Steve Prokopiw Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 (edited) Had more great fun getting to know the best performing board/plate/binding combo I have ever ridden the other day at Silver Mountain. I'm feeling pretty good about that,since I helped design the THIRST X8 board(with use of a plate in mind),modified the 5mm Bomber Plate for more torsional compliance,and lowered the stack height of the Sidewinders by about 1/2 inch.(I had previously written that I reduced stack height by 3/8",but it turned out to be 1/2").The video starts off with the camera lense centered,then at about 15 seconds in,I used the turnable lense to switch horizons to match toe and heel turns. I used this setup last Sunday to get the fastest combined time in GS#1(2 runs) and 2nd in GS#2 at LoupLoup ski area in Washington.It was a small event and anyone with real experience would kick my butt ,but I am still pleased with the result,especially since the two races I did this year were the only times I rode around any gates :-) I did just the one-day membership so my result won't show in the rankings but I am looking forward to racing more next season. I wish there was more racing left this season as I am just getting used to the Boiler Plate and feel like I will improve vastly by this time next year.Currently,I'm carving my toeside in the course and over thinking my heelsides and skidding/chopping out on a race course.Without those pesky gates in the way carving the heelside aggressively is no problem now as I become more acquainted with the plate. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W_e6V7I4poo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Edited March 12, 2013 by Steve Prokopiw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted March 12, 2013 Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 You're getting a taste of NASTAR. It can get addictive. I was in Aspen for two weeks this year and bought a season pass which paid for itself fairly quickly. The courses reward smooth carved turns and everything you can do to hold your speed up. Got my best handicap down from 44 to 28 with practice, but to get the 28 needed a very smooth run with carved turns both sides all the way. Practice is the key, and I'm sure it makes me a better rider, especially in those moments when you need to suddenly change direction when you hadn't originally planned to. SunSurfer Alan McKenzie (NASTAR 50-54 National rankings) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted March 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2013 You're getting a taste of NASTAR. It can get addictive. I was in Aspen for two weeks this year and bought a season pass which paid for itself fairly quickly. The courses reward smooth carved turns and everything you can do to hold your speed up. Got my best handicap down from 44 to 28 with practice, but to get the 28 needed a very smooth run with carved turns both sides all the way. Practice is the key, and I'm sure it makes me a better rider, especially in those moments when you need to suddenly change direction when you hadn't originally planned to. SunSurfer Alan McKenzie (NASTAR 50-54 National rankings) Our mountain had Nastar a few seasons ago but got rid of it because operating it did not turn a profit on it's own.The only resort in the region with Nastar now is Schweitzer,but Nastar only operates on weekends,so pretty expensive to do with lift tickets and such.I loved having a Nastar course to practice on back then,even though it was always skier gates.It enhances gliding skills to practice on the typically shallow grades that Nastar courses are on.I posted in the top 2 or 3 handicaps in the country several times the year Silver had Nastar. The two USASA races I did this season were my first ever with snowboard gates,though shortly before I moved away from Vail/Beaver Creek they started having a Nastar course with snowboard gates, but I only did a few runs before moving up here.Relative to other boarders I do pretty well with skier gates because that's 98% of the practice I ever had in skis school and beer league races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 NASTAR is all I get access to on my trips to SES. USASA looks like more of a challenge. That said, this year I raced head to head with two other alpine boarders in my time in Aspen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 USASA would be fun if t's more available... but it's not. Their website's a mess and if you live in an area that isn't encapsulated by their regions good luck. Also GS at USASA is not a discipline that is always available. Most often it's not. They need money and more. I hope for a better USASA in the future. NASTAR has it's issues as well. But if we wanted an amateur adult snowboard racing series across the USA there is none better poised than NASTAR to fill that role. Yes the gates can be addictive! 122 "results" for me this year and it was a rough ski season in Indiana with many cancelled races. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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