Mig Posted March 7, 2018 Report Share Posted March 7, 2018 2 hours ago, Rob Stevens said: Too bad the Step-ons have such a big closure mech in the highback. It doesn't make them a great candidate for low stance angle carving. You don't get "boot out", you get "binding out". Mech looks high enough for my style of riding (not into the body dragging stuff, personnally). What I don't get is why we are still dealing with low and thick heelcups on pretty much all bindings, except the Flow types... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Because Flow is the best. I’d rather see the body carve than hands overhead in a power skid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 I'll ask here since nobody answered the other thread.... Any experience with Flux bindings? Pretty inexpensive right now and look pretty stiff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishsurfer Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 Not used them but I have held a pair of flux teams in my hands pretty stiff and not to heavy also a lass I know that raced boarder cross for the RAF and eventually became there trainer used them and highly rated them. I do quite like the look of the flux xf myself, seems to be quite popular with the Japanese carving community 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 I have heard good things about NOW bindings but I think the low heel cup isn’t good for tipping the board past 45* salomon(spelling?) has a high back design similar to older nidecker carbons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xy9ine Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 in terms of low heel cup profiles - with conventional binding design - it doesn't get much better than the thin aluminum heel loop / carbon highback of the el heffe. not much thickness there at all. the drake podium also looks quite good in that regard, but they're a rare bird. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Gruumer Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 27 minutes ago, xy9ine said: carbon highback of the el heffe. El hefe...Mucho peso's El Hefe, ¡esas fijaciones son caras pero agradables! ellos están muy bien hecho me gusta como ellos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted March 8, 2018 Report Share Posted March 8, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, Shred Gruumer said: El hefe...Mucho peso's El Hefe, ¡esas fijaciones son caras pero agradables! ellos están muy bien hecho me gusta como ellos. Heh you ok ? Suffer a blow to the head riding softies ? Edited March 8, 2018 by lowrider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muthahucker Posted March 9, 2018 Report Share Posted March 9, 2018 Personally, I have been into trying softboot carving more then using my hard boots for the last couple of years now. I found hard boots too restrictive and could never get the form down correctly to be comfortable on a dedicated carve board. I found I was able to control my turns better with soft boots and was more comfortable. Also my local hills conditions are never in the greatest shape for hard boots, so soft carving is a workable alternative. The size of the hill is also a restriction for learning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TornadoB Posted March 10, 2018 Report Share Posted March 10, 2018 The Now bindings have a great feel but the heel cups are low, high backs don't rotate forward for steeper stance angles, forward lean is lacking and must be modified. Spent a fortune on them also... As a soft boot carver I am looking for better bindings, seems like maybe somebody will start producing them with the new interest.. Ryan Knapton has modified his bindings with plastic coffee can wraps on his highbacks with a modified 3rd strap. Seems like the right idea, probably going to try and build them myself. They aren't locked up right, like someone posted earlier in this thread. As far as the "dirty" carves with body parts dragging goes. I'm a fan, as it's one more of the many carves in my bag of tricks, and have vinyl sleeves that Ryan turned me on to. They really help. And yes, I can link "dirty" turns. Glad to see SB carving becoming a thing... Despite all the new boards coming out, probably going to stick with a Donek for next board, but going wider 28 and longer 168. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 10, 2018 Report Share Posted March 10, 2018 Went ahead and got the Fluxes... Nice quick-n-fast shipping. The bad: Plastic-y and feels kinda cheap. Absolutely no cushioning on the footbed - just plastic. The straps also feel plasticy as do the highbacks. The good: They are stiff. Carpet surfing seems to indicate a very positive connection to the board. The straps might feel cheap but they hold the boot really well and are super comfortable. They are also very very adjustable. No problem moving things around to fit my stance, including rotating the highbacks. Bottom line, they don't feel as nice (build quality) as Burtons or Flows but they are comfortable and stiff. We'll see Sunday as I use my Steepwater to fend off inebriated students. