rjnakata Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 I don't ride perfect groom. I don't get the first lift up. It's warmer around here and the snow gets to be like lumpy mash potatoes in the afternoon, but hey the sun is out and it feels like the best time to ride. I'm looking to cut through those mashed potatoes like they don't exist. What's your idea of the perfect crud busting set-up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Flux by donek. Wide and stiff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted April 14, 2017 Report Share Posted April 14, 2017 Coiler AMT 177. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 Crud Buster #1 a Skwal. Crud Buster #2 Coiler AM with a plate ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 3 hours ago, lowrider said: Crud Buster #1 a Skwal. Crud Buster #2 Coiler AM with a plate ! I agree with him! Skwal stance OR forward of 60 degree binding angles make soaking up the bumps easier. An isolation plate makes an amazing difference to make afternoon snow conditions carveable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjnakata Posted April 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) 49 minutes ago, Jim Callen said: That used to be the best crud buster..... well? =) Edited April 15, 2017 by rjnakata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 It's a "secret" ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davekempmeister Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 Hazelwood 200 with a plate and hardboots would probably plow through some slush, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Brammer aka PSR Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 35 minutes ago, davekempmeister said: Hazelwood 200 with a plate and hardboots would probably plow through some slush, huh? Close, but, go a 'lil bit shorter. The '03 182 Rad-Air Tanker. Nimble enough to get through shushed bumps, carveable enough to handle any firm groomed, and then, just floaty enough to work in Cascade-Cement-like fluff-that's-too-wet soft snow. Bring Zardoz's Not wax, and, maybe a screwdriver to best place bindings/angles to suit. Now, if at Killington, as I was Friday, a shorter board would be better, so, I was on a World Wide, but, using Plate Bindings, and a LOT of Zardoz's. Nonetheless, no slush pile, nor bump run, slowed me down overmuch. Superstar took 6 minutes to zipper-line, which is on pace with how I skied it last in '82 (on Hart 160 all-glass Skis, Scott boots), so, with a FAT board (30.5 cm at the nose/tail), I was o.k. with my pacing. Sometimes, the right width/length mix does nifty stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 (edited) 7 hours ago, Eric Brammer aka PSR said: The '03 182 Rad-Air Tanker. It's a pretty good choice, but I'd argue that 192 is even better (for hard boots), as it's slightly narrower. Beauty of the Tanker is that you can plow through or play the crud. Downside is the nose shape - too abrupt of the rise can cause the board to plow a bit, or overflex, while the gradual and lower rise of more modern boards slices through. Tank is also a bit soft for biggest guys in hardboots. Other great busters are the old Steepwater Steep 170, 4WD and Axxess in longer lengths. I believe people also like the Monsters a lot, but I haven't tried those... Edited April 15, 2017 by BlueB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 A longer version of your Incline made slightly narrower for hard boots. I stopped looking when rode an old 180 Incline (the Delrossi), 23.5 wide, 11.5scr. Everything people say about the Tanker seem to apply. The Incline might be heavier than Hazelwood and Tanker, but I think that's beneficial for busting through crud. Paraffin (canning) wax seems to work better than anything for warm, wet snow. I think blueb suggested that and it seems to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 I must say that my taste has changed towards shorter, softer and wider boards over the last few years. Same with the riding style, I rather play with the contour and texture then just tip and rip... Yes I'd bust trough some of the stuff, but then mix it with "dolphining" the next few, suck in a bump here and there, "flow like the water" as a famous martial artist once said :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breeseomatic Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 For a long carving board, I like my Nirvana 174 with a Bomber 4mm lite plate on it. I used to ride a Coiler AM in the mush and it rode nicely too. For allmountain riding, I like the old Steepwater 164, especially in Mammoth. Surprisingly enough I like a short tight turning wide carving board like the Pureboarding offerings. Instead of trying to go through the crud/mashed potatoes, I can carve around them and keep the edges in the firmer snow between the push piles, plow through some of the smaller piles, and jump the larger piles. It's a really fun board for doing it all. The ultimate for me is a soft boot twin shaped board set up duck stance. The mush is just a bunch of features to play on, and I can carve a decent enough turn in soft boots to mix up the run with jumps, switch, carving and really pathetic butters. I think the biggest help is keeping the speed and expectations down, realizing that the surface is not ideal and nothing is going to allow you to experience the maneuverability and stability that you desire with any sort of consistency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 I know what Tankers are and I've even seem them ridden well in powder, but it's like... a big American car versus a Porsche. But then I do ride the first lift, if that's when the best conditions are to be had (often you need to wait for it to soften: it depends on the overnight conditions and when they bash the pistes...). And I maybe ride the last lift too, as snowboards are good in sloppy snow. In truth I think any snowboard is fine for ripping through crud - it's not something where board design makes much difference. Slap-slap-slap, it's easy. So my answer would be to use the board you like most for ordinary riding, and drive it through the crud. