Why aren't you riding newer gear?

[piusthedrcarve]

What if one of nicest board builders offers payment plan, like car payment?

[Mr.E]

I bought my truck used, too.

[kipstar]

I used to get boards from nitro, so after my last scorpion I received in 1996 I think it was and used until 1998, I didn't really do any snowboarding again until 2004. From 1993 - 1997 I guess I did at least 50-200 days a year, riding northern and southern hemispheres, plastic oxygen/nitro bindings, raichle ski boots modified. Old school style gear from 1993 onwards I guess as the first time I went to USA that's what people were mostly using in Mammoth (sym boards, various bindings, modified ski boots).

Boots I did try snowboard boots a few times, but always found them too soft.

Then after a bit break, by this time, I was somewhat sure that despite cheaper boards being on the market, that 'they probably weren't that much better' and so I stayed riding the scorpion and for the most part wasn't riding with that many alpine riders, and when I did, usually was somewhat holding my own technically and so on....so I figured any further improvements were lack of time on the snow rather than the gear....easy to say when you do less than 20 days in 12 years.

That said, I did buy a few cheap boards including a couple of new oxygens a 178 and a 185, and a nidecker 171, and the raichle skiboots snapped a cable so then I had to switch to a pair of indys that I had purchased and didn't actually intend to use.

The first day was very very sucky for the first few runs, then I discovered that actually a softer boot was a lot less work. Within a couple of days my riding had improved and now I can only think of a couple of conditions that I would prefer the stiffer modified ski boot and even then, the tradeoff of weight and energy needed to kind of work around the stiffness I now can see had held me back a bit probably when I was doing a lot of days.

The next discovery was that the oxygen 178 was actually fairly light and had substantially better edge hold than the scorpion, which at that point had received a severe thrashing for many years and was noticeably worse.

I have no doubt I will have a similar step forward if and when I get my new TD3 bindings/metal board etc and get to spend a decent bit of time on them.

But doing less than 10 days a year, I could ride the scorpion or even my old EFT 156 (my first race board), and to be honest, it wouldn't be so much the board holding me back most of the time, it would be lack of ride fitness and lack of time on the snow more than the gear.

I also sail, used to do triathalons and windsurf. The money I spend on sailing and windsurfing is probably far more than snowboarding (especially the gear - new sails etc) - so a new board for $1000 USD isn't much money for me.

However I've got 2 unused boards bought in the last 3 years that are still unused because I haven't ridden at all since 1996!

[energyrail]

ya interesting thread

for me my first board was used FP. the bindings were new but almost ten years old. my boots were new RTR's.

I got a new custom donek on the way. not metal just new school shape.

i will post pics of it when it arrives.

But i have seen some old stuff. more than half the time i see hard boots.

they are on old plastic bindings. like a guy at norquay last year, don't remember the board but the bindings were almost broken i think.

I would not have called them safe. He had never even heard of this site.

but he could ride.

seen some girl running like 0 angles with ski boots once.

So sometimes they are unaware of high tech gear available one click away. I try an enlighten them.

[Erik J]

Money.

Last year's purchases in order of importance-

Season Pass

Boots & Moldable Liners

TD3's

Next year's purchases in order of importance-

Season Pass

New Board

This year-

Lots of physical therapy

No season pass and no equipment, first time in 30 years w/out a season pass :(

[teach]

Dan, my 10 year old computers run great (with Linux).

Road bikes and snowboards are my main sports expenses. I generally don't buy new until I know what I want and I can't get it used. Limited $$$ here, has to go around.

[Bullwings]

Isn't that what everything is about? At the end of the day most things boil down to money (whether snowboarding or not).

That said, I finally got on a custom metal Coiler last year that Bruce made just for me. My way of justifying it. Well, I suck as a rider, and tend to be some what abusive of my gear, and it does the same to me. If I don't break the board, then it'll break me... I'd have a decent quiver of glass boards right now, If i didn't break them all, except for 2 of them.

So, I finally just sucked it up and had Bruce make a metal board tailor made to my half-assed riding skills. WOW!!! While i'm still a mediocre rider, that board made such a big difference in my riding. Confidence and comfort level through the roof, as a result the riding improves too. I knew I was a so so rider and i was shelling out big bucks for a board might have been beyond my skill level, but it has been worth every single penny. Instead of the board being out of my league, it has pull my skill level up and makes me look even better than I really am. I get a lot of compliments now from the uninitiated... heh

Metal boards truly are cheater sticks. If I see a good rider on a glass board and see a good rider on a metal board, my respect goes to the guy on the glass board... Metal with all the nice VSR, decambered nose, and decambered tail is like the car equivalent of having ABS, traction control, sequential double clutch transmission, etc. etc. Glass is like pure raw car, no aids or nannies to help you out and mask your flaws and errors - you screw up on glass, and you pay for it. You'll know you're doing something wrong when you're on glass... I think it's good to start off on glass, but eventually what'll get you to progress faster once you hit that plateau on glass is metal with all the new school shapes and technology. Now i just gotta save up for a donek or bomber plate. Do i need it and will i utilize it to the fullest? No. is it gonna be cool? hell yes!!! It's just like 90% of the people with Corvettes, Ferraris, Lamborginis, Porches etc. etc. How many of them actually take their cars to the track and flog them and drive them to the limits to see what the car can really do? Hardly any, but it's still cool as hell to have one.

