Dhkim559 Posted December 20, 2020 Report Share Posted December 20, 2020 Hi everyone, I have always been interested in alpine snowboarding, but I think I’m going to finally get into it this year. But how and where do I start? Is it so different from regular snowboarding that you need to take separate lessons? And is there a place in WA where I can rent a board and try before I purchase a board? I see that alpine snowboarding is very niche, so it seems rather difficult to find any useful information. Any words would help me a lot! Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ibrussell Posted December 20, 2020 Report Share Posted December 20, 2020 You might want to move this question up to carving central Then go to wwwbomberonline.com and read some or all their tech articles. You should give some more info how long have you been snowboarding where you live/board, equipment your on now, boot size so if there is anyone close that has something to loan they might speak up. I keep a couple different size boots and board/bindings in case someone near shows some interest. Welcome and Good Luck Charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmorita Posted December 20, 2020 Report Share Posted December 20, 2020 Hi DhKim, Welcome to the team. As a 20 year beginner I can tell you the best way to learn is to find people to ride with. Assuming you can carve on soft boots pretty well. You now have to overcome the roadblocks to hard booting. Few places have rental equipment, even fewer offer lessons and learning can be painful. The good news: - Everyone you meet on an alpine board is pretty nice and willing to help. - The annual MCC meet up is a great place to learn and connect. - This forum has tons of useful advice, as does bomberonline. - You can find everyone else's used crap for cheap in the for sale section. To answer your question directly you are going to have to find some loaner gear or just buy a used setup. I saw a new Donek Pilot for sale for under $200 last week. Then read up on technique articles, watch youtube and get out on a green run. Hoping you find someone to ride with at your mountain. We have a nice group of old guys in VT which doesn't help you unfortunately. Good luck and hope you bring more people into the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted December 21, 2020 Report Share Posted December 21, 2020 If you post which hills you ride or can easily get to, there may be some guys who ride there who can help you out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhkim559 Posted December 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2020 10 hours ago, ibrussell said: You might want to move this question up to carving central Then go to wwwbomberonline.com and read some or all their tech articles. You should give some more info how long have you been snowboarding where you live/board, equipment your on now, boot size so if there is anyone close that has something to loan they might speak up. I keep a couple different size boots and board/bindings in case someone near shows some interest. Welcome and Good Luck Charlie Thank you for the warm welcome Charlie! My name is Daniel. Nice to meet you. I live in Bothell and Stevens Pass is easier for me to get to than Crystal. But those two are where I snowboard mostly. I’ve skied from 6-9 y/o and have been snowboarding almost every winter ever since. I’m now in my late 20s. I have been moving around thanks to Army and I couldn’t keep any snowboarding equipment, so I currently have no equipment. I’m now settled in one place so I’m thinking about getting my own equipment and keep them. I wear 10 boots, 5’ 11’’, 170 lbs. If you think back to your first alpine snowboarding equipment, what did you like/didn’t like? How did you decide to get them over other options? I’ll definitely check out those two places you mentioned and look for answers for these questions there as well. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dhkim559 Posted December 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2020 10 hours ago, pmorita said: Hi DhKim, Welcome to the team. As a 20 year beginner I can tell you the best way to learn is to find people to ride with. Assuming you can carve on soft boots pretty well. You now have to overcome the roadblocks to hard booting. Few places have rental equipment, even fewer offer lessons and learning can be painful. The good news: - Everyone you meet on an alpine board is pretty nice and willing to help. - The annual MCC meet up is a great place to learn and connect. - This forum has tons of useful advice, as does bomberonline. - You can find everyone else's used crap for cheap in the for sale section. To answer your question directly you are going to have to find some loaner gear or just buy a used setup. I saw a new Donek Pilot for sale for under $200 last week. Then read up on technique articles, watch youtube and get out on a green run. Hoping you find someone to ride with at your mountain. We have a nice group of old guys in VT which doesn't help you unfortunately. Good luck and hope you bring more people into the sport. Hi there, thank you for all the info here. I will keep in mind to look for people to ride with. I have been snowboarding since I was a kid and I think I can carve okay in a regular snowboard. It won’t win me any awards but it won’t make me look like a fool either. I really appreciate you mentioning used gear. I think it’s a great way to start a hobby. Do you happen to remember where you saw that gear? I’m too new to even know what that is but you kinda made it sound it’s a good deal, so I can start looking from there. Thanks again! 