Alpine Snowboarding Review Vid

[RyanKnapton]

Big thanks to Bomber Alpine Outfitters for letting Jeff and I use this gear!  Was nice to be able to ride it numerous days in a row and start adapting to get it riding a-lot more fluidly than the previous 4 runs total I had made on Alpine gear.  With being so use to low stance angles (15,-15), I think these wider boards and lower angles helped make it feel less different too vs. the 18 or 19 cm widths with higher angles I tried the first times.  Looking forward to giving it another go in the future!

 

[GeoffV]

Nice work Jeff and Ryan. Pretty impressive what you guys figured out in a few days. Just think what you guys would do after a full season and custom molded boots? Once you figure out how to do fully laid out carves on some really steep slopes the G's you can pull will blow you away.

[queequeg]

Great job! I think this is one of the best videos I've ever seen insofar as illustrating what to expect when trying out alpine snowboarding for the first time (presuming some prior snowboarding experience). Also a great way to help people figure out whether or not it is for them or not.

Edited October 12, 2017 by queequeg

[slopestar]

Great stuff Ryan! 

[philw]

Interesting. With most videos, I skip the talk and watch the riding, this one I did it the other way around. I'm not surprised that good soft-boot riders can quickly adapt; it's the same thing really. 

I learned at least one new thing: that soft boot riders have more challenges with "catching edges". I never caught one, hence never really understood that problem, now I know why.

The hatred thing - oh, you get that in spades, from internet people and novices. They've hated me since I was the only snowboarder at the resort... it's a badge of honour, something I'm proud of.

[softbootsurfer]

On 10/12/2017 at 7:12 AM, philw said:

I know how to catch an Edge  

Nice Video Ryan !!!

 

 

Edited October 13, 2017 by softbootsurfer

[Jack M]

Thank you.  Really open minded and enthusiastic.  Donek and Bomber should just give you gear (and mold your liners) in exchange for an ongoing series.  A few suggestions... you guys, especially Jeff, are riding some seriously cowboy stance widths.  I think you'd be more comfortable and have better mobility and agility if you narrow it up a bit.  For example I am 5'11" with a 30" inseam and I ride 20" to 21" wide depending on the board.  Also I hope you are using some toe lift on the front foot and heel lift on the back foot.  Major comfort/mobility upgrade.  A quick heelside tip, you'll know you're doing it right when your front hand stays on the heel side of the board and doesn't swing over to the toeside.  Really LOOK across the hill where you want the carve to go.  Toeside, think of dropping the hips into the turn first, rather than trying to get your chest low.  Let the ground come to you.

You're absolutely right about banked slalom.  I do well in the Sugarloaf Banked Slalom as one of only 2 or 3 hardbooters.  When the course is smooth and has good flow, we kill it.  Last year Myles Silverman (19) in hardboots took 2nd overall to Seth Wescott (40) by 0.07 seconds.  (I wasn't able to do it last year) However when the course is bumpy and tight, we don't do as well.

[Neil Gendzwill]

Second on the tighter stance, I'm 6' tall, I wear jeans with a 32" or 33" leg.  My stance is 19.5".

I don't get the softbooter hatred.  Many of them think of us as skiers at heart, so they hate us.  I don't get the skier hatred, either.  They also think we look ugly going down the hill, whereas I think the opposite:  a good hardbooter looks smooth and graceful to me.

To add to the tips Jack gave you, to my eye it looks like you are both standing too tall, don't be afraid to bend your knees like you do on your softie boards.

Ryan, you made the comment that it was less effort to carve the board, but neither of you are putting the energy into the turn to really bend the board and make it come around as you are doing with your soft boot boards.  Once you do that you will find it more of a workout.  The fact that neither of you are falling means to me that you aren't really committing to the turn, you have to fall out of a few to get it.

 

[Corey]

Quality content Ryan!  Thanks for that. 

I'm with Jack - the one shot of Jeff looked like his knees were being stretched apart in an unnatural way.  Don't go to the 90's 17" stances, but try dropping in to something like a 20" or 21" stance to see if you fight the boot cuffs less.  

I see some seriously soft slush in some clips.  That's pretty challenging stuff to carve aggressively in hardboots!  Get on some firm groom (not ice) and things really start to come together as the 'sweet spot' gets much wider.  

[nils]

Great vid! Do more of it! Impressive progresses too! Will be easier on a bit harder snow too so you can push harder without burrying to the knee! 

[RobertAlexander]

Hang in there and get more days on the boards,  totally commit to riding alpine set up all the time,  and all the topics that you were rating 1 thru 10 , will turn into 10's.   Once you catch the wave on  alpine boards, you will never want to ride anything else.  Especially when you get on a high performance carve board.   Jack is correct,  I am 6' 1" and 32" inseam and ride 20.75" to 21"  width. 

Thanks for doing this.

Edited October 18, 2017 by RobertAlexander

[workshop7]

Robert,

I agree with your opinion as I would also rather be on a carving board and hardboots than any other gear.  However, that might not be the resultant conclusion that all people come to after spending enough time, totally committing, or catching the wave of riding alpine snowboards.  I like riding an alpine board because it completely suits the way I like to ride.  I also love to watch other alpine riders.  Though, to be honest, there isn't a snowboarder that I would rather watch ride over Ryan.  His fluid style and hybrid mix of aggressive soft boot carving and buttering moves is so cool.  Watching his videos makes me want to ride softies and there's no way he could do all that stuff on an alpine deck and hardboots and still look that relaxed, comfortable and smooth.

I also vote for 20"-21" stance width with front toe lift and rear heel lift.

Edited October 18, 2017 by workshop7

[Jack M]

I got a softy setup 2 years ago after going about 10 years without one.  Very glad to have it for days when it's just too crappy for carving, or for powder or spring.

[RyanKnapton]

Thanks for the feedback all.  

I definitely feel I could have put way more energy into the board and gotten a lot more aggressive with it after the first days (or even on the first day), but the snow really rode a lot worse than it looks.  Frozen slush groomed in between parts that never refroze and were way too soft.  I kinda took the approach of.. 'if I get hurt on this, that'll be a terrible endorsement for alpine riding!'  Ha.

I'll definitely try to do it some more during the regular part of the winter and explore how differences in stance widths, angles, and lift feel.  I just went with how Jim set it up for me.  Mostly I think just making tons and tons more turns in snow that I could trust would make the biggest difference to start with tho. 

Thanks again, and happy shreddin all!

[dhamann]

nice review. not exactly the tool for the day given the snow conditions. bottom line there. when the conditions are right, just slay down a couple of those linked elbow turns and you'll get it. (even though the elbows are cheating). compare softies to running gates and you'll get it too (there's a can of worms).

 

i never wanted to succumb to stepping into hardboots. why? been on softies since 86-87ish. i'm not a skier. that'll be the day i'm almost too old to really snowboard. then i tried it. a couple years later, it's safe to say that i had a snowboarding problem that got exponentially worse. initially, i had some very similar thoughts as above, but needed more, then more, then more and still more. just learning while doing. dialing gear is key too. there's definitely some technical tuning, adjusting, making right for you, etc. it's can be a pain the neck sometimes, but worth it for the downhill ride. then there's the technique... it feels soooo good until you see yourself on a video or picture. Alpine opened the door to plenty more in snowboarding for the rest of my life. who'm i kidding? alpine is life.