Luck Runs Out... Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 I've been riding soft boots since '94. Back then, I started out on a Burton Twin 58, and had a chance to ride a Burton PJ back in '96. After I quit falling over myself, the board blew my mind, and was the inspiration for getting a bigger board with more effective edge. So, in '97, I bought a Burton Supermodel 81. Over the years, I found myself carving more and more, but ran into some foot problems in '04 and had to give it up for a while. My feet are finally fixed (thank you, USAF), and I'm able to once again enjoy snowboarding, and kind of "rediscovered" it this year. However, the first ten years of riding saw me back east in Vermont, and now that I'm out here in UT, I'm faced with major bootout in all this hero snow that I wasn't getting back east. I'm already at 33F/30R and found that if I turn them up more, I start to loose the ability to pressure the edges. That, and while my feet don't hurt like they used to, they're still not comfortable (never were) because of how tight I have to crank the bindings down. So, I think it's time. I'm tired of wearing holes in my mitts and want to start wearing holes in the armpits of my jacket. I still remember how that PJ railed, and can only imagine how much better a new board would do. Despite a five year hiatus, I do consider myself an expert carver on the gear I have, and since my Supermodel still has quite a bit of life left in her, I'll be buying some plates and boots for her, and this summer will be on the lookout for a Swoard. I look forward to learning from you guys and gals and sharing what little I know. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gilmour Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 f2 roadster w/ intecs $75+ shipping... lol... what foot size are you...maybe we can outfit you pretty quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luck Runs Out... Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 My foot size is 9 or 9.5 or something, which doesn't translate to mondopointe, so I'd have to get out the ruler and get back to you on that. While I do like that new board smell, a used board would mean more parts for my motorcycles... You'll have a PM in a few minutes. *edit- OK, no PM... sent you an email through this board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 Anything under a 10 size boot and you have the pick of the litter as to boards of choice with Hardboots and Plates and still be under 45 degrees. I envy U small feet people LOL.... In powder however, the plates and hardboots can also be a huge hinderance. I had some freshie blower powder this weekend, and it was a chore to ride thru in an alpine setup, but in softies, I was lovin it! Don't be so quick to dump the softies, just keep the right tool for the job and also have fun ripping the carves too with HB and Plates :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luck Runs Out... Posted January 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 I remember what a miserable failure it was trying to ride that PJ in about a foot of powder... Did I mention that I was using ski boots at the time? lol... Never said I was totally ditching the softies... but 90% of my riding could be done in hard boots. The initial plan was to get plates and boots and put them on the Supermodel so I'm on a board I know and to spread the cost out a bit, and once I got a carving board, put the SB bindings back on the Supermodel and have her for powder days. But if Mr. Gilmour's board is a size I can use, I see no reason not to just get the whole setup in one shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 At boot size 9 or 9.5, the Swoard will be too wide. Check out Prior, Donek, Coiler, Nidecker, Volkl. Welcome and good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gilmour Posted January 5, 2010 Report Share Posted January 5, 2010 the roadster runs a bit wider than the narrow sticks...but not by much meaning the transition would be easy. You can always sell the deck to the next crossover. tell you what... You pay shipping on it... ride it for 3 weeks and then decide if you want to keep it , paypal me... or just send it back if you find something you like better....think of it as a free rental if you decide on something else. I also can get you a pair of 27.5 raichle 123's from a friend... $30 plus shipping.. The Roadster is I think about 160 cm...a good length to start on.it smokes your PJ and.... a shorter board teaches you to ride centered and learn proper technique to maximize edge grip. IMHO it is a mistake to start on a longer GS deck because then you become too reliant on effective edge as opposed to proper technique. Of the people that bought Madd Boards.... the ones that rode the shorter 158cm SL deck most of the time compared to the ones that rode the 170cm GS deck most of the time ...IMHO the 158 cm riders became far better at a much faster rate and were more proficient on everything both long and short. email me at (myfullname as 1 word @ rocketmail.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 Im going to wholeheartedly agree unequivicably with Johns advice and statement about a shorter board giving a rider a tougher time initialy, but makes them a far superior rider once on something bigger. I started out on smallish boards with softboots 151 and also with hardboots 157, yet can ride stuff up to 177 (still trying to master the 190 WC) and have to say that If you don't get the feel for the short boards, it will hand you your ass on a silver platter. Once you get good on the smaller stuff and move up to a longer ride, it will feel like a Jaguar with the handling, and the floated ride of a RollsRoyce :) Oh, and good to see yer still keeping the soft stuff too ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luck Runs Out... Posted January 6, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 Mr. Gilmour, that is a very generous offer, and I will take you up on that. When I get home, I'll measure my foot and email you. Thank you very much. Mr. Michlaud, why would the Swoard be too wide because of the size of my feet? My Supermodel has a 24.6cm waist, and the widest Swoard is 23.1cm. I understand that a narrower board will mean quicker edge to edge response, but there has to be a reason why the Swoard is a good 2cm wider than most others. Dave, I agree as well. Over the years, I'd occasionally take out my Twin 58 and would always put it away after a few runs. I guess I have developed some pretty bad habits from being on a large board for so long. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transistor Rhythm Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 The Swoard 161 is just 21cm wide, but it's for lighter and smaller riders (there is a guide on their website). If your feet are really small compared to your weight and height Jack might be right. The boards are wider because they are designed to have zero boot out for laid down turns and more natural binding angles at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zone Posted January 6, 2010 Report Share Posted January 6, 2010 I've been riding soft boots since '94. Back then, I started out on a Burton Twin 58, and had a chance to ride a Burton PJ back in '96. After I quit falling over myself, the board blew my mind, and was the inspiration for getting a bigger board with more effective edge. So, in '97, I bought a Burton Supermodel 81. Over the years, I found myself carving more and more, but ran into some foot problems in '04 and had to give it up for a while. My feet are finally fixed (thank you, USAF), and I'm able to once again enjoy snowboarding, and kind of "rediscovered" it this year. However, the first ten years of riding saw me back east in Vermont, and now that I'm out here in UT, I'm faced with major bootout in all this hero snow that I wasn't getting back east. I'm already at 33F/30R and found that if I turn them up more, I start to loose the ability to pressure the edges. That, and while my feet don't hurt like they used to, they're still not comfortable (never were) because of how tight I have to crank the bindings down. So, I think it's time. I'm tired of wearing holes in my mitts and want to start wearing holes in the armpits of my jacket. I still remember how that PJ railed, and can only imagine how much better a new board would do. Despite a five year hiatus, I do consider myself an expert carver on the gear I have, and since my Supermodel still has quite a bit of life left in her, I'll be buying some plates and boots for her, and this summer will be on the lookout for a Swoard. I look forward to learning from you guys and gals and sharing what little I know. :) Just throwing my 2 cents in. I'm not a softbooter, never were, so take my opinion with a grain of salt! Why not consider the Swoard Dual? Downside (or up if you're in UT powder): even larger and costlier that the roadster. Upside: designed to carry both hardboot and softboot bindings at pretty much any angles, you can still get into EC when needed too without booting out. And from personal experience, the Dual carves great even on hard snow (as tried last week here in Ontario in softies). In comparison, I have the F2 Roadster sitting idle in the garage waiting for my son to be tall enough to try. Edgehold on the Roadster is non existant in comparison, great board to start hardbooting on though, esp. at that price! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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