How long have you been riding hard boots?

[Bob W]

Started riding in 79, Burtons first production board (rubber band, twin fins...)

Plates since 90 Safari II, still have the set up in the garage. Boots HOT PINK Kolflatches (sp).

[Baka Dasai]

Originally posted by stickmansurf

let's all list the reasons WHY we switched from softies:

1. Foot pain

2. Aging/fear of gravity

3. The beauty of a nice ditch

No. 3!

Actually, No. 3 is the reason I switched from skis to snowboarding. I was too clueless to know about the difference between soft boots and hard boots at that stage.

Anyway, my history is

<ul><li>4 years on plates.<li>5 years on softies before that.<li>20 years on skis before that.</ul>

[RCrobar]

Saw a picture/ Winterstick ST article in '79, couldn't believe my eyes!!

Finally rounded up enough cash in '84 to buy a red Burton Performer, the pre-highback version.

Switched to plates in '89-'90 and have been on them ever since.

[jdgang]

started in 91 Air 5.1 went to a Air 5.5 then a twin 64 until 95 when a got a alp 56 then to a FP 57 now riding a speed 160

[ARCrider]

last 3 on plates

[hangten247]

1989- Went to Waterville Valley for a few days of skiing during Spring Break, with the plan of taking a snowboarding lesson one ot the days. I had size 13 feet, so they had no rental softies. Must have been an omen of things to come. So, with my trusty Nordica 981 skiboots, I clipped in to a pair of bindings on a black K2 Gyrator. I hopped on the lift and off I went, aiting for my lesson time I figured I'd try my best by myself I kept looking at other boarders to see what I could pick up, and trying to heed the snippets of advice on riding that the rental guy had spewed out. It must have been too late in the season, and the instructors must have bailed, because my 900 oclock lesson became a 10 oclock, then an 11oclock, and the lesson finally happened at 12 oclock. Not aware yet of the 'euro geek' phrase that others had used to describe hardbooters, I noticed the apporach of the instuctor. I noticed he had hardboots, plates, adnan alpine board. I think it was a white Mistral. I remember being excited because I assumend If he had carving gear, I'd have a better chance of learning correctly. I think my 15 years of ski racing helped out too in terms of being able to take instruction constructively, and applying the mechanics of ski carving to riding a snowboard. OK, back to 'eurogeek'. As my instructor came to a stop and introduced himself, I almost peed myself, but somehow I managed to contain my laughter, because when he opend up his mouth, this is what came out, no word of it a lie: [Arnold Schwartzenegger voice] "Hello, my name is Christoph, I am from Austria, und I vill be your Schnowboard inztructor for today."[/Arnold Schwartzenegger voice]. IT was a semi private with a little kid who wanted to shred. The instructor was patient with the kid, I picked up a few pointers, and the instructor was excited because I had already learned to link skidded turns all by myself by observing and imitating others before my lesson. The lesson basically became follow the leader at that point, and when it was over, he rode with me a while longer and congratulated me by saying I already hasd the basics down and was well on my way. After college graduation, I continued to work in the wintersports industry, and in the fall of 89, I bought a Burton board and learned how to carve turns. I have only skiid a handful of days since then, mostly to keep up on the new gear arriving at the shop so I coul'd give the customers an honest opinion of the skiis, but that's it. Winter of 89 -'90 consisted of about 20-25 days of driving from Cape Cod to either Stratton or Waterville Valley, learning how to carve while following my buddy on his Burton Safari Comp II.

[Gecko]

20 seasons...this will be my second on plates

[Guest tigger]

i learned on plates with my skiboots(upper buckle open) in 94 my instructors both rode on pogo hardcores. wasted 3 days on softboots since. i was so excited about my own first pogo, remindet me of my first winter snowboarding in La plagne/FR.

[Daneille]

Well, I didn't vote. My first year on plates was the year the Burton Reactor came out. Nitro Scorpion 159 first carve board. I don't know how long ago that was though.

Daneille

[Slow Eddie]

Originally posted by spcarves2

"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."

could it be? carol and heingartnersdkflkfek (sp?)

Indeed - Chris Karol and Mark Heingartner. Of course, I had no idea who they were a the time, until I stopped by the factory/store and saw them in the catalog.

