timinor

Hi, I'll be in Boston this winter and need to get up to speed about the areas to go to and the ones to avoid. I'll be able to ride mid-week. I'll need modes of transport and/or can split gas. Are there mid-week shuttles? I enjoy running gates so would like to find areas with Nastar or local races. Anyway, I'd like to hear from anyone who knows what's up around Boston.

Actually, Ed is not the only rider sponsored by oldsnowboards.com. I'm fully sponsored. Bryan Rules!!!!

I don't want to live without either.

I'm not an engineer and I don't have any insight into the leverage issue but your reaction to the difference in height is exactly the one I had when I first ventured from a soft set-up to hardplates. On the soft setup I was standing right on the board and could feel the board flexing. Being close to the board felt secure and in touch with the balance. Then I tried hardplates and it felt like I was on stilts. I didn't like it at first. All I can say is eventually I got used to it.

Wow, I didn't know that.

D-sub, What do you mean, "tweaker central."

Hmmmmm good point. You said Pawn shops...aren't there some second hand sports shops in Bend. Play it again, Sports and another one?

D-sub, I'm back and forth from PDX to Bend. Email me personally if you need something done over here. When you think about it, this is not the year to be trying to sell mountain equipment in PDX. The shops have 50% sales going. California is more likely. Interesting that the pawn shops got those calls that morning. Tim

D-sub, Are you serious or is this April Fool's? Since I'm also in Bend, I'm curious of the details. I always thought I was being anal bringing my boards in...guess not. Lo siento...mucho Tim

Pat, Initially, I was enthusiastic to go and then I spoke to a boarder who had gone in the past. He said the boarders ran dead last in the ruts and were basically ignored as it is primarily a ski event that allows boarders to participate. Anyway, when did you run (on your board) and what were the course conditions like at that point?

I know there is a link on www.oldsnowboards.com about the camp but not more than that.

Anyone riding Mt. Bachelor the next couple days? I'll be there.

I tried the F2 172 Silberpfeil at the Aspen SES and was really impressed. Yes, it is a softer flex than any racing board. It turned easily, handled variable conditions very well, felt solid and held on really well when I demanded some tight, hard turns. Many like the Volkl...I'm not one of them. I vote F2.

Hi Scott, It makes perfect sense. Sometimes that rule necesitates a flatter slope at first since no skidding means faster speeds.

Miguel just summed it up. 1) Get low. 2) Angulate more. 3) Get on the edge before you begin the turn.

The best way to answer the question on your board is for you to take any opportunity to "demo" other newer boards. At the recent SES '05 I was able to demo many boards and compare them to my boards. It was an excellent opportunity to know how my equipment matched up.

It is always a risk to blame equipment but your 7 year old board deserves some questions. I have a 10 year old board that I loved and still do. In new snow, powder and variable conditions, it is great. On soft groom/hero snow, it carves but I can't demand too much from it. On ice...it struggles. Boards break down and loose their torsional strength. They feel the same and have the same turning characteristics but loose the power necesarry to really crank turns and hold on ice. If you don't have confidence in the board to hold, then advancing your technique will be very difficult.

I tried 3 different boards. The one that impressed me was the 172 F2 Silberpfeil. It has an 11meter sidecut, 18.4cm waist and a softer flex as it is not a full on racing board. It felt solid and arced beautifully. It is the only board that I would buy...and probably will. In my opinion, this board is very usefull for days the groom is soft or for variable conditions of groom and new snow. We had some days like that at Aspen and that board was the call on all those days but, I feel that unless you are a heavyweight, the Silberpfeil will perform on hard groom too.

A note on Sun Valley. Carving there can be dangerous. For whatever reason turning is un-cool there so the skiers are skiing fast and straight down the hill. Getting hit from behind as you are carving out of the fall line is always a risk. Twice I was mowed down from behind. I had looked up the hill and it was clear for 100 yards+. I took off, made about 4 turns and slam. Both times I was hit by one of the MANY local downhill racer wannabes.

I'm heading to Mt. Bachelor this weekend also. How are the conditions at MHM? Are you still dodging rocks?

Deelux HPD moldable liners. Size: 24.0 mondo, US 6. These were molded once but were just too small. The price is $25...I pay shipping. The price new for these is $139.00. They say these can be re-molded up to 5 times. Get a great value and help me clean out the closet.

Mike, Let's find out about that mid-week pass...if it really does convert to 7 days a week in spring. Also, please try to find a group for me.

Mt Hood Meadows has a season pass deal that begins Sept 1st. It is called the 4 buy 4. A group of 4 people can buy 4 unlimited passes for $400 each. The price if bought solo is $799. I'm in but I need 3 buddies to group up with me and take advantage of the deal. Email me at timoteo65@yahoo.com or call me in Portland at (503) 699 7068. I can coordinate forming more than one group if demand exists. Tim

Tell me more.

15 years ago snowboarding was treated like the evil stepchild of skiing. As long as we stayed in our place at the back of the bus, the masser skiers would let us on their mountain. 15 years later skiing is struggling to keep it's heritage alive. The skis have been completely redesigned copying boards. All the young skiers want to do is imitate the boarders in the pipe and park. The most popular events were popularized by snowboarding. Boardercross rules and ski racing can't get air time on TV. At this years Junior Nationals at Mt. Bachelor, the coaches biggest problem was keeping their ski racers out of the pipe and snowboard park to come and take their run. The older skiers are all on shaped skis imitating the snowboard freecarvers. In the powder? Forget about it. Moguls? I love em on my board. Aesthetics? Snowboarders are graceful and natural. Skiers are...well...not. The facts are clear. Snowboarding rules and skiing is now the lesser sport playing catch-up and imitate. Snowboarding led the sport of skiing out of it's PSIA dominated, you have to ski our way, learn the position, don't drop your hands, doledrums into the world of create your own fun and if I want to do it my way, I will and love every minute. Bottom line? If the snowboard had been invented first, skiing would never have been invented. Why would someone want to invent an inferior way down the mountain.