SunSurfer Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 In terms of the physics of human balance, the larger your "base of support" the more stability you have. I'm 182cm but with longish legs that would be in proportion to someone in the high 180s and I ride a 56cm stance having started out at 50cm. I've tried longer but found that this restricted my ability to move my centre of mass fore and aft even when I used 9 degree lift front and rear to try to compensate for the wider stance. I agree with Jack in that the longer stance made for more stable and powerful turns. Our sport progresses when people try new things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 24 minutes ago, rjnakata said: What's your inseam (pants) length? 32” 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 @Fathermathew Check your Personal Messages in your Profile. Click the horizontal 3 bars at the top right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeho730 Posted October 20, 2023 Report Share Posted October 20, 2023 @Fathermathew I recommend buying a lift kit when you buy a binding; I started with heel lift on rear foot and now I use toe lift on front foot. I would like to suggest F2 Titanium normal version with toe clips. Later on, as you become more confident, you can buy step in bindings. That’s how I started… Boots are super important but unfortunately it’s also hardest to find the ones that fit your feet well since shops either only do onlines or the ones that stock them might be far away from you. I started with Track 700 boots with size 25 on my 25.5 foot, which were very roomy but didn’t hold my feet very well. Went to 325 size 25 which were better. Now I use 325 size 24 with custom liners that hold my feet very well. I also use UPZ boots 25.5 which hold my feet very well, too. I truly wish good luck with your boots but there’s no easy answer. Wish we could find boot fitters for hard boots as easily as we could for alpine ski boots… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 13 hours ago, leeho730 said: Boots are super important but unfortunately it’s also hardest to find the ones that fit your feet well This is the biggest struggle in alpine. It's a steep learning curve that can sometimes be painful. If there are any bootfitters or even hardbooters near you, that can cut out a fair bit of time, pain, and money. 13 hours ago, leeho730 said: Wish we could find boot fitters for hard boots as easily as we could for alpine ski boots… I think a good ski boot fitter should be completely comfortable with an alpine hardboot. You can do it yourself if you're handy and willing to experiment, can listen to your own body well, and are patient. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortcutToMoncton Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 Yup, nothing particularly unique about snowboard hard boots — if the bootfitter is good they’ll do a great job. And stay away if they’re not. I agree that bootfitting might be the most important thing about alpine boarding. I’ve ridden all types of boards and bindings, but ill-fitting boots that start really making your day painful after a couple hours is truly the worst. Last year was the first time I didn’t have to switch over to soft boots after 1pm, and it was glorious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 45 minutes ago, Corey said: I think a good ski boot fitter should be completely comfortable with an alpine hardboot. Yes, it's the same exact process, just with a snowboard hardboot. Of course if the bootfitter tries to talk you into 4 buckle Langes... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b.free Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 So @Jack M and @SunSurfer, by your logic and formula, I should be riding with 22.5-23.5 (57.5-60cm) stance to be able to make more stable and powerful turns with better range of motion and joint freedom? Most of boards i have, have less spread of inserts. I can't even make 60cm stance.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted October 21, 2023 Report Share Posted October 21, 2023 (edited) @b.free The formula is a place to start based on an indicator of your physique. No one would recommend the same stance for both a rider 150cm tall and another 190cm tall. Board manufacturers make boards for the perceived "normal" distribution of stances. Riders with physiques towards the end of the normal distribution will likely benefit from a custom build. "Custom" design includes how the inserts are set. I have a custom built, for my 56cm stance, Coiler Nirvana from 2017. It will accomodate a 60cm stance as its maximum. I have a second hand Thirst Superconductor from 2019 with the same 60cm maximum stance. Don't be rigid in your thinking. Be free to try something different and see if your riding advances. A longer stance relative to a rider's physique generally benefits from some front toe and rear heel lift because of the limited range of ankle motion designed into hard boots. Conversely, if their stance is relatively short for their physique (leg length being a major factor) then they are unlikely to feel the need for lift. Edited October 21, 2023 by SunSurfer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortcutToMoncton Posted November 6, 2023 Report Share Posted November 6, 2023 On 10/20/2023 at 12:07 PM, Jack M said: @Fathermathew, sorry your thread is experiencing thread drift. But as Neil succinctly pointed out once, it's a discussion forum, we discuss things. @b.free, It is simply more comfortable for most people to use a lift under their front foot toe and one under the rear foot heel. Mechanically, it makes sense for a wider stance with binding angles north of 50 degrees. "Wider" being the modern stance of about 0.65" x inseam. Not the 16-18" stances from the 90s I see some people clinging to. It gives you better range of motion, joint freedom, power, stability, and allows you to relax more. Give it a whirl. Jack, stance width is measured centre-to-centre, correct? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fathermathew Posted November 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2023 Okay, I have a dumb question. I need new jacket, pants, gloves, helmet, etc. Does Alpine Boarding vs traditional snowboarding have their own line up of recommended apparel? You know what they say, "Look good, Ride good". Also, I am buying some used gear this weekend locally. Deeluxe 325 with BTS blue springs. Thirst Superconductor 175. Waist is 19.2ish I want to buy some new bindings, what do you all suggest exactly? