Donek

I little info on how sidecuts work <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uE1YdDj_L0o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hFjq741bkbI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

When I spoke with him at ECES last year, he indicated the rubber bushings were not rated for tension applications. Perhaps he's found a work around for that problem.

This topic is beyond a simple explanation. There are so many things wrong with the way the majority of the industry has done things. The industry has put all it's focus on new snowboards with reverse camber technology making instant experts (or at least intermediate) riders. They have abandoned almost all the aging snowboarders. If you look at the numbers, older snowboarders are leaving the sport. One explanation is that they are having kids and don't have the budget or time. I think the explanation being ignored is that the upper level riders have been abandoned by almost every brand. Reverse camber is widely considered useless by most advanced riders. Focus by the big manufacturers and media on freestyle and park riding turns off people who just want to go out and ride for fun. It's amazing to attend industry events and find that almost everyone has blinders on. They really believe that 95% of the riders on the hill spend the majority of their time in the park. If they would simply open their eyes, they would see how far from reality this is. The simple truth is that the industry does not have a clue what the average rider wants to do with a snowboard because they don't listen to anyone except the small core group of people they employ. The people running these brands must mature as well and I think there is resistance among upper management to let this happen for fear that they will loose their core image. The simple fact is that the core image is no longer working. Aging snowboarders will continue to leave in droves if their needs are not met. This issue can not be met head on by one company. It must be an industry decision, or at least one that is supported by a few companies. The industry focus is solely on generating new snowboarders with total disregard for for retention of existing snowboarders.

I'd say an axxess as short as 150 and as long as 165. We can tailor stiffness to your height, weight, and riding style easily within that size range. I'd suggest between a 19 and 20cm waist width. We discuss all these options in depth on the phone and help you get the board that fits you perfectly. Lead time is about 10 days and the price is listed on the web site (sorry can't quote it here, that's the rule).

This is the list of question I usually ask in order to get started on sizing and speccing a board for a customer. age: Sex: weight: height: shoe size: The type of board I am interested in: riding style: home mountain: favorite mountain: My current board is a (include length, model, and manufacturer if possible): What I like about my current board: What I don't like about my current board: What improvements or changes I would like to see in the performance of a new board:

160 to 164 cm length. Geometry will depend on the level of racing you are engaging in and he type of board you are coming from. Making the leap directly to a WC geometry can actually cause problems for you.

While correcting this does require a tuner with experience and skill, it can be done. I see no exposed core as described by lowrider. It would be necessary to grind through aluminum first and that is not even evident. While this does look disconcerting, there would appear to be some over reacting on behalf of the respondents here. Given your original statement that you have had the board for 2 years and this is the first base grind you've had performed, you're likely to dispose of the board before you ever grind all the base material off. In most cases, it's tuning from the side that reduces the steel to almost nothing before you go through the base. This can be corrected and you are unlikely to know the difference once it has, as long as it's performed by a qualified tech. The shop deserves a good tongue lashing and you deserve a refund. The best tune in North America is likely to come from Mike Desantis (SkiMD). Send it on to him, and you'll get it back in perfect condition.

I've been wanting to try this for years Ian. I'm concerned I'd mess myself up so bad, I'd never ride again. You've made the leap. I bet if you tried again, the second trip wouldn't be so bad.

Yes, but winning is about taking risks too.

NICE is really nice. No crowds. Some fun guys to hang out with. Excellent snow and terrain.

It actually takes a very simple search of US results and a bit of historic understanding to answer this particular question. There are a handful of US athletes who have excelled at the world cup level in the history of snowboard racing. Every athletes success has coincided with their cooperative development with a snowboard or other hardware manufacturer. Us athletes have been on, and for the most part continue to be on a path of following the Europeans. They will only ride boards that Europeans are winning on. The day they finally examine the careers of other long standing North American World Cup winners and try to ascertain what it takes to win, they will realize that you must be a leader, not a follower. There are manufacturers just waiting for capable communicators with a firm understanding of their equipment and a desire to win.

A discussion of your successes and failures would be quite interesting. You should maybe ask a moderator where the best place to put such a thing would be.

If we take a plate and look at it from the side, we see a structure that looks similar to Fin's figure A. If it were not for the slider mechanism, it could also be called a torsion box. Examining the structure from this perspective makes it quite easy to break the torsion box in Figure A. Given the small degree of movement present, one could simply loosen their tolerances so the hardware slid a very small amount from side to side. Materials that allow for lateral flexing could also be used. Or a combination of the two.

You're going to have to pose this question differently as I don't understand it. The AF system works the same as any other mono plate when the board is bending. When at rest, or between turns the rider has the ability to preload the board as he enters a turn. Once the board bends further than preloaded, the system slides like any other mono plate.

The device slides on top of the board. The pivot is handled by a bending member instead of an axle. The bending member is constrained in one direction so it can only rotate in one direction. As a result, when your knees are pinched together, the plate and board can be bent or manipulated by the rider.

I believe the Apex, Jasey Jay, and AF plates are the only ones that approach lateral compliance by using independent mounts. The elimination of the axle in the AF plate reduces stack height dramatically and makes it possible to gain intimate contact with the board as well as immediate edge engagement. I think it's the only constrained hinge available though.

I think the important thing is you have to have actually ridden the plate you are reviewing. If you don't have first hand knowledge of what you are critiquing, then the critique is without merit and simply an opinion based on a photo you saw. As you know there is a review section on the forum. If you feel uncomfortable posting your riding experience here, then post it there.

There isn't a plan to make a 4X4 f-plate at this point, so it only fits on the UPM. The AF plate is currently UPM only, but we are developing a 4X4 version.

NO. If you look at our site, you'll see we offer 3 different plates. Each one has a purpose and an intended user.

My personal choice this season will be the AF plate. It's lighter, lower, provides a sense of what is happening in the board, allows the board to freely twist and flex laterally, and unlike any other plate on the market offers the ability to manipulate the board as if it didn't have a plate.

Sorry Zoltan, but I'm not 100% sure I understand the question. Are we talking about using the AF hardware with the old plate or something else?

Yes. Those details are on the web site.

AF Plate F Plate

We do have some plates in stock. We are waiting for some mounting screws to arrive this week, but we can take orders.

Most BX boards, including ours, have had rocker/early rise for several years. If I'm reading their drawings right, their camber profiles is similar to everyone elses. Positive camber with an early rise starting a few inches before the end of sidecut. I would imagine that this "premieres" probably refers to premium or something like that, unless some marketing person has made a real leap.