mnovak Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Why have Nitro, Volkl, Burton, and other "major" brands left the softboot carving scene? There are tons of boarders that never go into the park or pipe and there will be more when the park and pipe folks get older so why have softboot carving boards gone the way of the dodo as far as these companies are concerned? The limited hardboot brands I kind of understand. Does anyone think that carving in softboots will ever be really popular? Will Burton ever make a Donek Razor type board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boarderboy Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Will Burton ever make a Donek Razor type board? Burton seems to be tightly focused on the 18-year-old, primarily male, demographic. Their Series 13, "semi-custom" program should have given them expanded possibilities, but they seem to have become less, not more, creative with that line. Just my .02 BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 because most board for charging all mountain conditions do this as well as 99% of the public could ever imagine. ALSO, I think you need to stop whining and ride some of the high end offerings from these companies. also try a high end palmer, the crown and the platinum are good. one is actually a kessler anyway. honestly, name me one softboot carver from a big company that was marketed as such. most were marketed as all mountain rides or BX rides, different thing. carving in softboots is popular, you're just looking at this in a pessimistic way. burton still makes some great boards. never summer, ride, k2, palmer, mervin mfg, rome and atomic all make something you can carve up a storm on. they just don't market them as such. A good general purpose snowboard does pretty damn good if you choose wisely and set it up properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 The Lib Tech Dark Series (w/Magne Traction) carves incredibly well. How well do you ask? I'll put to you this way I haven't even broke out the Coiler 172 AM-T YET this season. I've rode the Lib with F2 Titanflex and my Head SP's every day so far. Even hit some small jumps and rails in the noob park at Angel Fire. I rode it this past weekend at Pajarito and some of the areas were "icy". This thing just held and held. I got so many looks from folks it was unreal. My heelside is coming along nicely with the help of BOL feedback and I was laying down some really nice carves on the Lib. This bad boy will be coming with me to SES for all you non-believers. If I didn't own the Coiler I'd be selling everything and just riding this beast. It's light years ahead of any softboot/BX board I've ridden. I'd guess the next best thing I've owned as far as "mainstream" carving boards is the Palmer Channel BX (which now belongs to my best friend and that board had a fresh PTC tune to boot). The Lib just blew that one away... Perhaps my technique is finally coming around? Or is the board THIS good? Guess I'll find out when I finally break out the Coiler this season which might not be until SES at the rate I'm going... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 there are still lots of options for softboot decks that carve well.Never Summer, Ride, Venture, Prior, Lib tech,Tanker,Nidecker,Arbor, Head,all make boards that will carve well on groomed snow and rip everywhere else as well. When I am riding soft boots my focus is to stay off the groomed and go find nicer snow everywhere else. I ride hard boots on groomed snow only. None of these companies are going to market a board as a carving board as a board for soft boots has to be versatile. That is why they are called all mountain freeride or directional freeride. That kind of board is designed to be ridden foward most of the time not switch and is not designed to be used in the park or halfpipe or for sliding rails although it could be done. there are other companies as well that are making this type of board. I think that this type of board will always be available. Boarder cross boards are a built specifically for that event and are not designed for all purpose riding that most people do.I have not ridden a boarder cross board but I imagine it would be too stiff to ride in bumps. Also boarder cross boards that are available today are real expensive such as the Kessler.I looked at a Kessler at Bola's shop in Boulder and the nose is real low and I doubt I would like to ride it in bumps or powder but it would be good for going fast and carving on hard snow. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Magne-traction is the real deal. I have been riding a Lib-Tech TRS w/ magne-traction since last year and can attest to its effectiveness, especially on hard-pack/ice. Problem is the board is a bit noodely, especially in the nose, when I get aggressive with it (I weigh 210). It's great for trees, bumps, riding switch and all the other fun stuff, but it's not stiff enough for me to really push hard. The Dark Series is stiffer, but is it that much stiffer? Here's the real question...when will companies like Donek and Prior, who use superior materials and have better craftsmanship than the mass-producers, start to embrace some of this new thinking/technology in their boards? I would love to see Donek with their own version of magne-traction or a reversed-camber board for freeriding. Flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowboardfast Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 You might contact Lib tech and see if they will make a stiffer board since you are heavier. They have been making boards for a very long time and might be able to help you out.I would like to try one to see how the magna traction works. I will probably try the Skunk Ape as it is supposed to be a free ride board. if I like it I might get one that is 180 cm. They make it as long as 190cm. Gnu was one of the first companies to make a board that would carve well. I like the fact that they are thinking"outside the box" with their design ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Volkl Coal....probably the most used production SBX board on the World Cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwings Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 the higher end Burton boards are probably still quality - Malalo, T6, Vapor... and they're all marketed as high end all mountain free-ride boards. i'm sure these boards are more than capable of holding their own on edge. granted, i've never been on any of these boards. bobdea would probably have some input here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felix Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Volkl Coal....probably the most used production SBX board on the World Cup. Are you sure????? At the last worldcup in Gastein I could see mainly Kessler (okay custom), SG (production), Oxxess (production), Black Pearl (not sure), and not many other boards. Some Palmers (okay those are branded Kessler), some Apex, ..... Basically boards from the same makers as the GS/SL boards used in the worldcup. I have to say I've only seen the races starting from the quaterfinals, other heats (men only) and qualifiers were not broadcasted in Austria. I would find it strange to see people on average boards when speacialised boardercross boards are available easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 I contacted Burton and got some "rep" that gave me a totally ignorant reply. I asked if they could recomend a soft boot carving board in their current line up that would best suit an alpine/ec carving type board. The Burton appointed replier stated that the most similar board in their line up that they had that was the most simmilarity to an alpine carving board was... "The Fish". I fully expected either the "Vapor", "Super Model", or the "Custom". Fish? Really? I guess in 2-4 foot of fresh, not on the cord though and definately not on east coast ice. I swear the only thing that pisses me off more than BOL people knowing more than me is Burton reps knowing less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Who cares?? Buy a Donek, Prior, Coiler, Madd or any of the several other companies that support alpine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 the higher end Burton boards are probably still quality - Malalo, T6, Vapor... and they're all marketed as high end all mountain free-ride boards.i'm sure these boards are more than capable of holding their own on edge. granted, i've never been on any of these boards. bobdea would probably have some input here. I haven't checked this year, but last year Burton didn't make a board with a sidecut radius longer than 8.9m. Not very useful for carving at any sort of real speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 I haven't checked this year, but last year Burton didn't make a board with a sidecut radius longer than 8.9m. Not very useful for carving at any sort of real speed. ehh, yeah, most people don't carve at any real speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 ehh, yeah, most people don't carve at any real speed. most people who go fast do it a straight line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 most people who go fast do it a straight line this is true too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow 15 Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Does anyone think that carving in softboots will ever be really popular?That's a strange statement, because if you have any idea how to ride a board, be it freestyle, all mountain or any board with a sidecut, you should be carving your turns. The term "soft boot carving board" is a bit of a misnomer as any board will carve, all you need is the knowledge and skill. Riding alpine boards help but I know plenty of people who have never been near a hard boot set up but can carve their freestyle boards better than some people attempting it on alpine set ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gecko Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 most people who go fast do it a straight line ehh, yeah, most people don't carve at any real speed. this is true too I say this because the industry has made this posible and even desirable, most Trauma Parks are a series of hits of obstacles strung out out in a roughly straight line down the hill to maximise speed for each hit. I am always amazed at the lack of turning control people who can do such amazing things on rails have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eajracing Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 I say this because the industry has made this posible and even desirable, most Trauma Parks are a series of hits of obstacles strung out out in a roughly straight line down the hill to maximise speed for each hit. I am always amazed at the lack of turning control people who can do such amazing things on rails have. it never fails to amaze me. i rode the chair with a kid i saw throwing 10's like it was going out of style, but looked like he was 90% out of control between the hits and started chatting with him about his set up. He told me intentionally detunes both his edges, so his board is less 'catchy' as he straight lines into a jump. i asked him how he gets up the walls of the halfpipe and he 'just sorta does'. So i guess we cant blame them. they ride detuned boards that just sorta work, so they just sorta cant carve. I'm sure if i took the edges off any of my boards i couldnt carve either. and i still couldnt throw 10's over the 60 footer either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 He told me intentionally detunes both his edges, so his board is less 'catchy' as he straight lines into a jump. i asked him how he gets up the walls of the halfpipe and he 'just sorta does'. I was talking to a local shop owner and he told me that is why a lot of kids have a "park" board and a "pipe" board..... Just like we have a quiver, so do they. That is why the cheap boards are popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjulezD Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Ok they may not be marketed as such, but a lot of main street shops boards are good carving machines. F2 and Nidecker have what they call freecarve or soulcarve boards, though. Is it because they never rejected their alpine roots or because it may be a good marketing call in Europe, I don't know. Anybody out there to have tried the F2 Vantage ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcarver Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 SG makes a softboot version of the Cult board. I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but I bet that board will carve well with softies. Pretty much any of the stiffer, longer sidecut radius freeride/bigmountain type boards will carve well with softboot setup. There are plenty of companies making such boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 SG makes a softboot version of the Cult board. I can't remember the name off the top of my head, but I bet that board will carve well with softies. The Soul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Apo has few models that would blow your socks of. Don't know if Nitro still has the Dark Horse, or Elan the Vertigo in their line-ups... Just tried the Vertigo other day - great board. Burton has some wild BX prototypes (mega stiff, 16m scr, lots of taper). Again, I don't know if it would be commercially available... I don't have to say much about Rossi's Half Gun, you all have seen JG carving a storm on these. High end Salomons Head Intelligence series are good too. Let's not forget about few other smaller makes, like Steepwater and local favorite Rad-Air... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortcutToMoncton Posted January 13, 2009 Report Share Posted January 13, 2009 Ok they may not be marketed as such, but a lot of main street shops boards are good carving machines. F2 and Nidecker have what they call freecarve or soulcarve boards, though. Is it because they never rejected their alpine roots or because it may be a good marketing call in Europe, I don't know. Anybody out there to have tried the F2 Vantage ? I have an F2 Eliminator I grabbed off someone on the board. I've heard many good things about it, and I'm excited to pair it with the Malamute boots I scooped on eBay. They made a Diablo board as well which I thought was a narrower, perhaps more BX-ish version, but I don't see that any more. Did they change the name to Vantage I wonder? Unfortunately UPS is jerking me around on the whole delivery thing. I hate UPS. greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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