Poll: Hardboot terrain preference

[jng]

In light of the different perspectives expressed in the "Why is the carving community so darn small?" thread, it would be interesting to see what the Bomber community actually looks like.  

 

Disclaimers:

1. Apologies in advance to the softboot-only riders on the forum.

2. This is clearly non-scientific, but hopefully it gives us some crude insight into the community.

Edited March 23, 2016 by jng

[b0ardski]

Black diamond winchcat groom and soft bumps in the same run put the biggest smiles on my face, followed by powder & trees.

I was riding the board w/plates and plastic boots anywhere I could ski (which was everywhere on 203cm slaloms) many years before I ever laid out eurocarves on the groomers; even though the 1st metal edge board I ever owned (after I demoed it in '88) was a wide 170 square tail carver.

This makes my vote an anomaly in the results.

[JRAZZ]

How would I answer this?

 

I like riding all terrain but on hardboots can only do green groomers at this point.   Confusing.

[Neil Gendzwill]

How would I answer this?

I like riding all terrain but on hardboots can only do green groomers at this point. Confusing.

The question is what terrain do you ride in hardboots, so your answer should be groomers I think.

[Missionman]

I like this poll as I was curious about this as well!  

 

I answered option 2 in the poll, but I would have added these options (not seriously though).

1. Mostly groomers - until my back quad cramps so badly that I can neither straighten nor bend it - then I move to softboots to ride switch (this happened the other day!) to give that leg a break..

2. Mostly groomers - until its my turn to watch my little guy, then its on to skis!  (he just started snowboarding and its way easier to go with him on skis than on a snowboard)

3. Mostly groomers (until it gets all chopped up) unless I am too lazy to switch into my softboots or skis -then its 'all terrain' (except powder because by then its just completely chopped up).

 

Jim - (in response to your post of the forum name change)  I too think that we all limit the growth of the community by implying that hardbooting should result only in perfect carves.  At times I have gotten out of my hardboots because I thought I was "wasting the gear" if I couldn't lay down trenches.  However, I have enjoyed just 'snowboarding' in the bumps or whatever in hardboots as well.  As long as it keeps a smile on my face.  

 

I have never tried hardboots in powder.  I so seldom get awesome powder to ride that I am afraid I won't love it as much as I do with my softboots - then I'll feel like I wasted that opportunity.  

 

one day though. 

 

Gerry

[H2O]

I ride all terrains in hard boots.

Once I rode also with soft boots but now only hard but with different softened boots.

In freeride and powder, with all-mountain boards, longboards or swallowtails, I ride with UPZ rc8 with red tongues and DGSS spring system (green springs); I've cut the small tongue inside (in the rear of the shell) to have much more range of flex: amazing! 

In other conditions, I ride with UPZ rc8 with standard black tongues and DGSS spring system (green springs).

With the DGSS spring system for UPZ I have a smoother flex and confort but at the same time trasmissivity.

Sometimes I ride also with AT light boots (La Sportiva Sideral) for backcountry with a Jones Hovercraft board.

Edited March 23, 2016 by H2O

[gdboytyler]

How would I answer this?

 

I like riding all terrain but on hardboots can only do green groomers at this point.   Confusing.

Then maybe your hardboots are too stiff. Depending on the brand, you could install an after market spring system to customize the flex.

My old Raichle 413's were too stiff in ride mode and too floppy in walk mode. Installing the BTS made the boots good for all terrain riding.

I'm now using Dynafit AT boots for everything.

For untracked pow, I'm not sure yet if I prefer hard or soft boots. But once the pow gets tracked out, I definitely prefer hard boots.

[queequeg]

I have been experimenting a lot with this stuff. I still have yet to figure out what works best (for me) in bumped up snow. I definitely prefer softies in deep powder, and I definitely prefer hardboots on groomed slopes (err ... obvs!). This year I've been riding softies in powder and in conditions that aren't all that great for carving. In the past, I have ridden hardboots and carving decks in all conditions, and eventually tried riding my hardboots with a softer f2 proflex binding in pow and slop and found that to work "ok" but not great. I decided to try softies again a few seasons back when I rented a "normal" snowboard and softies for a few powder days at JHMR.

 

I like my hardboots super stiff (UPZ with grey tongues), which may explain my preference for softies in chop. I'm thinking of upgrading to the latest version of the UPZ next year, and if I do I am going to try something different: I'll switch back to hardboots for everything but use a set of red-tongues (super soft) for pow and chop, and use the grey tongues with stiff stepin bindings when the carving is good. (this should be easier with the new UPZ since exchanging the tongues should be a lot less of a hassle).

 

I suspect this will be the best middle ground: I doubt it will work as well in powder but it will probably be pretty good and I will be able to use higher angles — which I prefer. Although I definitely see some advantages to softies in tight trees and deep powder, I find them to be pretty uncomfortable, and inconvenient. Plus having to pack two sets of boots and bulky softboot bindings is inconvenient. If I could get away with packing just a set of soft tongues - that would be awesome. 

