Is switching from soft booting to hard booting hard

[Guest Killington Bomber]

Is switching from hard booting to soft booting hard. I can fl down a double black diamond with soft boots how long would it take me till i could start racing on hard.

What set up should i get.

ht: 5' 10"

wt:115-120

I want to start racing by next year, remeber i am a very good soft booter just wanna make the switch.

HELP?

[Furi]

hey Killington Bomber -

I'm not too sure on racing but I can comment on switching from soft boots to hard since I just did that about a month ago.

It shouldn't be too hard to switch if you are already a descent rider. It really depends on how used you are to getting a soft boot setup up on an edge.

I printed out the practice drills (the "Norm") from the bomber site and spent a day getting used to hard boots, the steeper angles, and the larger sidecut of a carving alpine board.

The biggest differences I felt was how sensitive alpine boards are to mistakes. On my soft boots I could get pretty lazy about making sure my weight was in the right place and my shoulders and hips were doing what they were supposed to. On the alpine setup you have to be more aware of these things and they impact the edge and turns alot more.

The other difference was getting used to hard boots themselves. I thought I had pretty stiff softboots - 32 forecast, but my hardboot were so much more rigid - Deeluxe 325T. On my softies I had some side flex but on hardboots you don't get any of that, so driving your knee into the turn really has a greater effect with hardboots. I was washing out my edges alot by pushing too hard without having my body weight setup correctly over the edge.

And the last big difference for me was the steeper angles. I ran softies with everything from +15/+0 to my current setup +35/+20. My first day on hardboots I tried +50/+50 and it just felt so strange being twisted that much sideways. You get used to it pretty quickly though, but the body positioning is a bit different then on softies.

For recommendations on setups I'll defer to the more experienced hardbooters here :)

[Chubz]

KB

Key things to starting in hard boots,

start at lower angles and work your way up to steeper angles as you get better

dont expect to be laying down trenches the first day, it'll come soon enough

read threads on here for technique once you get better.

give it at leat three soild days to "catch" onto it.

use the search function here rather than reposting an old advice thread.

Dont reach for the snow once turns start to link, if you get good enough the snow will come to you.

choose a few pointer from BOL and apply them when you go out.

for your weight, 160-170 range with a soft flex. maybe an oxygen or an old burton.

I would go with a softer boot raichle 124's or something like that, with TD1's toe bail int he front with step in in the rear. having toe bail on front and back when first learning was my biggest frustration. unless you are super flexibe.

[BadBrad]

For me the switch was very natural. I started snowboarding in Sorel hunting boots, then got some hybrid boots that were a hard shell on the bottom and lace up at the top. I would lace them very tight and use a 3-strap binding with the shin straps very tight, and I still wanted more stiffness. So when I went to real hardboots and plates it just felt right to me.

The one awkward part was the binding angles, especially at the rear foot. It's harder to get the board to skid with the steeper angles, so when you get on steeps or somewhere that you need to skid it will feel very strange at first.

I was not a really good softbooter when I switched, so it should be much easier for you.

[Terryw]

Have you tried to carve in your soft setup? Have you read all of the tec articles here on Bomber?

If you can carve in a soft setup, then I would say it is an easy transition to the hard setup. However there is a tremendous difference between learning the basics of a new discipline and the mastery of it.

I see that from your posts you are trying to hook up with other carvers. That is the best thing you could do. The next best thing to do is read everything here in the tec articles, and then read everything at the carvers almanac. These two resources will answer many of your questions.

[Guest Killington Bomber]

Thanks guys for all the great advice im goning to try to be about where my soft boots are by the end of febuary becasue i can perform at racing speeds with soft boots. However anyone riding killington ever e mail me or PM me and ill definatly hook up with you. i was just curious if a month of dedicated weekend riding with one solid four if not more day riding if i would be back to my traditional standards.

[AK in PA]

I switched something-teen years ago. I don't recall the switch being too difficult. Things will probably feel a little teetery at first, but after a few runs, you'll probably get onto it pretty quickly. Since you may be timid on that first run, you may fall flat on your butt the first time you try to carve if you don't have enough speed. I'm sure you'll notice how much more power your have and will then probably start seeing just how hard you can push it without the edges washing out. When you rail that first full-tilt-boogie carve, you're eyes will light up, and the words, "HOLY (your mind's unconscious choice)!!!" will erupt from your lips. :D

I remember being in absolute awe over how unbelievable my first PJ setup with Burton plates and old Blax boots performed. Funny, the same thing and exclamation happened when I finally upgraded to UPZs, TD2s, and an Oxy Proton.

[Guest Killington Bomber]

Could you arrange some of these exercises for me

[Guest Killington Bomber]

Thank you for that, again how long will it take before i am at the level i have achieved with soft boots on hard boots.

[carvedog]

Thank you for that, again how long will it take before i am at the level i have achieved with soft boots on hard boots.

Three days, twelve hours and 28 minutes of continuous riding.

[Powercarver129]

good stuff to know

[Loc]

I made the switch from soft to hard last month. My first 3 days were tough but I'm not a great softbooter to start with anyway. I took a 2 hour lesson with Flo Jayme in Tahoe this past Monday and it felt so good to finally leave a big trench! :D So I say take a lesson and expedite the learning process if you can.

[kmartshopper]

I'm actually a good softboot carver, and I've had some transition trouble. The rigid setup is very awkward to me. I'm getting better though, and it's certainly a blast, and is worth the effort. I love having both options and switching over after a few hours. I think I actually still carve better in softies, as long as the snow's not too crusty - but I'm sure that will change as I get more comfortable.

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Babe Asian