Unicorn Poop

I had a chance to work with Russians (and Poles) for a stint and as I read his blog, I kept nodding and saying "yup" in my mind. None of that really surprises me. The term "half-assed" and a general cultural disregard for what we in the West know as safety was a common theme during my time with those folks.

Thanks, guys. Hard boots it is. The question then, is which boots are the softest? My only experience has been with Head Stratos Pro's, and I'm pretty sure the general consensus is that they're one of the stiffest out there. However, with the application of BTS and strategic shell cutting, would they be soft enough? He's the same weight as me- about 170 lbs. My boots are stock, but I plan on cutting the shell and adding BTS over the summer to see what the big deal is. :) Would I be correct in recommending a stiff boot and using BTS to tune it down so that as he progresses, he can use stiffer springs to keep the boot in line with his skill?

A friend of mine wants to get into hard booting next year, and has never been on a snowboard or a pair of skis before. He races motorcycles and is very mechanically and analytically minded, and I have little doubt he'd catch on quick. However, I'm a bit stuck on how to start him out. My plan was to throw some plates at relatively low angles on a junk Burton 151 freestyle deck I have laying around and let him use that to learn how to do the basics- skating, turning and stopping with a foot on the stomp pad, getting on and off the lift, floating leaf, linking skidding turns, ect., and once he's able to make some basic carves, move him on to my Kessler 1.68 until he buys his own board. I've taught off and on since '96, so I have a solid lesson plan, but it's always been on soft boots, and I'm unsure if I should start him out in soft boots or hard boots. I know the softies would be a lot easier initially, but generally speaking, if someone starts in hard boots with the intention of staying in them, is the curve more linear since there's no soft to hard boot transition period? Those of you who've been down this road, what have you done and what has worked?

If I recall correctly, taper and sidecut depth play major roles in causing or preventing what you describe. More taper and/or less sidecut depth = more stable on the flats.

Welcome. To answer your question, trying to sell hard booting to a soft booter is like trying to sell a track- prepped Ducati to someone who only rides around town on a Chinese scooter. A board is a board is a board to them, and their style of riding is more about the terrain than the turns. I'm cool with that because they're having fun and it means more groom for me. :) Tech articles on here, and http://www.alpinecarving.com/index.html However, the Almanac is a bit dated in the gear information.

What are you looking for, soft boot- wise? Any particular binding and board brand, or length? Also, please post pictures of the base, the rust, and a few of the nose damage from an angle and a bit further away. Thanks! *edit- are you looking to trade this for a soft boot setup, or a hard boot setup?

I REMEMBER THOSE!!!! Last time I saw one was the mid 90's, but I couldn't tell you anything about the specs or how it rides. *edit- those appear to be period bindings as well, so if you're going to go charge hard on it, take some extra time to inspect the plastic bits.

Public land or not, with so many more awesome places to go, who gives a **** if Alta and Deer want to ban snowboards? Yeah, if this were Michigan and they were the only landfill in the area, then I could see making it an issue.

I know this is a FS thread and I'm breaking the rules by replying here, but I agree with NSSage. I have one of these boards with Hangl plates and if you've never ridden hard boots before, it WILL hurt you. Bad. These things are the MotoGP bikes/ F1 cars of snowboarding, and they demand precise body positioning and commitment to the turn all the time unless you're standing in the lift line. It is not a board to be trifled with and all the soft boot experience in the world won't prepare you for the damage this thing is capable of. That's not to say it's a bad board; it's an absolutely mind- blowing, brutally powerful board that will handsomely reward those that are ready for it. But do not be lulled into thinking that it's just another board that you can hop on and rail. Mine handed me my ass on a silver platter with a side order of "eff off" for most of the first and a good part of the second day, but once I figured it out, it became my new favorite. A Kessler 1.68 would be a far more friendly board to start on if you're the type that won't settle for less than the best from the start, otherwise there ain't no shame in picking up a $200 used board from one of the other fine gents on here. :)

Anyone go ride these places? Are they worth the drive from Ogden?

