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ski boots and carving boards


abakker

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i have been hardbooting for a year now, and just bought my second alpine deck. i now have an f2 speedster and a coiler pure race, as well as 2 pairs of bindings. my question is whether or not it is ok to teach friends who want to learn on this equipment if they have skiboots.

and if so, are there any settings in the bindings i have to adjust one way or another (other than angle) to make skiboots work.

Alex

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I learned on ski boots. They're really stiff, not good for learning. They also have a huge sole, so then you'll have to be cranked up to keep from toe-ing out all the time. If you go into it knowing that things can be different then you're probably alright. If you go into it not knowing then it can be very frustrating and might just turn them off the sport all together.

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No, it is not O.K. to teach friends. ;) ( I know that is not what you are asking)

Friends don't let friends teach friends how to snowboard.

There are a lot of mountains out there that have first time packages that are cheaper than a lift ticket and rentals. Have them do the first time thing in order to learn to ride. Most mountains now have rental equipment that is designed to make the learning process easier.

As far as ski boots to learn carving - there could be worse things. I have taken quite a few crossover skiers and had them stay in their ski boots. It is usually nice for them to have some familiar territory on an unfamiliar tool. Good movement patterns will make a board work regardless of the boots you are in. Good movement patterns in ski boots are still better than poor movement patterns on SB hardboots.

Ski boots are not optimal for snowboarding, especially learning, but there have been plenty of people who have done it successfully.

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They also have a huge sole, so then you'll have to be cranked up to keep from toe-ing out all the time.

That is actually how ski boots perform best - at higher angles. If you are going to use ski boots on a board, it is best to run high angles to get the most performance out of them IMO. It will be more like the "skiing on your snowboard" idea of years past.

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Ski boots are not ideal, but are actually do-able. I've taught a handful of crossover skiers in their ski boots. However those boards will be too unforgiving. They need more speed before they really want to carve. If you want a loaner board to teach friends on, look for an all-mountain carver like the Prior 4x4 (aka 4WD), Coiler All-Mountain, Donek Axxess (aka Axis), or an older Burton Coil, Wire, or E-deck. These boards have rounded tails that won't catch or want to hook up all the time, and they have deeper sidecuts that will be fun to carve at beginner speeds.

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As both Phil and Jack said, it will not be ideal, but will be workable. As long as you start them slow and drill the basics very good at the beginning they should be able to get the board to work. I have taught for 15 years and have done a large number of lessons for crossovers who "just wanted to try it" and didn't want to get new boots until they knew if they were going to like it or not. Definitely get them to leave their top buckles a little looser, not so loose that their leg bounces back and forth between the cuffs but not cranked down like you would for skiing. This will help a bit on the flex of the boot, although it will still be very stiff. Keep this in mind when teaching them. A small forward movement in a ski boot will translate into a much bigger edge effect than it would in a snowboard boot. And as Jack said, your boards are probably going to be on the stiff and unforgiving side for them. those boards won't really want to perform well until they are going at a speed that is much higher than what they will probably be comfortable at.

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