darko714

What tool is best to check the side and base bevel?

Nice wreck bro.

Looks like full-on super gee to me. Jack, we don't do it any more because we're not Mark Fawcett and we might die.

I have a set of Hangl plates that I pulled off a used Prior wcrm metal a few years ago because they made the board seem too heavy without helping my riding. Anyone here have an opinion as to whether it would be worth it to put them back on next season?

I’m not sure this is as much of a problem as we’re making it out to be. Keep in mind that the demographics aren’t so bleak as they seem. Yes, hardbooting is a middle-aged man’s sport due to the expense and time involved. But in the US, with our aging population, more people turn 40 every day than are born. That means a steady supply of life-long snowboarders who will be aging out of the terrain park, as well as a few skiers who have blown out their knees and realize that they can stay on the slopes by abusing their upper bodies instead. As of the 2016 census, there were 81.5 million Americans in the all important 45-64 year old demographic (our “youngbloods”), and that number is expected to grow to 95 million by 2050. The greatest growth will be among those age 65 to 85 (our “old hands”). While there are now about 43 million in this age group, that number is expected to be upwards of 63 million by 2050 - making them (soon to be “us”) the second fastest growing age demographic in the US. Also, consider that hardboot snowboarding is more popular in Europe and Asia than it is here, and those are some big markets, and should continue to be. When I ride in Europe, hardly anyone asks why I’m wearing ski boots on a snowboard. Finally, why not just embrace our sport’s uniqueness, rarity, and oddball splendor? Do we really want a kazillion twenty-something jibbers to poach first tracks and carve trenches all over our formerly empty groomers before the lifts even open? What if a bluebird groomer day at your hill became like a powder day at Whistler or Squaw? Let’s enjoy the solitude . . . and the delusion that because we are few, we’re an elite.

1. The Kessler Alpine. I tried a friend's 185 up at Mt. Hood in 2014, and it was a revelation. All of a sudden I was pulling through sketchy heelside turns that I would have to bail on with my older Prior. The 185 was little too much board for me, and too stiff (I'm 165 lb.) so I when I got home ordered a 171. It still lets me get away with murder without wiping out, but is hair more flexible and handier in tight spaces. It's so damp and solid that I don't even use a plate -- excellent for carving the bumpy ice that passes for snow here in the east.

I know you're right . . . but I'm getting old (62), and not all that fast - usually around 50 handicap. I came late to the game (age 50) so almost all my racing has been on NASTAR courses. No doubt I've adopted some bad habits. Keep in mind that my worst racing injury was the result of my face making contact with a ski gate when the board locked into a rut on heelside and shot me into it before I could get my forearm up. (Yup, it was soft conditions). Still, on those days I've gotten low 40s handicaps by transitioning high, carving wide, and keeping momentum.

In softer snow, I take the opposite approach of the skiers and try to carve semicircles well outside the gates so as to avoid hitting the gates or getting in the ruts. In harder conditions there are no ruts to speak of so I can run straighter lines but I still hate hitting the gates. Body armor is a no-go for me. I take enough shit to the hill as it is.

I started racing at 50 with NASTAR. The beauty of it is that if your local area has it, you can sign up and pretty much practice on a set GS course all day, and get immediate feedback on your times. The downside is that they use ski gates, which you will want to stay away from. USASA has snowboard gates, and they have races on or near my local hill every year, but to my knowledge they don't provide any meaningful way for you to practice. You get to inspect the course on race day and get your two shots at it, and that's it. By the way, there are some seriously good riders in your age group who you'll enjoy meeting.

BB your experience is similar to mine. Learned to snowboard at 40 (having skied for a total of 3 days in my life) and just cruised to keep up with my kids until they got old enough to go by themselves. One day I saw a bunch of carvers making perfect semicircles and just HAD to try it. At first I was awful, but once I started making decent turns, I was hooked. My opinion is that the hardboot carving is actually better on the Eastern ice for most of us. The longer boards and the sharper edges bring more terrain into play on those boilerplate mornings.

I have those exact boots, and those liners, and always had quite a bit of heel lift, so I don't think your situation is unusual. Luckily, I never got blisters, but after many years of heel mobility the ankle of my right (rear) foot actually wore a hole in the liner. After reading all the forum advice on the subject, I decided just to live with the heel lift. Last year one of wires attaching a zip strap (you know the one) finally gave out, so I bought a pair of UPZ 11s, and after only about 20 days on them, I'd have to say they've been a better fit for my feet.

I saw those boards in the shop when I was out to Okemo in April. I can't recall ever having seen hardbooting gear in a ski shop. "Wow, why isn't this my home resort?" I thought. They had a sign that said you could demo them, too, but when I asked the pro he said it was $100 for the demo. Guess you'd have to be pretty serious about buying the board to fork over a c-note for a 1 day demo.

