Hardboot Rentals?

[lidirtrider]

My wife and I made it out to ECES at Stratton on Wednesday and tried hardboots and alpine boards for the first time. We are both totally hooked. We are now looking around for some used gear, but in the meanwhile, does anyone know of anywhere in the Northeast where we can rent? We live in Long Island, and usually travel to Vermont to ride, so anywhere along the way would work.

[darko714]

Good luck.

I've never seen hardboot gear for rent anywhere. You would think that they would at least have some in Europe, I've been checking (going to Milan next month) and haven't had any luck there, either.

Besides the fact that not a lot of people are into alpine snowboarding, a big reason you don't see rentals is because the boots are expensive, and any rental operation would have to carry a large selection of sizes. The capital investment would never justify the revenues. In addition, bootfitting is a major issue for alpine riders.

But . . . would it be possible design a board and binding system optimized for ski boots? Think about how much easier it would be to bring into the sport that way. I've seen posts by other riders on here who either use ski boots or started out using ski boots. They usually say the results are somewhere between unsatisfactory and horrible because the boots are too stiff.

[scrapster]

On the east coast, Berkshire East in Massachusetts is the only place that I know of--through their Pureboarding program--but I do believe you have to use them at the resort! (And that's a good thing, because the B-East is great.)

[michael.a]

Good luck.

I've never seen hardboot gear for rent anywhere. You would think that they would at least have some in Europe, I've been checking (going to Milan next month) and haven't had any luck there, either.

There are rentals available in Europe but not in major cities. But it's a hit and miss thing. You'll have far more luck in Italian resorts alongside the Austrian border (Dolomite mountains, I know for a fact you can rent hardboot gear in resorts part of the Sella Ronda such as in Corvara, Santa Christina in Groden, and Campitello) or in Austria, besides Solden as the mecca of alpine snowboarding I remember seeing rental stuff in Zillertal and Ischgl.

[Marc H]

What are you looking for board wise?

You should check out the for sale section on here.

[skidad62]

What size boots are you looking for?

[darko714]

Thanks!

We will probably be going to Campitello. A friend advised me to take my own boots. Perhaps I can rent a Swoard to get into full Euro mode.

[dingbat]

lidirtrider, Click the Pure Boarding link in my sig.

I have boots from 25.5 through 30.5.

Boards rent out under our waiver so they do have to be used at Berkshire East.

Boards are the Pureboard Two, Bastard, and Black Diamond (available through Bomber)

Boots are Raichle 324.

I hope you can stop up. Our terrain is perfect for learning alpine

Edited February 28, 2014 by dingbat

[lidirtrider]

lidirtrider, Click the Pure Boarding link in my sig.

I have boots from 25.5 through 30.5.

Boards rent out under our waiver so they do have to be used at Berkshire East.

Boards are the Pureboard Two, Bastard, and Black Diamond (available through Bomber)

Boots are Raichle 324.

I hope you can stop up. Our terrain is perfect for learning alpine

If I can find boots in a 24.0 for her, were in!! Do you know of shops in the area (NY,CT,MA,VT,NH) that sell hard boots? I've been calling around and cant seem to locate anyone.

[lidirtrider]

What are you looking for board wise?

You should check out the for sale section on here.

I've been looking. Theres a ton of stuff.

What size boots are you looking for?

Looking for a 28.0 for me and a 24.0 for her.

[michael.a]

Thanks!

We will probably be going to Campitello. A friend advised me to take my own boots. Perhaps I can rent a Swoard to get into full Euro mode.

Sorry, I meant Canazei, not Campitello, but that's a 5 minute bus ride :) I seriously doubt you'll be able to rent a Swoard though. In Canazei I remember seeing newer generation Nideckers, some Rossignol VASs, and I think Burton Factory Primes. Over in Corvara you can ride the latest crop of Viruses. I also remember seeing Tomahawks here and there.

I'd recommend going to the italian hardbooter forum (http://hardsnowboardingitalia.forumup.it/) or German one (frozen-backside.de) and ask around whats available or if anyone is in the area. The Sella Ronda is a very popular area, I think the Hard Session Italia events are even held there. I myself will be riding there 15-22 March.

[Dan]

Good luck.

