform better all over the mountain, in the pow, in the spring slop, in the end of the day chop. I've found that wide freestyle boards and hardboots can make for a rough ride, and so have choosen my pow/all mtn boards from a bit narrower freestyle board, or wide apline boards. My Oxygen Super X 64, a boardercross board, is a great powder board, and pretty good for all over the mountain, but I don't think O2 was on your list. Before that, my all mountain powder ride was/is a Hot Shine 162, a wider soft alpine board. I'm 5'8" and 160-175 lbs. I think a little softer board is also good for all around riding, especially in chop and slop, but it depends on what you define stiff and softer as. I think some of the narrow directional boardercross boards would work pretty good, but I don't work at a shop, and can't demo everything in the rental stack. But you can, so ride some different stuff and let us know what works. I know Nitro made a directional all mountain alpine board about 10 years ago, not sure what they are making now. I have one friend that runs plates on burton supermodel, and several friends that rode them in softboots and always loved them in the powder, and they are a bit narrower. They are riding K2 zepplins now. Good luck, have fun.

I might be convinced to stop on my winter snowboard/ski trip, which I'm planning out. I'm going to be heading up to Canada toward Banff, and Sun Valley is on the way. I'll keep watching and see if I can make it to your get together.

The Donek Axis is the board for where your going, but maybe a bit long. It also depends on where you plan to ride at Whistler. For 80-90% of the mountain (the whole mtn) that board should be fine, and it will be great in the powder, plenty of float and the slight tail will keep the nose up a bit more, so you don't have to work at it so much. BUT, if Double blacks, steep off piste, and trees, are your game, that length may be hard to ride, with the tail catching (uphill side) at the beginning of your turn (preventing you from turning, and thus falling). But like you said, if your having problems you can go rent a slightly smaller board. Leave the freestyle board at home unless you want to ride the pipe and park, its small for powder riding, and your size. FYI, I'm 5'8", 160-170# and for powder/steeps/trees, I've ridden a 162 Oxygen Apex (22-24cm wide?), a 158 Wintestick all mtn, a 164 Oxygen Proton(a submarine in powder, tail catcher on the steeps), a 162 Hot Shine (great all around board), and now use a Oxygen Super X 64.

I've run plates on a winterstick 158 all mountain board and I am currently running plates on my Oxygen Super X64. I use them as power boards, but will ride all over with them. About 40 or 50 degrees up front and a little less in back. In powder they have been awesome. If I ride in spring slop, I tend to put a little more forward angle on the bindings as the chop/slop tends to push the board around more. The extra leverage of the wider board takes a little getting used to, but they usually drive pretty good on all sorts of terrain. Never had any problems with the boards breaking delaminating.

My buddies and I figured out that you should always reach for the garbage can, you know the one that is straight in front of you getting off most lifts. That gets your weight forward. That's part one. Part two is very similar to a good riging style, which is turn your shoulder and lean back just a bit. This applies pressure through the boot to the board,pulls the nose up a bit curving the board and makes it turn. This works real good for easy exits. On Radical steep, rutted, short 90 degree turns like at the top of Kirkwoods Cornice chair in the afternoon, this will get you off the lift and through the turn, but then you'll be hanging way out over the tail, and that's where you really need that stomp pad to be able to use your rear foot to hold your self up. Dan

Mark, E-mail me at my mack st address, its in the previous post. Dan

Mark, where in the bay area are you. I'm in LG and Hayward. for $15 I'm interested! Dan Heil mackstREMOVETHIS@sbcglobal.net

The boots are sold, or should I say given away. THanks for looking

One pair of really well used Raichle 125's. M27 or US 9. These are my old boots and I want to get rid of them. They still work, but are well used. All the buckles and straps on the boots are there, several of the strap bolts are replacement. The liner strap (power strap) on the left boot is missing, ripped off and the liner is torn a bit where its missing. THe right liner has the power strap but also has a tear near by. Good boots for a beginner, these probably fit a M27.5 or maybe a M28 due to compacted liners. In a Raichle box the weigh 11 lbs, and my shipping zip is 95032, so you can figure shipping out.

Tim, If they are not gone yet, I'll take them! Let me know at this e-mail address> 70wagonREMOVETHIS@earthlink.net Dan