Neil Gendzwill Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 I didn't realize they had banned that backpack thing. One year when we were staying at Big White, our condo was a fairly short stretch of green run away from the lift to the village where the daycare was. I would pick up my 3 year old daughter, and just carry her in my arms making easy turns down to the lift, and then we'd ride up to the daycare. I suppose I might be arrested for child abuse now but she still remembers that and how much fun it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 Back on topic... I haven't converted, really These days its hard boots roughly 60% of the time, soft boots the rest. After 3 years of almost exclusive hard boot use, I decided I missed the softie feel on soft-snow days. Or even when my desire to ride outlasts my legs on a carving day - switch to softies and burn a different set of muscles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopetool Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 Fin, great story of Dave A.! thats a cool transition for him. He is going to love it. That set-up is sweet. I'll bet he reports back positive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian M Posted November 22, 2012 Report Share Posted November 22, 2012 I was born wearing hard boots Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
av_dumitrascu Posted November 23, 2012 Report Share Posted November 23, 2012 I was born wearing hard boots where is the "LIKE" button? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted November 24, 2012 Report Share Posted November 24, 2012 You people should read the OP a little more carefully... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabatha Posted November 25, 2012 Report Share Posted November 25, 2012 I have never had skis on my feet. When I moved to Canada it was cheap to start soft booting because all my friends did it, had gear and were instructors on the weekend. I was never that great, but always had fun. Then I started hanging out with IanM and would watch him carve. It was like watching art on the snow - he made it look beautiful and effortless and I wanted to try. So, after I got a little faster, IanM found a second hand Oxygen Proton, threw on some old bindings and I rented ski boots. I couldn't stand up, kept falling over, but through the whole thing I had this ridiculous grin on my face. I loved it. A few weeks later we went to Tremblant, again I rented ski boots, and I just couldn't get enough of the board. The following year I bought boots. I was going to buy a board and bindings the following season, but at SOS that year the perfect board found me and I knew - this was where I was supposed to be, carving (or attempting to). It is my drug, I can't get enough. I have not been on my soft board since. And I still have never skied! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
energyrail Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 well I started skiing in 90. wanted to hardboot since I first seen it on Black Diamond Rush. Then more when my friends started in 97'. I Still had lots to learn on skis at this point so I waited. I then started softbooting in 07 for the sole purpose of hard booting later. I still ski 50 percent of my days, softboot a little, mostly just to teach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 You people should read the OP a little more carefully... You are right, too many self-converting, while Fin probably more wanted how we converted others... My "victims" are mostly photographed tuning their gear, in this thread: http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?26394 But then, there were many others, that I cant even remember, of the bat... Recent one was my 11 year old niece Andrea. She did so well, that all the local "booters" wanted to give her lessons :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahcarver Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 Although I have preached the hardbooting gospel locally for many years, I have only one true convert that I know of. My son Andrew. Started with softies at age eight and rode them until he was sixteen. He made the move to hards then. Added racing for a few years and now he rides hards or softs depending on conditions. Team Utahcarver 2011 Andrew at eighteen. Mark Yes, that is an old school Burton anorak that he's wearing at 18. Love that shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Skied from 1978-1988 1986 Tried a Burton Backhill in Utah 1988 Tried again on a "new" burton with highbacks 1989 Bought a Kemper Aggressor 170 with 3 straps-My first board. Actually hated this pig. 1990-96 Dabbled 5-10 days out of 200+ a season on alpine specific with ski-boots/ Softies 21 frnt/ 9 back from custom lib's to custom k2's and burtons. Green, air 6! 