I've never seen hardboot gear for rent anywhere. You would think that they would at least have some in Europe, I've been checking (going to Milan next month) and haven't had any luck there, either.

.

Hey Darko, I was in the Dolomites / Val Gardena area (staying at Siusi allo Sciliar) over the holidays. I couldn't find hardboot rentals either. I heard they were available in Corvara, but it was not convenient to where I was staying. So, I brought my boots and bindings and bought a used Oxygen Proton on ebay.de for a surprisingly small amount (under $100 U.S. including shipping, the Western Union money transfer fee etc.). I used ebay.de because their search lets you look for alpine gear specifically (ebay.it does not, as far as I can tell), and I was flying into Munich so I just had it shipped to my hotel, which worked well.

You might try doing the same, or checking out http://hardsnowboardingitalia.forumup.it/ as michael.a suggested.

[kinpa]

I've gotten two pairs of boots from ebay.... years ago, I found a pair on Germany's site that was willing to ship to the sates. I don't think I spent more than $60 or so for them. Good luck!

[jp1]

lidirtrider, other than Berkshire East, unfortunately their are no known places to rent hardboots on the east coast in the USA. Your best bet as mentioned before is the Bomber For Sale Board. At least you were fortunate enough to get to ECES and know the sizes you need. Good Luck.

[darko714]

Hey Darko, I was in the Dolomites / Val Gardena area (staying at Siusi allo Sciliar) over the holidays. I couldn't find hardboot rentals either. I heard they were available in Corvara, but it was not convenient to where I was staying. So, I brought my boots and bindings and bought a used Oxygen Proton on ebay.de for a surprisingly small amount (under $100 U.S. including shipping, the Western Union money transfer fee etc.). I used ebay.de because their search lets you look for alpine gear specifically (ebay.it does not, as far as I can tell), and I was flying into Munich so I just had it shipped to my hotel, which worked well.

You might try doing the same, or checking out http://hardsnowboardingitalia.forumup.it/ as michael.a suggested.

=============

Wow! Thank you, Dan! I'm definitely bringing my boots -- and now my bindings. We'll probably only have 1 or 2 days on the hill before getting down to business in Milan. I noted that there are half a dozen rental shops in Campitello, so there's a fighting chance. I'll post about the results when I get back.

[Michelle]

If you tried on the demo boots, you are probably going to be one size smaller unless you specifically talked with one of us to fit you. The demo boots are not a good indicator of size. Read the sizing rules here https://bomberonline.3dcartstores.com/assets/images/PDFs/Sizing_boots.pdf.

For you guys/girls looking to rent/buy hard boot gear in the US, the only ones I know of (outside of Berkshire East) is us here at Bomber or at one of our events. :)

[Keyser Soze]

But . . . would it be possible design a board and binding system optimized for ski boots? Think about how much easier it would be to bring into the sport that way. I've seen posts by other riders on here who either use ski boots or started out using ski boots. They usually say the results are somewhere between unsatisfactory and horrible because the boots are too stiff.

That's just it, no matter how you design the board/bindings, those two components won't modify the flex of the boots.

[lidirtrider]

Just a little update. I managed to score some boots for both my wife and myself, and we're gonna head up to Berkshire East next week. we're probably going to bring a few friends, and get them hooked too. I also found a board for myself. Still working on some bindings, and a board for my wife. At least we have the boots, and we can to BEast to do some riding, and can take our time finding the rest of the equipment.

BOL is a great board, and wonderfully helpful community. I'm glad we made it to ECES, even for only that one day, and got to meet and ride with so many fantastic people.

Dig Trenches,

B.

[lonbordin]

That's just it, no matter how you design the board/bindings, those two components won't modify the flex of the boots.

Some would disagree as one can see in the boot reviews, etc.

Look at this guy... Full Tilts-

[Keyser Soze]

Some would disagree as one can see in the boot reviews, etc.

Look at this guy... Full Tilts-

I ride Dalbello Kryptons myself and have a pair of Raichle Flexons as backup boots, so there's no need to explain the merits of ski boots to me, though I admit there was a time when this wasn't true, and then Beckmann happened.