[xxguitarist]

Money, variety of interests, & season length are issues for me.

I'm a college student, though I tend to hold down well-paying jobs (even if only for summers) so my budget is OK but not big by any stretch.

I'm currently on a rather old axis 172, and shopping for something similar-ish in metal, yet affordable. Ive talked with one person, and their offer seems intriguing. Grabbed my 325T boots used but in quite good shape, ditto for the snowpro race bindings.

As far as other interests,

I spent a bit on photo supplies this semester- mostly paper, some film, an incident light meter. Had the camera/lens already. Bought the film body, digital body, and 2 lenses used over the last few years.

I also sail, windsurf, and surf. No major purchases here lately. Family has a racing sunfish, I'm pretty content with my current board, sails, masts, booms, etc. I think windsurfing matches the excitement of carving. Surfing is cheap too, once you've bought a few boards.

Biking, spent a bit here in the last few years. Most of the gear used, or discounted, though. C'dale capo frame with top end crank/BB, some pretty good wheels & other components. Amazing how much weight you can save when you ditch the shifters & cassette

Relatively content with my (bought new) specialized mtb from 2000.

May be selling my geared road bike, spare track frame, and building up a geared TT/Tri bike. That & the capo would fit my needs.

Longboard skateboards aren't too expensive when you build your own decks, and selling a few covers the expense nicely.

I've ranted enough. Point being, there's too much money to be saved by grabbing used gear for me to go for the brand-new stuff right now. When I'm making a bit more (if I still have time for many days on the mountain) I'll look into a custom board. This is the one that seems especially worth buying new. Not a lot of benefit to brand-new bindings or boots, so long as they're the same as you would have purchased otherwise.

[trailertrash]

Isn't that what everything is about? At the end of the day most things boil down to money (whether snowboarding or not).

I don't agree, it comes down to priorities. If something is high enough on your priority list it will get the money (within reason of course).

[Jack M]

Metal boards truly are cheater sticks. If I see a good rider on a glass board and see a good rider on a metal board, my respect goes to the guy on the glass board.

:rolleyes:

If carving feels easy or like cheating, you aren't going fast enough.

[b0ardski]

Glisse is my life.

I've never bought a new car either. Why? Money, or lack there of. If I had an even below average income the last couple years, I'd buy new tech every season. Last year would have been a custom metal decambered twintip all mountain carve board. This year would have been a plate. Next year would be sidewinders.

In reality this year is replacing 6year old computers, a tv on the fritz & a blown head gasket. There goes my custom board, plate & binders right there.

Walk a mile in my economic shoes then tell me my priority should be one $1000 toy to replace the 10 old ones I use with my near free(only reason I get to ride this year) seasons pass that'll get used less this year than last because I can't afford the gas to drive up the mtn.

I could run on & on like that last sentence but I'll just say that even you guy's with good jobs must realize that new alpine gear is somewhat elitist.

[trailertrash]

Walk a mile in my economic shoes then tell me my priority should be one $1000 toy to replace the 10 old ones I use with my near free(only reason I get to ride this year) seasons pass that'll get used less this year than last because I can't afford the gas to drive up the mtn.

I could run on & on like that last sentence but I'll just say that even you guy's with good jobs must realize that new alpine gear is somewhat elitist.

You have made your own choices to wear those economic shoes. That is your priority. Please don't whine to us for the choices you have made. I didn't say you should buy a $1000 toy. Save us the sob story. You should sell those gay ski poles and maybe you could afford a real board! :D

[b0ardski]

I'm not whining and totally claim ownership of my reality.

I ski a snowboard(60-70days a season):p, works out pretty good for me, sorry if that image doesn't fit your somewhat elitist vision of what a modern hardbooter should look like.;)

Selling my gay 10 year old bent ski poles might buy me a couple binding screws, but I'd miss them when I don two planks.

[Jack M]

I'll just say that even you guy's with good jobs must realize that new alpine gear is somewhat elitist.

What?? This makes no sense. Reverse snobbery is more elitist.

