Markman

I posted the instructions in another entry in February/06. It might still be on this site. All the modification entails is getting stainless steel machine bolts and tee-nuts. If you can find metric, get 5mm for each. If unavailable, using #10 32 or 28 thread tee nuts is fine. Just replace the coarse thread screws with these: tee nuts inside the shell, machine bolts from the shell underside. For the tee nuts going right under the toes (there will be two others under the ball of the foot) you will have to use some side cutters to snip off one of the flanges to make it fit - it's a tight space here. This fix works fine (as long as you don't want to swap UPZ's "ski" toes back and forth -- which strikes me as retarded since the shell is way too soft for alpine skiing anyway). I have had no trouble with the toes even in -30 C conditions (oh how I love Tremblant on a spring day!). I have never heard of the toes pads stripping off even without the modification. If worry about the this toe 'nonissue' is keeping you from buying a set of these boots, don't let it. IMHO they blow away both Raichle/Deeluxe and Head in performance trenching (yes, I've used them all for extended periods of time). BTW, Virus just has UPZ shoot a run of plastic in black instead of red which they then put their own name on. There are two different types of plastic that are used however: nylon - thinner and stronger; polyurethane - thicker and less strong. That being said, on a person's foot, the shell stiffnesses feel the same because of the slight difference in shell thickness. M

I have been offered $75 USD, but haven't received any confirmation or $. I should add one detail: the bias tape (that's the cloth strip that gets folded over the edge of various textile things) on one flap of the liners had been crimping was pushing into my instep when the boot was buckled. I removed the tape from that flap and had the shoemaker oversew the edge. There's not much of a picture to take of it -- just an edge of EVA foam with stitching through it. M

Intuition sizes their liners in US sizes. However, size 8 corresponds to a 26 mondo Speed Thermo. Size 9 corresponds to a size 27. Photo of the size 9 is attached. Size 8 looks the same. M

I have 2 pairs of 2005/06 Intuition Liners, the higher, stiffer ski boot model for sale. One is size 8 the other size 9. Each has been molded once, except the right foot on the size 8 which was done twice. Size 8 has 1 day on them - wrong size for me, Size 9 has 5 days on them - the boot they were in blew up and I am using the stock liners that came with the warranty replacement boot. Best offers. Thanks, M

UPZ boots come in two different plastics: a thinner polyurethane (slightly stiffer) and a thicker polyamide (less stiff). You have to specify which you want when ordering. Most people are on the the polyamide shells. If anybody wants the full story, right from the horse's mouth, why not just contact Dan who runs UPZ Boot North America at yoja@cablerocket.com ? He doesn't participate in the Bomber forum to any great extent (I think he's pretty busy between running UPZ Boots and admin duties at Sunshine Village). M

I started years ago and held off on soft booting until I found gear that was stiff enough to carve with. The setup that I have that works amazingly well is the F2 Hurricane boot with F2 high back Intec bindings (you have to purchase the boot and binding together) and a Nitro Dark Horse board. I have used this set up in everything from big bumps to deep Kicking Horse pow to Tremblant ice and it seems to perform in everything. The liner on the Hurricane is full thermo with a tongue, so it's similar to a Garmont G-Fit liner. The Intec setup is clever in that the connection point is under the arch, not the heel as with hardboots. There are two hitches: (1) it's a spendy set up - but I plan to keep it for a while; (2) the F2 softboot Intec setup is only available in Europe -- I got mine from www.blue-tomato.at with a 3-day delivery to Canada using DHL Express. M

Just thought I would pass this pic along. It is of next year's Deeluxe 325. Indy and Suzuka remain, but the SB series is being revamped. For all of you who despised the plastic ratchet buckles, check these out. It is meant as a performance freecarve boot and also for entry level racers. M

Hey Greg, All you have to do is go to USPS, buy an international priority mail envelope, and stick the MO in that. The Priority Mail envelope is trackable. As for getting an international MO, usually the post office sell them. M (am up in Canada, but have sent many items back and forth across the line).

Got in touch with the guys at Starting Gate this am, boots are on the way. Not a bad price either. Thanks again, M

Anybody know where on the face of this earth I can pick up a set of Head Stratus Pro's in 26.5 mondo? Would prefer current season model and new. Thanks, M

TD2's are sold. Thanks for all the replies. M

I've attached a photo. Bindings have been used about 10 sessions, so have the usual shiny bits where the heel pins engage the heel receiver. Otherwise, as new condition. They are the 4 hole version. Thanks, Mark

Just wanted to pass on some small changes I made on my recently acquired UPZ's that have worked: Liners: Ditch those crap-ass stock liners. If you have a tight fit in your boots, try the Scarpa Thermoform "Tall" liner (available from Black Diamond in the US, MEC in Canada). It's both tall and compressible enough. The Intuition "Race" ski boot liner also works, but is abit short. If you have an average fit, the Deeluxe Speed Thermo is the way to go (www.yyzcanuck.com in Canada, Bomber in the US). Toe Pad: With the self-tapping toe screws, you might notice some gapping/bend of the toe pad when cranking on the toe bail. It seems that with this sort of give, it might fail altogether. You can replace the self-tapping screws with 5mm tee nuts and 5 X 16 mm machine bolts. Small washers are needed also. For the holes closest to the toes, one of the flanges needs to be cut (side-cutters work fine) or ground off the tee nut because there isn't enough room for it at the front/inside of the shell. If metric hardware isn't available, use #10x32 tee nuts and #10x32 3/4" machine bolts. M

Happy Holidays to All, I mentioned to my sister last spring that I was looking for a new set of hard plate step-ins -- and presto! under the Xmas tree was a spanking new set of Catek OS's. Too bad I didn't tell her I had already bought some TD2's. For reasons of family politics, the Catek's stay and the TD2's go. Got 'em last spring, in top shape. 3 degree plates with purple (medium) bumpers. Reasonable offers entertained.

