Unicorn Poop

To everyone else up my butt about asking a question- bugger off. You guys do this every time someone questions the product. Questions are asked by those uninformed on a quest to become informed. It's your duty as the all- knowing gods of angulation to help those lesser souls down the path of enlightenment. You all preach helping noobs and furthering the sport, but I don't see that going on here, especially when the crusade is lead by the owner of a company that caters to the sport. Class act, the lot of you.

First off, if you're going to call me names, at least throw me the courtesy of getting it right. It's m'lady. Second, I was inquiring about a thread I had a particular interest in because I've been on the fence about the SW SI's (I have three boards that need bindings), and wanted to see how the issue was handled. Rather than simply reply with the one line you edited in, which would have sufficed aplenty, you tried to paint me into a corner. Furthermore, I have posted on this board in the past regarding a durability concern that came to mind and rather than an answer (even anecdotal would have worked) or a suggestion to use the search function, I had my throat jumped down like I was on some witch hunt or just here to say, "LOL OMGZ BOMBER SUKS MA DIX!" I kind of let it go because those weren't from employees/ owners of Bomber, but it had me wondering why everyone was so defensive. Fast forward to today and once again, I make an inquiry- not an accusation- and this time THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY CALLS ME NAMES! Seriously, Fin? A conspiracy was never on my mind until you alluded to such. Now I'm genuinely curious since you brought it up. Regardless, I've made my mind up about the Bomber products. If the owner of the company will jump on a potential customer in such an aggressive manner over a simple question, I feel that I should probably stick with F2's. Lord knows what kind of response I'd get IF there ever was an issue with my Bombers. Grow up Fin.

Hey, your words... not mine. However, the lady doth protest too much, methinks.

So where did the broken TD3 thread go? You know, the one that showed up juuuuuuuuuust before the board crashed?

Too late for that. Also, the seller specifically stated that all inserts are good in the original ad.

Something that really helped with my heelside was to put pressure on the front edge of my front foot. That is, the pinky toe side of my foot, or the side of my foot closer to the nose of the board. Getting the pressure off the ball and sometimes heel of my front foot really helped drive my knees during a heelside.

Less rotation, more angulation. Otherwise, lookin' good. You're very smooth in your transitions between turns and aren't flailing around. Also, green jackets are faster. Keep up the good work; it'll come to you.

I would like to respectfully disagree, Dave. The way I see it, SCR has no bearing on a boards turning ability once angulated to the point where the waist is off the snow. At that point, it's all tip and tail and the turn radius will be dictated by stiffness of the board in relation to the weight of the rider. Compare the 1.68 with a weight range of 65-95kg to the 1.71 with a weight range of 55-80kg, and it's apparent that the 1.71 is not as stiff. At low lean angle, the smaller SCR of the 1.68 will have it making smaller turns, but with the same 68kg rider (RRider's weight), the 1.71 will turn inside the 1.68 when railed because he will be able to flex the board more. RR- The reason for the 1.71 having a lower weight range than the 1.68 is because of what Dave said- slalom vs. giant slalom. What wasn't mentioned was that the 1.68 is a SL board designed for a heavy rider, while the 1.71 is a GS board designed for a light rider. Think of Kessler's alpine lineup like this- the 1.50- 1.68 is their slalom line, and the 1.71- 1.85 is their giant slalom line. Despite being a GS board, you would most likely find the 1.71 easier to handle than the 1.68 because it is not as stiff. An easy way to get an idea how stiff a board is, is to look at the weight range. Keep in mind though, weight range is suggested. If you were to get on the 1.68 and drop 6kg over the summer, the board won't magically turn into a brick. You'll still get it to bend around just fine. It won't be optimum and may give you a hard time in adverse conditions, but will still be quite rideable. The thing you have to remember is these Kesslers are light years beyond what you're riding now and will make you a better rider within a couple runs. I started out on some POS 10- 15 year old Nitro and fought that thing every step of the way; turns were a matter of survival, not progression. I hopped on the 1.68 and made almost a season's worth of progress in literally five turns. Since you're an infrequent rider, something softer is in order. Due to their decambered design and previously mentioned firsthand experience with several Kesslers and other traditionally cambered boards, I recommend the 1.71. And hey, if you don't like it, you can always sell it to me. I'm always looking to add another. ;)

I moved out here about 8.5 years ago from Vermont, and I couldn't agree with you more. I still laugh whenever someone says it's icy out here. That having been said, there have been a few mornings where I've thought, "it's a touch hard... I'll go have a beer in the lodge and wait a few hours for it to warm up." West Coast problems, right?

