utahcarver

I never thought about swimming being a great way to rehab the shoulder. I wonder if I can still paddle a surfboard and if that would be good for the joint. Mark

No knee brace(s) needed at this point. I went back for seconds today and got to ride on some new runs that were cut over the summer. Nice rollers, steep to flat sections, and a huge off-camber section that deposits out at the lift that services that area. Because of the low snow totals I've been reluctant to ride. This morning we got 3-4 inches new and the Maverick performed well. I even tried out the shoulder a bit on some toeside turns and it held. I took some preventative measures to pain as soon as I got home. Ice, beer, and football seems to have alleviated any trauma the shoulder may have incurred. Mark

It's been over six month since my shoulder surgery and I finally got to make some turns today. I fell (softly) several times on the shoulder and it felt fine. My experience has been good overall. My fear is that I'll tear the shoulder again and might have to give up snowboarding. I don't know if I'd want to test the shoulder after another surgery. BTW, I rode the TD2 suspension kit (with new Raichle 413's) and noticed a dampened ride under foot. The day was cold and icy and I felt very comfortable setting an edge. Mark

With the TD2 Suspension Kit, is there ANY added deflection to the combined assembly? If so, what stops the 6mm bolts from failing due to fatigue? If no, does the e-ring of the TD2 and the yellow squishy urethane donut-thingy in the Suspension Kit act solely as dampening? Also, the spacer discs from the TD2 Suspension Kit make great coasters! Umm, no nix that, the holes allowed the condensation to get on my wife's coffee table. :( Mark

The board is an all-mountain shape. The boots are not familiar to me. Perhaps, I jumped the gun on this one. My initial interest was piqued because of Jeeps sponsorship of The King Of The Hill series (which allows/includes hardbooters to compete). Oh, and notice how he's scraping all the snow off of the hill, too. I bet Jeep loses a lot of sales to skier-types with this ad. :) Mark

Hey Thomas, I've looked at allboardsports.com, dupraz-ch.com, blue-tomato, and I can't find any retail pricing. What did the Dupraz cost you (if you don't mind me asking)? Did you get the D1 or the D2? Is the tail turned up shovel-like? Finally, why is it referred to as a 'pintail' when it is clearly a roundtail? Thanks, Mark

...I might take you up on it. If my son Andrew and I come down we'll give you a call before. Should I bring the new unridden Undertaker 185 also? Mark

My Tanker 200 stands in the corner waiting for the lifts to open at my local area. Brand new, never ridden. It's snowing outside, has been for the past 3 days. Supposed to open next weekend. Glad to hear you had fun on the Tanker. Mark

Tim, Surfing sure has its beauty in and out of the water. I just picked up the Dec. 2005 issue of Surfer Magazine just for the COVERSHOT. Shane Dorian at Teahupoo on September 11th. "Oh My God, Part 2" is the subheading. Here's the link to Surfer's homepage: Surfer Magazine Also, check out mid-way thru the mag: a hardbooter on toeside for Jeep.com; anybody know the rider doing the modeling? One of us, perhaps? Mark

I think Dmitri Milovich was the first to put metal edges on a 'snowboard' in the early '70s. It was a prototype before he had started production of Wintersticks. Winterstick.org might be able to confirm this. I remember an ad for Gnu snowboards in the first or second issue of International Snowboarder featuring a pic of Olson carving with those pink tongued Elfgen bindings. Mark

...it was a good way to start before I could get a freecarve or a race board. I rode on what boards I had (Rossignol Recycler and Rossignol Levitation) with lower angles and learned how to angulate. So, the advantage (to me) was that I learned how to carve at lower angles first. The disadvantage (to having plates on a freestyle board) was that I needed a stiffer board, both torsionally and laterally, in order to really pressure the board to make it carve. I still have plates on one freestyle board. Mark

...along with a pair of Intec heels for my TD2 step-in upgrade over the summer. One of the most common comments I get from anyone who try TD's is that they are too stiff. After explaining to them a short theory about linkage (bindings/boots) and reassure them that a stiff binding has benefits as well as drawbacks, they are still reluctant to ride the binding. By adding this suspension system I hope to convert some of these riders to the TD2's. Thanks, Fin! Mark

