Derf

I remember those from the early 90s. Back then, these boards where insanely narrow. How wide is it by the way, I'm very curious to know to compare with modern boards who are all around 18.5 cm. Thanks, Derf

As a matter of fact, i DO have those things! Hurray for me!:p QES would be NIIIIIIICE, great idea. Next step: how? Whichever way you get there, it's the snowboard that matters... except getting to the Massif in a schoolbus can be bad for the back I imagine. Like you said, keep me posted, and I'll do the same on my end, and we'll all go playing in the snow and scaring skiers. Derf

You're not the only one saying Orford is nice for carving, Ian (another boarder from Mtl, registered as Bartron) says the same thing. I'm really overdue to go there, like I said, it's been 10 years. I know Rod Roy, it kind of a travelling ski school, I knew some people who went with them a couple of years ago. There outings are quite varied if I remember correctly. Sutton is not so bad, not lots of carving space, and the "glades", there more like bump runs wth trees, I prefer the glades from Jay Peak, these are REAL glades in my opinion, but I don't go in the glades much now, I only use my carving board. Except maybe when it snowed recently and I'm going to Jay Peak. I hope the movie helped the healing process. Sorry if it took so much time to bring it to you, living in Quebec city was quite far. Didn't you say you got some more movies?;) And you're not the only one not to have any carving friends. I don't even have any snowboarding friends, just plenty of skier friends though. And there's Ian, he's a carver I met here, I have to write to him again, it's been a while. Derf

Those boards would be nice, I guess. I have never ridden any of these or anything remotely similar. For now, my board that does it all is 1999 Nitro GTX 166. Reason why this one? Because it's what I have (budget for only one alpine board). Derf

I think the price is high because the guy says only 20 were made in this size. I don't recall seeing much 183 Volkls. Derf

Subject says it all: What is the oldest gear you still ride? I though of this because I read the message in the classified and I browsed www.oldsnoboards.com 's site, and I saw stuff that is not THAT old. I saw a 1995 FreeSurf Highlander 155, the same that I sold 3-4 years ago. My personnal oldest is my 1993 Burton Air 6.1 with the binding that came with it, Burton Freestyles, all this the first year that Burton came out with the 3D system. It is still my freestyle/freeride board. But I don't get it out much when I go snowboarding, I only see hardpack snow. The boots I had with it (rubber/leather Airwalk Advantage that weighted a ton!) were sold at the same time as the FreeSurf. Derf

Those Lofo binfings on the main Forum are classic, vintage gear;) ! Derf

Glad to see you're doing better now. As for the places I ride, it varies a lot. Last winter, I lived in Quebec city, so I went a couple of times to Le Relais and Ste-Anne, and once to Stoneham. Unfortunately, I didn't go to Le Massif:( But last time I went there, I kinda got "burned". I reserved tickets and lodging for 4 days, and there was little snow and lots of ice, so much we scalped our tickets in the parking lot the last day. My gf's sister (who was driving) almost left us there because she was so pissed. And when we came back, we had a car crash on the Metropolitan. Worst ski vacation ever, on the most beautiful mountain of Quebec, next to the other worst vacation, when my gf hurt her back the first day of a 5 day vacation at Ste-Anne. But to come back to usual places, it varies a lot. Last winter was the first winter with my own car (with good snow tires). Before that, I went a couple of time to Olympia (close and cheap), St-Bruno (for the 2 free days of the season), St-Sauveur. I went once to Glen also last Winter. Glen is really a "nature" mountain, 100% natural snow, no ice, but not much grooming. I have yet to go to Bromont (other place near by that has night skiing). It's been almost 10 years since I've been to Orford. I hear they have a new lift? A place that I have yet to go but heard is nice is Owl's Head. And I hate Tremblant. Anywho, this means I have no place in particular, I can go where I want (car). So if you want to go snowboarding, just ask! Derf

At his point, I think you'll be limited by the shell itself which has limited bending ability. Derf

The best I could find about the spring system is here http://www.carver.cc/galleries/photo.php?photo=130&exhibition=10&u=137|8|... It says how to modify it to be more upright (contrary to what your looking for), but at least there is a good view of it, how it looks. The only thing I could say is that I've tried both (Suzuka and Indy) at Shark's, and the Indy are much more inclinated than the Suzuka, so you get much more lean out of it. The way the spring system works (if I understand correclty) is that you set it to angle when not flexing, and it will get lower when the boot flexes. It's the best I could say about this. Derf

Is this the one that broke your leg at Sutton? Derf

If I'm not mistaken, LOFO bindings were popular in the early nineties and were made for boards with no inserts (the ones you drilled like skis). They are all made of plastic. So those are three reasons not to buy them: -old -for boards with no inserts -all plastic One reason to buy them would be for historical purpose, and we have www.oldsnowboards.com for that!;) BTW, it was fun to see those old things again, thanks for the trip down memory lane. Derf

I went up there one or two weeks ago, and I saw a pile of snow!!! Actually, it was Mont Saint-Sauveur doing some kind of freestyle show and this was a small pile of snow right next the the highway exit with a board that said what was going on. I didn't get to go as I was with some other friends and we were going camping. But hey, if MSS is starting to make snow, it means winter's coming!:D Derf

Must be your air conditionning that is set too cold. :p I live a couple of kilometers from you house, no frost in my windows. It's 12 degrees C at night, so it is not freezing yet. But soon...

