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Epiphany: First Time on Hardboots!


Helvetico

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After a year of dithering I finally strapped hardboots onto my Tanker 182 and was amazed at how easy it was. This probably has to do with the fact that I've been riding stiff bindings (Nidecker 900's and the Catek FR2s) on all-mountain boards. I'm looking forward to trying out the hardboots on my 164 Reto Lamm, a stiff BX-board.

I rode 45 F and 30 R: next time I'll move the rear up to 38 or so to see how it feels. Everthing improved: control, precision, stopping ability, performance on ice...even the T-bar was easier to negotiate. The only drawback was the numb toes: I've got 9EE feet, so molding the heat liners wasn't enough. I'm planning on finding a bootfitter to stretch them out ASAP.

Anyone have any recommendations on footbeds? Stance angles?

Thanks to everyone on this forum for providing this channel of information: it was, and remains, invaluable to my boarding. If I can return the favor to anyone with tips on resorts in the German part of Switzerland, where I live, just let me know.

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Excellent!! Sounds like you are SET!!

Which Tanker 182cm do you ride? Do you attend the "Longboard Classic"?

Footbeds, go to whoever does it ALLOT!! Cork is still popular, "Superfeet" are store shelf alternatives.

Stance, find what works for you on a particular board, low as the board will allow seems to be the current wisdom.

Me? I tend to stay close to what I ride on my alpine boards. Perhaps 5 degrees lower on both. Personal preference.

Enjoy!! Bryan

PS, any chance you would fill in a few details on your User CP? Like location? Thanks,

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I was in Zermatt in february and had my boots sized. It was at the shop at the bottom of the elevator across from the base of the lift to Furi. They did a really good job and I don't remember how much it cost but I think it was less than 100CHF for tuneups on two boards and my boots. I have wide toes and Indys so I had to do something. The boots are very comfortable now.

Gandegg is a great run for carving, miles wide and there was never very many people there but good luck with the 2 km plus t-bar ride.

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I tend to stay close to what I ride on my alpine boards. Perhaps 5 degrees lower on both.

I have to 3rd that, I am finding on the 164 LSD that I like the higher angles with underhang. Started out on 1st day with fairly low for me angles, day 2 with 45f/40r and some underhang it is a lot better carver. 1st day impressions were get some stiff softies for it, am rethinking that now.

Oh, as a P.S. I ride the 192 Tanker at 50f/45r and lovin' it!

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After a year of dithering I finally strapped hardboots onto my Tanker 182 and was amazed at how easy it was. This probably has to do with the fact that I've been riding stiff bindings (Nidecker 900's and the Catek FR2s) on all-mountain boards. I'm looking forward to trying out the hardboots on my 164 Reto Lamm, a stiff BX-board.

I rode 45 F and 30 R: next time I'll move the rear up to 38 or so to see how it feels. Everthing improved: control, precision, stopping ability, performance on ice...even the T-bar was easier to negotiate. The only drawback was the numb toes: I've got 9EE feet, so molding the heat liners wasn't enough. I'm planning on finding a bootfitter to stretch them out ASAP.

When I switched to hard boots I was on freeride boards too, running the very same angles. My only regret now is that I kept doing that for a few years, in retrospect I should have switched to all-mountain alpine boards sooner. :) I was worried that higher angles and a narrower board would be less versatile, but in fact there's no loss of versatility, it all just works better together. I went from a 25cm waist to 23 to 21 and I'm now on a 19cm waist.

See if you can find something with a waist around 21cm. But even with 45/40 angles on my 23cm board the riding style the same as 19cm.

People on the left occasionally ask if this stuff is hard to ride, I tell them no, everything is easier, except nose-grabs. :)

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The Tanker is a 2005, I think: 24.6 waist.

I'm at least an hour's drive from Pureboarding, but maybe I should make the effort to drive there. Would they do a better job of shaping hardboots than my local ski shop?

I'm in Aarau, Kanton Aargau. It's roughly halfway between Zurich and Basel...closer to Zurich, though.

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