The Rippington's, ahhh! My favorite is Kilimanjaro! Mark

The Skwal website lists: Freeride 168cm 12m Freeride 173cm 10m Carving 183cm 15m There's a few more on the site: skwal.com

Is that really a Skwal the rider in the softboots is on? It looks a bit too wide to be a Skwal. Either which one, the photo shows me what I'm looking to know. I'm can't wait to get on the hill and try to experiment with some higher angles. My goal would be to be as front-facing the nose of the board. After seeing the pic I'm convinced that I wouldn't be attempting suicide by snowboard. As far as the softboots, I wonder how the boots were stiffened laterally? Mark

Dan, that sounds like a big minus to my idea. I hadn't/should've figured about pressuring the edge of the board. Mark

After seeing a couple of Skwals for bid over on eBay and after having spent several seasons contemplating if I'd ever want to buy a Skwal, I've come up with a question: What would be the negatives of setting up a race, freecarve, or even a freestyle deck to ride like a Skwal? Stance angles, that is. Aside from the obvious differences of board width, slower edge to edge transitions, and maybe flex, what might be some glaring differences? My TD2's look like I could set them to a Skwal stance angle without having to buy Skwal-specific binders. Any comments welcome. Mark

I got my Undertaker 185 today and I see there are more from evogear.com on ebay. Get'em while their hot. I'm getting another one to put in the basement. Mark

Last year, the local mall had Santa Claus visit the mall on Saturdays so that the kids could tell him what they wanted for christmas. The printing company I work for was one of the co-sponsors and printed the posters for the event and this was on the masthead of the poster: COME TO MALL AND SEE SATAN ON SATURDAY! We aren't being asked to co-sponsor ANY christmas event this year. Mark

The top buckle on the shells is what's in the way of threading the booster strap through the loops on the back of the plastic cuff. I'm not going to remove the buckle in order to have room for the strap. I can do what Digger said and wear it loose above the top buckle for a while until it feels comfortable. Pat, yep, putting the SBH's up and saving them for pow days. I was very impressed with the response of the 413's last year at WTC. Going back to the SBH's was like putting on softies. Mark

I've got a brand new pair of Raichle 413's and I've got a pair of Booster straps. Should I find a place to attach them to the shell or boot cuff or cinch them down unattached to the boots? Any solutions appreciated. Also, what problems can I expect with the lean mechanism that's on the 413's so that I can go ahead and get parts or be ready to make modifications? Can I add the new BOL/RAB when it gets in the store? Mark

Admittedly, the 198 is limited to the number of days I can put it on the hill. It's best days are weekdays when the hordes are locked up at work and school. Trust me, you can open it up and let'er fly when the conditions are right. But, again, those days have been about 2 to 3 days a season. That's the reason for the 185 purchase. The 185 is also more groomer-friendly and I figure I'll get about 6-7 days a season on it. I'll put TD2's on it first and maybe softies in the spring. Bryan, I'll let you know about the 198 via email. Mark

The 185 Undertaker should be delivered to my house by the end of this week! I've been looking for a 185 for almost 3 years now and thanks to being at home sick with the flu this morning I finally found one. Which means that I would consider offers for my 198 Rossi Undertaker. Black topsheet, white stylized cross; white bottom, red stylized cross. Topsheet has some divots from bindings digging into the topsheet; has small scratches and dings from normal use. Email for pics. (marboATprintwatkinsDOTcom) Mark

interested if the board is still available. Mark edit: Okay, I got WAY ahead of myself and forgot to read SOLD on the ad. Doh, doh, doh!

I've been working on a local ski/board shop owner. He already owns a Burton Alp and all the gear. He's a skier who is reluctant to be seen falling by his peers. I think I may have convinced him to try hardbooting again this year. I mentioned to him that if he grabbed one of the freeride boards from his rental stock, lowered his binding angles, and read the BOL articles I printed off for him, he'd fall in love with snowboarding. He knows how to snowboard now he's just got to learn to ride hardboots. I WANT this shop owner to convert to hardbooting so that would increase the chance of him carrying more alpine equipment and/or promoting it locally. Mark