monodude Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 Email sent for info on the Donek. Shawn contact me @ skihor(at)aol.com Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertAlexander Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 My thought as well, be gentle at first to see what it will do, first carve will be in a wide open area green trail and see how it will do with a hard carve and really pick it up, try for a 360, and see how it goes, from there , I can see what I can do with it elsewhere, if anything carve wise. If I can flex it, it should turn, so go right at it. My question is, can I flex it, it is pretty stiff, but I do weigh 200 plus. worth a try anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goffredo Posted November 22, 2014 Report Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) This Skwal thing looks fun, and I'm looking to mix it up this winter. My main carving board is a Prior WCR 183 - if I get a SkwalUSA Carver 171 and some Bomber TD3 Skwal bindings, what can I expect? I mean, how do they ride compared to a regular carving board? Do they lock into the carve more quickly? Do they generally have better edge hold? Ridden flat (long traverse etc) are they any more sketchy as hell than a normal carving board? Looks like these things are great for destroying first-two-hours-of-the-day groomers. Oh, and why, exactly, are poles handy? As a total non-skier, I can only guess it's for maneuvering the flats at the top/bottom of the lifts -- but I usually just pop a boot out and skate so I think I'm missing something. Cheers! -Jeff Edited November 22, 2014 by Goffredo Added URL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted November 22, 2014 Report Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) You will discover muscles you didn't know were in your body. Poles were useful if groom is rough or new snow. If riding any lift other than chair I found best control releasing rear foot. However if your binding isn't step-in the rear toe bale may not have enough room to clear your front heel to disengage. Td3 step in's would be best. Expect to be moving at all times as stationary balance is impaired by your very narrow stance. Having a wing man first time out is helpful. Best thing about a Skwal is you not likely to fall backwards ! If you are a slalom water skier it's most like that sensation without the pulling . Watch the Whitefish Skwal video. Edited November 22, 2014 by lowrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted November 22, 2014 Report Share Posted November 22, 2014 (edited) Wow. SkwalUSA lives. I met one of the guys at their demo tent at Whistler way back in 2010 and he was very kind. I didn't bother actually trying to ride one then because I was convinced that the 171 would be too stiff for my small frame. I don't think that there has ever been a riding report of a SkwalUSA board on this forum, but I don't see why they wouldn't be a great ride for anyone of average weight and stature. The SkwalUSA 171 is pretty narrow at 11.2cm. But TD3 Skwal lowers are 11.5cm. Can anybody comment? Riding a skwal is just different, with a side-to-side movement that perhaps emphasizes finer degrees of balance, finesse, and timing than carving on "wide" boards. Not being able to force a board with front-to-back shifting over the ankles makes for a different kind of challenge. A skwal doesn't necessarily lock in better, but edge changes are super quick. Edge hold? My perception is that edge hold might be better because the edge is so close to the axis of your foot. But I personally have boot-out problems with narrow skwals that definitely detract from edge hold. A skwal is much fun, but it isn't necessarily superior to anything else. A skilled carver on normal gear can smoke me every time. The one way in which a skwal is undeniably superior is simply that it weighs less. What's that good for? I dunno. The worst thing for me is trying to ride a long-radius skwal on a crowded or narrow icy cat track. Without edge inputs the board can wander around, and trying to skid off speed in tight quarters is unnerving. I assume that poles are great for learning, getting up, getting out of flats, and for an extra measure of control. I have never used them, but I'd never poo-poo the idea. Edited November 22, 2014 by ExcelsiorTheFathead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makimono Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Wow. SkwalUSA lives. I met one of the guys at their demo tent at Whistler way back in 2010 and he was very kind. I didn't bother actually trying to ride one then because I was convinced that the 171 would be too stiff for my small frame. I don't think that there has ever been a riding report of a SkwalUSA board on this forum, but I don't see why they wouldn't be a great ride for anyone of average weight and stature.The SkwalUSA 171 is pretty narrow at 11.2cm. But TD3 Skwal lowers are 11.5cm. Can anybody comment? It's definitely an odd company. Seems like they put a lot of energy into setting it up but little effort at all into running it. I did some research on them before buying my stick off ebay because I was worried the whole thing was just a scam. The registered owner out of Ft Lauderdale seems to be more in the restaurant/night club business and has his name affiliated with as many as 14 companies on file with the Florida secretary of state. The ski is nice though, made in Austria, looks like high quality construction to me. It has angled sidewalls so the waist is only 10.5 cm across