felix
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Posts posted by felix
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Well it took so long because before Kessler began dominating the worldcup with their titanal boards everyone thought it wouldn't be good for snowboards or some other stuff (like too expensive).
I know that a german ski boutique VR or Voigt Ski builded some demo 2x titanal raceboards in 98 but I think they couldn't get any world cup riders to jump on them.
Remember that there are very few to no consumer skis with titanal out there. However nearly all skis called "race departement" feature titanal (even Atomics - but the SL and GS are only available on team stock as titanal editions). However in the race scene I think titanal is on the podiums since 99 or so, coming just slightly after the beginning of the carving era. Titanal had been used in skis before I think but not to that extent. The real rush came 2 years ago when demand was so high that titanal sports couldn't keep up to the orders.
If you see Titanium on the topsheet you should know its some cheap Alu inside, if it says titanal at least its some expensive Alu mix (with no titanium inside as often mistaken).
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Just found an interview in the daily paper of Graz, Sigi said they are building arount 1000 boards at Elan for this season for him. He hopes to make some money out of it soon, hope he is not broke before (pay as a snowboard professional is not that great, and furthermore if you are your sponsor for your snowboard it leaves off the main sponsor).
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Hi, thanks for the old burton catalogs.
I just discovered that I own a 1997 burton carbon race plate (the top model for non-stepin), featuring a true titanal base plate and carbon reinforced upper. Wonder how much people would pay for it on ebay America, if someone paid nearly 100 bucks for the much lower end burton carrier.
Quite a lot racers in the worldcup still use the burton carbon race plates. Wish I could still find some cant adjusters for them.
(BTW I got that binding in 2001 new on a 1 times used Speedster RS (01/02 modell) for 150 bucks in a sport shop were they simply did not know much about what racing means. It was marked with a tag. "Board broken? Or simply unrideable" with the plates mounted at 5° back and 15° front. Well no wonder if they set you up this way as a beginner that you can't ride that board.)
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I'm going to test one in Feb when they agreed to visit a eastcup/styrian cup race (the only non FIS race series we've got in eastern Austria) with a test stand. Heard lots of good reports bout the new SG Race line (all titanal boards - yeah). They're manufactured by Elan like F2 and quite a lot others but not designed and researched by the F2 marketing wackos.
Sigi actually got quite a lot of WC racers to switch over this year to his boards. The race is according to Siggi the real deal like they ride in the worldcup. The speed is a carving board without titanal construction. All riders that have tried the Race (a bit unlike the Speed) are pretty stoked about the board. Price is 799€ RRP, so its just 100 more than the Speedster RS,
Seems to me that Kessler got a real competitor besides Tomahawk now.:D
I think SGS scored most podiums this season after Kessler in the Worldcup. And my local idol Benjamin Karl rides one too:1luvu:
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Is there any numbers you know about BX safer on softboots vs hardboots?
I find landing jumps much easier on hardboots as long as I do straight jumps. As well I think that hardboots protect your knee better than softies (when I rode BX I was on both, and yes I did have a 3 strap Proflex (F2) binding which was available via coaches though not in the official catalog).
I crashed my ACL on a soft setup during a BX and I'm sure I could have gotten out of it on my hard setup (simply landing on the table which had happened in training to me on hard setup to but didn't pose any problems and then practically folding the knee to fast meaning byebye ACL).
It's true that it's easier to land sideways on a soft setup but I think its no problem on straight jumps. on a raceboard your quicker during the turns, but on the flats I give preference to soft setup as it seems stabler to mee. Maybe a 22cm wide soft raceboard might do the trick, but not a 19.5cm GS. If the course has sharp turns and long straight go soft, if it has long turns and no good walls go for the raceboard. Just remember that most softboards from riders that dominate SBX come from Kessler and Co like in GS/SL (i.e. Palmer riders get Kessler). I can react quicker on a softboard therefore softboard is good when your in the pack or at the end, if your leading a raceboard is great - meaning you must have a good qualification run(s).
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Well this technique shown here simply sucks IMO. Neither gratefull nor anything else. Off course some skills are needed for it and I'm sure the guy ain't a bad skier but proper extremecarving on skis looks different. Meaning high plates (yeah - can you remember the 8 to 10cm plates of the past), a 8cm middle width ski and much more speed.
