photodad2001 Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Hey, I'm new here. Just thought I'd say hello to everyone and give a little info on myself. I've been snowboarding since 1988 but just got serious into soul carving this year. Still trying to swap out my old twin style rides for some more sleaker alpine sticks. Anyway, I'd have to say it's just a matter of time that companies like Sims, Kemper, and all the other companies that used to make alpine boards start producing again for 3 reasons. One, not just myself, but some of my "oldschool" buds have gone the way of the longer boards, and as time goes by there will be more and more snowboarders who aren't ready to glue their butts to a bar stool in the lodge just because we don't bounce like we used too. Two, there are more yong carvers out there who want to stand out from the hoards of wide-stanced, duck-footed masses. And three, trends tend to repeat in 10 year cycles. What was it about 1998 when local shops and makers stopped carrying race boards? Well, don't want to get too long, but before I end there has been another change I've made over the last year. I finally got rid of the skateboard that had been unused for several years in the trunk of my car and replaced it with a windsurfer on the roof of my car instead. Any lake will due if you've got the right wind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Hey Welcome to Bomber. I am a photographer too. Among other things like running a gallery and a retail store etc. What kind of photography do you do? Here is a bit of mine as I redo my main site. http://saddletreegallery.com/jerry_hadam.htm There are a couple of other photogs on here too. And a couple of really talented "amateurs". Sweet pic of you with your ? daughter standing between your bindings with a big old smile. Wish you were right about alpine, but I think the manufacturers drive the market here not the consumers. Shouldn't be but it seems to be a little too niche for the big guys to play. Surrounded by cornfields made me think of the midwest??? I don't really care where you're from - just curious. Welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Yeah, Ohio actually. Snowshoe's a 7 mile drive from my house. Right now I'm doing portrait work and a wedding here and there. I've done photojournalism but after my daughter was born I found I had less and less time and not able to do the 24 hour on call bit like I used to. Here's a link with some of my stuff. Pay no attention to the 2 images on the main page, they are their for myspace stuff. Click on the albums to the right. http://s218.photobucket.com/albums/cc82/photodad2001/What other sideways sliding activities do you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I agree that there's a resurgence, but I think it's already started. Carving will never grow to be huge due to the skill required and a fairly sizeable initial investment, but it's noticeably changed since I abandoned soft boots just 3-ish years ago. Re: Skateboarding - Try a longboard. I had a ton of fun on a Loaded Vanguard this summer just pumping around local streets and bike paths. I hadn't touched a skateboard for 10+ years prior to this experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I agree that there's a resurgence, but I think it's already started. Carving will never grow to be huge due to the skill required and a fairly sizeable initial investment, but it's noticeably changed since I abandoned soft boots just 3-ish years ago.Re: Skateboarding - Try a longboard. I had a ton of fun on a Loaded Vanguard this summer just pumping around local streets and bike paths. I hadn't touched a skateboard for 10+ years prior to this experience. In the little riding I got to do this season before my injury, I saw more people on plates every day than I had in the past (on average). I think the sport is growing. Also, a lot more people seem to be expressing an interest in us on the slopes. I get a lot of compliments on the mountain, and lots of "I have to try that one day". I agree that Alpine will never be a huge percentage of the snow-sliding population, due to the discipline and skill required to do it, but I suspect it will continue to grow at a moderate rate for awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 In the little riding I got to do this season before my injury, I saw more people on plates every day than I had in the past (on average). I think the sport is growing. Been carving since '91 on hard boots and have seen some growth 'til about 95, 96. Since then less and less. I hope that is not the case everywhere, but here it has been and we have a perfect mtn for carving. The race program has at least half of what it did have and most in soft boots when they do races. Only a handful of kids ride plates even occasionally. All about the park and pipe. On the bright side it's snowing like hell right now and I think I can take a couple of hours tomorrow to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 AT boots followed by SB hardshells got popular into the '90's because snowboard boots & bindings where crap. Most snowboard/boot manufacturers opted to polish up and advertise this same crap to people who couldn't tell it was crap. The current wave of popularity is again driven by people tired of being forced to use crap due to the unavailability of High tech gear. Then bomber came along with stuff that was't cr... you get the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 My little pic of me laying out a carve was performed in soft boots with strap bindings on a board with a rounded tail and a 25cm waist. Soft boots and bindings have gotten better since the early 90's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I could carve in crap then, I can carve in crap today, 1 stick or two. That doesn't mean I want to create a demand for high tech polished turds. I will not buy lace up ski boots with strap bindings for 1 stick or 2. But thats cause I'm gettin old & am fond of ease of use, convenience, & DURABILITY. I'm not trying too pizz anybody off but I believe any surge in hardboot popularity is driven by a desire for high performence gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 But thats cause I'm gettin old & am fond of ease of use, convenience, & DURABILITY. I hear ya