Donek

Yes, it does become possible to custom tailor a board to fit your needs more adequately by repositioning the axles.

56cm axle spacing with stances around 50cm.

Thanks Mike. I've seen some racers preferring the narrow axle spacing and was curious to find out if this played a role in how well it worked on the shorter boards. Seems not to be the case for you though.

Mike, Can you tell us what your axle spacing is?

You'll notice most of the WC racers are using them in SL as well as GS. I have not personally tried one on something that short. This indicates they are effective on short boards for racing, but beyond that, it will likely be a personal opinion.

No problem getting people talking about boards. In general the metal boards these days are easier to ride, but the race stuff is moving in the direction of your experiences with the metal skis. The new Rev line (Race) will definitely take more work from the rider. Using a plate will minimize that some. The dimensions you are describing are not a problem, you could go with a Saber or Incline for what you describe. The saber will be more damp and a bit softer flexing with a fair bit more taper.

The Axxess and Incline series are very closely related. So widening the Axxess or narrowing the incline will produce very similar results. below are some (not all) basic characteristics of the different constructions. Glass: great in most conditions, more lively feel metal: more expensive, easy to ride, very damp, works well in all conditions, not quite as durable as fiberglass carbon: more expensive, easy to ride, almost as damp as metal, works well in all conditions, super light weight, not as durable as metal

That plate just might be the next big thing.

I will be there in the 17th with Thedo testing again.

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zBRk5iwLcBo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That looks like the seam between the sidewall and the extension material. It's most likely been there all along and you just notices it.

I think the majority of the industry has taken a path which abandons a large number of customers. Their goal is to cater primarily to the entry level to intermediate rider, and pigeon hole them into park and pipe riding (something that, in my experience, approximately 15% of riders actually engage in). While I do make park and pipe boards that people can stand on with stances that make carving all but impossible, the majority of the customers coming to me these days are grateful to find a brand that hasn't abandoned them. If you're expecting to find a board designed to meet the seasoned riders needs, it's unlikely to be found in a retail shop. Such an approach to the industry will likely drive a large number of experienced riders out of the sport, which means we need to be more vigilant as carvers in sending them to the right places, such as this community and web sites that cater to their needs. It would appear that not just carvers will have to go to the internet to find the tools they need.

Unless you are over 190 lbs, I'd go with the yellow/soft e-rings. I'd get 0/6 cants or possibly move to 3/3. Then I'd go to SES, ECES or a local session and ride with other carvers. Listen to first hand advise and get some direction on hill. Your riding will improve dramatically and you'll find help in adjusting your stance to work more effectively. SES and ECES will have board demos available, so you can try a new board too. There are typically very qualified instructors and industry reps on hand to help you.

I plan to be there.

Here's a video I put together on sizing waist width: <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZtsIM88T6A0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

George, I failed to realize you were thinking about putting them under your Bomber's. They are completely unnecessary with Bomber bindings. I've never seen any issue related to a Bomber TD3 with one of my boards. We do all our product development and testing with them and have not seen a single issue.

The primary reason for me is that it's too much work to list boards at every 1mm increment. I'll build whatever width you like for the same price. Other manufacturers have to look at what is most requested and produce special tooling for each length and width. If a certain width fit's 90% of the people close enough, that's what they will produce the tooling for. My manufacturing process is far more flexible, allowing for any length, width, sidecut, or flex.

We get threatening recorded phone calls from DHL every month for a balance of $0. I'd send them a check for $0.05. Then they have to send you a statement each month indicating that they owe you $0.01.

I shot this video early season riding a 160 incline and Catek Freeride bindings. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/bYRS0kN4fyw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Give me a call. I should be able to answer most of your questions and get a pair for you at the list price.

I had a great time in the powder. Kress and I spent a lot of time in the trees. We both got to ride the new powder shape. It is shaping up to be an excellent addition. Not quite as good as the cat trip at SES, but pretty close. We found a great stash around 2:00 and kept going for a few more. Was a fun day except for the hour to hour and half that the snow and wind made it impossible to ride.

I'm getting things ready to leave bright and early. Here's a shot of the new toys I'll be bringing along.

That was the hazelwood.

I believe there are 3 brand new SG junior boards leaning against the wall at Bomber and as usual, I m happy to add some shorter pilots to the line. All that is necessary is to place an order.

First off, at some point, you're likely to notice a change in the posted UPM pattern. You're going to find that the shift to the tail for most of us is going away and the pattern will be centered on the 4X4. As for making the board weaker, intuitively it would, but experience has shown that there seems to be no adverse side affects. When I first began making boards with both hole patterns, I expected to see a lot of failures. This has not been the case. I've only seen two broken boards this year. While the cracks did, in some cases, go through the extra holes, they did not seem to be a contributing factor to the failure. Both boards broke when and where they should have.