Thumper

Thanks Nate - What was the length of your foot in cm?

Thanks Bob, That's what I figured. I thought I'd ask the question to preclude any "surprises" because I probably won't be able to return the boots if I choose unwisely.

For those of you riding UPZ RTR boots - My feet are 27.7cm, I currently ride Deeluxe Suzuka 27.5 boots (street shoe size is 10 1/2 but that's really n/a), would you recommend a 27.5 or 28 mondo UPZ boot using the stock liners? My feet are regular width with relatively high arches. Thanks, I just want to know if the "slightly smaller" rule applies to UPZs like it does to Deeluxe.

The only thing I can think of that would cause that is using the wrong length Power Plate screws so the screws bottom out before they achieve the correct clamping force. I'd ask Catek, they're usually pretty quick to respond.

That's funny, I have a pair of barely ridden Nordica SBHs that are too big for me, but they are 28.5s and may be a little tight. KingCrimson, measure your foot using this technique: http://www.bomberonline.com/store/boots/Sizing_boots.pdf and see what you come up with. All the bindings I've used (Bomber TD1 & TD2, Catek, Burton/Ibex and Phiokka) have worked fine with the SBHs which have a ski boot style DIN sole. The only issue I've seen with ski boots or the SBHs is that F2 toe bails don't fit right and you have to do some creative dremeling. F2 bindings are great -just not with ski-style boots.

There's a small cadre of carvers that regularly go to Bear Mountain and Snow Summit. When the opportunity permits, I occasionally go up to Mt High after work during the week. I have an F2 Roadster 166 and Freecarve bindings you are more than welcome to try. I can't help on the size 12s, though. Drop me an email, b.lamar at ca.rr.com

A little bit more crowded than usual due to some early Spring Breakers, but overall a great day. I saw several carvers. There was one guy with 1 Yellow and 1 Orange UPZ boots who just had a beautiful rotational, push-pull style.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230232442390&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=013

Where is that?

Gary, I was at Snow Summit today. Great in the morning, started to get pretty slushy around noon. I think Exhibition and Geronimo at Bear Mtn last an hour or so longer. Dark Clone could probably speak to that. Terry, I'm really interested in how John modified your setup.

I just bought a pair of F2 bindings off them, too. I had trouble with their website this time. 5 years ago, I purchased a board & bindings from them and it was straightforward and easy. This time, the website would never let me get to the "Payment" page. It would go straight to the Delivery page and say "Select Payment Type before proceding to this page" but you could never get to a page that would allow you to select a payment type. I emailed customer service, they reponded within 24 hours and the order was placed manually.

Very cool Ironduck. In an airplane, G is measured purely in the Pitch Axis -perpindicular to the wings, force driving you straight down into the seat. In cars, cornering G is measured along the yaw axis, force pulling your head /body sideways towards the outside of the turn. For measuring carving Gs, I had been thinking in terms of force generated from our center of mass straight through our feet, like an airplane. After further thought, however, the closest analogy would be a sport bike. Specifically, the increase in sprung weight a sport bike feels in a hard corner. Kind of a combination of the two approaches.

For me, at least, it was John's recommended technique of isolating the front heel for heelside initiation and and the rear toes for toeside initiation that helped me stack my weight right over the edge. The Gilmour binding bias enables and amplifies the effects of this technique.

This thing is like 4 inches deep and could be Velcroed to the snowboard itself. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/inpages/accelerometers.php Instruments - Accelerometers Mechanical Accelerometers This instrument registers "G" forces acting on the airframe during turbulence or aerobatic maneuvers. One pointer gives a continuous reading,the other 2 indicate maximum positive and negative loads. A reset knob is provided. In smooth, level flight the instrument indicates +1 "G". Small "G" Meter Range: -5G to +10G. Fits 2-1/4" dia. panel cutout. Weight: 0.7 lb. New Manufacture, Matte-White Dial Markings. FALCON G-METER SMALL 2-1/4 10-09800 $227.95

A lot of aerobatic airplanes have basic g-meters, you could probably velcro one between your feet that has a tattle tale and see what your max G was. For carving, my guess is about 1.5-2.0 max, if that. If it was 3 Gs, that's like your average 180 pound guy doing squats with 360 lbs (540 lbs total pounds exerted on the board.) While lots of guys may be able to exert that much force, I doubt if any could exert that much force and simultaneously retain the finesse necessary for a sustained carve. 3 G carving would be beyond spectacular to watch. Think of the trenches it would leave.

x2 on the 4807.