there, but I'd rather lace up a pair of boots once, then have to hike up and down the stairs it takes to get to the bar in ski boots. :D I have since gone to Burton si bindings and boots. I was just making a point of "where there's a will there's a way" sorta thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I will miss my walk mode when I upgrade to BTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Carving will never grow to be huge due to the skill required and a fairly sizeable initial investment. That's exactly what's pushing the 30 something crowd into it. I get bored riding around on my short fat freestyle sticks. In order to make it a challenge I have to risk serious injury. To progress from where I am means going higher, spinning further, or getting more technical on the rails. I'm going to keep both feet on the ground and challenge myself through speed, style, and riding prowess. Windsurfing has a lot in common with alpine riding. Maybe why both are so popular mit eine Germans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 I will miss my walk mode when I upgrade to BTS. Trust me, you won't really never ever mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Thanks Mario, now my only excuse is lack of income:freak3: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Trust me, you won'treally never ever mario Seriously. Night and Day. Now that I've gotten to try mine out, I would just as soon have rabid ferrets gnaw out my eyes than ride without the BTS. I'm thinking of buying a second just for backup parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Been carving since '91 on hard boots and have seen some growth 'til about 95, 96. Since then less and less. I hope that is not the case everywhere, but here it has been and we have a perfect mtn for carving. The race program has at least half of what it did have and most in soft boots when they do races. Only a handful of kids ride plates even occasionally. All about the park and pipe. On the bright side it's snowing like hell right now and I think I can take a couple of hours tomorrow to ride. I started riding plates just a little after you, probably '92 or '93. Started on the east, went out west. Stopped for a few years, started back up on the east again. Maybe its an ice-coast thing? I didn't notice that many hardbooters when I was in Oregon, other than the few guys I used to ride with at Willamette pass. Now that I'm on the east coast, I see a fair amount. Maybe there are more over here, due to the edge up (ha!) that hardbooting gives you on new-england ice. When I was learning (east coast), I remember there being a not-insignificant number of hardbooters who were riding at Temple Mtn. (all 600 feet of it!!) in NH (now closed). I used to go there a lot for night skiing with my school. I would think the big mountains of the west would appeal more to hardbooters, but it does seem like I see more on the ice coast. It could also simply be that the mountains here are smaller, and that there are just as many out west, but you run into them more often here due to the smaller, more crowded nature of things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 This group should know... I'm looking for cant plates. I know the new plate bindings have that built in but wanted to know if you can still get them on there own anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 What bindings are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Burton SI with the Foundation boots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Back in the day I had an old aluminum burton cant that I used on a protype burton AIR with the old 5 hole pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I've paid more attention and watched Jiminypeak in the past 2 years go from 2 or 3 people on it to now having atleast 7 a week including myself as regulars with a carver under our feet of some sort in hardboots. While this only being my second official season in HB gear, I can honestly say that it is nice to switch up to it, and people definately turn heads and watch as I rip by laid out and swiveling the legs in an almost alien ride style to how most are standing on their "parkers". More people are inquiring about it every day. As to Crap versus Tech: I was poor in 1996-7 when I started riding at the age of 17. I learned on 3 strap burton custom freerides and Danner Hiking boots cause that was what I could afford, and that huge amount of "slop" with my feet made me a damn good rider and racer once I got some quality snowboard softboots which at the time were AIRWALK Advantages. I still have them to this day and they are in better shape than most teh "new" stuff that peopel bought just 3 months ago at the beginning of the season, and I have well over 12 thousand miles on them! I think that "QUALITY" has fallen by the way side and it really shows up in how long the new gear is reliable for..... or should I say NOT reliable for. I have older boards and gear that have been ridden very VERY hard by co-workers that I let borrow, and also under my own feet, and it stands up far better than the brand new stuff on the market made this year. Nothing abotu our sport / hobby is inexpensive, but damnit, I want/ demand QUALITY if I'm dropping top dollar on stuff. My life and safety depends on what is strapped to my feet. 200.00 for "crap" with a fancy name on it is still CRAP spelled B U R T O N sorry, I have ridden a lot of soft gear and I can say that hands down, Burton stuff is made to simply "wear out". This forces people to go out and buy new gear. BECAUSE ? well lets face it, thats how companies make billions..... selling new gear to replace lastyears crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I've got an old burton 6* cant plate but its 3X3 center disc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 I've got the 4x4 pattern disks to replace the 3 hole burton disks. Are you still using it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Never mind. :o I just realized that the cant plate doesn't have a center disk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 That would mount the binder to the cant, but the cant only mounts to burton boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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