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workshop7 Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 33 minutes ago, philw said: In truth I think any snowboard is fine for ripping through crud - it's not something where board design makes much difference. I completely disagree with this. The design of a board, especially from under the front foot to the nose, has a whole lot to do with wether or not that board is good at busting through crud. I do agree with you, rider input has a big effect on the success of riding thru these inconsistent conditions. However, that is true with all the different disciplines of snowboarding. If I am on hard packed powder and I want rail some turns, I can do that on my softies and a powder board, but there are setups that are far better for that purpose. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 I don't have problems with either of my Coilers, the Nirvana 180 or the AMT 167. If the crud was heavy I think the AM would be a better choice. My Tanker 2K blows through anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Donnelly Posted April 15, 2017 Report Share Posted April 15, 2017 Did you sell your BFXR? I really like mine with plates when it is not prime time for carving, from crusty ice to slarving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjnakata Posted April 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 On 4/15/2017 at 3:59 PM, Pat Donnelly said: Did you sell your BFXR? I really like mine with plates when it is not prime time for carving, from crusty ice to slarving. I may view that decision as short sighted soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckmann AG Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 (edited) Jim once said "The West is the best, get here and we'll do the rest". Which suggests that my 'crud' might be cruddier than your 'crud'. Dodged a porcupine the other day. True story. That said, I always gravitated toward 'straighter' GS skis for skiing the broken lumpy junk, on account of the comparatively relaxed flex pattern, the mellowing effect of metal laminates, and the consistency of turn radius absent a flared tip. The same proves true on a board, where I use the metal Donek FC that was so generously supplied to me a few years ago (Thanks, again. You know who you are.) It's not very wide, and tends to punch through most anything in its path without much fanfare. Good in spring moguls too. 'Ultimate' is fairly subjective, and depends enormously on how you like to ride, but that board works well over here on the iced coast. Edited April 17, 2017 by Beckmann AG What reason do you need to be shown? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjnakata Posted April 17, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 On 4/14/2017 at 10:30 PM, slopestar said: It's a "secret" ? Do you know what it is?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Brammer aka PSR Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 12 hours ago, Beckmann AG said: Jim once said "The West is the best, get here and we'll do the rest". Which suggests that my 'crud' might be cruddier than your 'crud'. Just ride Tuck's, that's about as good a crucible as any... Whereupon, my first choice would still be as I wrote awhile ago. And, oddly, that same board was good-to-go at Las Lenas, and off of Granite Chief at Squaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softbootsurfer Posted April 17, 2017 Report Share Posted April 17, 2017 ATC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted April 18, 2017 Report Share Posted April 18, 2017 (edited) I'll throw my vote to the original steepwaters and to a lesser extent, the arbor version; in truly heinous refrozen chop and groomer digs the burly stability of the 171 steep dethroned the previous champ 186 nitro diablo ps, most of the size difference is the twin powder tips on the nitro Edited April 18, 2017 by b0ardski Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnasmo Posted April 20, 2017 Report Share Posted April 20, 2017 I ride a lot of soft afternoon crud. Once I show up, I'm there to last chair. Coiler NFC Balanced -- no "energy" or "torsion plus" options -- and the narrower the better. The NFCB performs great in most conditions, but especially when the going gets rough. What makes a *bad* crud board? Too soft in the nose and you might high side. Too stiff mid or tail and bumps disturb the board too much. Too wide and you feel the bumps leveraging against your legs too much. Lots of boards may still work, but if they're harsh and uncomfortable to ride in those conditions, you're not going to be having fun and probably won't be carving well. What makes a good crud board is one that doesn't have the features that make it a bad crud board. Your favorite race board is probably too stiff mid-to-tail. The EC board is probably too wide. Longer boards can be too much work to toss around if the bumps are on their way to being moguls. So the field narrows to all-mountain boards. The NFCB is basically an all-mountain core profile in a free-carving shape. If you don't stiffen the mid and tail with the "energy" flavor, or similarly stiffen between the bindings as a side effect of a large carbon butterfly, you get a good fit for crud busting. That is what motivated the design in the first place -- something not too soft up front, and not too stiff out back, for spring conditions. I have several Coilers that qualify as flavors of NFC Balanced, and can highly recommend them for sloppy snow. My go-to boards this season were a 17.5 cm wide 170 NFCB XXX (a one-off custom carbon layout), and a 14.5 cm wide 174 NFCB Skinny (a Skwal). Sometimes when it got really really loose I went with a 19.5 cm 160 Angry and rode it more like I was soft booting... in hard boots, but that's adapting in a different way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeoffV Posted April 21, 2017 Report Share Posted April 21, 2017 On 4/17/2017 at 11:55 AM, Eric Brammer aka PSR said: Just ride Tuck's, that's about as good a crucible as any... My board for Tuckerman's has been my Donek Axxess, works just fine. The best equipment for crud is a set of skis, there I've said it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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