JJFluff

Looks like he is sitting on a toilet.

This is true, much more lateral flex in a softer binder, than the td series. Its rider preference. I've been on a softer binding for so long that the td2 seemed very ridged....that being said when I end up on a td3 it will be fine as well. You just need to fight through the transitional period. I would say that a stiffer binding on a softer board will just change the amount of play or movement needed to get a similar result from the board. But with different body movements this constantly changes as well. A softer binding is kind of like play in a steering wheel. The end result is the same, you just need to turn it further to get the result. But if you put on a new steering wheel, the first time you turn it, you better be ready for the quick reaction, or you'll end up in the ditch. Your riding will or should be able to be similar over time with either binding as rider input is much more important than gear, in my honest opinion. And that is with 17+ years riding on hard gear.

This is good stuff, unfortunately many will miss the madness as this post will surely be moved for the safety of us all. Just more big-government looking out for us. What would we do with out them?

All boards can be ridden at different turn radius's. All that needs to be done is to get the board up on a higher edge angle. The amount of edge angle will dictate the amount of force needed to complete the turn. This will allow the board to bend more creating a tighter radius. At lower edge angles, the snowboard when pressured reaches the snow sooner which lessens the radius of the turn. The force that is generated is done by pressuring the edge differently with compression, body positioning throughout the duration of the turn, and using the slope itself. You can even create larger turn radius's at higher edge angles by allowing the edge to disengage mid turn, then resetting the edge, changing its direction of travel. You can get the board on a higher angle using angulation like most would agree on here, or inclinate your entire body mass as one. By keeping your body more inline, it allows the "weighting and unweighting" to occur in your turns much more efficiently. You can lower your center of gravity by compressing down, not by bending at the waist. It keeps your body in a much more athletic position, and thus you have much more control over the board and each individual turn.

I did ride out of it, I think there was a little chatter though. Chatter turns a 167cm board into a 180cm board.

If you are new to hardboots it could just be your body adjusting to the new pressures that are being exerted on it. Not sure how good of shape you are in, nor am I a medical professional by any means. I went out west once with a friend who really hadn't been doing much physical activity for a while. He had once been an avid hardbooter/turned accountant. Once he started riding with me, pushing him harder than I should have, he developed some bad bruising as well. He ended up taking a long afternoon off, sleeping at the lodge.

Photos courtesy of Buck Hill's finest located near Minneapolis, MN

You've earned that right Bill! Try not to brake any bones at the SES this year. Not that it will slow you down or anything.

You need to separate your knees.....more.

I miss powder.

I was the out of stater at buck hill on Christmas eve, plus I would say we have around 7-10 total that I know of in our area.

To answer some questions about the early beginnings of Burton vs. Sims, I suggest watching the movie "Ride" , the Craig Kelly story. I think it was well done and talks a lot about the history of the two snowboard teams, their beginnings and the feud over Craig Kelly and who "owned him". Apparently Tom Sims was more worried about the surf than his business, and whenever the waves were big he would close shop. As he said, "Not a good way to run a business". Back on topic, I am a snowboarder, not a skiboarder, I have been snowboarding on an alpine snowboard going on 18 years now, before many of the park boys and girls were born. I can ride better than them both on hard and soft gear so I am not about to give them the satisfaction of declaring myself a skiboarder or anything other than a snowboarder. With that being said, if I am not watching riders carving up the snow, I much prefer to watch skiing as well. Anybody who is carving is alright with me. Even the few who know how to ride a soft setup correctly. Of course, I honestly think that it is about 3 percent of the snowboard population. But that it was we are here for to teach the tail sliders there is more to life than kickers, tabletops, and fun boxes.

Hi Trent, Hopefully the cats will get out early and take a few more passes over the now saturated "snow". I'll post again once I know for sure whether or not I'll be going. I'll keep and eye out for you.

