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How long have you been riding hard boots?


Jack M

How long have you been riding in hard boots?  

116 members have voted

  1. 1. How long have you been riding in hard boots?

    • less than 1
      6
    • 1
      8
    • 2 to 3
      24
    • 4 to 5
      16
    • 6 to 8
      11
    • 9 to 10
      16
    • 11 to 15
      24
    • 16 to 20
      14
    • more than 20 (please identify yourself, hardboot god!)
      2


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Started on an old Safari in '91 and switched to plates (Brtn Stat 5) in '94 and started competing right away.

I still own a soft set-up for mogul and powder days, but keep shoving money into my race set-up...I guess I'm addicted! There I've admitted that I have a problem.

-Gord

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Guest Randy S.

Started 88-89 season on Dynafit Tourlite AT boots. Bought them for $25 from a bike shop that had gone into the AT business for a season and had leftovers. I used those boots for a long time before buying closeout Raichle 124 or 125? for a similar $25.

Before that I rode on softies for 3 seasons (real softies - Sorels with a ski boot liner inside).

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'84 on a burton board with dolomite ski boots--very painful.

I also did some riding in '79 on a Gar snow/sand board--no sidecut just little fiberglass fins on the outside edges with a foam core. That innovation didn't go over real big. they did look real cool when the fins would rip off and turn into streamers draging behind you.

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9 years in hard boots. 16 years on boards. The Burton Cruize was my first ride and I still have it. The Burton Stat 6 was my first board with plate bindings and the one where it all came together for me. I certainly still have that one.

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13 years on softies and the last 5 years on plates. My first board was an Avalanche Kick 163...Damian Sanders pro model....the infamous hardbootin', freestylin', Wind Lip-backflipping nut from back in the day. I guess I was destined to turn to the dark side with Damian as my inspiration. Anywhoo, after a few winters out West in the mid 90's, I returned to New England with my trusty 173cm pow stick. Let's just say it didn't adjust well to the East Coast's bulllet proof ice. Plus, in my first winter back East I rolled my ankle in some moguls with my softies. I was pretty desperate for a set-up that provided more ankle support and could perform well on the hard pack conditions. Around '99-'00, I made the switch and have enjoyed every minute of it!!!:cool:

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I've been snowboarding since 88. I tried hardboots last year after becoming disillusioned with jumping/tricks and foot pain. Hardboots solved most of the issues I was sick of.

Carving was a part of snowboarding for me ever since I owned a Nitro Fusion in the early 90's. I wish I hadn't sold that board!

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Originally posted by Mellow Yellow

ahh... the Cruise.. that was my first board too.... I'm 99% sure the board on the right is a Cruise (not me)

That would be a Cruzer. The Cruise (or was it Cruize?) had a rounded kicktail.

And will the real >20 year hardbooter please stand up? Was it mellow johnny or Bob J that voted 20+?

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Guest stickmansurf

And now, let's all list the reasons WHY we switched from softies (if you ever did). Here are a couple to start with:

1. Foot pain

2. Aging/fear of gravity

3. The beauty of a nice ditch

Stickman

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Riding since '86, plates since '96.

Learned from a couple of guys named Chris and Mark at Stratton one spring...two guesses as to which Chris and Mark they turned out to be. The board was a Performer 140 (from under the clock tower), but I wanted one just like my instructors, so the first board I bought was an Elite 150 with Darth Vaders - the ones with the Fastex buckles. Sorels with lace-up ski boot liners rounded out the package, but I didn't give up skiing since I couldn't control the board as well as I could my skis. Got interesed again when I saw the hardbooting fringe in the early 90's; rented a setup in Vail on a ski trip in '95 and fell in love all over again.

Anybody still have their "boarding passes" from teh bad old days? I'll show you mine if you show me yours...

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(how does that Springsteen song go about "glory days"...?)

I started in '89 as that was the first time I saw a board setup which I thought looked ridable. I was on some 160ish Atomic board (before they got ashamed of the name and then less ashamed of it again) with ski boots.

Later I got some "UPS" hard snowboard boots, but I went back to ski boots as the "snowboard" boots were too soft. I never learned to skid turns, so I never felt the need for floppy boots.

I've rented soft boots a couple of times when United delayed my bags, but soft boots make my feet hurt and I hate the lack of control.

Occasionally I'll be hanging out at some apres-board cafe and I'll notice that the other [soft] borders all have taken their boots off... I've forgotten I'm wearing mine the second I put them on.

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hardboots completely eliminated my ball of foot pain I suffered from. Literally the ball of foot pain that when you pulled your feet out of the boots it was almost screaming orgasmic!? I could hardly walk across the parking lot w/o pain. You think I would have started looking for answers sooner, but the guy at the board shop said ball of foot pain was normal at the start of the season. He is no longer in business!

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2.5 seasons on plates. I honestly had no idea that so many people here have been hardbooting so much longer than I have! I figured their had to be more who were in my ballpark.

Someday my ability will catch up to my enthusiasm :)

Been softbooting since '96 though!

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