Guest GJLAND Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Anybody out there willing to give some advice on picking out a first alpine board? I have tried to find boards through local dealers (east coast), but it seems like nobody is willing to carry an alpine set up. I have been dying to try one for years, and I finally found bomberonline, I just dont know what I should be looking for. I want to make sure I get the right board. Thanks for any feedback. -garrett Newmarket, NH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Welcome! Picking out your first alpine board can be a bit overwhelming. Couple of spots you may want to visit: http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/how_to_buy_snowboard.cfm http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/welcome_center.cfm But the gang here is fantastic on giving good advice! One thing that will help us get you in the right direction is to give us more information: Years riding? Height, weight, foot size? Terrain you would like to use this board on? Carve only or all mountain? We'll all be able to help you better knowing these things. Also, you are more then welcome (shameless plug) to e-mail or call us anytime and we can talk with you one on one and help you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GJLAND Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 I'm going to check out those links right now, thanks for the feedback I've been riding for 11 years, and I've had enough of the tricks. Low and fast seems to be more my comfort zone. Height 6'1'' wieght 175 foot 11.5 most of the terrain is groomed trails, we dont see too much powder at the mountains I make it to. If I could find a board that would let me ride all mountain, but still carve like hell, I'd be very happy. Any suggestions? (new or used) thanks again -g Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellow Yellow Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 hheeeeyyyyy.... I was never welcomed to the board... what gives... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Newmarket...home of the mighty Lamprey....aaahhh the fuzzy memories....I worked at Riverworks while in college and spent way too much time at the Stone Church. Check out this store on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_11/104-3007904-4466328?ie=UTF8&me=A282YC41QUNSEU&rh=n%3A3375301%2Cn%3A3417291&page=1 The website shows carving boards, bindings, and hardboots in stock. They claim to have a retail store in Hampton, NH. I've never been, but it would be worth a call or short drive just to check things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob Dawg Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Check out Performance Downhill. They are located in Hampton, NH and carry F2, Prior and a few other brands. They also carry boots and bindings. Eric is the owner and very helpful. Are you currently a freestyle boarder or skier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 This is a great website for the basics: http://www.alpinecarving.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tahoetrencher Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Ursle is too modest to suggest his new factory prime to you. I think it will suit you because of your experience. It is not a beginners board (read Alp) but it is also not a board you will need to replace after 20 days. Get a great deal and offer him $150. If that's steep you could opt for a used one for $50-$75 less. His suggestion to get boots first is dead on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gleb Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Welcome! I'll be going to cannon, loon, cranmore or waterville valley almost every weekend and some weekdays. Boots should be your biggest investment. I believe boots are by far the most important part of your gear. If you can't be comfortable, you can't progress your skill. I started learning on a well fermented Burton Ultra Prime. Within 2 days, you'll be linking turns, probably less for you since you have tons of experience. I've never ridden in softboots, but from what I hear, someone on hardboots can transition to softboots without much problem, but going from softboot to hardboot is alot harder. Go for burton gear, it's cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durace Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Talk to Eric at raceboarding, they are around the corner from you in Hampton Falls on Lafayette rd. 1-866-766-9700. He was the SB guy at Gunstock for years. He is a great carver and knows his stuff. They have used gear. He deals with Bomber not sure what level. Paul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshack Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 I am also searching for a first alpine board: -I am about 5'4", 130lb, and pretty athletic. -I am pretty experienced at softboot carving. I enjoy holding long, deep lines, and riding at boot angles of 20-35 degrees. I ride a 156cm relatively still salomon freeride board, and find it a little short. -I don't mind a little initial frustration or pain if it means building skills quickly. -Being a broke college student, I need a board that will last a good three years without me outgrowing it. Doneks, priors, and F2s look like great boards, but I was thinking about getting a factory prime, ultra prime, or one of oxygen ones that seems to turn up everywhere. For a good balance of versatility and edge-holding, would a 10m sidecut be about right? Is a 162 Ultra Prime way too long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Gland- If you want, I've still got my 1st board that I used for about 30 days for sale. I had a collision at the 04 ECES that screwed up the nose a bit, but it's been repaired and rides fine. Edges and base are in great shape. It's a 178 Oxygen Proton, and I can let it go for $100. E-mail me if you are interested. Dshack-This board would probably be too stiff for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derf Posted October 12, 2006 Report Share Posted October 12, 2006 Dshack, the Oxygen 178 might be a bit big for you. If you are really broke, you could go for boots and bindings and mount them on your Salomon board. A Burton UP is a good board to learn on, a FP might be stiff. I don't know about the flex of the Oxygen, but I know they are good. You shouldn't have pain in hardboots, unless they don't fit or if they are not fitted properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neuffy Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 GJLAND: I am your clone. 6'1. 175. 11.5. (but only ~4 years snowboarding experience when I switched) A couple years ago I bought size 28 Suzukas and TD2(Standard, with medium-purple E-rings)s. I got a Coiler AM177[21.5cmwaist] (All-Mountain, so a slightly rounded tail) that had been build for somebody around 210, 220 lbs. I got custom footbeds, and the liners molded. I then spent that winter in Lake Louise, Alberta. My first day I was fully linking cross-over carves, with occasional cross-under. Groomers: Omgwtf. Response, control, stability, grip etc. Powder (even though you said you didn't get much): Even without moving bindings back, leaning back a little and the thing floated like a dream. Total cost: ~$1200 including bootfitting. Sure, this is a fairly high cost solution, but other than getting a BTS this year, I haven't had to replace anything expensive, and I don't really see ever having to upgrade my boots or bindings. Sure, stuff eventually wears out, and I'd love to have a 210cm Tinkler, etc, but everything was and is certainly good enough. Uh...I guess that's a little longer of an anecdotal suggestion than I meant to elucidate. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshack Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 How does flex affect stability? I get that larger ridecut radii make the board want to hold longer turns, but I don't get how flex plays into the equation. If I really want to lay turns out, do I want a stiff board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derf Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 Flex affects your ability to initiate a turn. If you are not heavy enough to flex the board, when you will try to turn, it won't turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 The flex that you need, as far as I can tell from the number of different opinions has a lot to do with personal preference. Some of the main factors affecting the stiffness of the board you ride are weight (as Derf said), aggressiveness, type of riding, and proper technique. Weight and the speed at which you carve combine to push the board into a turn. Your proper (or not) technique will determine if you can keep the edge on the snow throughout the turn. All other things constant, a stiffer board will require more skill and more speed. Beginners generally start on a softer flex. All mountain boards generally have a softer flex than freecarve and race boards. I have found my Prior 4WD to be very forgiving of my beginner technique while my stiffer Donek Free carve really tells me when I am screwing up. Basically, if you are light and like to cruise, you would likely want a soft board. If you are heavy and love to really push it, you would likely want a super stiff board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 All mountain boards generally have a softer flex than freeride and race boards. I have found my Prior 4WD to be very forgiving of my beginner technique while my stiffer Donek Free carve really tells me when I am screwing up. I think buell meant that all mountain boards are softer than freecarve boards. I found all my freeride boards to be very soft in comparison to my Prior ATV (which is also supposed to be rather soft in comparison to freecarves/race boards). I unless you have a custom freeride board i doubt it'll be stiffer than an all mountain board. If all mountain boards are the king of doing everything equally poor (as someone else stated before on a different thread), then I would say that freeride boards are the king of doing everything equally half-assed (all i've owned are freeride boards up until last season). Dshack and gjland, I see three options available to you guys. 1) buy a whole new/used set up hardboots, bindings, and board 2) buy some new/used plate bindings and boots and mount to your current board and then upgrade your board later as necessary 3) if unsure about hardboots, buy an all mountain board with at least a 21.5 cm waist width and mount softboots/bindings at aggressive angles (25+ both feet maybe) and then switch over to hardboots/plate bindings later. I think most people here would say to go with option (2). I went with option (3) last season because I broke my main board last season. I'm gonna try out some plates and HBs on my ATV this season. I've been riding angles at around 30+ on my soft boots so i'm hoping the transition won't be too weird for me. Also, everyone (bomber community and snowboard manufacturers) says that all mountain boards are good for learning HBs on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 Exactly Bullwings, thanks for catching that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshack Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 The 162 Ulta Prime on klug riding looks really attractive. I'm imagining the soft flex will make turn initation pretty easy, the large sidecut radius will make long, laid-out turns work out, and the price ($175) won't break the bank. Am I overlooking something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 Anybody out there willing to give some advice on picking out a first alpine board? I have tried to find boards through local dealers (east coast), but it seems like nobody is willing to carry an alpine set up. I have been dying to try one for years, and I finally found bomberonline, I just dont know what I should be looking for. I want to make sure I get the right board. Thanks for any feedback.-garrett Newmarket, NH Welcome to BOL Garrett! Now is a great time to be introduced to alpine snowboarding. Especially RIGHT NOW. The season is nearing and the mood on BOL is picking up. I have noticed an increasing number of new riders on BOL and I think those that have recently gone through the early stages are often very helpful to those just entering that phase. You also are fortunate in location, allot of seasoned riders can offer you suggestions that can save time and pain. Good luck in your alpine riding. Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Bullet Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 dshack, I started hardbooting in January and was, like you, unsure how to invest in gear that I was unfamiliar with. Hardbooter let me test 2 boards (F2 silberpfeil 173 and Speedster 183) for two weeks in order to compare. This is what I found. The dampening, the sidecut radius and the size of the Speedster was easier for me to learn on. The longer board gave me more time to ride in each carve and get a sense of what the norm feels like. A widened stance and a longer board helped establish balance. Turns could be initiated by using legs to decamber board. I also found that lifting the toe on the front foot helped me center my body over the board and eliminated the front leg burn that limited the runs I was able to make. So, in the spirit of advice giving, for someone of your size, I would say the 162 ultra prime is too short and soft for you. I would start out with a longer stiffer board and practice using the push pull technique to muscle your board into turns. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshack Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 How much do you weigh? What would the slope be like on a graph of delta-mass to delta-optimal-board-length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dshack Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 So between a 162 Ultra Prime and a Factory Prime, given someone 130lb, which would be best for long, laid-out turns? The stiffness of the FP or the large radius of the UP? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow Posted October 16, 2006 Report Share Posted October 16, 2006 130 lbs? i'd recon the FP to be too stiff for somebody 130 lbs, especially for a beginner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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