Ever watched worldcup skiers training SuperG - they scrape the slope with their buds too - If they didn't break at the waist they'ld be very low too. Remember that their plug boots are friggin tight to prevent bootout.
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I use my Fischer ski innerboots instead of the Raichles AF600 non moldable innerboot - what a great step forward. Not only are they way more confy (lower volume in general but much higher up due to the rigid sole) but as well do they have a really hard plastic tongue (around 5 mm of plastic). The really stiffen up the boot.
Burton Driver X inserts suck. They IMO loosen up your setup, they don't stiffen at all. Never seen such a crap before. Once inside you can't tighten your softboots anymore and for hardboots they are way to thin to do anything. I'ld go for ski innerboot wit a hard tongue and if it isn't hard enough just put some medical cast material on them. 5-6 layers should be plenty stiff. This cast material is a bit expensive though in my eyes. (I got the ski boot so it was no problem taking the inner, otherwise this is even more expensive).
If you truly want a hard boot don't go for the Head but go for the 5buckle UPZ, thats way stiffer than any other snowboard boot (at least the modells 2 years ago, they were softened a bit though).
Think as well that maybe its your technique that you should change, not the hardness of your boot. Hard boots give confidence and are good for racing but not certainly needed for carving.
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By Bobd
The problem now is people think I'm a great skier because I can carve well. The truth is, once I'm off my edges I suck.
100% agree. Once I venture off piste and it gets difficult I feel way more secure on my snowboard. Doing Slalom or GS Gates on Skis is IHMO way easier than on a snowboard.
And great picture. Everyone allways tells me they think I'm on a snowboard if they wouldn't see my skis, but I think I never looked as alike to snowboarding than you on your skis.
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I'ld love to see a 720 on a snowboard too, carved off course.
As for doing 360s, its easy if you do it in a flat section of the hill, like a wide traverse. So basically you can carry full speed for the first 180 degrees.
I've seen skiers do 720. On slaloms I can achieve like 540 but no more. It's easier on skis I think
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You can't fit it to inserts. You can fit it easily to Tomahawk boards (they tend to come without inserts), Kessler, Elan Race boards and all other titanal boards just like you mount bindings on skis.
See picture above, its no inserts but plain holes
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Yeah, mounting the bindings closer to the edges should either give you more power, or reduce stress on the board as far as I can understand.
Is F2 (well for sure you mean Elan ingenieurs?) developing its own system independantly of S-Flex? At Sölden most racers were already using either the Hangl-Spirig or the S-Flex system. Sigis boards are manufactured by Elan too. Actually Elan has allways had some great raceboards under their own label - however I think you have to pick them up at the factory. Even for Austrian amateur racers they are hard to get.
For some very basic info on s-flex look at www.sflex.de. However I think that the Hangl system is way more advanced.
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I couldn't see any boys using the new boot at the Sölden Worldcup. However Amelie Kober won on the 325T and some other girls had that boot on as well. May be incorrect as I only watched it on tv (both races on live with full duration on Austrian television).
Can't say more for the moment
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I also know of the story of the French guy (can't remember his name) who had a sherpa carry his soft-boots to the summit of Everest, up the South Col route. He put them on, on the summit and dropped into the North Face... never to be heard of again.
Are you certain not talking bout Marco Siffredi from Chamonix?
I'm not that sure if he was using soft boots or if he was in hardboots up at Mt.Everest. One thing for sure was that he knew what he was doing and according to a eye witness who was in the Team of Stefan Gatts to climb up Mt Everest (Stefan Gatts was on a custom built 1.4kg snowboard with Duotone topsheet - which was practically falling apart once he reached the base camp, with hardboots) Marco had better equip than did Stefan. While Stefans bindings failed as some metal broke Marco had supposedly no big problems. Marco did not carry up much stuff himself (I think someone carried his oxygen so he could carry up his snowboard, whereas Gatts took up oxygen for himself and his snowboard). Marco reached the summit just a few hours after Gatts.
However everyone described Marco as an responsible person. He died two or three years ago in an avalanche on Mt Everest.
I know Marco Siffredi used Softboots on loads of scary first-descents in the Mont-Blanc region. He was famous for going down a 200m near vertical face on a snowboard at Mt.Blanc without ropes just smashing in his ice-axe after every jump-turn. Noone had ever descended that face, not even as iceclimber. Never ever seen anyone afterwards who went down such things without beeing attached to a rope.