What I meant was that the stiffness of ski boots might be overwhelming for the beginner in this hypothetical scenario, where he/she rents one of the few alpine boards and plate bindings a resort might happen to stock as rentals. It's nice to think that they could stock a couple of these boards and offer ski boots to try them with, but no board/binding is going to modify the flex on those rental ski boots. Just thinking about my own development as a rider, I don't know that I would've wanted to start on the Flexons or the Kryptons.

If I stretch my imagination (which boasts with no engineering background whatsoever), perhaps something built on the science behind the sidewinder with a thick, softish pad underfoot that allows for forward flex might compensate for the inability to bend the plastics of the boot. Just the thought of it, however, conjures nothing but images of unbalanced discomfort and crashes in my mind. Then again, there are many greater minds than my own on this forum who surely would have very innovative ideas about overcoming these hurdles. But then, the problem becomes: would the system be affordable/reliable enough for resorts to stock them as rentals? And if so, is anybody actually asking for hard setups?

I have a friend who tried snowboarding once and swore never to do it again because the rental shop gave him an alpine setup. He did two runs and traded it in for a pair of skis. I have trouble convincing myself that it was a one off, as that resort no longer offers alpine snowboard rentals.

[dingbat]

Yeah, Whenever I put someone on an alpine set-up for the first time, I suggest they adjust their expectations for what the'll achieve by the end of the day. One of my staff who tried it out came up with the analogy I now use. It's like we're going to stand you in front of a door, and open it just a crack. You'll be able to see that there's really cool stuff in the room beyond, but not be able to open the door and walk through it yet.

[Keyser Soze]

Yeah, Whenever I put someone on an alpine set-up for the first time, I suggest they adjust their expectations for what the'll achieve by the end of the day.

Agreed, and it's not like learning to snowboard in softies just happens instantly either. Everybody talks about the bumps and bruises from falling during the learning stage; hell, I remember them too, but I can see how ski boots on an alpine board can be a painful experience right out of the gate. Further to this, I remember switching to hardboots after riding approximately 10 days on a soft set-up over two seasons with no instruction other than BOL threads and articles. Not much fun for the first few outings.

[Beckmann AG]

Agreed, and it's not like learning to snowboard in softies just happens instantly either. Everybody talks about the bumps and bruises from falling during the learning stage; hell, I remember them too, but I can see how ski boots on an alpine board can be a painful experience right out of the gate.

Worth noting that the difficulties in learning on soft boots, as well as learning to ride alpine in ski boots, are related. In both cases, a matter of not paying attention to gear configuration, and then trying to do the wrong thing with the wrong body part in the wrong direction at the wrong time for the wrong reason.

Standard practice suggests that learning to ski involves the use of docile skis and supportive but forgiving boots. Learning to ride alpine should follow the same path, and as skill/dexterity develop, the user can move toward more responsive footwear.

It's not like we teach beginners to ski using the NAVA system.

In other words, rental ski boots are reasonably well suited to the novice hardbooter, so long as the board and bindings are 'right', and the instruction is quality.

Or at least not misguided.

Clearly, 'proper' hardboots might be better in most circumstances, but given the niche aspect of this sport, do we really have the luxury of insisting that's the only way to go?

[Keyser Soze]

In other words, rental ski boots are reasonably well suited to the novice hardbooter, so long as the board and bindings are 'right', and the instruction is quality.

Or at least not misguided.

I'm a bit skeptical in regards to the latter variables falling into place and making for a successful outing on a regular basis, but I admire your optimism.

Perhaps more BOL members should aspire to obtain teaching certification and provide that instruction.

[Michelle]

Clearly, 'proper' hardboots might be better in most circumstances, but given the niche aspect of this sport, do we really have the luxury of insisting that's the only way to go?

The problem is, they go out in ski boots, try it without instruction (which is usually the case), and HATE the sport because the boots don't flex the way they need to. They get frustrated (understandably) and think it's too hard so they leave the experience thinking THIS SUCKS.

In a perfect world, we'd require everyone that rents/demos to also go out with an experienced person. However, that's just not feasible or logistically applicable. If we're trying to encourage people into the sport, we need to coax them into something that doesn't scare them away.

The other aspect is if ski boots are the absolute only possibility, is it better than them not being able to try it at all? That also doesn't get people into the sport So there's a no win situation here.