Helmeticus Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 I'm a longtime (1984) softboot/all mountain carver (until I fell in love with progression riding in my early 30's!) who finally has the burning desire to play on a hardboot setup. I'm not looking to compete, just rail some tight fluid turns at all speeds, though as a hardboot newcomer, I'm less concerned about bombing speeds. I certainly don't need any flash new setup; just something that has real nice feel and is in decently performing condition. Would like to keep the cost down as low as possible. At this point I know nothing about the various interfaces and required boot types, or even what board specs might be ideal. Any suggestions? If you want to send me links me to items, even better. A little about me- Age 39 height 5'7" weight 175 Boot Size = 10 Primary stance = Regular footed (can carve switch almost as well, so if a goofy setup saves me big$$ then happy to go goofy) Even if you don't have specific equipment suggestions, I very much welcome any general advice or tips. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boardguru Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 Welcome to BOL, you will likely get a number of replies from some very knowledgeable people here. I hope you will enjoy the great fun of becoming a hardbooter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.E Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 (edited) Some good reading: http://www.bomberonline.com/resources/newcarver/new_carver.html If you have a limited budget, splurge on boots (and boot fitting if you need it). There are some great deals on used boards out there, so don't feel like you need the newest and greatest metal-worldcup-superboard to learn to carve (unless you want it, then go nuts). Generally speaking, something of medium length (in alpine I would call that in the mid 160's-mid 170's) will be versatile, small enough to control, long enough to get a feel for different turn shapes, and something you can bracket if you decide to get specialty sizes later (or use as a quiver of one if that is your bag). Something more freecarve or alpine free ride would probably be a good bet- again, still versatile, but more forgiving to learn on. Have fun! Edited November 2, 2012 by Mr.E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aracan Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 +1 Get the boots with the best possible fit, or your fun will suffer. Unfortunately, without previous experience with the various models, it's impossible to tell if a boot fits before you have tried it on the mountain - you have some trial and error in your future. The good news is that there are only two boot manufacturers left in the western hemisphere. That said, let me quote Pureboarding's Joerg Egli: "Once you have tried hardbooting, everything else seems irrelevant." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 +1Get the boots with the best possible fit, or your fun will suffer. Unfortunately, without previous experience with the various models, it's impossible to tell if a boot fits before you have tried it on the mountain - you have some trial and error in your future. The good news is that there are only two boot manufacturers left in the western hemisphere. Unless someone went out of business, there are three hardboot makers: Deeluxe, UPZ, and Head. read Michelle's bootfitting advice in the FAQ. Best place to start if you don't have a local bootfitter that you trust. I'm sure you could ask the tahoe crew for a bootfitter reccomendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Unless someone went out of business, there are three hardboot makers: Deeluxe, UPZ, and Head.read Michelle's bootfitting advice in the FAQ. Best place to start if you don't have a local bootfitter that you trust. I'm sure you could ask the tahoe crew for a bootfitter reccomendation. I think Aracan is right. I may be wrong here but last I had heard Head had stopped making boots. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiveBomber Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 head has not ordered boots from dalbello since 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 well, that sucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted November 4, 2012 Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 This one gets me. Why cant we get product from the overseas guys? Japanese and Korean markets. Hell they have been copying and reproducing stuff for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmeticus Posted November 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2012 Welcome to BOL, you will likely get a number of replies from some very knowledgeable people here. I hope you will enjoy the great fun of becoming a hardbooter. Thank you, sir. Very much look forward to drawing wavy lines in some freshly packed and manicured snowmeat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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