Guest ethanpt Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 I switched this year to riding a carving board with plate bindings and really like it much better than softies, however, in the afternoon when the snow gets choppy I find it a bit tiring and can be hard for me to control the board. My soft boots and bindings are super old and are retired. I got a really good deal on a burton omen 170 and have tried putting my trench diggers on it and it seems OK. I have been told by a couple of experienced folks in a shop that it's not ideal to use plates on a board like this? Because I really like the performance of hardboots and plates, and because of cash, I don't want to invest in new soft boots and bindings. Anyone have any thoughts?? I have kicked around the idea of selling the omen and picking up a coiler all mountain (which they advertise as being good with plates) Any advice appreciated Thanks Ethan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crikey Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 they ride freeride boards with hardboots down boardercross circuits dont they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cliffh Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 do you ride with the boots in the lock position? try unlocking them when the going gets rough - let them flex a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Dahl Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 I started on a Sims all mountain 160 with burton plates and ski boots. You and your board will be just fine using plates and hardboots. That setup used to be a lot more common than you'd think. If anything, you may feel like you overpower your board when you carve it hard. I splitboard with my Raichle boots in the walk mode, also use the walk mode for moguls, 'cause it allows a little flex which helps me deal with the quick turns in the bumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I rode hard boots on freeride boards for years, now I ride a Coiler AM all the time. On a freeride board, high angles (well, 45/30 to 45/40 or so) make it kind of tiring to keep the board on edge because there's so much underhang. My advice would be to stick with your current setup a bit longer before doing anything... I think there's a good chance that what you're dealing with has more to do with technique than equipment... you'll get smoother and more comfortable on your alpine setup just with more practice. If you really don't like it, a wide alpine board (~21cm waist) like the Coiler AM might be just the ticket. Hard boots on a freeride board works, but IMO it's far from optimal. You either have low angles or lots of underhang, neither of which are idea. If I could go back in time I'd tell myself to get a skinny board a lot sooner. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Todd Stewart Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 i've know two people that rode with hard boots on a free ride board, one washed out his board on the first turn and the other had a giant pressure crack that went down to the core of the board. Basically you need a really solid board if you want to try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ethanpt Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 basically I think I need to sell it and buy a coiler all mountain. Do most people find after some practice they can ride their stiff alpine/race boards in the afternoon crud? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark.Andersen Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I've got the 177AM and find it a bit long in the wet afternoon slop we get often in Tahoe. I usually end up bolting the TDs to my Volkl Cross after lunch for a bit of freeriding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ethanpt Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I also go back and forth about getting a softie set up for the board I have (this years burton omen 170). Its just a fair amount of cash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdboytyler Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I used to ride a Burton Supermodel 161 and now a Donek Incline 160, in plates and hard boots. Both boards are freeride/all mountain models and I like riding both boards with the hard setup. Even with the freeride boards I was tiring easily with the hardboots when the snow got all chopped up and I had to do skid turns instead of carves. The problem turned out to be the forward lean in my hardboots. My previous boots were Nordica SBH’s which had some forward lean built in, but no forward lean adjustment. I replaced the Nordicas with Kneissl Rail ski boots. The Kniessl’s have very little forward lean. Now, I find it easier to ride all snow conditions with hard boots rather than a soft setup. So my recommendation for lasting all day in chopped up snow, go with a stiff freeride board, hard setup and minimize the forward lean in your boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ethanpt Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 thats a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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