bumpyride

Beats the heck out of those "Chick Pleasing" skull and bones sitting on top of machine guns tossing a grenade into a bunch of buxom babes with bandoliers separating their breasts, and looking out with big pouty lips. Now that I got that off my mind, I will repeat, yours is very cool, clever and original. Kudo's

on it -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get News Feeds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Robert Stern March 30, 2001 Print Email Tom Burt carves down the slopes of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort on his snowboard with absolute control. He is fluid and looks like a man made of flowing water as he navigates the slopes on this sun-drenched spring day. Considered to be a pioneer among those in the snowboard community, Burt, 36, is known for his mountaineering expeditions, which have taken him on steep descents around the globe to places such as Alaska, Peru, New Zealand, Bolivia and Europe at elevations of 20,000 feet plus. But his steepest descent was achieved at Donner Summit, just a few years ago. It was a descent he had scoped for six years, but one that needed the appropriate snow fall. So one day in February, after it had snowed for nearly 30 days in a row, he plunged down the 70 degree pitch without a scratch. But it took some quick maneuvering including a front flip, which resulted in a 60 foot free fall, to avoid a disastrous collision with jutting boulders. Burt said to perform on such gnarly terrain, it takes extreme concentration in which he reaches a transcendental state of consciousness. "Many times it's very scary with rocks and cliffs, and you can really injure yourself or kill yourself," Burt said. "I turn that fear into focus . . . You become very aware - hyper aware. It's kind of like time slows down and you have time to do all the things you need to do." Although his snowboarding has made him a world traveler, Burt has not moved far from his boyhood stomping grounds - tucked in the lush pine greenery of Lake Tahoe's North Shore. Driving from his Kings Beach home to Alpine Meadows, he points out the house where he grew up, only two minutes away in Tahoe Vista - a rustic structure built by his great grandfather, the first of four generations to live at Lake Tahoe. Burt grew up a skier, and at 4 years old carved his first turns at Alpine Meadows. But in 1983, he bought his first snowboard, a Sims for $50. He hiked up Mount Rose and got his first taste of riding a board on snow. Not a completely foreign concept, after all he had skateboarded and even surfed a few times, but when he and his friends decided to snowboard the back country steeps they had conquered on skis a new world opened. He got his first real taste of snowboarding glory in the mid 1980s when he was filmed taking jumps in a Juicy Fruit commercial. He was paid $12,000. It may not have been a fortune, but it was enough to make him put his fledgling career as a math teacher on hold. He never taught again. He has since appeared on National Geographic Explorer and in several commercials, snowboarding films, and been featured in magazines such as Outside and Snowboarding. Now Burt is a backcountry guide in Alaska for Out of Bounds and he is sponsored by O'Neill, Da Kine, Avalanche and Alpine Meadows, where he also organizes the Tom Burt Big Air Snowboard Classic, a charity event for the Boys and Girls Club, which will be held April 28 at Alpine Meadows. But for Burt it is all about snowboarding, travel and mountaineering. This spring he will take yet another trip to Bolivia. When asked where in the world is the best snow, he gives a sly grin before answering. "Wherever it just snowed," he said. "It could be good anywhere." Here's a link with a picture of what 70 degrees starts to look like http://outside.away.com/outside/magazine/200102/200102tomburt1.html

This is the beta for my home area Alpental. Quote: Nash," the local's affectionate nickname for International, is as steep as it gets in-bounds. The upper third of the trail is at least a 50-degree pitch. And even trickier are the two entrances to International. Both are intimidating. The first 20 feet or so are usually scraped off due to the high traffic in the entrances and the steepness of the terrain. The first few turns may be on rock-hard ice, but the gut of International is a fabulous ride. Each edge set causes miniature avalanches of cascading snow. It's terrain like International that makes for spectacular footage in Warren Miller ski flicks. In fact, Alpental was featured in Miller's 1998 film Freeriders. The steepest pitch on International is to the skier's right. I board Upper International skiers right, as my favorite start to this run. I usually have it all to myself, and most times it is quite hard except after a fresh snow. Burton Ultraprime 156 which is very stiff and very light with the lowest swing weight I've ever been on. Very necessary to keep the shoulders perpendicular to the fall line. Often times the whole back side is closed due to ice, especially on spring mornings. I see better skiers doing it, (skiers right) but not often a boarder. You can figure a 2 city block slide if you miss a turn. Jump turns are de riguer, and you can figure about a 10' or better drop on each turn. You don't want to stay on edge any longer than it takes to initiate the next turn. The skiers left is not nearly as steep, but still pushing 45 degrees and bumpy. Worst fall was on an icy day, went to do a jump turn and caught the downhill edge in a sluff that had accumulated at the top of the bump, flipping me upside down and dropping me 10' on my head. Probably the only thing that saved a broken neck was the pitch of the slope. That was the end of boarding that day. That fall was on the skiers left. I've never fallen on the right, but had a lot of hip checks.