Dude, you are a genius. After having tested the Gilmour-bias settings on 3 boards during 3 sessions in a variety of conditions this week, tonight it just clicked. Almost the same conditions as the first test, but a little softer. I had set up the wider 168 wrong for the first test -heel bias on both feet (DOH!). Tonight it was setup according to your guidelines and it was like a different board. I have always had trouble carving in chopped-up, bumpy conditions, but by using a Gilmour-biased binding setup, turning by isolating power application to front heel or rear toe, being aware of my breathing, focusing on developing a rhythm and staying loose and aggressive, I was able to carve better than I have in the past even on hero snow. Now I understand what a couple of other carvers had tried to explain to me about setting your edge hard enough to carve through the surface imperfections in chopped up snow. Oh yeah, and crossunder turns seemed way easier, too. Your ability to take a complex concept and encapsulate it into easy to apply morsels of technique is, in my humble opinion, the sign of a truly gifted instructor. Thank you.

Bullwings sorry I missed you. I was at Bear, fun in the morning full slush by noon, too. The top of Geronimo stayed firm longer and was way fun until almost 1 o'clock.

SQ, That's a very creative idea. You may as well try it, you can always take it off if it makes it worse. If your shells aren't bigger than two fingers larger than your foot, a good bootfitter should be able to get you dialed in. If they are bigger than two fingers, a good bootfitter will tell you to get a smaller boot. Hope you get this sorted out, it's definitely a happy day when your boots just feel "right" for the first time.

Don't laugh, but I have 3 different thicknesses of socks to account for pack out in thermoflex liners between moldings. Thin, for right after they are molded, medium for when they are just right through most of their lifespan and thick for when they start to feel loose in the mediums.

Chubz I hope you worked out your setup issue. Have you tried going back to the TD-1s just to see if it is an equipment or technique issue?

I got a chance to try out Gilmour bias last night. Conditions were way less than great (skied up, choppy and refrozen corn snow made of pebble-size grains that had partially melted into slush during the day and then congealed into a solid bumpy mass, bad visibility and flat night lighting). My 5 previous sessions had been in excellent hero conditions so this is not a true apples-to-apples comparison. In all cases, though, John's descriptions were accurate. For testing, I left may angles and stance where they were and lived with a little rear boot overhang. 1. Burton Speed 168W 22.5CM Waist. 1/2" Bias. I use this board as an , on and off piste, general purpose and afternoon board. I felt more power to both edges, but the edge to edge roll rate seemed even slower than before. It really took me a while to adapt to not using my front foot to initiate toeside turns and was exactly what John described about too wide a board or too much bias. Definitely more power to the edges but too much stability. 2. Volkl RT 173 19CM Waist. Less bias because the Phiokka Machos ran out of forward adjustment at about 1/4" on my rear foot so I used 1/4" on both feet. Worked sweet, exactly as advertised. Neutral handling, more precise edge control and more power to the edge. It made the board feel more versatile even in the crappy conditions. I wonder if it is the binding placement or the technique/mindset of isolating "front heel=heelside" "rear toe=toeside" that produces the benefit. Especially on toeside, it seems like it helps automatically stack all your weight and downforce right over the edge and reduce any "break at the waist" tendencies. Thanks John ! This definitely warrants more experimentation in some better conditions.

John, Thanks for the beautiful explanation of the concept. I'll give it a try next week and report back.

JG, So what you are recommending is the opposite of using boot bias to minimize overhang/reduce binding angles? On a narrow board, I used to bias the front boot slightly forward in the binding and the rear boot slight aft to maximize the available "real estate" and ride the lowest angles the board's waist width and sidecut would permit without overhang. This always caused major discomfort in my rear foot and ankle (exactly like you describe), so now I usually just ride centered at slightly higher angles. I love your idea and have a couple of questions: How much Gilmour Bias do you recommend as a starting point? Do you just live with a little overhang until you get the fore-aft sorted out or do you adjust the angles at the same time as part of the process? A very intriguing idea --Thanks!

Thanks for the info. I think we have one of the only waterski slalom courses in Southern California. That back bay where the course is almost always smooth.