the topsheet. I wish I had some other experience on a skwal to compare it to but this is my first and only one. After my first day on it I decided I better get in the gym and do some crunches because it takes a lot of core to ride it...the harder I sent it out on edge the harder and faster it rockets back across the fall line and launches into the next turn...almost launched me into the woods a few times my first day out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kieran Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 just received a NOS völkl monocarver + bindings. inline stance feels weird, hope i don't crush my nuts... anyway, was there a consensus on the best stepin binding for these? it came with clip bindings which arent my preference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avante Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 just received a NOS völkl monocarver + bindings. inline stance feels weird, hope i don't crush my nuts... anyway, was there a consensus on the best stepin binding for these? it came with clip bindings which arent my preference. Catek OS2 (you will need to trim base plates), or PHK SKW - skwal-specific narrow ones. As you probably have noticed already, inserts in Monocarver are turned on 45 degrees, which makes is even harder to find matching bindings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Check out Wikipedia and associated links. Skwals are fun, sometimes scary and are a great way to find muscles in your body you didn't know existed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel45 Posted December 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 Feeding the addiction - notice anything at 01:46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 notice anything at 01:46 Not sure. Homemade slidey thingys on his gloves? I've seen that vid before, but this time around I noticed that he has risers under his bindings. And what kind of bindings are those? Kessler doesn't even advertise skwals, so that board must be full custom. It looks pretty darn narrow. I wonder if he uses risers for leverage or just to keep from binding out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makimono Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Looks like Skwaler Mac has narrowed OS2's...you can get a good look at them at the 30 second mark of this clip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertAlexander Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 (edited) Has anyone used TD1 bindings on a Skwal? Does anyone know the circular base mount diameter? I found out, either 3.5 "old or 4"=102mm recent, which sounds ok. I have access to a basement find, and they have (2) 3 degree , which will work for me. This is for my little experiment with those asteroid skis, just to mess around with. Thank you,,, R The difference between td1 reg and td1 skwal is the enlongated arc slot placement. The td1 reg I am getting , I will fab a hole offset disc/ (square) in order to use them on a skwal and use zero/zero . or 0/3 deg. That atomic ars powder plus is a metal board. Has any one (after production) installed Tee nuts on a metal board? i am thinking of using a slightly larger hole than the od of the tee nut to limit the metal from cracking over time of use. Any forum article known of on this topic? I have searched but found none. thanks R Edited December 21, 2014 by RobertAlexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Only issue I see is the fact that the Skwal bindings have a foot print larger than theTD1's and their lift and cant is on that larger footprint. Your modified TD base plates will be smaller and without the reinforcements built into the boards inserts when manufactured. you might want to repace the bumpers with something solid to prevent any leveraging they might exert on the baseplates. Keep us posted tinkering makes the world go round ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monodude Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Toko makes some inserts with P-Tex on them. Drill thru from the top first, then with the special champhered step bit drill from the bottom. Bombproof but the bits are spendy. Maybe find a shop that has the bits/inserts. Tap-in inserts must be tightly/proper size drilled to work. Personaly I wouldn't even try a tap-in insert. Way to much chance for failure/pull-out. Don Feed the Addiction... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmetroland Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 (edited) Toko makes some inserts with P-Tex on them. Drill thru from the top first, then with the special champhered step bit drill from the bottom. Bombproof but the bits are spendy. Maybe find a shop that has the bits/inserts. I thought about this route for remounting an old Crazy Banana, but the $90 bit for 8 holes squelched my enthusiasm. If anyone knows of a shop in the Denver area that has this setup, please post. Or if you have the bit and would be willing to rent it, even better! Two shops in Golden I talked to wouldn't touch this job with a ten foot Release&Waiver form. Edited December 22, 2014 by lordmetroland Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertAlexander Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 (edited) I have a milling machine, so my xyz distances will be fine. 4cm=1.575" And on another thought, A possible method, tee insert nutting a ski, only drill the bottom as deep as the base thickness, In this manner, the hole going completely thru the ski will be 3/8", and the bottom laminate, be