I guess I must be backassward, I would say "If you stop making moguls, I start making ruts". Of course this doesn't hold true on impeccably groomed runs. I know I'm in the minority, but it's fun to be a bit odd.

You might not have liked riding plates and hardboots depending on which ones you're using. Personally my sloppy 3 buckle Raichle 123's in the walk mode are almost like softboots except with way more control. Also have some flexy bindings. Kind of like going from a high test race board to a soft freecarve. I even use my hardboots on my O'Sin 4807 Swallowtail. I believe that Jon Dahl is using hardboots on the Dupraz also.

I'm riding F2 Intec Challenge Comps. They have a plastic base with a metal disc and metal ring to accept the disc. There are wedges that you can increase the cant and lift. There are fairly hard plastic strips that serve to buffer the base from the skin on the deck. They are stiffer than the Burton Carrier and Race Step-ins and most of the regular Burton plates. They are not as stiff as the F2 metal based bindings. If I had to give them a rating it would be a 5 to 6 on a scale of 10. The aforementioned Burtons would be 4 to 5. The Burton all metal plates would be in the 7 to 8 category. Sorry I can't give you an estimate on other brands, as I haven't spent enough time on them. I chose the F2 Intec Challenge comps for 5 reasons 1. They're easy on the boards 2. They dampen out icy slopes 3. They flex well when I'm off piste and in the bumps 4. They are incredibly light. 5. They take the edge and chatter off really stiff boards. They don't have the bling factor the Bomber's do, which leads me to believe they're a little less likely to get stolen. I switched over both quivers (Minnesota, Seattle) and outfitted both my son and daughter-in-law last year. Everybody loves them. Luckily I hit it before the dollar hit the skids and bought 15 pair last year.

Pretty interesting to find someone who rides like me, and often times I'm boarding with skiers and hardly ever with other boarders except my sons, as no other boarders want to be caught in the mogul fields. As I've said (probably too many times) my main interest is riding bumps, steeps, and off-piste, and that's where I've found the Ultra really shines. I guess what I'm really looking for is a thin waisted carver that is amenable to good powder days-not great ones. I'm in the land of heavier denser Cascade Concrete and it's not Sierra-light powder for the main part. The overhang with the 45 degree rear angle on the Ultra 156 doesn't really come into play because I never use it for carving. I'm keeping an upright torso, perpendicular to the fall line, and doing everthing from the waist down. If a guy tried to lay it down in the bumps, eventually you'll be looking at serious dental bills. One board I've found that you might have an interest in if you can find one, is the 156 Coil. Stiffer than the Alp (which I also have) and softer with a better powder nose than the Ultra. If there's up to a foot of new, that's the board that gets pulled out. If it's much deeper then the 162 (164?) Coil gets pulled, or the O'Sin. The 168 Coil's waist got way too big, and then directional changes got slowed down, and I get bounced around too much. My favorite Carving board on piste is the Ultra 162. Still quite a light swing weight, and holds way better than the 156, and hooks a turn, which makes for an especially quick directional change, and still does admirably in the bumps. The difference between the 156 and 162 is more than the length would indicate. I only carve when I'm in Duluth Minnesota when I'm back spending time with my wife. They groom everything there. Giving a lot of thought to what I would have built, and will probably have that done. It may be weird, but I have all the bases covered except the "THE HOLY RAIL". If any of you guys are out this way, invitations are open to anyone who wants to hit the bumps and steeps. We'll be in Whistler from Feb 24th to April 3 at Creekside, and tentatively planning a week in Salt Lake, maybe mid to late March.

Haven't talked to anyone in depth about KickingHorse. Been there?

Still looking for a prow nose. Which I think would be the key. What is that?

Not meaning to offend anyone, nor question anyone's abilities or experience. I haven't ever seen any prototypes or any mention of a powder board thats' failed with the combination of: 1. Prow (boat type) nose. 2. 2 cm taper 3. moderate stiffness 4. extra 2.5cm setback 5. 19 to 20cm waist. Is there such an animal?