I'll leave some feedback here in case this comes up in any searches down the road... The board was shipped extremely fast, especially considering that it went out the week before Christmas. It only took two days to get to UT from SoCal, too! The packing was good and kept the board safe, which arrived with a nice rubbery coat of storage wax. Upon removing the wax and applying my own, I found that the base was structured. Awesome! Overall, the condition of the board was very well represented and if anything, a bit understated. If you're reading this and considering buying anything from Shannon, don't hesitate to do so!

I fly RC and nothing illegal occurred in this video. The only crime is that tiny hill. :-D But seriously, he was well within the confines of the law and these things are so reliable, the likelihood of mechanical failure is next to zero. If it crashed on I35, the plane would have disappeared in a puff of foam with no damage to any vehicle. Also, FPV means first person view. He has telemetry between the plane and him that allows him to watch that video in real time and so, would be able to safely put it down in the event of a failure.

Re: Crashes. Get some body armor, specifically stuff for motorcycles. After crashing once on the board, I decided to get armored shorts and a jacket that all fits over my first layer and is nearly undetectable under my outer layers. My tail bone, spine, shoulders, elbows, thighs and chest are now protected. I've crashed a few times since I started wearing the armor, and it doesn't hurt at all. I'm not saying you can't get hurt, but anyone that doesn't wear armor is taking a big risk. Start right by starting safely.

That's his signature, which appears in every post he makes, and is not directed towards you or anything regarding this thread.

Nothing new yet this year... What kind of board is that? Why'd you cut the tail off your board? Sick board, bro. (Thanks, but I hate being called bro; I'm not your brother or a brother) Why's it so long? (In reference to my Coiler 196 or Kessler 185) Where's your other ski? What kind of bindings are those? Why ski boots? Can you ride in powder? Wanna race? Is it fast? My knees hurt just looking at those angles. I really enjoyed watching you on that thing. Why's the nose so flat? (I hear this a lot when on one of my Kesslers)

Oh, general order 1B, how I disregarded you many, many times. :D

I agree with Hans about getting good gear from the start. In my situation, I went out and bought some Nitro 159cm board because it was cheap and I was just a beginner and didn't need a nice board. Well, after struggling with it for about a week, a couple of friends let me try out their Kessler 1.68, and INSTANTLY, I improved. I'm not talking a little bit, and I'm not talking by the end of the day, either. I made about a seasons worth of progress in about two turns. Halfway down the first run on the Kessler, my friends were asking me where the hell I learned how to ride and were amazed at the day and night improvement. My confidence increased, and I felt more comfortable pushing the boundaries a bit because I knew the board I was on was going to be able to handle whatever I threw at it. You can buy garbage and sell yourself short because you're "only a beginner," or you can spend more and buy something cutting edge that won't fight you every step of the way. That having been said, I completely understand that a $1500 board is out of the range of a lot of people, and there is no shame in buying used, or even at a lower price point. But, I would stick with established, mainstream brands at first.

2nd in line behind Jason. Ryan, please post up if Jason passes. Thanks!

Email sent.

What year and are the specs the same as the current specs on the SG site? Has it been raced? How many days on it? SG doesn't list a weight range, but do you happen to have an idea of that sort of thing?

Considering that this site is run by the manufacturer of Trench Digger bindings and people have been banned because they have expressed their concern regarding the use of TD's on metal boards, all I'm going to say is do some searching. I use F2 bindings, and all the racers in Europe use them as well. But, if you want some CNC porn on your board, you should get the TD's. :)

My Kessler 1.68 most definitely has 4X4 inserts. Just stay away from the silver topped boards or any that were used with TD1 bindings if buying used, and it might be best to stick with the F2's... ;)

Green! :D

Eh... big deal. I bought a 54cc gas powered skateboard that'll do 35 MPH for $200. Considering I've done 170+ on the track on a motorcycle, my gas powered skateboard is, without a doubt, the scariest piece of machinery I own. I'm not joking.

Waiting for first tracks.