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 11, 2018 Report Share Posted March 11, 2018 OK, so I tried them Fluxes aaaaand... Don't know. The laces on my 4 yr old Burton boots broke and I had zero toe control. Guess I do need to get those Insanos. The bindings themselves felt fine. Heels were very positive and the lack of padding was not really felt through the damp board and boots. They were very very comfortable and provided no pressure points. But (and this is the important part) I got to switch between soft and hardboots and I figured that the hardboots felt better! The softboots were definitely more comfortable but the sideways stance just felt wrong! I guess I got used to the front facing stance of hardboots. I'm need to research this a bit more. The really weird part is that earlier this season I switched from hardboots to softboots midday and was having a blast! I dunno, I'm confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piusthedrcarve Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 @erazz which Flux model did you get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRAZZ Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 Flux XF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 Yeah, so, late to this one but FWIW being of snow for a couple years other than two epic pow runs and now returning to getting on snow a couple times a week. Have new softboots, boots have gotten better in the last 10 years. Bindings, the flow NX2 GT, IDK fine I guess.... kinda thinking I’d of been happier with those carbon rides that make shred type funny. Boards, only tried two new ones both Burton jobs both too small and narrow but boy those have really come along. I have a metal softboot job made in China on the way..... says 12 meter sidecut, metal topsheet like the old priors, 274 waist..... should be interesting! As for this new carve rage, it’s cool! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkJeangerard Posted March 12, 2018 Report Share Posted March 12, 2018 On 12/19/2017 at 10:55 AM, jburk said: I'm really in favour of softbooters trying to learn how a board can turn by virtue of its shape rather than trying to swing or pivot the board around with their back foot. I think only a very small percentage who try to carve a softboot setup will progress to full carves with linked turns from edge to edge over an entire run, but if it cuts down on the number of riders acting as heelside/toeside snow squeegees on the blues and blacks then I'm all for it. I rode up the lift a couple of weeks ago with a particularly open-minded softbooter who was curious how I managed to get the board to turn with such relatively (to him) steep angles. When I explained about how sidecut radius could turn the board by itself if the board was weighed/decambered (used the analogy of a ghost-riding bicycle), etc, he wondered if his board could do the same. So with many caveats and CYA statements ("I'm not an instructor", etc), in about 5 minutes he was doing a modified version of the "norm" turn on both heel and toe. The biggest thing was getting him to trust that the board would come back across the fall line just by use of continued pressure on the edge, and breaking the tail free to slide it wasn't necessary. "Holy shit, it's so much less effort..." Spotted him from the lift later and he was still at it, with noticeable improvement, linked turns and all. Some people are all about skills acquisition, getting a snowboard to carve a turn is yet another skill in the set. Who knows, if his buddies see him carve the odd turn instead of sliding the tail around, they might try it themselves. This has been a focus of mine for the last 20 years. As such I have been paying careful attention to riding trends on the hill. (Whether I want to or not - at some point I always end up on a lift.) More and more, back foot scrapers are becoming less and less the norm. I've noticed that it can be characteristic of a community or region. Some hills have mostly all excellent riders and a few have mostly all stinkers trying to kick back on their rear foot with their shoulders squared off down hill like the local cool guy they are trying to imitate. I really believe that, for the most part, the latter are a dying breed. I really wanted to be a good instructor and so I tried to incorporate responsible and effective philosophies into my work model. Such as never using "crutch" methods to achieve performance in a lesson. I try to teach things that will be useful or valid to the highest levels of riding. Things that don't need to be unlearned at some point. I teach what the sidecut is and how it works on day one. Before the student even steps on the snowboard on snow. I show the curves in the toeside and heelside edges, get on my knees, tilt the board up to show the tip and tail in the snow and the air gap at the waist, then apply pressure between the bindings with my foot or hand until the board bends and the waist hits the snow. Then I slide it back and forth a few inches. It cuts a nice curve in the snow. I don't remember anyone not understanding that demonstration. (When it comes time, I introduce the idea that it takes almost imperceptible amounts of tilt to make the snowboard turn.) The description goes something like: "Snowboards are made to turn all by themselves. If we tilt a snowboard with a weight in the middle it will make a perfect turn. Today we are going to work on being a weight in the middle." On day one nearly every exercise I suggest reinforces either what it feels like to be right in the magic middle position with a relaxed posture over the riding edge or what it feels like to not be there. (Because... nollies!) I make sure each student exercises patience when getting those first turns. Wait for the