terekhov

just to note: IMHO width is a matter of preference on flat 2d slopes, but when you go into - my lovely - chopped or moguls, any 3d high-turbulence snow - width is a huge hindrance. and - if you usually ride forward - static asym load on neck muscles due to constant high neck torque into travel direction not a blessing too so i'm - personally - agree to refuse from low angles just on that matter. feeling totally free in 50+deg stance yes, it is a problem when you want to ride ~0degs on current industrial boards. but - counting that 50-50 boardslide is not my daily routine - pretty happy with +45+30 on softboots, and 50+degs on hardboots any day

over 100degC of heat? I've never ever think of that in cold siberian climate! :) but yes, casual word for that effect is burn (ожог in russian) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-molecular-weight_polyethylene

sure it is. it's not burn per se, it's simple abrasion effects - ptex fluff. surely protective function of crystalline wax - I use hard swix cold weather powder (ch4?) - cannot be overestimated! but where I ride there's almost no hard snow - siberian continental climate with no man made icicles. when I ride in harder (seaside) conditions - surely I wax-protect that areas: it's simple matter of longevity of board base without grinding, protection from edge-high effect when ptex along edges was been erased by ice

it can be easily viewed when bases is waxed and then scraped. I saw that many times myself when prepped board stay forgotten for some year or three :) not when they have unscraped conservation amount of wax on wax-base penetration - it's all a lie (maybe not a 100% lie, but definitely not nearly 100% true). if there's no general agreeement between many scientifically minded guys on any theme - I think I - being not chemical scientist but some other kind - need be VERY sceptical on any opinions of commercially interested parties. you can find electronic microscope photos of ptex for yourself to see. all wax question is closed for me for years - to many sham science and city legends, so I decided not to find truth and live by feeling: if I FEEL the need to wax - I wax. but most of my boards see wax very seldom, without any practical consequences - and not coz I am lazy but coz I generally hate any sham science.

that's what cool girls is for in snowboarding or elsewhere... - carvy-feely

just found source video. great twins! :)

escape route PLUS not lost altitude! coz other way you gonna need to clip off and climb uphill to restore access to this escape... and it's not always THAT simple to climb up where it's soooo simple to board down ;) been there, done that. mountains is uber-masters of deception whoreness!

maybe some vegetable oil then?.. why not, if for temporal protection

just remembering.. victoria's burton money shot from years ago:

yess :) I usually ride in pretty mellow mountains almost without such mountainous terrain (and without avalanche danger:), and only visit true alpine terrain on rare occasions... one rule of thumb which I heard from one of guides (and it is rather dull to ride in big mountains guide-less: to be on the safe side you will not find any interesting secret spots, which is a point of visiting new mountains for freeriding): never for ever loose altitude if you're not completely sure. this rule saves my ass in soo many occasions! and yes, more than once I've stopped above such deceptive terrain drop only to look for great traverse for escaping route

sorry, but all that statements is obviously false. "skiing at the triple point" book give you some sciency answers, I can only give intuitive: wax dry evaporates (week ago I dug out pogo reefer board from storage which I've waxed 3yrs ago, prepped, and didn't ride then. it's completely whiteishly dry). it's a matter of practical fact. it is purely cosmetic effect though and completely reversible, there's not any problem in storing boards (indoors, out of sun, with stable climate, sure) without any wax on it, and then wax to glue ptex' fluff down to better gliding. sintered ptex - as used on all boards and skis not of rubbish quality - is completely nonporous and solid. all of ptex porousness is city legend, sorry for that. all commercial waxes produced from (almost) TWO different kinds of paraffins - soft and hard. soft (pure medical stuff, used in candle wax e.g.) - can be practically used for conservation or what, but cuts away of ptex on the first couple runs completely. when RIDING below -5C or on harder slopes - there's not any practicality in it. but yes, it's pretty OK base prep stuff.

topic hijack -- how to remain a skier :) great rescue: http://i.imgur.com/9wMTvON.gifv

last ~couple years - with proliferation of all strange "freeride" board shapes - frequent question - with pointing at different alpine boards at my foot e.g. pogo overdose - "is this specialized powder board?" freeride forever! :)

for those who have no failbook account: https://www.facebook.com/WSL/videos/10154338756947058/ i'm theoretical wave surf lover - no waves here in siberia, but I read a couple books on surfing, own surfing encyclopedy, and saw lotta videos for inspiration - being accomplished skater and snowboarder. and after viewing THIS slater' masterpiece - I understand that more often than not I work my arms and torso just the same in tight spaces and-or moguls when freeriding in alpine boots - just not to use parasitic boot leverage and to feel like "boarding is foot sport not leg sport". nice demo!

