A first foray! (Into what exactly?)

[FriendlyDropBear]

So I've finally got everything together to ride 'hardboot'..... shame season is done here in Aus

How to describe this setup is the big question!!

The board:

The board is an F2 six-zero, 160, 28-23-28, EE 129, sidecut radius around 10m (according to Autocad).

My initial goal when I picked this board up was to ride it at high angles in soft boots as a very affordable (picked up for A$40) entry into longer edges and larger radius sidecuts for going fast on piste.... but then I found this forum and started thinking about hardboots... I think it still may fit that place as an all mountain/groomer charger? 

The binding:

Fritschi OEM style plastic bail bindings

Found em on ebay.... nobody seemed to recognise them on my previous thread asking about cheaper bindings. Build quality is much higher than I expected, the plastic seems to be some sort of glass filled nylon? They have 3 degree cant plates and in-built toe lift and heel lift. First ride next season in going to start with a 50/30 setup based on a few ideas I've picked up from softboot carvers, pureboarding and EC guys,  'harboot' splitboarders, combined with the relatively wide board. Aiming more for a 'surfy' freecarve than racing angulation.

The boot:

Atomic Backland Carbon. Come next season it will likely have the phantom link lever and pivot strap mod. I've also got Patriot tru-straps which aren't pictured.  

I finally caved on hardboots when I more recently decided I also wanted to splitboard next season.... now I'm fully aware than the Atomic boot is much softer than a traditional snowboard hardboot, this is why I think they may very well suit the foggy middle ground between softboot and hardboot riding that lands somewhere near pureboarding. I plan to run them with tongues in and the stiffest springs phantom sell. 

 

So how would you describe the setup!? It definitely fits in this sub, as opposed to carving central..... I'm just sorry I won't be able to give a ride report until next season!!

Edited October 9, 2022 by FriendlyDropBear

[BlueB]

Welcome! 

I think it's going to be an alright all-mountain carver. Harder carving... I don't know? Depending on rhe board stiffness and your weight. 

Fritchi bindings are ok, I had several pairs, long ago. Are they used? If yes, monitor them for for fatigue. 

Have fun! 

[FriendlyDropBear]

7 hours ago, BlueB said:

I think it's going to be an alright all-mountain carver. Harder carving... I don't know? Depending on rhe board stiffness and your weight.

That's the plan I think,  all-mtn, predominantly on piste,  hanging with friends on skis... they aren't really equipped for the off piste which I and my main board enjoy. 

I had been thinking about my quiver and looking at boards like the donek incline or flux, the jones flagship, or Korua trench digger; all longer and stiffer boards than what I own for faster all mountain use. My initial thought, when I grabbed this with the intention of soft booting, was that it would be in that ballpark with length, stiffness, carving etc, though a little more piste focused. Also as an opportunity to try some high forward angles.

Though I also hope this shape is a little more comfortable in off piste shortcuts than some narrow and more aggressive alpine carving boards.

Essentially I'm just hoping for something that is a little better at carving at speed across a relatively wide selection of lifted terrain.

Especially keen to try the bigger sidecut radius vs my Yes Hybrid at 7.6 -> 5.6 m; as well as my newly aquired United Shapes Covert split at 7.6

 

7 hours ago, BlueB said:

Fritchi bindings are ok, I had several pairs, long ago. Are they used? If yes, monitor them for for fatigue.

They're New! Unless they're NOS... not sure how to tell tbh.

Definitely never been ridden and feel brand new. Included a little instruction sheet etc.  

Will monitor for fatigue that I induce myself though! 

 

Keen to work this thing out, come next season!

Edited October 12, 2022 by FriendlyDropBear

[Neil Gendzwill]

I own a Flagship, it is a fun soft boot board but in no way compares to any of my hard boot boards for carving ability or stiffness.  It might be stiff by soft boot standards but by HB standards it's a noodle.

Good luck with the setup, I think it will work well for what you want to do.

[FriendlyDropBear]

9 hours ago, Neil Gendzwill said:

I own a Flagship, it is a fun soft boot board but in no way compares to any of my hard boot boards for carving ability or stiffness.  It might be stiff by soft boot standards but by HB standards it's a noodle.

Yeah I think, depending on how I find this board, if I were to move onto a nicer new board to fill the slot I'd be most interested in donek flux or incline.

I have this F2 to dabble in the medium binding angle, sub 250 mm waist side of things and will also have my new splitboard setup for hardboots at what would be considered softboard freeride angles. 

Can also compare the traditional full camber to my Yes hybrid's rockered front widepoint (I believe the covert might also have a little early rise but the specs are hard to pin down and I haven't physically checked yet)

Based on this data next season (or a few) I hope to get an idea of whether I'd prefer the flux over the incline as well as a ballpark for width.  Though I might even consider a pureboard or swoard.

Edited October 13, 2022 by FriendlyDropBear

[philw]

Looks good. I don't know that F2 board, although I like F2 in general. The board's flex would be the most important thing to me.

The bindings look fine. If the toe of the backland wiggles when you're locked in, just tighten heel and toe a tad until it stops.

As per other threads here, I found personally that I could not get sufficient forward lean out of the rear backland boot (the stock levers have have 2 possible settings) hence I went to the Phantom levers, which allow a much wider range of lean. I ride with cants - front toe 1°, back heel 3° (which are a common F2 binding configuration) and my back boot needs to lean over more than the front. Each to their own on those things, of course. The stock levers were ridable, but the back foot felt "wrong" to me particularly in hardpack. I couldn't sensibly increase the cant which would have perhaps achieved the same thing. Don't change multiple things at once, but that's one I'd watch out for. If you don't feel it, don't muck with it.

I'm currently riding 35°/45° or there abouts. Your angles are wider, but those are easy to tweak if you find you need to. Most people here probably have less differential.

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by philw

[FriendlyDropBear]

2 hours ago, philw said:

Looks good. I don't know that F2 board, although I like F2 in general. The board's flex would be the most important thing to me.

As far as I can tell they made it for one year and one year only 1994

As for the link levers I'm waiting on a response from phantom about the pivot buckle as I don't want to pay monstrous shipping twice. 

[terekhov]

I don't know about this oldish f2, but be warned that old boads often have miniscule torsional stiffness compared to current status quo. during last 15yrs I twice or thrice testing some little-known-brand boards from 90ies - and they're almost unrideable. so to say: if you're dedicated hardbooter and know how to power board to turn - a lot of old boards can be uber-overpowered by that.

 

PS pogo's from mid-90ies is one of the best boards of all times, though

PPS I ride hardboots out of groomers 90% of time.