snowboard, I might say. Once we feel what it can do then we can know what it will do. On day one I teach turn shape for speed control. (Speed control means going faster as well as slower.) Twisting and skidding, weighting and unweighting, spinning and pivoting, all with a focus on being the weight in the middle and over the edge that we are riding on. (Mostly the uphill edge, day one.) Because a snowboard will turn if you let it. The only time one of my day one students kicks the rear of her snowboard around is when she's doing it because she wants to and knows that it's not the only way to change direction. And that knowledge will last for the rest of her snowboarding days. The important thing is that the tail is following the nose. And once a rider gets to the blues, no matter if they are skidding, if they are controlling speed with turn shape and pressure they are only a few minutes of focus away from their first carved turn. And all you need to do is lay out a big, hooked up, knees in the snow, toeside carve that shoots you right back uphill at them to get their attention. Oh yeah, I had a point... I didn't come up with these thoughts in a vacuum. My understanding of the process is somewhat in line with the evolution of snowboarding instruction worldwide. I think it's better than it's ever been, and I think it's getting better every day. Full turn, linked, edge to edge softboot carves over an entire run are not only the most basic thing you can do on a snowboard and super fun, but are also becoming more recognized as "another thing you can do" on a snowboard by the masses. I see the trenches every day. Clean heelsides too. :) Plus, learning to carve is also the only way you're ever going to blast 15 feet out of the superpipe. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 (edited) As stated a couple of pages back, I’ve been soft boot carving recently on the Yes Optimistic 154. I’ve since obtained the 2018-19 limited edition Sims Terry Kidwell, (signed by the legend himself) after trying one on a retailer’s Demo day. Although I have a size 9 boot, I tried the 158 wide, with a 26.4 waist...and I loved it! It has a sidecut of 7.98m, so is very nimble still. It’s basically a Never Summer with camber, so what’s not to like? I’ve just taken my Palmer Powerlinks off my Oxess SBX, in order to tip it over even more, trying it tomorrow. With a 7mm camber, it works in the powder, rides well switch, and is adequate in the park, (but on the stiff side). For bindings I’m using the carbon highback Salomon Quantums which I’ve found responsive and comfortable. The whole set up has proved really versatile, and despite my +21 -9 stance (I teach on it, and sometimes have to demo for my goofy students), carving on it is breathtaking... I’ll try double posi on my next day off. Its a great set up I’d highly recommend. Video from day 1, below 8F600F4E-C9E8-4CFB-9D21-968478A0811A.MOV Edited March 13, 2018 by Emdee406 Omission 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 Here’s the Sims mentioned above... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 12 minutes ago, Emdee406 said: Video from day 1, below 8F600F4E-C9E8-4CFB-9D21-968478A0811A.MOV Nice clip @Emdee406. I noticed (by no means a criticism) the board seems to 'scrabble' for grip in the turn - it's something I've seen in clips of other similar shapes carving too. Clearly has no effect on your ability to lay down a carve, but do you feel it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 I did feel it @Lurch, it may just have been me! I’ve had a plate and 7 screws put in my right arm (the one on the snow), and the ‘bobble’ may have been me wincing, as it touched down! I’ve been off snow for the last 2 months, so I’m also rusty! (It’s also, according to the surgeon, not healing quickly enough ?) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 Hey zeus! That's some hardware! Def not you; seen it in many of the videos from Japan/Korea with short 'powder carvers' too; almost like a micro, grip/slide/grip harmonic. Interesting you can feel it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emdee406 Posted March 13, 2018 Report Share Posted March 13, 2018 (edited) Ill keep you posted, as I get used to it, and I continue healing...it’ll be interesting to see what effect the risers have too! Edited March 13, 2018 by Emdee406 Error 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darko714 Posted March 14, 2018 Report Share Posted March 14, 2018 On 12/18/2017 at 10:35 PM, slopestar said: Most of those vids are racers on softies. Carving can be done by any decent rider. I love the aggressive ones that don’t do the racer hop into their heel side turns. Doing that is a dead giveaway. Damn. I love to do the "racer hop" into my heelside turns. In fact, I even look for bumps and drops in my path to help me air out both kinds of transitions. Does this mean I suck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Gruumer Posted March 14, 2018 Report Share Posted March 14, 2018 On 3/13/2018 at 2:12 AM, Lurch said: That's some hardware! Oooo did someone say hardware? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 14, 2018 Report Share Posted March 14, 2018 Wondered where that joiner link for my Duesenbergs timing chain got to - hope you still have the spring clip too Shred. Got to be a good story here? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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