ECES First time in hard boots

[BXFR70]

I wanted to say thank you to everyone involved in ECES, everyone I met was very friendly, I met Fin, Sean, Michelle, Bruce, and some others whom I do not know a name... I was on soft boots with a Prior BX 68...

It was the first time I got to ride hard boots, I am very happy I got to ride hard boots.

Fin sent me out on a Prior FLC 177 to start,

My first run, the first few hundred yards were very awkward, mainly due to the stance, then once I started to commit a bit more, it got a lot better and more fun, I need to keep my front shoulder more "open" for heelside turns, that is just a habit from riding softboots I would assume.

I also rode a Donek metal AX 172.

Just my luck, the day I finally get to ride hard boots, it is extremely soft and got chopped/bumped up as those that were there would know.

I will now be getting into hardboots.

the one thing that I thought I noticed, that my girlfriend also noticed for sure, was that I was riding the hard boots just as fast as my soft boot board, while making a lot more turns.. one thing that always made "carving" boring to me in soft boots was that I would always stall basically, after a few good turns I did not have speed to keep making turns the same way, or if I cut the turns off, I was not really "carving".

another thing was I thought that I would get beat up more riding the hardboots than soft, but after I put my soft boot stuff on and rode the chopped up bumpy snow, I felt it was about the same or maybe even worse for the soft boots, I was also probably riding a little faster as I am more comfortable with it, but that surprised me also.

I just have to decide what board to do, lots of choices... definitely will be going metal though.

I am 5'9-5'10 220 lbs, 27, and was into lifting a lot so fairly strong, just don't go too "heavy" anymore.

also, I feel that I will most likely ride a hardboot board as more of a race style, and stay more down the fall line, not going across the fall line drastically, that is how I ride my board now which has a 12-14 sidecut, or what is fun to me anyway.

is the Prior FLC a relatively soft board?

I felt that it was fairly soft, not sure if that is true or not? the Metal AX felt stiffer, but I think that I want a more carve specific board, not an all mountain board, if I am going to be riding woods or powder I will just ride a soft boot board as for that type of riding I never tighten everything as much anyway.

Edited March 3, 2012 by Timeless61

[Bobby Buggs]

also, I feel that I will most likely ride a hardboot board as more of a race style, and stay more down the fall line, not going across the fall line drastically, that is how I ride my board now which has a 12-14 sidecut, or what is fun to me anyway.

Once you understand the side cuts on alpine boards better you Will use more of the hill, staying in the fall line all the time is never as much fun, just sayin. Welcome to the +45 degree riders;)

[murphy12]

I ride a FLC 173. Would say it's moderately soft. A very versatile board, to be sure.