There was another lesson going out that day for a few riders who wanted to get their Upper Mountain certification. Marianna Fruhmann and Andy Coghlan were the instructors/evaluators. Man, did I want Upper Mountain certification - she was a hottie. I was also 14 at the time.

[mikemcse]

Started skiing in the 80's and tried a carving board in 93' and never went back.

[Jon Dahl]

last day of the season (5 seasons ago) at Stevens Pass, Wa. I had the run (Interstate, I think) facing the highway behind the lodges all to myself, with beautiful snow. On, of all things, my soft setup, which was Switch bindings and Flexible Axel boots. I'd used ski boots on a short(153) board, then SB224's on and off on a 167 freecarve Airwalk (Nitro). Anyway, I started working carved turns, getting lower and more controlled to the point that there was no skidding at all, getting more g's. It all clicked that day for me. On one run I looked down to the lodge to see a lady stopped halfway across the bottom of the run, just staring. She just stood there almost the whole time. I think she didn't believe what she was seeing! I thought to myself that day, that the carved turn was just unbelievably fun, and ever since that day, it's been hardboots and plates for everything, including backcounrty.

[AlexJ]

Rode 4 days in softies, then right into Hard boots at the 1991 US Open. The board was a Burton Stat 7 with the first Gen Reactors. Have ridden softies maybe 3 times since.

Alex

[P06781]

Started in 1982 with a burton backhill and some kind of sim's thing that you bolted an old school skateboard on w/ skyhooks. We rode the small hills of wisconsin. I was perhaps the first snowboarder at several hills including powderhorn and rib mtn. Did the old "lets watch and see if you can turn and stop that thing" In 1986 got a 165 burton safari w/ highbacks and switched out the next year for burton 5-hole plates and my rachlie flexon comp ski boots. I had to put extra screws in them to keep from ripping out the inserts. Boat epoxy was my best friend! I still have 2 sets of the old burton bindings...

Jim

[boostertwo]

Since '88. Older than old school.

<img src="http://tinypic.com/vukoi">

Cheers,

B-2

[philfell]

Started carving in '91 on a M6 with flex bindings, went to a PJ and hardboots late in the '92 season (I think, the years all blend together, I'd have to look at some of my moms old home videos and see the date to be sure. But it's within a year of these dates.)Almost half my life in hardboots.

Alex are you sure it was the '91 U.S. Open? If I remember correctly the Stats weren't out yet, unless you had a very early prototype, or my memory isn't right. I thought the Stats came out in '93, in 91 it was still PJ's and megaflex, but like I said I could be wrong.

[Erik J]

Day one - 1989, a 14 year old and a Burton safari. It was like some sick S&M thing. The more the board beat the crap out of me, the more I wanted. Raised as a skier from age 6, forced into an oppressive world of after-school ski lessons, the old burton beckoned me in my dreams.

No more lessons!! Nobody else even had a board on the hill except for me. I had a snurfer and a plastic mogul monster which I rode in the woods near my home prior to this, but I was unprepared for the a@@-whoopin' of a big stiff race board on my skinny arse. I had no clue what I had just bought. Some kid rode the safari in his backyard ONCE (rich parents), I talked him down to 200 bucks for a brand new Safari - sucker.

My first day out, it was raining, 60 deg., water runoff had carved out 2 ft. deep trenches in the slope and there were actually hidden mini crevaces' under the snow. I wore jeans, hi-top sneakers and a t-shirt. When my mom picked me up that night, I was bleeding from every limb, ripped pants and shredded t-shirt. A bloody nose and a smile from ear to ear. The rest is history, moved out west, lived at the bottom of a ski resort, moved back east, carve every possible day that I can.

Sorry for the drama-post, but alpine boards have been a big part of most of my life. I gotta start skatin' again.

[utahcarver]

My season starts this year on 12.14.04 at my local area. That will begin my 4th season on plates and hardboots.

I've got 3 pairs of soft bindings, 2 pairs of softboots and I've used them sparingly in the past 3 years. The majority of my time has been experimenting with alpine set-ups on all-mountain boards, powderguns, and freecarve boards.