Regular bindings will be ok for starting. By regular, I mean with at least with an aluminium plate like SnowPros/F2 Race/Burton Performance. I've been riding my Burton Performance bindings since 1998 without any issues, but I don't ride as hard as many here (and I was 185, dropped to 170). Cateks and Bombers are bombproof, but some may find them a bit stiff (even if Bob will come and say the TD2 E-ring helps). I've never tried any of them, but this is according with what I read here. Derf

It depends on the board use. I ride an 18.5 cm board with 60/60 angles and size 27 boots. At first I found it a little narrow. I tried shallower angles on that board and I find it's harder to carve , so 60/60 are comfortable angles for carving. But this is more agressive carving I'm talking about (according to my standards, which may be lower than others on this board). For freecarving/all mountain carving, I find 18.5 quite narrow and I'm more tired at the end of the day. A wider board with shallower angles would be good for freecarving, like the ~21.5 cm of the AM/Axis/4WD. I have yet to try one of those board (or even a board this width). Derf

In the province of Québec, it seems like carving never died. Every single time I went snowboarding this year, I saw at least one carver, even in the smallest mountain. Ste-Anne: too much to count, easily 10 like CarvCanada said Olympia (small family mountain in the Laurentians): 3-4 Glen (very small unknown mountain in Eastern Townships): 2, including one with Cateks Stoneham: only one, but it was a spring skiing day Le Relais (small mountain near Québec city): there's two groups of 4-5 there plus some others I wonder why there's no QES (Quebec Expression Session). Derf P.S.: I know you're going to say "Then organize one!", but I'm not sure I would be able to.

I'm no slalom specialist, but 151 sounds awfully small for someone your size. Most common for slalom is between mid 150s and low 160s, depending on the weight of the rider. For you, low 160s would still be a slalom board. Usually it is quite easy to find something in the high 150s in the stores from past years at a good discount (here in the province of Quebec at least). As an example, my first alpine board in 1998 was a 2 year old FreeSurf Highlander 155 that I got for only 100$CAN brand new. Derf

I've never liked Tremblant, it's a skier's mountain, not a snowboarder's mountain because of the way it is laid out. Steep in the beginning, flat in the middle and towards the end, bad layout on the trails, long waits even with the fast chairs, I could keep going on. Nothing interesting in my opinion. This developpement is just one more reason NOT to go to Tremblant. It is the most overrated and overhyped mountain I know. Derf

The most expensive pass I know is the Québec provincial pass, valid in ALL mountains in the province (yes, it includes Tremblant and Ste-Anne). The individual pass is 1040$CAN + taxes, the corporate one (transferable) is 1722$CAN + taxes. Derf

My mistake, did not read the comment saying it had a 4th axis, only read the specs on Fadal's webpage. Derf

Nice place you have there Fin and nice gear. Makes me long for a job in mechanical engineering (which I have a diploma in). I was stuck last year in a computer tech support job last year, and now I have a possibility of having another job with the same company doing technical support on a big automated pharmacy (pneumatics & PLCs controlled by a computer). BTW, nice specs on the machine. Do you do your canting plates on one of those with a jig or do you use a 4 axis CNC? Derf

I kept my first alpine board 3 years (1998-2001), then I sold it because I hated it too much (155 race board, too short and too stiff). I spent one winter with no alpine setup, just a freestyle setup, and I regreted it a LOT!. Then I got a freecarve (longer -166- and softer than the other one), and I found it to be an amazing board. I only have one alpine board, but I only ride 5-8 times every winter, so one is enough for me. I prefer to be good with it and know it well. The bottom line is: since you are a newbie and don't ride much every winter, one board i enough. Learn to be good on it and progress as much as you can with it. If you get bored with it, really don't like it or feel that you have reached a sort of "plateau", then you can get another one. This is the best way to have fun, progress and not spend too much. Knowing the people here, you get a couple of very different answers! Hope this helps. Derf

Excellent idea, especially here, in the province of Québec, where it seems like alpine snowboard never died (or diminished I should say):D . Derf

Me in 98 or 99 at Mont-Blanc (the one in the province of Québec, not the one in France) with two friends (skiers). Derf