it glass/carbon/metal will only have a 3/8" hole and not a 3/4" hole. This bottom laminate is important in that it stretches (tensile), and lessening the amount will only serve as a breaking point at that hole/holes. You would have to look at that insert in the ptex base when waxing , but I would rather look at that insert than at a broken skiboard, A good time to "insert" humor, "Is that a skiboard that you are riding?" If I paint the top sheet it will be a skwall, if I leave the Atomic topsheet it is a skiboard. end humor. The idea is to ride on edge , so it should not be a bother. Also, I would rather not remove 30% of the width with the (2) 3/4" holes, by milling thru that bottom sheet of metal. As long as the ptex base is still as thick as the insert base, the bottom base should be smooth. Edited December 22, 2014 by RobertAlexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted December 22, 2014 Report Share Posted December 22, 2014 I've put many inserts into a number of boards to create UPM pattern plate mounts. The P-Tex'd inserts I use are 16mm in diameter and have a 110 degree taper. The Wintersteiger special bits are very expensive but are not essential. I've used a standard 90 degree 16mm countersunk bit 'cause that's what I could find locally, but 110 degree bits are made. The Ptex on the inserts is rarely absolutely flat, and I've started gently hand sanding the P-Tex flat before I epoxy them into place. I mark out the inserts on the top of the board. I use a drill press for each step. Drill 3mm pilot holes from the top side. Use a 16mm brace bit to remove the P-Tex from the bottom. Use the 16mm countersunk bit to create the taper. Then drill the final 9mm hole in the top sheet to take the threaded part of the insert. Once the inserts are glued up and in place I place the board on a flat polyethylene sheet and hold it down with weights to press the inserts into their final position and minimise the amount of P-Tex that needs to be removed once the epoxy has set. Finishing off can be a base grind, or even just a metal scraper. On a snowboard the inserts are well away from the edge and not in snow contact when the board is on edge. On a skwal they will be much closer to the edge and a perfectly smooth finish is probably more important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monodude Posted December 23, 2014 Report Share Posted December 23, 2014 Give me a call, I have like 90 inserts. 1/2 black and half translucent. I have both bits also. I live in west Arvada. We can find an eve that works for both of us and you come over and we'll drill. You can take it home and add epoxy and mount a binding to hold them up in place. three-O-3 513-9042 Don Feed the Addiction... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExcelsiorTheFathead Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 I posted something about this a couple of weeks ago but it was eaten up by the Wayback Machine. Today was day 3 on my new Oxess SX178 custom. The first day on real carving terrain. This board is 126mm wide with flex set for a 140 lb rider. Stance is the standard 40cm. Whoever built it did a pretty good job getting the flex right. The 14m radius is a little scary for me, but I find that I can hammer it into turns and make it turn tight. It has a lovely camber and pop. I had it tuned at 1x2 and it bites in reassuringly. Seems pretty decent so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Once the inserts are glued up and in place I place the board on a flat polyethylene sheet and hold it down with weights to press the inserts into their final position and minimise the amount of P-Tex that needs to be removed once the epoxy has set. Consider using a base plate and correct bolts to add some "draw" or pulling pressure to the new inserts. It helps to suck them into position. Don't wrench hard , just easy , even pull does the trick. It also insures that when the epoxy sets up that your hardware is in perfect position and alignment. Even when clamped they tend to be drawn down a bit more, not a biggy, just small side note. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmetroland Posted December 24, 2014 Report Share Posted December 24, 2014 Give me a call, I have like 90 inserts. 1/2 black and half translucent. I have both bits also. I live in west Arvada. We can find an eve that works for both of us and you come over and we'll drill. You can take it home and add epoxy and mount a binding to hold them up in place. three-O-3 513-9042 Don Feed the Addiction... Don, many thanks for the offer! I'll surely take you up on it, but it may not be immediately. I'll give you a call. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertAlexander Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 (edited) anyone figure out how to add images yet? I am pushing keys and it might happen, Time for a test run tomorrow. TD1 regular, mounted at zero using a fabricated adapter plate. Edited January 1, 2015 by RobertAlexander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted January 1, 2015 Report Share Posted January 1, 2015 Looking good. hope your glutes are in good shape ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnGreen Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 anyone figure out how to add images yet? I am pushing keys and it might happen, Time for a test run tomorrow. TD1 regular, mounted at zero using a fabricated adapter plate. How did it go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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