yes, undertaker 198 from 1998. bought off BOL classifieds in 2003. and after that long gone times we've here in Novosibirsk an oasis of this particular 198 - I know of 7 crossed rossis in our city :) best swallowtail ever for aggressive ride over chopped or particularly deep snow: 23cm wide, 14m sidecut, and thc+ uber-damp core (still used in rossi DH skis afaik). head stratos pro boots over it. I use it for deeep days, usually no more than 5 days per season.

just photo from 2yrs ago. I'm fulltime hardboot freerider :)

possibly interested in 177am. please write sidewall specs.

sorry, mispost. above i write about almost killing downhill "freerider", who was oviously below on obviously closed slope. DS: be respectful, but never for ever say never

just interesting situ: even when you're racing over closed for training black groomed slope too, leaving you unconscious for some loong minutes?.. it is not so simple to state that any jury may be done "no matter what" PS yes, no excuse. lotta tears then. but head trauma for life too.

I have no plan for starting any flames and won't follow-up on this sub-topical question, but IMHO it's your own personal sport problem. maybe you need to own extensive sport insurance with hyper coverage or what, but in my eyes it's your own personal sport problem. riding on hopes that some external force WILL and SHOULD cover your crippleness is not more than wishful thinking. be kind and truthful to yourself - your own safety is your own business. as said in this topic: slopes is not a multi-lane highway. they're not policed by road cops. deal with it.

I think - and I surely understand that I will be a minority on that! - that merging sport and common law is a worst thing of all. better leave mountains to meritocracy law & order. noone who look for damages & compensation on the FIS code - do not respect it author's motives. when some judge with misery understanding what the hell is snowgliding at all - uses FIS rules as a LAWFULL guidelines - it is tragedy & comedy in one lawfull pass. IMHO I've written above on the matter of SPIRIT of the FIS code, not the letter of it - which cannot be understood good enough with people not in this cold&snow business for years..

the word RIGHT - in "right of way" context - is correct if and only if it not places idea of "someone [other than me] is WRONG" in someone's mind. read FIS code AS A WHOLE. downhill skier have a right of way ONLY IF it obeys ALL OTHER points of FIS ski code. sport arena is not a place of rightness or wrongness. not any one will feel better after traumatic collision only on the penultimate idea that he WAS right.

yes, safety is a complex measure. when two people collide - usually there're both of them who've made some mistakes. for example - if some monkey ride in totally white outfit with rock-bananas in she's ears, and - totally deservedly - was hit by oncoming skier in shadowy place.. in such situation someone must be commonsense idiot to prove that upper skier must avoid deaf invisible moving object commonest feature is a starting downhill without looking uphill first. I'm always give some "personal" fuckin' space for idiots who stand at the center of slope without looking uphill, as if they wanted to start any moment and undercut anyone only to prove later that uphill skier is a WRONG and they're right DS: sometimes collisions is unavoidable, and looking for WRONG side is not that easy in a respectful way. but main rule of conduct on slopes is rule 1. if you didn't obey it - other rules is out of your business! fis code of conduct do not teach who is right and who is wrong in that situations. it is written as a guidelines of respectful behaviour on slopes. but - it is sport, and slopes in public stadium. obey the rules, but do not be easily offended if something goes not well enough - more often than not you have your part of responsibility in that. as you've said "and never assume that someone is in total control"

personally i regard that as extension of point 1 of fis code of conduct: FIS Rules of Conduct: 1. Respect for other skiers and snowboarders A ski­er or snow­board­er must be­have in such a way that he or she does not en­dan­ger or prej­u­dice others. because carving and riding ACROSS slope in any other way - is not USUAL behaviour - it is your own responsibility to respect other when you decide to do just that. so- be predictable for oncoming traffic in any way possible. i always yield to "highway with lanes" metaphora myself, it's not to be right, it's due to respect of orhers.

I own that snowboarder boots, bought virtually new & cheap for backcountry... too high & stiff to freeride comfortably in (stiffer than head stratos pro! i need not SUCH stiffness in backcountry), never mind to rock scramble a pitch or two