New to the carving Ottawa community

[jpveilleux]

Hi,

My name is Jean-Philippe (JP for short) and I will start carving actively this season. I plan on going to Vorlage often (with Tabatha and Chris) and also to Cascades. Hope to see you there!

For now, I need your expert opinions! I'm about to buy my first pair of boots and I am receiving contradicting advice. Some say I should get the Deeluxe 225t and others the 325t. I also tried some boots last week-end and I'm not sure about the size. The 27 fit very tightly and was crushing my toes a little bit (went numb after 10 min) but they were not molded yet. The 27.5 was very comfortable and had plenty of space for my toes but my foot was still stable in it.

Can you help me out??

thanks!

J-P

[Surf Quebec]

Salut JP

For the track 225 or 325, the 225 are softer than the 325 so it depends on how much you weight, if you're a big guy go with the 325.

I've never ridden those, it's how they marketed.

Now the tricky part, the sizing.

Have you measured your feet ?

Normally you measure your feet and round it down, for example, mine is 26.4 cm so I would go with a mondo 26 boots. I ride with Head Stratos Pro 25.5.

Once the liner is mold you'll be more comfortable. Also, if your toes are too thight you can always "enlarge" the toe box, that's what I did with my 25.5 with a bootfitter. The key is to have your heel in place and not moving.

Have fun

[Tabatha]

Welcome to carving and bomber!

Looking forward to hitting the hills with you. Now - you need to figure out how to get a few days off in March and come with us to ECES. Fantastic opportunity to learn.

PS: Ian and Brian are a wealth of ideas and opinions. I am sure they will jump in soon and set you straight!

[Ian M]

Welcome JP! Sounds like you're motivated but have lots of questions, so we'll try to help :D.

Boots are definitely one of the more challenging pieces of gear to buy. I've certainly made some mistakes buying mine, and hopefully you can benefit from those and get it right the first time.

225 or 325? For most carvers I'd recommend the 325. It features medium stiffness, which is what most free-carvers want. The only reasons I'd suggest going to other models are:

• 700 - you are an experienced rider who is uber-aggressive and races.
  
• 225 - you are very gentle at everything you do, weigh less than 125 lbs, or live on the west coast with soft snow.

Keep in mind that if you find the 325 slightly too firm for your tastes after riding it for a while, that you can soften it drastically using the BTS spring system (which also improves the overall boot flex and feel). It is harder to make a 225 stiffer. My suggestion is to buy the 325.

Sizing? DO NOT BUY DEELUXE BOOTS BASED ON PRE-MOLDED FIT. This was my biggest mistake, and it cost me another $200 to put different liners in them and make them work for me. It is wise to try on the boots, but only to get a sense of how the boot feels and whether you like the flex. You should not be able to get your foot into the correct size non-molded deeluxe, let alone do up the buckles. Select your size based on measurements of your feet and have faith in these instructions! I repeat - go by the measurements and the liners will mold perfectly to your feet. Between Chris and I, we have more experience molding liners than any local retailer. I'd be happy to help you with yours.

Btw, do you have orthotic footbeds or any special foot issues?

Board. I understand you're planning to ride Tabby's Proton primarily this winter. There's a Sims 167 Freecarve board sitting here in my apartment that is just for others to demo/learn on. It's a very decent middle-of-the-road freecarve board. It is a little longer and stiffer than the Proton(-noodle) and probably suits you better. You're welcome to borrow it on 'extended loan'. Comes with SnowPro bindings that have two options for toe/heel lift also. Let me know if you'd like to try it.

Keep the questions coming - November is a long month!

Cheers,

Ian

[Ian M]

ps - what's your background? How much experience do you have soft-boot boarding, hard-boot boarding, or skiing? Height and weight?

[jpveilleux]

Hey Ian! Thanks for the info. I'm really more than confused right now. I've been speaking to a guy in Qc who is Andrea's contact (Mamar Galfout) and he is telling me I should go with 225s to begin with. He says he would be glad to upgrade my boots to a 325 next season and I just pay the difference (which seems to be a good deal).

For the size, if I go with 225s, there is no molding, so I should just go with something that fits me well no? the size 27 on the 225t that I tried was very tight, but I could put my feet in. Mamar said if my toe got numb, I better that the 27.5.

As for the board, I'd be glad to try yours, although it might be a bit long? I am 5'10 and 160 lbs. I have been riding a soft board for 10 years, but I didn't go that often, so I'm not a pro, just decent. I have been 2 or 3 times with the T's oxygen board with ski boots...

To keep your hopes up: it is a La Nina year so there is supposed to be a lot of snow! :D

[Ian M]

Interesting... both Bomber and YYZ show the Speed TF (thermo-moldable) as the stock liner for all three Deeluxe boots. Why is the 225 that you're being offered in Quebec not moldable? Double-check this fact, and if it's not the Speed TF liner, don't buy it.

I'm not familiar at all with Andrea's contact in Qc. I'd be curious to hear what boot she would recommend. Andrea and Dave have never steered me wrong, so I would encourage you to seek and heed their advice. I'd still suggest the 325, simply because it is easy to soften the boot with the BTS if/when desired. I highly recommend the BTS eventually anyways, because it makes the boot flex much more progressive as well as very adjustable. My belief (feel free to confirm with YYZ or Bomber) is that a 325 with a soft-spring BTS would be much softer than a 225 with the stock forward lean adjuster which is rigid. Therefore, you can have a large range of boot stiffness available with a fairly inexpensive spring change. Putting the BTS on the 225 cannot stiffen it though; the FLA is already rigid and therefore at its maximum.

It probably seems a little over-complicated, but the idea is that with both fit (thermo-moldability) and stiffness (BTS) adjustability the boot can be whatever you need; even if your needs change over time, which will happen as you progress. If any person of average ability and size asked me what boot to start with, I would suggest the 325 with the medium BTS. The boot can then be stiffened or softened as desired.

The 167 is definitely not too long for you. The sidecut is the more important factor, because it determines how quickly the board will change directions when carving. The Sims has an 11m side-cut radius (SCR) which is larger than a freestyle board but quite beginner-friendly, giving you time to 'get settled' into the carve. The Proton has a smaller SCR that I measured at 8.5m. This small slalom-like sidecut makes the board want to turn very quickly, and combined with its soft flex that can be quite hazardous. (think cartwheels)

I hope you're less confused about the boots. Please keep in mind that opinions vary quite a bit about gear, and that in the end you'll just choose something and find out for yourself. If you're weighing opinions, I'd suggest that you listen to YYZ or Bomber as opposed to anyone else. They have the most experience with these products.

Cheers!

[Tabatha]

As much as I hate to admit it - Ian has never really steered me wrong when it comes to gear advice, although it is over whelming sometimes. He loves the researching and gear, and is also tuned to what might work for beginners. I got the 325s and have not looked back.

If you want to really weigh the pros and cons tomorrow we can do lunch and just talk carving ... although it will probably drive me crazy. How much gear talk can one gal take! I suppose this close to winter all I have is gear talk, so bring it!

[Ian M]

^ Thanks shorty! ;)

[Tabatha]

Fighting words!