b0ardski Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 burtons loyalty to alpine is still an open wound in my psyche. plate systems don't have to be stiff race gear. If they even offered a minimal production line of alpine gear (I know, no profit) then I would have a modicum respect for burton:barf: The mere availabilty in shops would increase our numbers and eliminate a lot of ignorance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I don't want to convert the masses, just some availability. If you like skidding in sguishy crap that takes extra effort to put on and use thats a right. I would like to see more people embrace edge control. If the use of alpine gear doubled over night we'd still be less than 1% of the 1 plank population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Przemek/Brooklyn Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 funny enough today i was thinking about our lovley niche heading to extintion in 10 to 15 years. I am in Alps now ( it is called alpain right?) and i saw only one very sad looking hardbooter. (my brother is comming up in few days so there wil be 3 of us) I used to see a lot of HB in Alps 10 even 5 years ago. Now it looks like USA, if you get to see 1 or 2 in one day if you lucky. Also is there anybody on this forum under 30 years old ? i doubt it. It become an old guys niche. It is sad, but extinction is near. Dd you guys noticed there are no new boots on the market most of producers use 10 years old molds, they will stop one day. All boards are limited series, custom and way more expensive. 0.005 % feels like more realistic number. We have probably 15 years to go and this is it. USASA will drop slalom and GS. Bruce, Fin and others will retired and there is nobody to replace them. There is very little hope to HB as we know it but maybe carving as an idea will not day and some day will be rediscover in improved softboots set up Happy new year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingCrimson Posted December 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 I'm 15, and there's a handful of racers that are pretty young as well. It sure will be a shame when Bruce retires, because he IS Coiler, but Bomber, Donek, and Prior all are real companies. Even when Fin retires, there will still be people working for him; making bindings in itself is not nearly as much of an art as custom boards. I'm sure we will have TDs for many years to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 HB capitol of canada oshawa ski club excuse the name their in a re-branding mode 15 hbooters on snowboard team. matt morisons home turf he was out over holidays giving pointers and signing autos. Great ambassador for the sport here. Really looked up to by all. most kids on team riding on a piece or part from matts quiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carver Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 As Cliff Ahumada said, "This is grownup snowboarding" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 If it stays grown up snowboarding it is soon to be growing old snowboarding. Haven't seen it done from a wheelchair yet but if i live long enough i might give it a try, otherwise lets do our best to encourage that next generation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 When Im on the hill its like "Highlander..." There can be only one ! hopefully we never have to cross swords inthe middle of a trail ! hahhaha OK, seriously, there is atleast... (checks memberlist of the forum)... 15 that I know of who are active in my neck of the woods and a few others who are not members who Ive seen in hardboots (....and told them about this forum). Its growing again in popularity as accomplished "free-riders" are looking for a new "thing". to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carver Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 That's why, when asked about my board and how we ride them, I don't smart ass them. Oh, unless there real idiots? LOL Hey? Grown old? That's me at 65. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted December 31, 2008 Report Share Posted December 31, 2008 There are 756 ACTIVE guy FIS alpine competitors and 395 ACTIVE lady FIS alpine competitors. These are people who have competed in at least one alpine snowboard event and who are current with their FIS membership. USASA dosen't have a good enough search to find their numbers and at that level there are plenty who compete in soft boots so the numbers won't mean much anyways. Don't know if this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufty Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 I doubt BOL is indicative of much more than the US market. I met 7 new hardbooters today, plus saw another 5 I already know, on a powder day after a big party night... Only one of them had heard of BOL, but isn't signed up as he's French. There's *loads* more hardbooters in Europe than there are in the US. I had my first afternoon's boarding for the year on Sunday. It was great. Damn my resort's "no staff on snowboards" rule. Maybe I should tell them it's a skiboard. Happy new year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 "Maybe I should tell them it's a skiboard." surely they would allow monoskis, just carry some poles around with you & confuse the hell out of 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufty Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 "Maybe I should tell them it's a skiboard."surely they would allow monoskis, just carry some poles around with you & confuse the hell out of 'em. Nah, worse than that. Boots *and* skis provided. aves me chewing up my gear, I guess, but means my new-old-stock B3s are gathering dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 1, 2009 Report Share Posted January 1, 2009 wow corperate totalitarian salesmen taking over the world one mountain at a time:AR15firin Do they have an "open season" on one plankers to hunt them down?