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Anyone ever folded the nose on a backside carve?
I folded the nose two times on a Speedster RS (the old grey model which was lots stiffer than the new yellow one). Both times it was on the frontside. One time it just happened without me knowing why, second time I carved down a really steep slope, pretty much man-made snow only, and got caught on stuck with the nose at the intersection of the groomers runs. However I never got the nose to stick in the snow on my backside, not even near.
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I do ski quite a lot too.
Stopped skiing some 13-14 years ago at age of 7-8. I never was a great skier back then on those straight skis.
Now I came back last season and it was a blow. Got some Race Stock Slalom skis and they're just a blast.
I mainly use them on steep an icy slopes. The harder the slope the more fun. I usually take em out when it gets too icy for my snowboard (very low resort with 80% man made snow).
On flatter resorts I prefer women GS race skis with 21m radius (newer ones moved up to 26-27m radius). I did try some mens 205cm Atomic SuperG skis for a race but it's a level too high for me. I just freaked out trying to bend them (well I was as well 10kg too light according to the Atomic rep).
However I prefer raceskiing technique.
Stepping over from my GS Snowboard to my slalom raceskis is easier than going to my slalom raceboard. I bet most hardboot snowboarders rock on skis on their first day. Best is never to have skied before IMO. Snowboarding IMO heavily improves skiing technique.
For ski-extremecarving I would recommend some 80-90mm midfats in 165ish length with short radius like Metron B5 (which is a copycat from the original Snowrider that is 80mm/162cm/12m radius since 1993 - being one of the first carving skis - The developper Herbert Riberich had plans for carving skis since 1980 but ÖSV didn't like his ideas). Most good skis are all 2x titanal/sandwich production. However except from snowrider, available in Europe only (you may contact ex worldcup racer Nicola Zeiss at Edelwiser for US-imports - they may do it) there are not many wide carving skis with top notch construction.
Kessler carving skis are supposed to be great too I've heard. However consider paying the price of 2 snowboards.
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Well on top of the Kesslers, F2s(produced by Elan or in France? as F2 does not produce snowboards - its only a brand) and Tomahawks there were: SG Snowboards (made by Sigi Grabner/ Elan? in Fürnitz Austria) by Sigi Grabner and Roland Fischnaller (who both made it to the finals), Oxess by Gilles Jaquet and maybe others? anything else for the mens?
I didn't watch out what the girls where riding. Kessler dominance here was even bigger - but for sure as well a lot of Tomahawks, some F2s, some Oxess.
Brands that didn't appear anymore but were still quite big brands for years ago in Salt Lake City: Oxygen, Burton (=produced at Oldenbürg --> www.oldenburg.at), Rossignol
Bindings: most were F2 and Burton
Boots: Most Dee Luxe and Burton
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hihi in Austrian television they pretty much showed the whole SBX and PGS including say 80% off the qualifiers. I really didn't get how Bozetto snapped two binders - but they didn't look like F2 standard binders.
The new Hangl-Plate on Schochs and Sigis board is somehow crazy too - I know -Sigi was the first one on that Hangl plates - seems others are enjoying it too by now.
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Yip, that was crazy. I don't get how 2 bindings release just by riding through a little hole. Off course I'm happy for Siggi, I think he could have bet Simon but Filou is in my eyes even one level up. Sigi Grabner and Mathieu were the only persons in PGS mens and womens semi-finals not on Kesslers. Damn - seems that 60-70% did ride a Kessler. With Roland Fischnaller (last 16) on SG Snowboards they were pretty much the second best brand in the mens PGS.
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Oh I think I still have a pair of these at home. (actually two pairs as one is from my sister). They were produced at Marker. However I don't think they were that stiff - but they fitted very well and had a relatively short sole.
Did your one also have that stepin binding with the big lever which looked a bit similar to the heel piece of a ski binding? the boot had two big metall rods into which the binding cklicked in. However I hated the binding as if it was around the freezing temperature it would clog up with snow. I always needed to ask skiers for their sticks to hammer the snow out.
The color was ugly. Dark Green binders and light brown/dark green shoes.
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I have been thinking about ways to make a stiff soft boot set-up and it just dawned on me last night that "Roller Blades" used to be all hard boot style but now are mostly a soft boot with a funky plastic supporting binding.