Great pics, everyone. Just wanted to say I had a great time riding with everyone. I will definately be looking at trying to get up for the session in January. I couldn't believe the turnout and it was nice not being the only hardbooter on the hill. Also, I do think I may be going to the afton alps on Saturday. Not totally sure but thats what it looks like now. Of course the weather will make for some interesting conditions but thats the midwest for you. So I know I mentioned to a few of you I would be going out again so let me know if anyone will be out.

I agree with this as well, you need to have the correct body position, (opened up to the turn) as you set the heel edge for the turn. So once the toeside turn has run its course, and the board "pops" you off the edge make the transition, landing "open" to the turn and complete the heelside

A couple of days ago a couple of ski racers were making a ghost run so I joined in next to them, they didn't have a chance, blew them away.

Here are a few photos of heelsides. Notice how the body is opened up to the turn. Eyes are always looking in the direction of travel, not down the fall line. A lot of times people say rotation is bad, but this is good rotation. The pressures created are passed down through the hip and unto the effective edge. You can also notice how when opened into the turn on heelside, when compression occurs the body is in good alignment above the edge. A good athletic balanced position.

Hey guys, I am up here in Plymouth now and I'm all set to ride tomorrow, permission and all. Few inches of fresh snow should make for some really nice conditions. Keep an eye out for me and I will see you all tomorrow morning. Jon

Whats up speedster. I am at Sunburst a ton. I work as a trainer for the snowboard school, as does the other guy I was talking about in the earlier post. I am there every monday night for sure, and then usually one or two other times a week. You can email me at (jon jansen15 at yahoo dot com) as well. Let me know the next time you can head up and I'll probably be able to get there as well.

Its like Nate said, by moving your trailing hand, (right) forward, it will help to keep your body moving forward into the turn. You ultimately want to get your right shoulder (trailing shoulder) more forward, moving with the turn. Stand in the living room, in a good stance, rotate your upper body so that you are facing forward while your feet remain in the postion that they would be in on your board. Now compress down and you will notice your butt is closer to the ground, "lower center of gravity" but at the same time your butt is not hanging out over the edge. It is 'stacked" above the board. If you try the same thing and keep your shoulders more in line or parallel with the board or direction of travel, like how you are riding in the video you will notice that your butt now hangs outside of the board -toilet sitting-. Your heelside wash out is occuring due to something I call "blocking". It is due to any form of counter rotation. That means that everything from the waist down is trying to move in one direction, like your edge,board,feet, shins, and so on up to the hips, while above the waist your body is moving in the opposite direction, or at least staying static. I find when I ride, which is somewhat different to most on this site, everything works and moves together as one. On heelsides for instance, the board moves moves on the snow in an arc from right to left, ending at times facing uphill. I need to make sure that my body ends up there as well. So to make a long story short, next time on the hill, I would isolate my heelside turn. Make a nice smooth large radius heelside, ending facing uphill. Making sure that your eyes are looking in the direction you are traveling and keeping your body opened up, chest facing the same direction that the nose of the snowboard is. Let me know sometime when you guys are out at sunburst too, we can take some turns together. There are two of us hardbooters you are there pretty regularly

So are you saying that you basically want to end up traversing but without any edgeing?

Sounds like this is going to be a great time. I'm jealous we don't have a good hard bootin contingency around here. There is really only two of us that stick around the area to ride.

Hey trent, I loved that camera too, so I bought one. :D

I was just thinking about this a couple of nights ago. I have gotten to the point where I feel extremely comfortable on my board. Where I feel improvement is being able to ride at higher and higher speeds while maintaining that same feeling of comfort and total control. If the board isn't bucking me around, the upper body can be put in a good position, and stay quiet throughout the turn at speed. And the edge continues to just stick. Even since last season the ability to just let the board run for me has improved. This is my 15th year on hard gear and still improving. It's a great feeling. I feel when I am at my best, the board on my feet "disappears". It is there to "catch me" as I fall down the hill but it is almost working on its own as I move down or across the slope as I wish. You feel almost weightless.

Well, this answers my questions from my post. Looks like it is going to be a for sure thing for this guy. Count me in.