lordmetroland

In low light, if I'm squinting really hard, I feel I can just about see tracks on the big jump. Dude, did you carve this thing? That's some insane alpine snowboard carving s**t right there!

Full disclosure; I probably have no business giving you feedback or pointers on carving a hardboot setup. But since this is the internet, I feel obligated to do just that. This place is full of incredibly knowledgeable technicians, people who can convert snowboarding into physics/engineering concepts and see things I'll never fully understand. It also needs idiots like me to balance things out so that others don't feel quite so intimidated. In watching a lot of expert carvers, the one thing they seem to have in common is a full commitment to the carve. In some cases, it almost seems like they're falling forward and letting the arc of the board catch them on the way through the turn. It can't be done without committing. That's one thing most softie setups don't demand, unless you're hitting a big booter or riding a steep face, so it's psychologically a different task. Maybe the angle of the board to the snow is a proxy for commitment? But in the video it doesn't look like you're fully committed to loading your edge and accepting the consequences. After about 25 years of riding, I'm learning this lesson myself on a softie setup. I rode plate bindings on a freeride board for a couple seasons in the early 90s and remember the unnerving sensation of stumbling onto a really locked in heelside carve and feeling that I wasn't going to be able to get out of it. Now I'm trying to re-discover that sensation. Best of luck and thanks for posting the video!

Oh, I'd imagine a high temp wax might be your best bet. If you want to immolate faster.

Amazing, 3M feet is about 500 miles. So, if you'd strung all that vertical into one run (going the other way) it would have taken you into Low Earth Orbit. Timing it right, you could have jibbed the International Space Station at about 250 miles. Re-entry would be a bit challenging, but a one-piece suit might provide adequate protection. If I did the same thing for my season, I wouldn't have to worry at all about anything more than a mild sprain on impact.

If you haven't already, click on the link in michael.a's post. As reviews go, it's about as thorough and well-conceived as you'll find.

The brutal honesty. It's why we prize our loved ones, right? No worries on this end. The fact that we were on a chair at Loveland took the edge off things. She could tell me that I hadn't the stuff to be Liberace's lickspittle, and I'd be okay with it because I'm on a chair at Loveland, which is one of my favorite places to be. Besides, manliness is overrated, especially once you're married.

I rode an A-Frame 170 for a few seasons (6'3", 200) and liked it quite a bit. Pretty lively, turned well and looked fantastic. I sold it when I bought a Lib Tech 180 and had no regrets. I don't know how comfy I'd be riding the A-Frame in plates (though I haven't been on plates since the early 90s!); I might worry about overpowering it. I'd be tempted to follow BlueB's second recommendation and look into a Donek. Was just on my Hazelwood 200 yesterday and every time I ride it I learn more about it and about me. For not much more than the Swoard or the A-Frame (at full price) Sean could build you an Incline or Phoenix to suit your weight and style. Put the "log" graphics onto it and it'll look like an Arbor. Sort of.

Conditions were surprisingly nice today. Snow was firm and grippy in spots and soft enough in others to feel surfy. Someone was ripping professional grade carves down Roulette on what looked like about a 185. My wife is watching from the lift and turns to me and says, "Whoa, that's cool." From which you can infer that she's never seen me ripping professional grade carves down Roulette, or anywhere else. A nice emasculating moment for me. Got up on the ridge in the afternoon and hit Jelly Roll three times. It was tracked but still soft underfoot, making the little hike worthwhile. And only the foolish and the determined get as far as that gate, so I was alone. Hope it holds up for the weekend crowd!

That guy's helmet cover with raccoon tail is totally bitchin' and clearly the source of his power. The sole reason he double-ejected that skier had nothing to do with the conditions, it was his mocking the Snow Apparel Gods by removing the helmet cover. Let this be a lesson to all of us.

Sweet. I can't resist clicking on any thread on lederhosen. I'm secretly hoping that Snowmatic will weigh in on how these "lamer-hosen" cannot compare to the true Alpine originals.

What does it say about me that my two worst mountain bike injuries came when I crashed going under 2 MPH? Sad...

No grooming on Firecut last night. They may have looked at it and thrown up their hands. Hopefully we'll get to see the pictures!

Yes, as in lutefisk. I haven't ridden Lutsen in over 20 years, back when they allowed snowboarders to access only certain parts of the resort. But you're right; it's a magical view of Superior! The pictures are great.

Hopefully your LCI photo shoot was a success. There were a number of deep carves memorialized in the granite that Loveland textured to look like snow on Firecut this morning. I'm assuming they were your collateral damage...

And for an extra charge, your Resurfacing can be performed by Daft Punk, like in the video!

And the name that's almost too much fun to say in dat dere Iron Ranger accent...

I'm thinking it's time I got the base on my Donek Hazelwood structured. I'm not sure I want to drive 90 minutes to have it done. Is there anyone trustworthy in the Denver area? Thanks!

For awhile, some stock Arbors had dimpled bases, allegedly for speed. My A-frame had one.

OK, so searching for "zardoz" on Google summons an image of Sean Connery I will never un-remember.

This whole thread is like one of those "Signal 30" movies in Driver's Ed. Before yesterday, I was a carefree rider of chairlifts. "What could possibly go wrong?" Next time I go riding, I'll be haunted by the images of those guys in hard hats dodging chairlift shrapnel.

Presuming the "straight liner" isn't wedging the whole way! I know you've seen this...

The back and forth on this topic a couple weeks ago lead to one consistent conclusion; it's always the Other Guy's fault. I was thinking about this just this afternoon while doing sweeping, speed control longboard carves on the hill in front of our house, while my 6- and 7-year old daughters were uphill from me on their bikes with less than reliable braking skills. My head was on a swivel!

He is risen! He is risen, indeed! After eight years, and this close to Easter, it's like some kind of Bomber Miracle!

That's a bummer. Unfortunately, these were sold to the first responder. I don't have any spare parts, but wish you the best of luck on finding the heelcups!

Weird. Ok, send me an email to my Bomber ID at gmail and I'll resend my message. Thanks!