DiveBomber Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 Think I want to try it this year. Has anyone else here done it? How big are the jumps typically? and what length board is reccomended? I was thinking of using this Ultra Prime 169.5 I just got. any other tips/info would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carverboy Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 Ive raced a lot of BX over the years in hard boots there great on icy courses! If it's a USSA race they wont allow Alpine Shaped boards (basicly blunt tails) But the manufactuers make plenty of bordercross boards with round tails these days (Atomic FireStarter for example) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiveBomber Posted December 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 Ive raced a lot of BX over the years in hard boots there great on icy courses! If it's a USSA race they wont allow Alpine Shaped boards (basicly blunt tails) But the manufactuers make plenty of bordercross boards with round tails these days (Atomic FireStarter for example) well this UP I have, has big round corners, I hope it will pass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 I raced boarxercross back in the day of xgames at Mt. Snow in some preliminary rounds, and almost made it to final cuts, but well.. didn't. damn it. But, I never rode hardboots, I just had an agressive stance and my twintip Rozzi with Burton 3 strap bindings,. The ressponse with those bindings was as good as hardboots, but the landings were wayyyyyy softer and manageable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted December 14, 2006 Report Share Posted December 14, 2006 You will be able to use your UP in all FIS events, however in USASA they will not let you use that board. I don't think there are any USSA events that aren't FIS also, so you need not worry about that. You can get a schedule of FIS events at www.fisski.com. As far as courses.......well they vary greatly depending on terrain available, individual course builders, and level of competition. My advice is that if you want to get serious about SBX you need to learn to race on softies as well. There is a far greater risk of injury to yourself racing in hardboots, there are few people in the world with the skills to pull is off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtanner Posted December 15, 2006 Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 I have ridden a 185cm speed with hardboots throughout the Nor-Am circuit in Canada in the past. Stupid fast on the hole-shot, stable on turns, can pass on the inside anytime and if you're comfortable in the air, it's a winner. Also there is the intimidation factor of having this big gun of a board under your feet, that can be the kicker for getting ahead of the competition. Just my thoughts and experiences here. -Gord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiveBomber Posted December 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2006 Well im getting more comfortable in the air. Hows the competition? any special set up for BX, I.E. great/lesser angles? Only trouble i seem to have is going striaght with the board flat, feels a bit off balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 16, 2006 Report Share Posted December 16, 2006 okay, first thing I gotta say is whatever is going on if you feel off balance when riding flat how in the world do you land, thats important get something with a rould tail so you don't have to worry entering a contest some courses are really setup for softbooters others are not, I had the pleasure of riding the course used in a world cup level event(that a hardbooter won!) because I was one of the people that helped set it up and that one was not really friendly to softbooters, it was fast with high G turns that lended pretty well to GS gear as long as you could land some of the schetchier stuff really though, softboots might be a better idea untill you get really good on plates the main reason for this is you can literally land sideways at 40mph in softboots and other than scrubbing off some speed you're fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 really though, softboots might be a better idea untill you get really good on plates the main reason for this is you can literally land sideways at 40mph in softboots and other than scrubbing off some speed you're fine stupid question here, so feel free to give a stupid answer so, what would happen if you did that in hardboots? and a less stupid question, but probably stupid anyway: would an ATV be considered a "round tail"? ps: i'm just currious. i don't ever plan on racing, I just like watching SBX and seeing the occasional plate rider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 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). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 There aren't any published numbers that I know about regarding SBX injuries and set-up. Most of the serious injuries that I know of came when the riders were in hard boots. With hard boots it's more difficult to make small adjustment in speed and line, which make going straight through a roller section and setting up for jumps harder. Also a few of the World Cup riders on the US Team are very talented hardbooters, but would not even think about racing SBX on them because of the limitations in the ablity to flow with terrain. And yes Kessler makes a really good SBX board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtrappy Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Boardercross is very dangerous sport no matter what kind of set up you ride. I race Boardercross on a raceboard, but I am way more comfortable on a raceboard than any softgear setup. I think if you can not go in a park and hit the biggest jumps in the park on a raceboard or hit anything people do in soft gear you should not be raceing Boardercross on a raceboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted December 29, 2006 Report Share Posted December 29, 2006 Well Trappy you would be a liability in softies, without even getting close to a SBX course. We'll be in the boat on the 1st. See you then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 I had a conversation recently with a friend of mine who is a multiple provincial GS champion. One year he entered the SBX provincials on a lark with his GS gear, before they started restricting board shape. He found that in full alpine setup, he had way too much speed going into the last jump and had to bleed it off before hitting it. In the final, he decided to go balls out and crossed the finish line airborne but sideways. Landed in the finish corral on his hip and shoulder. Won gold but suffered a huge contusion, almost passed out from the pain and that was the end of his SBX career. Bottom line, most SBX courses are made with softbooters in mind. Racing in alpine gear gives you a bit of a technical advantage but it comes with risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbird Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 From the experience of SBX courses I've raced, I would never have the coljones to ride my alpine decks and hardboots...... I don't have the talent to keep my concentration up for my technique on a racer with a bunch of other guys around me... I'd end up pointing it. I use my Custom X and P1's ...way more forgiving. A torsionally stiff freerider would do the job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Smith Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 I've followed the NorAm SBX & Alpine circuit for 6 years. I'm a carver. I've promoted hard boot sbx riders for years. No more. However, I believe: - the skills aquired racing hard boot transfer very well to soft boot sbx skills - soft boots & bindings are approaching our "hard set ups" for stiffness - you will see more sbx racers moving to foreword / foreword stance for faster starts (body alignement) and "our" carving mechanics are faster - early sbx courses often had several GS type turns. FIS objectives are to minimize these turns - most course builders & coaches are softies & hate to see a hard- booter in front of them - course building has no standards, only suggestions - skiier cross will effect course design In Canada some of our best sbx riders have a hard boot background, (some don't). One of our future stars (Jake Holden) has competed exclusivly on hard gear for years. He switches to a soft setup, goes to Austria (with our 2010 team) for a Europa Cup race and places 4th! He wasn't riding "duck"! BTW, Trappy's advice is spot on. When you can hit the biggest park table with no speed check you will have fun on a SBX course. Thats my 2 cents; can you tell there's no snow in Ontario... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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