Have snowboard bindings ever experimented with this style of binding set-up?
Is there any reason that it wouldn`t work?
Well many soft step in systems were made very similar. Stiff plastic bottom including stiff highback and then the rest made soft.
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Hey, I don't compete (anymore - did some Fis stuff and Austrian EC some years ago). The whole statement is from Sigi. - I better format it (though like 3-4 years ago I was in the same team as Karl Benjamin as we both live in Lower Austria but already by then I had no chance against him if he didn't crash)
However I think I will give Sigis boards a try in Februar (they can be tested for free in Turrach - Austria). I just thought it's interesting that a new brand enters the worldcup. AFAIK they are produced at Elan but developed by Sigi Grabner only
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Well I have a softboot setup I've made quite stiff. Out of the box they are never as stiff as a hardboot.
Meaning actually I get less forward lean on my softies than on my hardboots however every boot has it's own advantages:
For my raceboards I will always use a hardboot
For carving on my Softboard my setup is a Proflex Boardercross Binding (never sold to the public) with a Burton DriverX which has two straps added to it so its not sloppy anymore and a Powerstrap at the top working as 3. Strap. This is bombroof. Stiffer in the forward flex than my hardboots (AF600), but softer to the sides. However this is not comfy at all. If I had a hardboot/binding setup with softboot like side flex I would directly get out of them and use plates and hardboots for everything. But at the moment I don't like using hardboots with lower angles than 40°/30°.
I'm trying to build myself a very stiff tongue for my softboots so that I won't need the Powerstrap anymore. Goot something in my mind and will try it out soon.
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told that the life span many skis with metals such as titanal are short and do break easily
I have seen a few "bent" pairs of Volkl P50s and P60s that seems to back up what some of these skiers have told me
it seems that its a issue that rears its ugly head when you flex the ski to a point and the metal shears away from the other meterials at this point eveything fails, the ski folds and is toast
I could be wrong but I bet that is a huge part of the failurs with anything with titanal in it
perhaps this will be sovled with new resins or something?
Huh - Never heard of it. All SuperG and DH skis are 2*titanal Sandwich - even Atomics (they've never used their beta system for the speed skis) however even for worldcuppers there on the skis for 2-3 years vs slalom skis that usually hold up only 1 year for racers.
I ride a Snowrider race stock slalom ski. Been on it for 20 days and its like new. Before i bought it I tested one which was supposedly around 150days old and still skied better than the Fischer Worldcup SL I tried out pretty new (as well race stock). That's as well 2*Titanal (4mm) and a solid wood sidewall construction. Never heard of any returns at Snowrider since they let Voigt build their skis. (Voigt does build race snowboards too - however not available to the public - you can say them the specs you want and they will build it - they have been using titanal since 97).
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What do you think about the following statement taken from Sigi Grabner Homepage, can the Kessler dominance be broken?(knowing there are quite a lot of other SGS riders on the worldcup like Karl Benjamin.:
PGS in Kronplatz ITA16.01.2006 - 12:36 von Sigi Grabner
A 10th place in the PGS in Italy was not really what I wanted to achieve! Although I really like the slope in Kronplatz and although the weather was fine and the snow was great, I had to let Nicolas Huet from France advance to the next heat.
What had happened? Well, I was too direct at the 5th gate and missed it - DQU and penalty time. In the re-run I catched up more than 1,1 seconds but he made no mistake and I was edged out! This meant 10th place, and we are going to have a revenge next time!
The podium was finally "pure Swiss": Philipp Schoch, Simon Schoch, Marc Iselin and Gilles Jaquet.
I feel however very positive about two things
- that Marion Kreiner on SG SNOWBOARDS had a good performance and ended 6th!
- that both Simone Salvati and Roland Fischnaller on SG SNOWBOARDS have fixed their Olympic Qualification and are ready for TORINO 2006!
I will have some days of riding in Italy and then we will go ahead for the next stop in Nendaz, Switzerland next Sunday!
CU there!
Anybody seen these boards before?
in Carving Central
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@ mc-Alex
Have you ridden it in other lengths too?
I wanna go for the 78 too, my weight is around 70kg and 180cm. What bout you? (my skilllevel is amateur GS racer finishing mostly around 10% timewise behind EC/FIS riders, should train some more, but foremost carver).