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted November 7, 2023 Report Share Posted November 7, 2023 https://skylineouterwear.ca/ is lead/designed by a former racer. I can recommend the gear although it has a fairly trim fit. Otherwise I've also had good luck with Burton AK gear. Thirsts are popular in western NA. Glad you did not cheap out on this endeavor. Bindings - Bomber Trench Diggers are the most durable, but stiffer. I love them. F2 Race Titanium are also popular, but they are more flexible side to side, if that appeals. You can buy them from donek.com. If you go with F2, buy an extra lift kit so you can have toe lift on your front binding and heel lift on your back binding. Remove the inward cants that come installed in F2 bindings to get started. If you go with Bomber, I recommend starting with two 3-degree discs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_lupo Posted November 8, 2023 Report Share Posted November 8, 2023 17 hours ago, Fathermathew said: Okay, I have a dumb question. I need new jacket, pants, gloves, helmet, etc. Does Alpine Boarding vs traditional snowboarding have their own line up of recommended apparel? You know what they say, "Look good, Ride good". Forget buying fashionable clothes for this. Fashion is earned and visible by the gluing, patching and restitching you wind up doing to make your clothes last more than a couple of seasons. Look for pants with minimal exposed zippers. The hips and outer thigh on my back leg are typically highly abraded areas. I usually ride with thin viscoelastic mtb elbow pads because for whatever reason when I crash on icy conditions it is typically my elbows that get the worst of it. If you do get into the habit of skimming your hand on the snow (arguably bad style, but guilty!), be prepared to kiss your $200 Hestra mittens goodbye after a couple of seasons. Whatever helmet fits your head and gives you good head rotation and lets you use goggles with good peripheral vision. (I've had great results from the Flylow Chemical pants which have tons of cordura) But definitely get color combinations that are hi-viz and standout: 1) it helps keep other skiers from ramming you from behind and 2) it makes it obvious that it is in fact you that is laying trenches that puts the fear of God into the rest of the recreational skiers on the slope. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aracan Posted November 8, 2023 Report Share Posted November 8, 2023 +1 for hi-viz colors. I don't know if you are already used to crossing the fall line on your SB setup. If not, you will be surprised at how many people on the slopes will be surprised that you do that ANOTHER time after they watched you doing it five times already. Less politely spoken: When you make wide turns, sooner or later a moron is going to turn up who misjudges both your speed and their own. If you are lucky, it will be a narrow miss. Day-glo seems to lower the frequency of those incidents. 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fathermathew Posted November 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2023 Got it all set up! https://photos.app.goo.gl/kACjdFeHYyJk6ia79 https://photos.app.goo.gl/1Ush2GqXkVHnA6jg6 Thank you everyone for helping me through this process. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slabber Posted November 18, 2023 Report Share Posted November 18, 2023 That looks like a solid setup - take your time to get used to it and dial it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted November 18, 2023 Report Share Posted November 18, 2023 Your setup looks great. Intec heels are my choice too. Now you need some snow! A few riders, my self included, when the Intec cable is placed conventionally on the outside of the heel, get pain on their heel from a pressure point created by the cable. Swapping the Intec heels over on the boots so the cable runs up the inside of the boot has solved that problem for me. Probably won't be an issue for you but just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted November 19, 2023 Report Share Posted November 19, 2023 Good work. Let’s see your bindings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fathermathew Posted November 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 On 11/18/2023 at 7:40 PM, Jack M said: Good work. Let’s see your bindings I got the F2 intec step in bindings from Donek like you suggested. I did buy an additional toe/heel lift and got that in place. I did not remove the inward cants on the F2 bindings like you suggested. Why do you think I should do this? Wouldn't slightly inward be more comfortable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted November 20, 2023 Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 27 minutes ago, Fathermathew said: I got the F2 intec step in bindings from Donek like you suggested. I did buy an additional toe/heel lift and got that in place. I did not remove the inward cants on the F2 bindings like you suggested. Why do you think I should do this? Wouldn't slightly inward be more comfortable? When you mount your bindings at appropriate angles to avoid toe/heel drag, like 55 degrees or more, the inward cants are usually not needed. It's personal preference though. Riding with your knees stuck together is old school and not as powerful or balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fathermathew Posted November 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 3 hours ago, Jack M said: When you mount your bindings at appropriate angles to avoid toe/heel drag, like 55 degrees or more, the inward cants are usually not needed. It's personal preference though. Riding with your knees stuck together is old school and not as powerful or balanced. Thanks for the information. I'll definitely play around with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted November 21, 2023 Report Share Posted November 21, 2023 6 hours ago, Fathermathew said: I got the F2 intec step in bindings from Donek like you suggested. I did buy an additional toe/heel lift and got that in place. I did not remove the inward cants on the F2 bindings like you suggested. Why do you think I should do this? Wouldn't slightly inward be more comfortable? To understand why @Jack M is correct, watch the video linked in the Personal Message. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aracan Posted November 21, 2023 Report Share Posted November 21, 2023 It also, as indicated by Jack M, depends on the actual angles. If you look at a typical Pureboarding setup, it will have a lot more splay than is usually recommended here - 20° or even 25° and more, depending on how low you can go on your rear foot. On such a setup some inward cant on the rear foot may make more sense than with your typical 54-59° setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.