Holy crap, can't a guy just build some damn snowboards? I'd love for this thread get back to the topic at hand, and that being the review of Bulat boards. Who cares if they're copies, near knock offs, or inspired by another brand? Let the boards speak for themselves; if they work, they work. Alexey, keep up the good work, man. I'd love to ride one of your boards, but BlueB is too far for me. I hope one day your boards make it to Utah. ;) BlueB- please more reviews! I've been following this with interest.

The difference between no plate and plate isn't as big as I think you're thinking. It's not going to be this wonder product that smooths out the bumps like full suspension compared to a rigid mountain bike. Since you ride motorcycles, the difference is more along the lines of having your damping turned up as hard as possible (no plate) vs. where they should be (plate). You may not notice a difference if you're just not skilled enough to know what to feel for or if you don't push it hard, but you will feel some difference. Either way, a plate isn't going to save your knees, so don't think it's going to ride like a Cadillac with the plate. As far as the length of the board goes, don't be afraid of something a little longer than what you're on. Unless you're married to the bunny hill at some 400' landfill with a population density rivaling India, a longer length isn't going to kill you and be this unmaneuverable plank of wood that just drops straight down the fall line and nothing else. Here's some first hand experience for ya: I have a 1.68 Kessler without plates and F2 bindings and a 1.85 Kessler with Hangl plates and F2 bindings. I'm 170 lbs. and I can bend that 1.68 inside itself. Linked C turns with two or three cat widths worth of groomers? No problem! Comparatively, the 1.85 is not all that much harder to turn going slow. I'm talking about getting off the lift, working my way through lap traffic on a cat walk (one cat wide trail), slowing it down and avoiding the lawn ornaments at the bottom of the run, ect... With the addition of about 3- 5 MPH, the 1.85 is just as easy to bring around as the 1.68. That's where the similarities end, though. The 1.68 is a very playful, friendly board that's cool doing whatevs. The 1.85 is a monster and it'll let you know in no uncertain terms that it does not have time for your nonsense. Anway... Kesslers are all decambered at both ends, so their running length when not railed is much shorter than their overall length. I haven't measured it but I believe the running length (when flat on the ground or being skidded at low speed) of the 1.68 to be around 125cm and the 1.85 probably has around 140cm. They act like short boards when you want them to. I also have a 196cm Coiler that's fully cambered and acts like a 196cm board all the time, and that thing is just a nightmare to turn outside of a carve. I have to carry so much speed to get it to skid around to a hockey stop, it's scares the hell out of anyone in my line of fire. Keep in mind, too... You're right in the middle of the weight range for the 1.71 Kessler as well. I haven't ridden one of these, but have talked with someone who's 150 lbs and who has ridden both a 1.71 and a 1.68, and he said the 1.71 is much easier to turn than the 1.68. Now, as far as the plate goes... I've only ridden my Hangl plates and nothing else, so I don't know if the BP is any different than this, but I heard all the same things you did about plates and was expecting some wet noodle edgeless turd at low speeds and the feeling of floating above the snow as I charged through 6" chop at high speed. Neither was the case. I can still pedal the board at low speed and still feel everything at high speed. Where the real difference is, is the weight. I've yet to throw it on a scale, but I suspect that between the board, plates, binding and boot, I have about 40 lbs. hanging off my leg if I don't use the foot rest. That crap gets real old real fast, and my foot is always numb by the top if I don't have a foot rest. Either way, get a Kessler, no question. If you ever get up to Utah before you get one, you're welcome to spend a day on my 1.68, and I'll see if I can find a local with a 1.71 for you to try as well.

Get the Kessler. Don't even second guess it.

The blinders were off. It was a fun video with a couple of good riders doing some freeriding. However, it failed to live up to its title as "The Art of Carve." That'd be like if Harley made a video of their bikes rolling around Sturgis and called it "The Pinnacle of Motorcycle Technology."

I watched it twice and am still waiting for the carving to happen. Who cares if it's Terje or even Vic Wild; if the style is garbage, then the style is garbage.

You know what? Good for them. I'm glad to see the first, second and third best people in the world at something are being treated that way. They deserve it. Of course, I'd be more proud if the US did that, but nonetheless, I'm happy for them. I'm sure they're not paying taxes on those awards, either.

Email sent. Thanks!

As long as you don't hit a tree with it or try to ride it in the parking lot, I think the board will be fine. Depending on what your board is and what theirs are, throwing your bindings on their board might make a difference. The guy I had on my board today said it was way easier to ride than his freestyle board. I've had a few other people on it in the past, mainly friends that were curious, and they all said it was easier to ride than their boards. Hey, if they're willing to turn the screws for you and put your bindings on their board, why not? It's not ideal, but it might be worth it.

Funny, I was just in the middle of posting up that I did it again today, but it was mid afternoon so no time for hard boots. :) I've been getting more and more "hey, like in the Olympics!" comments lately. I see this as a good thing.

