D.T.

I am ~210lbs, ride yellow e-rings but most of the season ride in temperatures ranging from 0 to 20 degrees F. One warm day in January big Mario and I both stopped to check out our bindings, thinking that we had loose hardware. Things felt way too loose/sloppy. We both realized that the temperature was near freezing. The sloppiness we were feeling was just the e-ring being a little softer because the temperature that day was a lot warmer than we were used to. On certain boards, I switch to purple e-rings for spring-time riding.

Factor in that most of the riders commenting here are well over the 200lbs and riding in warmer climates, I have to agree with NateW: If you big guys want a plush ride, you have to sacrifice somewhere. The sacrifice is the durability of the e-ring. If you want to solve the durability problem switch to a red e-ring with a suspension kit. Granted the overall "spring rate" of this combination will likely be softer than running only the yellow e-ring (depends on actual durometers).

Taking another weekend off. :( Hopefully be back on the hill on the 12th or 13th, maybe both. Need to get some time in on the bike before then to get some strength back.

Ya gotta love Hank, both old and new! <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVV14cOHk6Q&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVV14cOHk6Q&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Great point Hugh , I forgot about that part. You definitely need something to create some space during the molding process so that you can wiggle your toes inside the boot while on the mountain.

Congratulations and welcome to the dark side! BTW - there is a gentleman who has been as SES the last several years. His is a WWII veteran, 82 years young, and tears up the hill on an alpine board. He is amazing!

My answer is crank them tight. My comment is based on experience and not interweb experts (no offense intended). The two times that Larry from Bootfitting by Larry has molded my liners (if you search, his name has popped up many, many times as, arguably, one of the best bootfitters in the country), he has cranked the buckles. One guess would be, the tighter the buckles, the more exact the impression of the leg/foot; hence, decreasing the likelihood of pressure points. Eliminating pressure points being part of the reason for getting moldable liners in the first place.

Very cool! :biggthump:biggthump:biggthump

The knee is back to about 70%; at least now it only hurts when I move. Hopefully I will get at least one more day in before the season is over.

She has gots tas works on Saturday. My knee hurts :( hence, no ridey for me this weekend. Hopefully my season isn't over.

Thanks! I'll see what I can figure out.

Hey Scott, aren't you an expert at having a screw loose? :D it's the red loctite that's permanent.

Rick, Do you know your schedule (travel, race, etc...)? I'd like to try to get up there for a day and meet you in person. Maybe bring Inkaholic up with me, hike up the hill early in the AM and watch some racing. I have some tentative work travel plans that week, but it looks like they may be postponed. Drop me a line when you get a chance. Dustin

PS - what is your boot flex like? What is your range of motion? If your boots are too stiff (especially at ~125#) you might not be able to drive your knees forward very well. I am a huge fan of the BTS kit, then there are other people like John Gilmore who have completely switched over to softer shells.

drive your knees, drive your knees and drive your knees. K, no offense intended, but at 8.2m SCR on the Donek, all you have to do is put it on edge and in an instant the board has turned 90*. :) I am reminded of this every time I get on my slalom board. Going from an 8.2m SCR to a 13.5m is a big jump so be patient, we are going through the same thing with Shelly going from a 7.8m to a 11.5m. It will take you a little while to make the transition. The best advice I can give is, make sure you have some open real estate on a run you know well, get some speed and drive your knees into each turn. If you watch the Monarch Invasion video, starting at 00:10 Inkaholic does a great job coming in low on a heel side, rising up in the transition and driving hard into the toe side. In that video sequence, he was on a super narrow section of groom (~2 groomer widths wide) on a Black run riding a 18.5m SCR 185cm SG Race. My point being, driving the knees will get the nose to initiate and start to decamber the board. <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7VCY_jXlx0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7VCY_jXlx0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

I'd say probably just hit Eldora and avoid the crowds

sumtin lik dis: <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rMcRJVY1-0&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rMcRJVY1-0&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Make it in a metal version, then put a little crunch-coat on it ala Christmas Vacation-style... we'll be in heaven!

Congrats Jon! It's all about getting days under your belt. It will take a person who rides 10 days per season longer to get the feel then it will a person who rides 30 days per season. Spend as much time riding as you can comfortably devote (read: without pissing off the wife too much), don't get frustrated, and "the feel" will come.

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?t=19978

His board is the '06-'07 model year (as shown by maroon faded to plum the top sheet). The "Race 78" only came in the titanal version that model year. In the '07-'08 model year, SG diversified by making the "Race" and "Race T" models, one with and one without titanal.

Boulder, CO 303-415-1600

- for squirtin', several years ago Dave (Mitchell) made me a small bladed Kinetic woodie. The blade is ~80% the standard Kinetic size. He also made the shaft softer than standard as I bought and used this stick right after I shattered my forearm. - for manky stuff I have a full carbon Remedy (stage 2 prototype). This thing is monster stiff and durable, yet lightweight. - Peter (Mitchell) made a friend and I wood shafted Remedy's (AFAIK, these are the only ones in existence) My friend is an old-school east-coast slalom racer and has really pushed Mitchell here in Colorado. I have spent some time on the phone with Peter now that he has taken over. They are a great family and it sounds like the company may really have the chance to take-off and do well. They have definitely treated me well:biggthump

I told Snowman that as soon as the Spring Gapers leave town, Shelly and I will make the trip over.

Tom - Is that a Mitchell stick I'm seeing in the photo? hmmm... Mitchell good!