I rode Deeluxe Suzukas for 10 years until the buckles started to go and made the switch to UPZ last year. They were out of RC10s so I went with the RC11s and so far I really like them. I went with the same mondo size (28). The big plus is that they fit my wider feet right out of the box. I spent a couple of seasons of pain getting the Suzukas dialed in after I first got them. That won't be the case with UPZs. They're a bit less cumbersome than the Deeluxes, and a little more flexible in all directions, so I'm under the impression that I'm free riding better. I didn't race last year so I can't compare performance on a race course. One drawback, though, is that the UPZs have introduced me to the concept of "shin-bang", which was unknown to me when riding Deeluxes. I was able to adjust the boot to alleviate it, however. I thought I'd hate the stock UPZ liners because I read a lot of complaints about them, but, to be honest, they're very good - high quality, comfortable, and plenty warm (so far). The drawback with the UPZs was that they didn't come with Fintec heel option like the Deeluxes did, which meant that they wouldn't fit my step-in bindings. In order to ride them I had to dig out a pair of F2 race bindings that I had laying around, mount them on my race board, and get used to snapping bails again. Luckily, rediscovering the virtues of those F2s turned out to be a blessing, so I'm reluctant to go back to step-ins.

Helmet. Now getting whacked on the head by the safety bar on the lift doesn't even hurt.

I just leave the boards leaning against the wall. But when I see other riders storing them on racks, I've always wondered why that would be better. I used to store them down the basement, and the edges did get a few tiny spots of discoloration, but gentle buff with a diamond stone erased that. Now I leave the two I ride regularly in the dining room. I'm also going to loosen the bindings this year -- that seems like a good tip.

I'm in.

Bluebird days all last week until I could go, then it rained all day. But . . . easy parking, no lift lines, and the rain softened everything up like a constant groom. It made for three hours of fun carving the hero slush. Can't complain. Riding in the rain is underrated.

Damn. I love to do the "racer hop" into my heelside turns. In fact, I even look for bumps and drops in my path to help me air out both kinds of transitions. Does this mean I suck?

Wow did bigwavedave call it or what? Does anyone suspect that Ester Ledecka's alpine snowboarding background might have given her an advantage in the Super G at PyeongChang? Stronger legs? Better carving dynamics? Did she choose a better line because of it? Now the question is will more ski racers give alpine snowboarding a try? Or is she an outlier? Here's the best video I could find of her run. I like the nice shots of her turns at :26, :39, and :56. https://sports.yahoo.com/silver-medalists-stunned-gracious-reaction-ester-ledeckas-super-g-win-wow-114137346.html

Out at Wachusett last Saturday afternoon I was on Challenger when, as I finished a heelside turn, a pint-sized kid straightlining it in full tuck position flashed across my path about a foot in front of the nose of the board. We were taking our third run in a row down Challenger because it was so gloriously empty compared with everywhere else on the hill. My wife said she saw him but didn't see us nearly collide. I figured he aired it off a drop which would have made me invisible, and didn't think I'd be so far across the hill when he landed. Not sure that either of us would have been hurt given that he was so small, but I'm guessing I would have taken the blame being the adult and a snowboarder.

It occurs to me that on a flat start where they don't have posts, one could borrow a set of ski poles and even use them to push off two or three times before the first gate. Then either discard them (making sure you have a friend or starter willing to pull them off the course for you before the next competitor starts!) or just carry them through the finish. I can't see how this would violate any rules, and it might help even the playing field on some courses.

By "too far forward" do you mean rider position, or binding position? And, . . . I'm totally with you on racing on softer shells for 'skills challenged' riders, such as myself. I just replaced my old Deeluxe Suzukas with new UPZ 11s. Not sure if they're actually softer, but they feel like they are. BTW great topic, Pat.

So, how did it go? Sounds like you've been having a blast.

Did you try going to a bootfitter? I had the same sort of extreme pain with Deeluxe Suzukas: not bad standing around but intolerable after a few runs. Turns out my feet were too wide for the shell, and there was enough thickness for the bootfitter to ream them out with a moto-tool. It provided immediate relief.

I have a Kessler Alpine 171, and my impression regarding the clothoid (variable) sidecut is the same. It's good for getting through a NASTAR GS course without getting bitch slapped by the skiers' gates, and carving narrow, icy eastern hills without running down little kids or ending up in the trees. The rockered tips let me get away with stupid moves that would throw me over the handlebars on a lesser board. I wonder if st_lupo is trying to EC-style layouts on his SL racer.