 

One area I have been surprised to recall a HUGE advantage to hardboots is one-footing. I forgot about how tricky it is to one-foot in softies: it is slow, precarious and incredibly awkward to one-foot in softies (particularly with the low angles required). In lift lines that are not totally flat it is an epic struggle to stay-still in the line. As the day goes on I get better at it, but I can skate WAAAAY faster in hardboots, have way more confidence and control getting off the lift and my maneuvering in slippery/graded lift-lines is a non-issue.

Edited March 23, 2016 by queequeg

[nigelc]

By preference off piste as its less crowded and more interesting. Realistically though conditions are only good enough maybe 1 day in 6. It's then that hardboots make the piste interesting enough to enjoy, while on soft boots I would be bored shit less.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Equipment of course makes a big difference.  As I've always come at it from the all-rounder approach, I've never been interested in super-stiff boards or boots, or narrow waists.  I ride softer boots, lower stance angles, wider waists and they work well for me for in-bounds stuff all over the mountain.  Perhaps if I rode heli I'd want a more specialized setup.

[iplaywithnoshoes]

Hardboots and softboots work about the same for me in all terrain. I see a little more control in crud in hardboots for me actually.

Edited October 6, 2016 by iplaywithnoshoes

[Corey]

Your terrain availability shapes this too.  I have a choice of groom, ice, or runs that are choppy because they haven't been groomed for 2+ days.  Tree riding isn't an option because the willows grow about 4" apart.  I think they're willows, I'm no tree-ologist!  

 

I'm not buying softboots for the few days I travel, so it's hardboots for everything for me.  I used to say that I'd rather ride good groom than powder, but a morning in the trees at ATC this year (UPZ on O.Sin 3800) reminded me how epic powder is!  

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

I ride good groomers and good powder.  Not bumps, avoid crud, ice etc.   I don't see that option?

[kieran]

basically .. 'preferably no rocks'

[JRAZZ]

This is what I like to ride 

Too bad I have to work tomorrow....  :(

 

[SnowboardingJ]

2011-2013 80-90% softboot, 2014-2015 40% softboot.

I took a break this season, for the few days I rode, 100% hardbbot.

For now, pow day on soft with duck stance angle, and a day or 2 after.

Also spring condition and preseason. +-15-18f/r

Hardboot on everything else. ~65-60f/r angle

In the east coast, that's 70-80%.

If it's hard that I can't dig an edge in hardboot, no way I will be able to do with soft.

It's a blast to ride hardbot in hard condition. I now much prefer hard condition than say <6in of pow. If it's an inch or 2, I probably just ride hardboot.

Narrow trail width.... I may choose soft so I dont have to go as fast before the board start bending.

[rbaldwin]

I wonder if there would be a correlation between how you answer the above question, and what part of the world you are from.  

 

How many do it all types are from the west, and how many mostly groomer types are from the east?

[Eric Brammer aka PSR]

I wonder if there would be a correlation between how you answer the above question, and what part of the world you are from.  

 

How many do it all types are from the west, and how many mostly groomer types are from the east?

Yo, born in Chewelah, but a Vermonster. I'm now across the river in N.H.. 

When it does snow (like it did last season), the stuff just off-trail is where it's at, just bring a hacksaw...

Edited March 24, 2016 by Eric Brammer aka PSR

[jng]

I wonder if there would be a correlation between how you answer the above question, and what part of the world you are from.  

 

How many do it all types are from the west, and how many mostly groomer types are from the east?

 

The data geek in me wants an exhaustive survey that includes age, experience, geography, gender, days/year etc.  Lots of interesting correlations are bound to come out.

[Neil Gendzwill]

The poll's strong showing for AM riders sure doesn't jibe with what I saw at SES a couple years ago: I was the lone guy heading away from the groom.

[AJCdice]

SES or any session may not be the best place to judge. People want to bring out the heavy artillery boards and make great turns that push/inspire each other at those things.

Riding with other hardbooters is a far different experience for me than riding with family and friends who are expert skiers not satisfied with making perfect turns on blue groomers and that is where I get most of my all mountain riding in.

[Corey]

The poll's strong showing for AM riders sure doesn't jibe with what I saw at SES a couple years ago: I was the lone guy heading away from the groom.

 

I don't think the survey is asking that.  I read it more like, "If/when you ride powder/crud/bumps, do you ride hardboots or softboots?"  I ride hardboots exclusively so I chose the last option.  

 

A different question is what you conditions you would chose to spend more of your time in if you had a choice.  

[Neil Gendzwill]

SES or any session may not be the best place to judge. People want to bring out the heavy artillery boards and make great turns that push/inspire each other at those things.

Riding with other hardbooters is a far different experience for me than riding with family and friends who are expert skiers not satisfied with making perfect turns on blue groomers and that is where I get most of my all mountain riding in.

 

Fair enough.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Neil Gendzwill

[darko714]

I wondered, why did so few people choose the third option (most terrain)?  Softboots would seem to be a no-brainer on powder days, right?

 

 But then I realized some us don't even have a softboot setup. 

 

And, maybe it's moot -- do we even get powder in the northeast?

[SnowboardingJ]

For me, most terrain = ice. Do u want evenly groomed morning ice? Or afternoon scraped off ice? There no bump or tracked powder if there is no powder to begin with, except spring condition.