Dave- I lived in East Midd and spent my first ten years on the snow at the Bowl. Great memories. Marc- I only mention River because it's old school. I remember reading something recently about how their fellowship/ coop/ trustee board/ whatever want to drop millions on expanding their snowmaking because they're unable to stay open for enough days to break even. Problem is, lack of a legal source of water with enough capacity to support their needs. You know that lake that's on the other side of the ridge? It's that one you can see from the lookout on the top of Rt. 17? The're even talking about building a pipeline to THAT. I say, just let that place die. And, here's a fun website to lose track of time at. http://www.nelsap.org/

Middlebury Snow Bowl. It's been around since the 30's, but it's not that old school any more what with the new lodge and new lift. Mad River is old school, but no snow making to speak of, no groomers to speak of and oh hey, no snowboarding.

http://www.carversparadise.com/speed-cc-red-p-2230.html

It certainly appears that way, doesn't it? ;)

A board can't tell how tall you are, but it can tell how much you weigh. Length is not dictated by height. I haven't read through all the responses, so I don't know if this has been covered yet, but... GET A LESSON! There are aspects that you will never learn without the insight of a more experienced and outside source.

Hah, thanks. However, we are all ambassadors. Every time someone asks a question, no matter how silly it may seem to you, they're asking it because they're genuinely curious.* Take that chance to engage them and to stoke that flame of interest. If you have a spare board, offer to let them try it out. If not, see if they'd be willing to try some different stance settings or technique so they can experience carving on their own board. I ride alone a lot because my free time schedule is very different than most, plus I can go at my own pace, but also because I like catching a chair with other people. It gives me about ten minutes to make the sales pitch if someone's genuinely interested. It's not really that hard; just smile, answer all their questions honestly and ask them about what they're on. The best way to make someone like you is to get them talking about themselves. ;) Snow sports are ego- driven, so be sure to return that "sick board" compliment right back. *When I skied, and when I soft booted, I never had anyone strike up a conversation about my gear, nor have I ever heard anyone make any attempt with anyone else about what they're on. One time, I told a guy on an Arbor that I really liked his board and he just kind of sideways glanced at me and said, "yeah." I think the fact that we have a thread every year about what people say in the lift line is very telling and should be an indicator that there is a ton of interest in what we do and that we should take those opportunities to inform, educate and introduce people to what we do. This is North America's hub for hardbooting and everyone is saying "SEE!" about Mr. Wild following his dreams and bringing the gold home to those that believed in him. Let's start the movement at the grassroots level; let's start it in the lift line.

This is too awesome not to share. I was out on my Kessler 1.85 this morning when a guy said, "Hey, is that the same Kessler that they race in the Olympics?" It caught me off guard because I'm used to fielding the usual questions we always post about every year. I said that yes, it was and that I was surprised he noticed. He said he'd never seen one in person, but sees them on the internet from time to time and thought how badass it was that we can lay out our turns the way we do. By this point, we'd gotten on the same chair and were on our way up to the top. After some discussion about the technology that goes into the boards and what they can and can't do, he asked me the question I'd been waiting all year for someone to ask: "What's it like?" "How would you like to find out?" I replied. :) The parking lot I was at was at the top of the lift, and I had my Kessler 1.68 in the trunk. We first swapped out his bindings onto the board so he could see how the board felt while still being in familiar soft boots. He had smaller feet, so with a 33/30 setup, his toe and heel overhang was minimal. Two runs into it, he was nailing his body position and doing way better than I thought soft boots would ever do on that board. At the end of the second run, his eyes were like dinner plates and he was absolutely blown away at how fast, stable and easy the board was to ride. Almost literally, he couldn't stop talking about how amazing it was and how blown his mind was. lol... On the way back up the lift after the 3rd run, I suggested that we go down to the rental shop and get him set up with some rear entry ski boots, my treat. I only suggested this because I had tried them out one day out of curiosity to see how they stacked up to my HSPs. Truth be told, they really weren't that bad. Not ideal, but barely perceptibly stiffer than my HSPs. At the top, I made a quick run to my car to get my F2s and then we headed down to the rental shop. Once we sized his foot for the boots, we swapped out his bindings for my F2s, made a few adjustments and were on our way. After about four orientation runs that involved lots of crashing and skidding, he finally locked it in on his heelside. I was about 50 yards down slope and could hear him hooting and hollering. He continued past me and I followed suit. At the bottom, he was speechless and kept looking down at the board while grinning and shaking his head. His first words, "THAT is what I always thought snowboarding should be like." He spent the rest of the day in hard boots on my board and when we parted company at the end of the day, I gave him my number and this website and told him not to be a stranger. :)