97-2000 Softies and dabbling on 162 ultra prime and freecarve boots/ ouch 2000- present not much has changed... Riding more BX shapes. Never a board off the rack again. Customs from here on out. Flow Bindings!!! Softies Forever!!! Sorry guys... Did I mention I love Bomber and the people here? So tolerant. What he fails to mention above and for the record is that he can carve a freeride board like few others I have seen. Your all soul brother! I know it has been awhile since your last confession for your penance you must ride hard plates for one week ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 Kind words Big D! Wish we were riding June again. We will be lucky to have snow locally by January. Asses on January 8 at Summit. Fingers crossed and new Donek fc custom wide is ready. Hope to see you there or wherever we hold SNES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 5, 2012 Report Share Posted December 5, 2012 Yes, if June reopens as planned I will be "all in". If Mammoth gets another drop I will be heading up ASAP. Otherwise my first scheduled trip is not til January 12th. Not sure I can ever go south cal boarding again, we will see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fin Posted January 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Just an update as David was kind of one of my "projects" to prove plates can be used in pow. So just got a report back from David on his first heli trip with his new set-up (Donek Nomad, TD3 SI, Track 225 boots). Total success! He loved how the board performed and the step-in made it all that much easier to be quick with all those skiers with him. Apparently the guides loved it as the board was super low profile (fit in the basket on the heli) and the fact the binding are robust. I guess they get a lot of softbooters with busted bindings during a tour. So if you are not a hardbooter and are reading this now, it can be done! One more converted over......who is next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Just an update as David was kind of one of my "projects" to prove plates can be used in pow.So just got a report back from David on his first heli trip with his new set-up (Donek Nomad, TD3 SI, Track 225 boots). Total success! He loved how the board performed and the step-in made it all that much easier to be quick with all those skiers with him. Nice! I've been rocking something similar for AM and Pow for the past couple of years (Donek Incline, TD3 SI, UPZ ATBs w/ Fintecs). So much better than softies, especially when riding chopped up resort Pow. Personally I think it potentially comes down less to the boots and more to the board you are using. I'm interested in setting up a hardboot split in the next couple of years using a Nomad Split, Bomber Sidewinder Split, and Dynafit TLT5s. Cheers, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXFR70 Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 Nice! I've been rocking something similar for AM and Pow for the past couple of years (Donek Incline, TD3 SI, UPZ ATBs w/ Fintecs). So much better than softies, especially when riding chopped up resort Pow. Personally I think it potentially comes down less to the boots and more to the board you are using. I'm interested in setting up a hardboot split in the next couple of years using a Nomad Split, Bomber Sidewinder Split, and Dynafit TLT5s. Cheers, Dave not to get too far off subject, what angles do you run with this set up? I have a Prior BX that I thought worked well in eastern pow/crud, and may try it with HB for that purpose. thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) not to get too far off subject, what angles do you run with this set up? I have a Prior BX that I thought worked well in eastern pow/crud, and may try it with HB for that purpose.thanks, Looks pretty close to what I've ridden the last 20yrs on wide pow boards 45*f/38*r Edited January 10, 2013 by b0ardski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puddy Tat Posted January 10, 2013 Report Share Posted January 10, 2013 I run 50/45 (Front/Rear) on a 24.5cm waisted board (10m SCR) with mondo 28 boots. Interestingly I just got back from an AST2 (avalanche skills training - level 2) course on the weekend which involved three days in the backcountry on splitboards. Because I couldn't get a hardboot split I ended up riding a rental softboot setup with really soft softboots set at 15/6 and I personally thought I had way less control with this softboot set-up then I ever had with my AM hardboot set-ups. Generally I was ok in open bowls or glades where I had lots of time, or could turn where I wanted, but it got really sketchy where I had to move the board around quickly. Admittedly this probably has a lot to do with what I've gotten used to over the past few years. For me the technique used in skidding the board quickly around at 50/45 involves more hip action than the foot action I should have been using more at 15/6. If you check out Phil's site (http://philwigglesworth.net/) he pretty much says it comes down to the board rather than the boot/binding interface you are using (that is to say hardboots are just as good as softies in pow). Cheers, Dave ... And now back to your regularly scheduled thread... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.