Non-Carving Forums

[Pow]

Is anybody a member of a non-carving forum? I wonder from time to time if we can stimulate more interest in alpine riding by invading "popular" forums and spreading the word. Most new riders dont realize it even exists anymore, and im convinced that at least 25% of the riders on those forums would prefer an alpine setup, they just dont know enough to look.

im a member of transworldsnowboarding magazine's online forum and write under the same name. But i think if a more experienced member planted themself into a "popular" snowboarding forum it'd have a greater effect. If you want alpine to become mainstream again, maybe thats a good way to start.

[Dave ESPI]

I'm on about 20 or 30 various forums.Boarding comes up on occasion :)

[FTA2R]

"Is anybody a member of a non-carving forum? I wonder from time to time if we can stimulate more interest in alpine riding by invading "popular" forums and spreading the word"

you want to spread the "Alpine Gospel," fine, do it in person. "invading" a forum is so NOT the thing to do. i've seen it done and it usually backfires, sometimes horribly. persuading someone to do something is much easier in person vs. a web forum- esp. if you are a strong communicator, well spoke, etc. the best thing you can do is be an awesome rider and carry those BOL cards if you get someone real curious. answer people's questions, even though it gets old. volunteer to let someone borrow your board if he wants.

please do not try to "convert" people, much like religious freaks do.

many of us here are, whether conscious of this or not, like that we not mainstream...not that more hardbooters is a bad thing...but I say let nature run it course...IMO what we as alpiners dont' have in quantity we more than make up for in quality.

[tex1230]

I usually get mocked on TGR for wearing Hard Boots...

You ain't gonna convert those guys...all powder seekers anyway.

[Phil]

I'm with Barry - let your actions speak for you. Throw down daily and those who really want to ride well will notice.

I have been a part of several other SB forums over the years - for better or for worse (my attitude has not always been the best). I have converted far more people to hardboots (both temporarily and permanently) on the hill than I ever have on a forum.

Likewise, I can never convert the Bomber guys (who don't already) to do park and pipe on their plates, but in person I have gotten a few to try. They were better riders for it.

[Phil]

As a side note - shouldn't all snowboarding forums be carving forums? A good rider can carve - period. Any truly good rider, especially good park and pipe riders, can carve.

[Pow]

"Is anybody a member of a non-carving forum? I wonder from time to time if we can stimulate more interest in alpine riding by invading "popular" forums and spreading the word"

you want to spread the "Alpine Gospel," fine, do it in person. "invading" a forum is so NOT the thing to do. i've seen it done and it usually backfires, sometimes horribly. persuading someone to do something is much easier in person vs. a web forum- esp. if you are a strong communicator, well spoke, etc. the best thing you can do is be an awesome rider and carry those BOL cards if you get someone real curious. answer people's questions, even though it gets old. volunteer to let someone borrow your board if he wants.

please do not try to "convert" people, much like religious freaks do.

many of us here are, whether conscious of this or not, like that we not mainstream...not that more hardbooters is a bad thing...but I say let nature run it course...IMO what we as alpiners dont' have in quantity we more than make up for in quality.

of course im not trying to convert people... most people on the forums i wouldnt want to ride with anyway. What i meant by it was not to force people, but rather be a reminder that "hey, we're still here"

[Pow]

^i should have made my intentions a little clearer...

ive noticed a few people who were interested in alpine riding, but purchase softgear instead because they simply did not know alpine gear still exists. It took me a year to find this site, and im wondering if we should make it easier on aspiring carvers.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I've poked my head in on some of the other snowboarding forums and frankly I just don't have the patience to deal with all the kids.

Any other forums I belong to are non-snowboarding, so the topic just doesn't come up.

[lonerider]

^i should have made my intentions a little clearer...

ive noticed a few people who were interested in alpine riding, but purchase softgear instead because they simply did not know alpine gear still exists. It took me a year to find this site, and im wondering if we should make it easier on aspiring carvers.

If your intentions aren't clear to alpine riders on an alpine carving forum... how successful do you think you will be on a non-alpine forum? Stick to BOL, people will find it. A few of us already sit-in on some other forums.

[philw]

I think it's a reasonable idea, something to bear in mind. I hang out on some other boarding-related forums.

I don't prosletise (sp?) because I don't think it's necessary or helpful. I don't make a big deal out of being on race gear either - that would just stop people from listening I think. To them it's a different sport.

I do make a fair deal about riding a lot of powder. And if anyone cares to look I use hard boots to do it. I've also a review of the Burton Fish which gets quite a lot of hits... it also mentions radical concepts like hard boots. Similarly if anyone asks me on the hill how to ride like that I'll tell them.

That's my contribution: I wont shove it in anyone's face but it's also not a secret.

[skatha]

I used to post on the Burton forum. I'm perceived to be an idiot for various opinions like

1. The concept of "core" is a marketing tool

2. Burton doesn't make the best stuff

3. I don't ride, or say I ride, 100+ days a year so my opinions are meritless

4. I espoused Donek boards once-I was told they are worthless because Donek makes skis

5. I ride hardboots and everybody "knows" softboots are better....

6. I live in TX....

The best way to show riders that alpine exists is just be ambassadors-nice, diplomatic and responsive to questions....

As for carving, I read a post on the BMB that lazy, looped out, laid out carving was what one did when bombing the hill got old, or too scary....that was also my last day there....geez, what an idiot

a fair percentage of these snowboarding forums are populated by posers, kids, and people who enjoy flaming for a living, not riding.