7 hours ago, Neil Gendzwill said: If you post which hills you ride or can easily get to, there may be some guys who ride there who can help you out. Stevens Pass and Crystal in WA. How can I look for people who can show me how to ride? I just went this weekend and saw no alpine snowboarders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmorita Posted December 21, 2020 Report Share Posted December 21, 2020 Hi Daniel, Saw the board here - But a 152 might be too short for you. we're the same size so look for a board closer to 170 that is good for your weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamby Posted December 29, 2020 Report Share Posted December 29, 2020 Hi Daniel, Welcome welcome!!! You will not regret getting into hardboots and carving. Booters are a friendly crowd, so keep asking questions and seeking out advice. I got into it quite a while ago. I was riding soft gear and cranking my bindings down hard to try and reduce heal lift while learning to carve a bit. There was one shop in town that was renting alpine snowboard gear - , Ski Tek. That was sweet, being able to try out hard boots/plate bindings, before committing to purchasing gear. My wife and I rented gear and headed to Soldier Mountain for a day-trip. My first run was pretty sketchy, but the place was empty and I could hardly go wrong with the mellow runs at Soldier. After a while I was hooking it up and getting a feel for riding hard boots. By mid-day I was hooked and new I would be looking to purchase my own gear. You can learn a lot on your own, but getting some good on-the-hill instruction can be a big help. I live somewhere where we happen to have a local ripper who is an instructor at the local resort. My wife and I took some lessons from Jerry Hadam at Sun Valley. The resort used to host "local's clinics," and Jerry was one of the snowboard instructors. We took advantage of a couple of those clinics. Getting instruction from Jerry helped us so much. Jerry still teaches here, so if you ever get the chance take a lesson from him/carvedog. I don't know of any areas where you can rent alpine snowboard gear. In Whistler you can get in touch with Prior to demo alpine snowboards that they manufacture, but you would need to supply your own boots (and bindings, I believe). You might want to start by searching for, and purchasing some used boots. One this site, in the forums, check out the classifieds. You could post on WTB for used equipment that you are looking to purchase. I would also suggest performing searches on eBay for gear. Search "keywords" might include words such as: alpine, carving, racing. I would suggest that you purchase a new set of alpine bindings, as it is critical that you utilize bindings that you know are not likely to break on you. Bindings break when they are worn out. Bomber, F2, Carve Company all make good bindings. Boards- used gear on eBay or great deals on this site's classified forum. I love riding in hard boots, and I bet you will too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pusbag Posted January 1, 2021 Report Share Posted January 1, 2021 Where's OhD he lives over there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jng Posted January 31, 2021 Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 On 12/21/2020 at 12:33 AM, Dhkim559 said: Stevens Pass and Crystal in WA. How can I look for people who can show me how to ride? I just went this weekend and saw no alpine snowboarders Welcome, @Dhkim559! I personally find those resorts too busy on a weekend for hardbooting. Can you make it up to Summit West on a Friday night? I take my son up there for racing, so I'm usually just running laps on hardboots. Did you get gear yet? I have an old Rossi that was given to me that I could pay forward, but recommend something more modern if you can get your hands on one. I also used to be an instructor, so would be happy to give some tips. 2/12 would be ideal as I plan to get there when night riding opens that night. Jeff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 31, 2021 Report Share Posted January 31, 2021 @Dhkim559 - @STP rides Snoqualmie (Central), his son carves as well. Might be another point of contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dw3 Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 (edited) Sorry but I just saw this. I was you 3 years ago. At the time I was heading out for a snowboard trip to Whistler... I happened to find the guy you are looking for at Cypress. His name is Boris and he teaches there, including alpine. He had equipment I borrowed, it was great. I know he’s on here sometimes and I hope you can find him. I will look for his contact info and post here if I can find his card he gave me. I know we can’t travel to CA yet but it will come back eventually. Dive in, this is so much fun. Ok. I found him, looks like he’s pretty active. hope he’s still teaching BlueB Edited February 4, 2021 by Dw3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 17 minutes ago, Dw3 said: His name is Boris and he teaches there, including alpine. He had equipment I borrowed, it was great. I know he’s on here sometimes and I hope you can find him @BlueB did you hear the whispers? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted February 4, 2021 Report Share Posted February 4, 2021 Thanks for the reference @Dw3 and @lonbordin ! @Dhkim559 I'll gladly teach you, lend you some gear, etc. I'm a staff trainer at Cypress. The big question is, would you be allowed to get here? You can PM through the forum, or direct: boris at blueb dot biz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STP Posted February 23, 2021 Report Share Posted February 23, 2021 first time on the forum this year. I would be glad to ride with anyone, especially hard boots. I sent a PM with phone number. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted April 21, 2021 Report Share Posted April 21, 2021 I can bring a board and bindings for anyone to try out at Stevens Pass. You just need boots with Intec heels. Of course, the season is over now... I really need to check in more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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