Online snowboard museums

[BadBrad]

I enjoyed looking at the Burton snowboard museum at http://burton.emptybottleworks.com/ and seeing my snowboard progression through the years.

My first board was a 1987 K2 Gyrator. Foam core, cap construction, lots of taper. Boots were Sorrel hunting boots.

Next was a 1992 Asym Air with Burton 3-strap bindings. Boots were a Kemper hybrid boot that had a hard lower shell but laced up top. I liked them laced tight and the binding shin straps tight. I realized I was meant to be in hard boots.

Next was a 1995 Burton Asym Alp 157. Cool wood topsheet. Long live the Asyms! Boots were Burton Reactor, bindings were Burton step-in race plates.

[Carp]

Besides the Kemper you and I had a similar progression. Here's mine:

Learned on a black snow mogul monster with incredibly responsive 1 piece plastic bindings, all plastic boots and the "at the time" high tech rusty metal edges.

Then went to a Kemper Rampage and my riding took a big turn for the better.

From there on:

Burton Safari Comp II

Asym Air (like you)

Burton PJ7

Burton Alp 157 (like you)

Donek

Waiting for my 1st Coiler-T and payment for my Donek :)

I've also ridden Rossi's, Aggression, Apocolypse, and a few others. I hope Santa brings me a present (Bruce...get back to work) Michelle, the TD3's in the mail yet?

Happy Holidays everyone...like the pics attached.

Carp

[BadBrad]

Next was a 1997 Alp 156, which I bought used and still have. Bindings are standard Burton race plates (gave up on the step-ins). I'd sell it, but it's not worth anything so I keep it as a rock board.

Then a 1999 UltraPrime 156. Burton race plates. Burton Wind boots.

Somewhere around 1999 or 2000 was also a Rossignol Throttle. I remember it feeling very stiff and demanding and difficult to release a turn, so I sold it after a season or two. I was only around 140 lbs then.

I actually rode this Alp and UltraPrime from the late 90's until last season, when I bought a new Prior 4WD 164 and a used Madd 158. This year I bought a new 2009 Prior WCR metal 173 and some used TD2 step-ins to try.

[queequeg]

I don't have much in my history ...

I started out borrowing boards:

An old Burton Elite (155?) with bindings that used the same nylon strapping and plastic male/female clips that are used on modern backpacks.

An old burton Cruise 165.

The occasional Barfoot, and a Kemper Mini Rampage.

- The first board I owned was an Avalanche Kick 165 Damian, with (****ing painful) wintersurf bindings that ripped out of the board no less than five times. Thing looked like swiss cheese when I was done with it.

- Burton PJ 6 ('93?) was the first alpine board I owned. Green with white bottom, and gun-chamber/heraldry graphics. Burton race plate bindings and Megaflex boots. Boy was I psyched by the whole thing.

- Ride Kildy 159, with former burton Race plate bindings and Megaflexes. It held throughout most of college. Absolutely loved this board.

- Burton alp 169, red with little bear face and blue bottom. Positively hated this board for carving but it worked much better than the Kildy in powder.

- Donek FCII 175 + Catek OSII's + Head Stratos Pros. Stepping into the modern world.

[Corey]

Black Snow Edge 145 (Christmas 1987)

Burton Cruize 165 w/ 3-straps (1988-ish)

Nitro Fusion 15_ w/ Elfgens with tongues (one of the early AM carvers?)

Crazy Banana twin tip something (crap!)

K2 Farmer 157 (1993-ish)

Sims Tom Sims 15_ (1997-ish)

Burton Alp 169 (2004-ish, first time on hardboots!)

Oxygen Proton 178 (2005)

Volkl RT 168 (2006) and 178 (2008)

Donek FC1 171 (2008)

F2 SL 163 (2008, haven't ridden it yet!)

F2 RS 183 (should pick it up tonight, thanks Big Canuck!)

It's kind of scary to list them all out... Still have the Sims, Volkl, Donek, and F2 boards. The Sims softie setup collects dust but isn't worth selling.

[BadBrad]

Tinman,

It's interesting that you hated the Alp for carving. I always liked mine a lot. I took a carving clinic at Killington around 1999 or so, not sure what I was riding at the time -- probably the Asym Alp or Rossi Throttle, but the instructor said that the 1997 Alp 156 was the best carving board ever. He said the later models were not as good. He was a small guy like me so I took his advice and found a used one for cheap. I always felt comfortable on that board and still do. It doesn't hold an edge as well as the modern boards, but it is forgiving in the bumps and crud, makes nice quick slalom turns, and is the perfect width for me (20cm).

[kjl]

Amazing you guys have been riding so long. I feel like such a gear whore with this many boards in so few seasons.

156 Burton Motion (1997)

164 Burton Custom

161 Never Summer SL

161 Never Summer Premier

167 Donek Axis

171 Donek FC1

161 Swoard

173 F2 Speedster RS

156 Prior Khyber

172 Rad-Air Tanker

173 Coiler Stubby (supposed to show up tomorrow!)

[b0ardski]

The only boards missing from my progression are 181 kemper bullet, 186 nitro diablo, 164 nidecker concept asym. the k2 tx was the best all around carving board I could get out of dozens of boards I tried in '87-'89, the 1st metal edge board worthy of my hard earned cash.

[snowboardfast]

One of these days I am going to try and make a list of everthing I have owned but it will be tough as this is season 31 and when I was starting I would sell off gear almost every year to buy new as the difference between one year and the next was huge. It was fun to see all the old plate bindings at Bomber and remember seing the ads for them in the snowboard magazines years ago. This was at SES i think 2002 when Fin had an open house and had all these old bindings laying around.

[queequeg]

Tinman,

It's interesting that you hated the Alp for carving. I always liked mine a lot. I took a carving clinic at Killington around 1999 or so, not sure what I was riding at the time -- probably the Asym Alp or Rossi Throttle, but the instructor said that the 1997 Alp 156 was the best carving board ever. He said the later models were not as good. He was a small guy like me so I took his advice and found a used one for cheap. I always felt comfortable on that board and still do. It doesn't hold an edge as well as the modern boards, but it is forgiving in the bumps and crud, makes nice quick slalom turns, and is the perfect width for me (20cm).

The alp 6.9 felt like riding on my garage door after the kildy. The kildy had lots of energy and offered a very lively ride - you could really push it around. The alp just felt dead to me. Otherwise - I'm not a light guy at around 185 - although back then I was probably closer to 170 or so. I never got to compare the Alp and the PJ as I never rode it again after my first day on the Kildy. That alp has probably seen less than five days on the hill.