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioCarver Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Well, we've got 3 at Perfect North in Indiana/SW Ohio, including myself. So in answer to your question, I'm thinking 1200 tops in US, 4000 worldwide. I'd like a really horrible case of beer if I win. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltie Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 One of my friends owns a large snowboard/surf shop around Nagoya, Japan. He tells me that hardbooters make up between 1-2% here. My guess is the hardbooter population in US is less than 1% since there are fewer in US than here in Japan. Most hardbooters I see in Japan are also a little older - maybe 30+. Similar to what I've seen in the States. Lots of decent riders here as many people fixated on technique. Many people ride in groups with some even wearing matching outfits. I am not into the "group thing" here so I just bomb runs and work on making clean turns with good form. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy Kleh Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 Thanks, can I win something besides a case of terrible beer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywhit Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 How many hardbooters do you think there are in the world that ride 5+ days a season on hardboots?If you say 42, God help me I will find you and give you an orthopedic modification with a baseball bat. More realistically, I'll cry myself to sleep, but whatever. This thread was inspired by a crazy old deaf man with an orange FP that went "Huh? Oh hey! Wow! Too bad there's not more of us" then walked off. was he wearing glasses ? <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYvsk6_foc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UYvsk6_foc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> point is, who cares ? just charge it <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoGktPvNa8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FoGktPvNa8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P4QlVbOZlQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P4QlVbOZlQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> <embed width="448" height="365" src="http://www.spike.com/efp" quality="high" bgcolor="000000" name="efp" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="flvbaseclip=2769726"> </embed> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object> at least I have chicken ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 That commercial inspired me when I was a kid, don't remember the exact number, took me just over 300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tufty Posted January 2, 2009 Report Share Posted January 2, 2009 wowcorperate totalitarian salesmen taking over the world one mountain at a time:AR15firin Do they have an "open season" on one plankers to hunt them down?? Yeah, there's a bounty of "a pair of baggy pants and some twintip skis" if you manage to t-bone a boarder. You only get a belt if you manage to take out a skwaller. I asked why there's no staff allowed on snowboards. It's to do with insurance - all our skis are adjusted and regulated, *with the settings written down* - if you blow out a knee it only passes as a work accident if you haven't touched the settings. Which is a bit of a laugh, as the shop who do that adjusting managed to cnut up my bindings, setting them to 11 <insert spinal tap joke here> instead of the 7 they should be set to if I say I ride "agressively" (I don't). So, if I do wipe out, there's no release, and there go my knees, maybe a quick tib/fib, and I don't have the right to wind them down to sensible / safe settings. And the shop aren't open during the hours I'm available to get them reset... Guess who's skiing *very* carefully? As for ages, I see all ages, from a girl of 15 or so carving *very* nice lines on a silberpfeil, up to a guy of (at a guess) getting on for 60, doing much the same on an asym. My finger-in-the-air guess is that most are 30 or above, mainly because that's the age where you can buy your own gear without worrying about it too much, and even if there are a few shops that hire alpine gear, there aren't many and what there is is hidden in the store cupboard. The same tends to hold true for the freeride board owners who know how to handle their boards, too. Having loads of alpine gear for rent would just mean loads of people doing the "falling leaf" on alpine rigs. [/ramble] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 Burton: see the thread about EST to see how much those guys care about any of this. I think they're following the fashion, which is what you'd expect from a company which has done so well out of it. I don't think we should or could expect anything from them. I've seen Jake ride - he waves his arms around and rotates. Extinction? Maybe. I hope I don't have to learn to really carve in that soft stuff, but it may happen. The last two days of powder riding (day 20 & 21 for me so far this season) saw two soft-binding failures of the kind we're all familiar with; those strappy things are junk, but you can sell 'em new ones every season. I remember the last time I had to think about that was with ski boots, when my precious 4-clip boots were rapidly becoming the only ones on the hill. Just about everybody else had these highly fashionable rear-entry boots. They were in adverts everywhere, and beginners could get nothing else. I sneered at them, and rode rings around most people using them. That time something flipped and rear-entry died very quickly. All of a sudden the rea-entry advertising looked lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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