Deeluxe liners are sold. Thanks! Sheffy, I'm always surprised by what crap-ass liners manufacturers use as stock in many boots -- ski, snowboard, telemark -- take your pick. Case in point is the UPZ liner. It has almost no structure and the "thermoformable" part of it is no more than a couple of EVA patches on either side of the ankle. The more surprising part is that these stock liners probably cost more to make than either the Deeluxe or Intuition liners which come from China -- and are substantially better. Overall, I am more impressed with the Intuition liner (the taller ski boot model). It heat-compressed nicely, holds its shape under continued use, and your feet never get cold. It is thinner than the Deeluxe, which worked well with my RSV's (I probably should be in a set of 27-27.5's, but I wanted a really close fit so took a pair of 26-26.5's with the thinner shell). The down side is that they are not as soft as other liners, and are short for the UPZ boot -- they just make it out of the shell. This is really only a problem getting into the boot when you have to tug upwards on the liner. You can get the Intuition liner from either Dave Morgan at www.yyzcanuck.com or Esta Evans at www.intelligentfit.com (both are in Toronto and both charge about $140 CAD). Another alternative is the Scarpa tall liner. It has similar structure to the Intuition (ie., the whole liner is moldable, no fixed neoprene toe cap like the Deeluxe) but is tall enough for the UPZ boots. I have a pair of these on hand that I have yet to try, but they look good -- I was able to cut the liner foam at the overlapping forefoot areas to give me more volume without having to do any stitching, etc. www.mec.ca says that most sizes are sold out, but there seems to be a good stock of them at the Vancouver (Burard St.) MEC -- easy to get them to mail order to Vernon. Call the store first, tell them to hold onto a set for you, then call the toll-free MEC Online number and they'll take care of the rest. Down side is that they cost $199, but they are made in Italy and look to be better quality out of the box (if that counts for anything). I'll be out at Silver Star end of January, but I'll be riding my Nitro Dark Horse (it actually carves way better than many of the speed sticks I've owned). M

To JC: I usually go half/half on the shipping cost with the buyer. That will be between 5 and 10 bucks as an additional cost. Tube vs heater: I follow what you're saying. Tubes are used as a start to get a rough idea if the liner will actually be ok, if so, then to the full oven treatment. Deeluxe liners compress about 15 to 25% (tops), Intuition liners (the stiffer ski boot model) compress up to 50% and Scarpa liners are between the two. For my boots I have a minimal space, and these liners just will not compress enough. The Intuition liners are just a bit short, but I will go with them. FYI, all EVA thermoform liners become more stiff with each heating so the less heat you use to achieve your fit, the more supple they stay. Some of the telemark guys will actually take their unheated liners and just stuff them in their boots, suffer for 5 days, and get a soft yet formed fit (not the way I would do it!).

Deeluxe Speed Thermo liner, 06 model, size 26 for sale. I just bought these the other day, but they are too puffy for my minimalist fit UPZ boots. These were tube heated once so can be oven heated 5 times. Liners didn't even make it to the hill. Bomber sells for $139, I'll take $100.

Boots have been sold to KAW -- thanks!!

Hi Nic, Those were 26 shells that I had -- I'm pretty sure you just made a small typo. Anyway, those boots sold a couple of hours ago. It looks like you're in Canada also, so try to get in touch with Dave Morgan at www.yyzcanuck.com, dave@yyzcanuck.com (he's in Toronto). He and Andrea are now the Deeluxe distributors for Canada so he might have some parts for you to do your mods. M

Looking for new feet to claim them, size 26.0 Deeluxe Indy with Thermoflex liner, 2005 model. Boots have seen limited use and are in great condition. The only wear is slight scuffing on the lower right shell from hopping to lift lines. Liners were professionally molded once, so can be molded 5 more times. Deeluxe booster strap included. Looks like the upcoming 2006 model is unchanged from this one, so save on boots and spend on lift tickets. Asking $285 USD. Price includes shipping within the lower 48 and Canada.

Hi Nic, I have a pair of 2004/05 (red) Indy's in a 26.0 shell that I am willing to part with, shells only. They are pretty new, so I am not sure what you are looking for price-wise. I noticed that you are looking for a UPZ in a 26.5 also. FYI, I am currently using the UPZ RSV in a 26.5; to me it fits the same as the 26.0 Indy. M

Looking for a new pair of feet to call home, size 26.0 mondo Deeluxe Indy with Thermoflex liner, 2005 model. Boots have seen limited use and are in great condition. The only sign of use is slight scuffing on the lower shell from hopping to lift lines. Liners have been professionally molded once, so can be molded 5 more times. Deeluxe booster strap included. Upcoming 2006 model is unchanged from this one. Asking $275 USD. Price includes shipping within the lower 48 and Canada.

This board has a new home. Thanks for looking (doesn't that sound annoyingly eBay'ish?) M

2005 f2 Speedster Sl 163cm for sale. Sure it's almost summer, but it always snows -- eventually. Offering up my Speedster, a sweet ride, extremely low miles (about 10 sessions), A+ condition. Asking $315 USD, easily shipped within North America.

Also try www.yyzcanuck.com