For the unenlightened future carvers, just seeing the equipment is intriguing enough

[Sinecure]

I've been trying to support Tex over on TGR forums. Oh, and Zach Davis is there, but goes by a different screen name there. They're mostly skiers though.

[tex1230]

I think the biggest problem I have over there is that I almost never get pictures...unfortunately my wife (99% of the time my only riding buddy) is still recovering from major knee surgery last summer and she won't go into the steeps or powder with me - and she's the best photographer in the family, so she's usually has the camera.

TGR: Photos = Respect

[skatha]

Web-cam, Tex.....

You could get one with a fish-eye and make those steeps LOOK REALLY STEEP

[lonerider]

I think the biggest problem I have over there is that I almost never get pictures... and she's the best photographer in the family, so she's usually has the camera.

TGR: Photos = Respect

I don't know which forum TGR is, but I agree that photos and videos get you respect. People who respect your abilities won't question you opinions as much - they still might not listen, but at least they won't ridicule you.

While being ridiculed is uncalled for, I don't blame people for being skeptical when some random person starts espousing that I spend hundreds on dollars on gear that from my point of view is over a decade out of date. No offense to those people southern states, but if you are living in Alabama and get only like 10 days a year. How much credibility do you really have? When I read reviews at boardreviews.com, I ignore any review by someone with less than five years of snowboarding experience. My thought is that if unless you are a snowboarding rockstar, you really shouldn't try too hard to "inform" people (aside from family and friends who trust your opinion) about hardboots and alpine riding. Much in the same way you wouldn't respect the car opinion of a teenager from New York City (where most people don't drive) who just upgraded their learner's permit to a regular driver's license.

A recent trick I've been doing is linking to a webpage with videos of me doing freestyle (hitting a big kicker or the superpipe) and have my carving videos on the same webpage. Naturally inquisitive, people will check out the other vids and I get questions like "whoa, how are you riding like that in your other vid?!?" In general though, I rarely mention alpine riding unless it is brought up by someone else. And only talk about it extensively with people I personally know well (versus random people on the Internet).

[gdboytyler]

I don't know which forum TGR is,...

I could be wrong, but I think this is the forum in question:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/

I went and checked out the TGR forum because of this thread. Those guys have got some awesome photos. Like in this thread:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52505

I still prefer a good powder day over a good carving day.

[lonerider]

I could be wrong, but I think this is the forum in question:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/

I went and checked out the TGR forum because of this thread. Those guys have got some awesome photos. Like in this thread:

http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52505

I still prefer a good powder day over a good carving day.

Ah... Teton Gravity Research. Those are some awesome shots, yea see those guys are awesome, I can see how they would be dismissive if they thought you were some weekend warrior skidding around in hardboots on a blue run - it's all about the photos and videos... that shuts people who are all talk up as they mumble (uh... yea, my friend camera broke and ....).

Yea, I prefer powder to carving... although that preference was pushed to it's limit this year in Tahoe, where I had more 1 ft+ powder days than I had carving days (seriously I was hoping for a few less monster storms). This season I've mostly been hiking ridges in the morning for fresh powder runs and then hitting the park/pipe in the afternoon and carving up all the groomers in between.

[mopoet178]

You all make it seem that I (clearly a kid at age 15) should be doing the park and pipes instead of carving! I, myself, was "converted" by my uncle that threw me on a skwal 3 years ago. I got hooked into this wonderful sport through sheer admiration. I dont think anyone less connected to me could have talked me out of soft boots.

[FTA2R]

in our local forum, i was asked a question about alpiners in the olympics and a debate ensued, and it was a pretty cool debate. i found though that even a small amount of carving related talk is considered "all this hardbooting talk," which just goes to show how much FS dominates this sport. granted the game is a lot different out here in the mid atlantic than the West, but it was frustrating. then these guys all wanna race you, gates included, to essentially prove "how lame carving is" i doubt any of them could ride an alpine board though. tools.

[D-Sub]

videos of me doing freestyle (hitting a big kicker or the superpipe) and have my carving videos on the same webpage.

link? your homepage is a bad address.

[lonerider]

link? your homepage is a bad address.

Yea, I moved and my Comcast page went away. I posted a couple of links in my Madd TT158 review. Let's see what I can scrounge for...

Jumps:

http://tinyurl.com/fhr52

http://tinyurl.com/kvhq4

Pipe riding:

http://tinyurl.com/zk8lv

http://tinyurl.com/z85w3

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2454241140441671564&pl=true Watch me crash on my 540 attempt at the end!

Rail riding:

http://tinyurl.com/h5rwh

http://tinyurl.com/ffww4

Some old footage of my Alpine Riding

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4154532395312058504&pl=true

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9175815783766346951&pl=true

Me eating it off a cornice:

Those alpine riding videos are from Mar 2003, it was like my 5th or 6th day on plates (I posted them here on BOL to ask for technique tips). Hmm... do I have anything more recent of me alpine riding... this is all I could find for now... from Dec 2004.

(just updated to remove the illicit voiceover, might take a few minutes to post).

[FTA2R]

loved it all, espeically the rainbow and cornice drop...

[lonerider]

Thanks. I have that common camera-shyness and tend to crash when I know someone is filming me, so it took a bit of patience from my friends.

[Dave ESPI]

See, I kinda think of it like this:

Anyone can soft boot ride...............

It takes a special person to simply "let go" and have gravity and leaning with faith in ones skill to become a hardboot carver and have "Agressive stance" on a snowboard.

Actualy, I rather like being "eletist" about being a "carver" :D

Sure the "more the merrier", but it is quite uncommon to see hardboots and one plank hitting the hill.