The first time I ever rode a snowboard was in 1982 (Though I met Dmitri Milovich in 1977 at his factory in SLC). It was actually not a snowboard then. My buddies called it Wintersticking. A blue swallowtail, followed by a roundtail, then a Burton Powdergun, Sim 1710, and a board which would show me the direction I would go: Safari 175. Too bad I didn't understand alpine technique in those days.

The biggest factor which made up my mind for me was seeing a pair of Trenchdiggers on my friends' race board. I knew then I'd have to give 'carving' a go. I was ready to drop snowboarding until I found out about 'bombers'.

Mark

[Kirk]

Whoa, Phil - almost identical! Started riding in '90 (Burton Free 6) In late '91 on m6, flex binding, comp boots - went to PJ 6, plates and Megaflex in '92, occasionally riding the asym air w/flex binding. Exclusively hard boots in '93 - haven't looked back!

[mellowjonny]

It wasn't me in the >20. I voted in the 16-20 group. I think we need a recount.

[Guest Todd Stewart]

started riding back in 94 when i was 9 years old, switched over to plates 4 years later. btw im so jealous of you guys that were riding in the 80s.

[hangten247]

I'm jealous of YOU Todd. If you started at 9, and I started at age 21, by the time you are what my age is now (37), you will have proportionaltely 12 more years of riding than me. I've been riding for 16 years, but you have been riding for 10. That's more than 1/2 of your young life. Sure, I've got bragging rights for the 80's (LATE 80's), and others were riding much sooner than me in the early 80's, but its taken IMO until the late 90's to get carving to where it is now from an equipment and technology standpoint. It's taken a long time for Snowboarding to gain respect. I had to decide where I was riding based on where they would allow me, now 99.9% allow snowboards. I remember in '81 at my home hill, the first time I saw a Burton Snowboard, I knew I wanted to do it, but it wasn't allowed at my home hill, and when I approaced my parents, I got the brush off, believing it was a dangerous fad. I think snowboarding has kept the "Wintersports" industry alive, and has come full circle to where skiiers are carving, or in some cases jibbin' the pipe and terrain parks. As much fun as it was back then, it was still a PITA from an equipment standpoint. Especially for me with size 13 feet. I had to MAKE my own boots the first time I wanted to snowboard, because nobody had my size. Also, I'm 6'3'' and (back then) about 200lbs. I couldn't just walk in a store back then and buy a deck, because it was all targeted at people of more an average stature. Although I never had a real huge desire to huck big air or ride a terrain park or pipe, I practically got into carving by accident, because I had to use my skiboots, and had to use steep angles to prevent too much toe drag, and I had to use a longer board for stability. Allthough I have seen the sport progress tremendously from its infancy, you have the benefit of jumping on gear the first time and likely being dialed in with something right the first time, and being able to go to most any North American resort and not get turned away at the ticket counter.

[slopetool]

Yes, the good old days. I can just see myself now.

Stretch pants with padded knees. Red Nordica 386 racing boots.

Burton plates with the heel clips on a Hooger Booger 175 with an asym. tail. I also used to ride an Avalance Flex 160 with primative plate bindings. those also had heel clips. I'm sure glad the manufactures started making toe clips. way easier to get to.

[mtnken]

Well, in 78 or 79 I had a Winterstick ST, can't remember what happened to it. I think I am one of the few that have ridden a board at Alta. Back then they would let you hike turns on your board. My dad would spend the day skiing and I would do about 2-3 runs on the ST. During the late 80's- 90's time was spent on many different freeride boards and in 2002 finally switched to plates. Many fond memories of getting yelled at, screamed at, etc. Won't ever go back to ski's. I finally got my 65 year old dad on a board and he loves it! I have gotten him into more trouble with his wife than he cares to admit. He climbs ice, rock with me and at age 63 he climbed Castleton Tower in Moab Utah. One of my greatest days. Thanks dad!

[Neil Gendzwill]

It's a trade-off - the young guys coming up now have the advantage of good gear, established technique and welcoming resorts. OTOH there's something to be said for being in on the ground floor of something good. I wouldn't trade my memories of the early days for anything. The camaraderie with every other rider you met was great. Even having to take a test to ride the hill and all the questions you had to endure on every lift ride were kind of cool in retrospect - we were on the leading edge and we knew it, even if the resorts didn't at the time.