I know how powder boards are made, and of course they don't have 19 waists, but has anyone tried? That's the question. The differences between my Burton Ultraprime 156 and my Burton Coil 156 are very significant. The Coil floats much better in deeper snow and still carves quite respectfully, though not as good on hardpack. The coil has a softer and higher shovel, a little less stiff, a little less running length, and is about 12mm wider at the waist, and yet it reacts totally different in deeper stuff. The 162 Coil is about 20 or 20.5 at the waist, and floats well at 18" deep. Taking experience from my personal boards, that I have rode extensively, I'm thinking that the shovel will add considerably to floating. A small taper can't hurt, coupled with an all mountain carver stiffness, and additional t-nuts for a bigger setback, might just get a person closer. Just watching the my O'sin's nose rise up out of the depths of "Powder Hell", makes me think that it does it somewhat independently of what goes on behind the nose (wider, softer, swallowtail). My point of view is--Don't tell me what can't be done without trying it. We'd all still be on skis if that was the case. Look at the Fish in particular. What a silly looking board, but it works. Why not try and work from that point of view? I'm weighing in at 150lbs, have a pretty light riding style, and am thinking that this just might work for me. Anybody see that Ferrari Chassis set on a Hovercraft?

Same reason you'll never have a wrist phone like Dick Tracy. Just time and technology, and in the case of a Ferrari--about 2 million bucks, give or take a couple. Hey, I'm looking to kick around some ideas, that's all.

Too Wide on the Dupraz. Trying to stay around 19cm.

I have an O'sin 4807 and a Burton Fish. They're fun and work well, but I still don't like em in any other conditions. Also have a couple of Burton coils that work pretty well in a foot or so, but why can't a guy have a carvingboard that is still quick edge to edge, holds on hardpack and floats in 2 feet?? The prow front on the O'sin floats the boat in anything. Once a nose brings the board up, is it so necessary to give up the stiffness of a carving board? What would a pretty stiff all mountain carver be like with a soft prow front, and a 2cm taper? Board would have the directional stiffness over the complete running length of the board. Thought about having a split-board built, but I don't like a noodle or anything too wide. I'd like to keep the waist at about 19, which is still pretty much wider than most full blown powder skis, although the Fat y puss is 140mm at the waist each. What do you think? Did I ever ask this before, and am I just losing it, or has it been on my mind so long, it's just taken over?

Make sure you check your pins on a regular basis. Once they've come out they're more prone to working themselves out.

That I've been riding in the walk mode for 11 years and no problems. Was thinking of trying BTS, but am just going to continue with status quo.

Just looked back at the dates, and this is 2008 and not 2007. I must be just looking for something to do with a busted rib.

Not much to say when I can't even tell the difference between January 2007 and January 2008

Burton made at least one ladies model. I still have 2 pair sitting in boxes somewhere.

Pawnshops that sell goods are required to keep them for 30 days in some states before putting them out for sale. Just because they're not on the floor and for sale doesn't mean the pawn doesn't have them. Best off getting a description and pictures to the pawns, and they can confiscate the goods or call the police before they lose the money lent out.

Need some toes for Raichle 123's. Don't need the heels, went to intec.

Here, here! I ride Burton Ultra-primes, Coils and Fish. The Ultra-Primes do everything I want them to. I folded one last year that I had ridden 200 plus days, and it was the first year plain wrapper. The only reason that happened was a 10' headwall drop into a trough. I own 8 of them-4 brand new, and will continue to ride them as my main on and off piste board in anything but 6" or more powder. Hopefully the new "High Tech" will last as long.

A tree well took another life this week in Oregon. I decided last year to switch to the Intec system because it gave me the best solution for disengaging my bindings in awkward positions, not to mention being able to come into the lift line without even bending down. My solution, and I'm sure it's not original, was to thread 1/2" climbing webbing through the Intec handle, tie a figure 8 in the webbing to secure it and then run it through my side zips (2 way zipper that can meet in the middle) tie a loop in it and attach a plastic caribiner. I run the zips up to where my hand naturally hangs, so I just reach down feel the biner and pull. I can slide into the lift line, and politely answer the question "What the hell was that?" So I'm figuring that for those that find it impossible to do a situp while hanging upside down, you should at least be able to raise your hand to mid-thigh and release, although that would further ensure not getting rid of that gut. Safe riding to you all, and check your T-nuts.

I know what you mean. I wear a 9 1/2 shoe and use the 9 thermoflex. These are for a friend of mine who wears a 10 1/2 shoe mondo size 28.5, so the 9's will be too small for him. I have several pairs of thermoflex size 9 already, but thanks for the heads up.