jason_watkins

Looking for a board: - waist 20 cm - eff edge around 145 cm - sidecut 10-11m - softer flex, suitible for 150lbs rider on choppier stuff Anybody got something like that in their closet?

Yeah, Underworld is great... Tin There, Pearls Girl... that's stuff I still listen to and enjoy now like 10 years later. They're pretty good a the mixing stuff too... check out their Back To Mine album. I crap you not, they mix a sequence that's LTJ Bukem to Depeche Mode to Aphex Twin to Dead Presidents. Pure Genius!

Actually, I'm right with you guys on that... Vegas was great... one of those rare albums where every single track is just quality. Tweekend I really don't like. Lately I'm really digging on Hybrid, and some of their stuff would make rather good riding music, particularly the Wide Angle/Live Angle album... that album is seminal in the same was as vegas... people will be ganking that sound for the next few years. Dsub: this is good stuff man. I'm a huge sucker for tracks that have a lot of dark ambience and have looping progression not just repetition. If I rode alone more often, I'd probibly wear headphones. As it is, they'd be more of a hassle than an aid. Much of the time I wear a facemask/balaclava that has a gortex membrain in it to keep the wind and wet crap out, and it's pretty much impossible to hear through that thing too. The only way to keep safe is to use those eyes.

Try no cant. And trying stuff out on your carpet doesn't count. For example, the other weekend my gf started on a new hardboot rig, and she started out with one of those burton cants on her rear foot. I warned her it looked like her knees were a bit close, and she wouldn't like it on the hill, but she decided to try it. After one day, she took it off, and though it doesn't feel as cozy on the carpet, she definately prefers it on the hill. Take a wrench/screwdriver with you, and do a couple of runs each time you tweak something.

Ignore the people telling you you _must_ go 60+. Well, I don't want to out him into a technique debate, but I've seen Sean Cassidy riding an axis at fairly low angles, and it definately wasn't stopping him from carving. And along the same lines, I think it's a horrible idea to learn to carve by putting softboots at angles like 45. They just don't work the way they're supposed to unless you've got 3 strap bindings or such. Look at booster2's images, or heck, any upper level freestyle rider at your local hill, and you'll see them carving out of parallel and duck stances just fine.

Ohh man, you're makin' me jonze. Can't do friday, but drop a line if you go up after your FL trip... it's time I used some PTO hours at work ;)

Yeah, no kidding... I think I'm gonna have to start buying gas at shell and calling in sick on some tuesdays ;P

Was bored at work, so I found out the skinny on the Shell ticket deal: http://www.skiwashington.com/shell_rules.php Buy more than 10 gallons of gas, and you get a buy 1 get one free voucher. It's only good on Tuesadys for Mt. Bachelor.

I think the gas ticket is with shell, and if I've got it right it's a wensday only ticket or something like that. I've done the WF Friday with friends a couple years running now. As long as you get over to northwest the crowding doesn't matter... for carving it might kinda suck though. But then again, the free food friday was empty last month.

I have this mental image, of D-sub, pushing a door that won't open, his hand next to a sign with the "PULL". But I'll shut up now, because he's bigger than me.

My gf plans to head up tomorrow. She tends to be happy crusing by herself and hates radios, but I'll pass word along She's still geting cozy with hardboots and likes riding with her first and second timer friends, so might enjoy a mellow run or two with your sis et all. Look for the very petite chinese chick on a blue burton amp, red and grey jacket.

Skipped out on today... for some reason the gf and I can't seem to fall asleep before 2 am, which makes it really hard to convince yourself to get up at 6am to go boarding. Sounds like I missed some decent conditions

Because my ankles hurt, and I figured hardboots might solve the problem and keep me boarding. They did, and I seem to like them better.

The gf and I will be up for tomorrow morning. It's 9pm now and the precip has stopped... here's hoping NOAA didn't get their accumulation prediction wrong :/

Here's an example. I think with a little tweaking on the merge settings the 'halos' could go away. But not the ghosting of moving objects. Definately not nearly as good as the totally by hand method, but it's instant, and might be useful as a guide image to by hand warping. Rider Credit: Kenny T. Photo Credit: Bryan of www.oldsnowboards.com

Best simple panorama tool I've seen to date: http://www.autostitch.net/ Unforetunately, it's merging system isn't aware of what we want for multi-exposure action sequences, so moving objects end up ghosted. But it might be useful for you guys to just put together a quick sequence in a couple seconds, and it spits out a text file of the tramsform parameters for each image. Any geeks on here wanna write a quick app to parse that and do a smarter segmentation? I'll put it on the neverending list of projects I'll likely not get around to ;). And of course if you just want the glamor landscape shot, this thing is extremely easy (though slightly lower quality than photoshop by hand).

thanks for the info guys... sounds like we're still 1 dump away from getting back to full coverage, assuming it doesn't burn off again before the next storm :/

Eric: let us know how it was... the gf is talking about skipping work on friday, want to try to be sure it's good enough to justify that.

Well, I weigh ~150lbs, and I have a AM 169 that's 7.2 stiffness index. It's no problem at all to skid this thing around in tighter steeper terrain, even though the sidecut is a touch higher than you're targeting (9.9). So if that's what you're after with the new board, I'd focus on getting the stiffness right. It seems to be quite important for folks that are at the lower end of the weight range of a typical board like you and I. I'm no carve master (yet) but it seems quite capable in that department as well so far.

yeah, unless hood has a miracle recovery, I think the gf and I are gonna ride bachelor this saterday.

Yeah, count me out. Even riding free with the pass I just can't justify surfing rocks on cascade to myself. Thinking of hitting up bachelor again the weekend after this (12th and 13th). let's just pray this storm delivers...

Ohh, just to add for local interest: I hear selected Shell gas stations are giving out bachelor coupons for $10+ of gas purchased.

Flow are good, but can be a bit picky to adjust, and are occasionally incompatible with some boot. Another option is bindings where the toe strap doesn't completely seperate, just loosens enough for you to take your foot out with ease. Salomon makes bindings like this, and I'm just as fast in and out of those as my buddy with flow's. If your balance is ok, you can get used to strapping them while on the glide as well easily enough. Another tip is replacing the screws that hold the strap to the binding frame with something that allows a bit more tension... stick a washer or two in there. That way, the strap stays urhm erect, so you can just use one hand to grab the buckle and slip it over the tounge. Anyhow, with that tweak and a little cordination, the salomon bindings are very quick to get in and out as well. Personally, I think the flow feel better for riding once they're all dialed in. If I planned to ride softies more than occasionally, I'd pick some up.

I think MT and family are off at bachelor, so that was probibly someone else.

at least conditions have been ok at Mt. Bachelor: http://share.ise10.tv/MTB/FreeSkiDay2005.wmv Gotta get out there again ASAP. The free ski day rocked this year... a touch of fresh and surprisingly no crowds.