[GeoffV]

This is a great topic. Several of you that are riding 10+ year old boards have all commented that you can't afford to drop a grand on a new metal board. No one has said that you need to buy new. There are plenty of metal boards being sold used in our classifieds section.

My question to those that can't afford metal is: Have you ever had the chance to try some new school metals boards?

If you don't have access to local riders with new technology have you tried to contact one of our local board builders to see if they will ship you a demo. Now if you are to cheap to pay for shipping costs you've got a problem:freak3: or you will never buy new from a builder, there is no benefit to a builder helping you out.

My point is if you have had a taste of new technology and liked it, it comes down to priorities as TT stated. Don't give me this BS that you can't afford a used board. I remember my 1st Burton Elite I bought in 1988. I was a young kid with no money, but I managed to save for over a year to pay for the board.

It really comes down to priorities. Let's take an example of paying $500 for a used metal board. Sure you can't drop $500 at once, but if you put snowboarding as a priority. Put $40 a month away for a year and you got yourself some new technology.

Skills could also be a factor as well, I've run into several people over the years that have been riding a carving board for 10+ years but do not carve linked turns. The biggest contributing factor to that is that these riders have just never had the opportunity to improve their riding by riding with other carvers.

[queequeg]

Metal boards truly are cheater sticks.

Try carving my Metal 186 GS board down a steep and narrow east coast trail and then say that again. It's all about how hard you push yourself. I just came back from my first weekend on snow, this season and it took me a few days to get back on point ... until I did - things were more than a little frightening. They're not cheater sticks, they allow you to push yourself harder.

I have no interest in being the guy that Cindy K described awhile back: "One of my friends has a titanium Kessler made especially for BX with chopped off nose and tail. It cost him $1,600 and another $600 for Catek bindings. Too bad he's a 25-cent rider."

I had several moments this past weekend, where I felt a bit like that :-p.

I think there's something to be said for guys who just prefer the feel of old-school glass and the pop that it gets you. There are plenty of riders out there who just prefer the feel of glass. Some of them have even had glass boards made with new school shapes to get the best of both worlds.

[trailertrash]

... Several of you that are riding 10+ year old boards ....

This is what I am talking about for "newer" gear.

...sorry if that image doesn't fit your somewhat elitist vision of what a modern hardbooter should look like.

I could run on & on like that last sentence but I'll just say that even you guy's with good jobs must realize that new alpine gear is somewhat elitist.

I haven't stated my view so you are the one saying it is elitist.

[b0ardski]

I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a ferrari when mustang will get you there just as fast.

I apologize for sounding like a reverse elitist not my intention.

I'll buy a custom board soon enough, probably carbon before metal because I the spring more than dampness.

PS if my 10 year old 185 was ahead of it's time does it count as modern gear?

[Jack M]

I ski a snowboard(60-70days a season)

See this is exactly the kind of person who should be riding new or lightly used modern equipment. 60-70 days? It's your winter life!! Why limit your enjoyment with obsolete, worn-out gear? Don't say money. You are already spending a lot of money to slide down a hill that much.

[two_ravens]

Because it's still in Bruce's shop - waiting on a top sheet! :D

Actually, my current ride is also a custom Coiler built last year... I would probably be slumming it on my carving gear like I do with my soft boot gear (I can have SO MUCH FUN on $25 worth of snowboard in backcountry powder!!!!:1luvu:) but I quickly realized that at 5'7" and 118 lbs I am so far out of the 'normal' range of specs for hardbooters that there just isn't any used gear out there for me... :( So if I wanted to carve I had to cough up the dough. No regrets! :p

[Loc]

The quick answer is I don't want to spend more then a % of my income on gear that I will use less than 15 days a season. That and I don't want to fall into the mindset that I need the latest and greatest to have fun. My Coiler VSR is a modern board (I hope it still is..) and that is plenty of stoke already. Dropping 400 or 750 on a plate is excessive. That money is better spent elsewhere for me.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Why limit your enjoyment with obsolete, worn-out gear?

Why is your enjoyment "limited" on older gear? Rob's having fun riding boards with no bindings whatsoever. We can't have fun pushing the limits of what we've already got?

[Mr.E]

Unlimited enjoyment on antiquated tech:

Is that direct mount with universal rocker?

[sabestian]

It is a noboard.

[philw]

I'd say the answer is obvious. Snowboarding is just fun; you can do it on pretty much anything and it's still fun. The difference between not snowboarding and snowboarding is vastly bigger than the difference between a 2010 board and a 2011 board.

I'm happy enough with toy collecting as a sport, but I'm not sure we should get too fixated on esoteric gear. It makes it hard for people to get into the sport. When I started, I could ride any old snowboard. I think that is still true and rightly so.