What made you start hardbooting?

[sic t 2]

something to do when the slopes are nothing but flat hardpack

Sic

[Mike T]

Just curious.

Did the 2002 winter olympics and Klug / Bronze have anything with any of the north-americans here getting into hardboots?

Sorry, this should have been in my other post...

It coincided with my getting into hardboots - but for sure, kids thought I was less uncool after the Olympics ;)

[Yard Sale]

I'm going to try it because after watching James and Daneille carve up Mt. Rose, I realized:

- Carving is beautiful

- Carving (as well as I can manage in my soft setup) feels great

- Carvers "own" the trail they are on and make everybody else look like gapers

- I never ride pipes, rails, boxes, and the like

- I rarely ride fakie

- I rarely jump

- I never do tricks when jumping

- I spend most of my time on groomed trails

- Being unemployed, I can ride weekday mornings when the crowds are small and the groomers are ideal

Even if it's a total disaster and I end up hating hardboots and alpine boards, at least I've realized there are better boards, boots, and bindings for the type of riding I want to do.

[Erik J]

What made me start hardbooting? I used to be a skier long ago. One day the devil knocks on my door and says "hey, you want some real fun little boy? Let's make a deal." So I sold my soul to satan for a snowboard. I think I got the better end of the deal, my soul was all old and banged up anyway...sucker.

[ar(angel]

It was a favorite of mine. The dream board thread reminded me of why I started out on hardboots and it still holds true today.

so i went down to hughes ski hut, grabbed up a sweet deal, board, boots, bindings for 280.00, went out, and taught myself how to carve properly.

Hey PV race girl, great to see a local hardbooter keeping the stoke alive! Do you get a chance to race at Shasta much? My son and I are up there all season long and I hope to get him involved in racing soon. He's 10 and I figure if I can keep him involved by the time he hits High School he should be tearin' em up! Just look for the odd -couple if your ever up there and thats us, 6'3" guy and a 4'2" kid hardbootin' together! :D

Have fun,

Paul

[NateW]

I'd bee skiing since 82 (4th grade) and skateboarding even longer, so when I saw snowboarding in 88 or so, I had to try it. I absolutely hated soft snowboard boots... They gave me a choice between too much slop or too much pain.

I knew I should have less pain and more support, but was suspicious of hard boots because nobody else around me was doing it, and I couldn't afford to spend that much on something that might not work out (still in school, not much budget). I didn't want to give up twin-tips and bumps and jumps and freestyle, so I didn't have much confidence that it would work out. Saw some videos of Damian Sanders, was inspired, but the guys at Snowboard Connection (supposedly good shop in Seattle) discouraged me and talked me into one last set of softboot gear.

Got out of college in 94, got a decent job, forked over the cash for hard boots for the 94/95 season, and totally loved the extra support and reduced pain. They still hurt my feet actually, it took me a while to discover boot fitting, but it was such a HUGE improvement. Was still on freeride boards (45/30 angles) until around 2000 though. I wish I'd seen all-mountain boards sooner though... it look me too long to realize that "alpine" boards can be just as versatile as freeride boards.

[snowboardfast]

I started riding hardboots as soon as they came out- was it 1988? I have a bone spur on my left foot about 1/2'' high from crushing my feet in the old Sims, Barfoot and snowtech bindings. Got tired of my feet hurting for 3 days after riding 2 and I like the power transmission of hard boots. I can ride longer in hard boots because it it easier on your body. It was fun to go to Bomber and see all the bindings in the museum that I remembered from years ago.I have ridden lots of different boards and boots and bindings and was riding hardboots all over the mountain way before you could get all mountain alpine boards. I used to ride asym boards everywhere. Not the best set up but I did it any way. Hardboot riding will never be as popular as softboot riding because most soft boot riders have sloppy technique and are not interested in carving as the main fun. I don't mean to put down anyone that rides soft boots because a good rider can carve well either way.Also soft boot equipment is much cheaper and is less critical in the setup. I would agree that more shops carried plates back in the early 90's compared to now.Back in the earlier days softboot eqipment was about the same price as alpine gear.Now alpine is much higher priced but the quality is much better. I like the equipment we have now it works so much better.Particularly the bindings. There is so much low priced softboot gear available today. I think if you could go to Garts and buy alpine equipment no one would buy it because most snowboarders think that hard boots are uncomfortable. Also a lot of people new to snowboarding would'nt know how to set up plates and hard boots. This will be my 27th season and I will be having fun. I think I will always be in the minority as a hardboot rider.I think that it is strange that softboots are so popular even out here in Colorado when the majority of the time the snow conditions are packed powder to hardpack- hardboots work better. I hope that 20 years from now we will still be able to buy alpine equipment.

[jimcheen]

I was a skier for years and saw all the boaders having fun, so I decided to give it a try. The first 2 times I rented the setup was with 2 strap bindings. The last time I rented a board it had a 3 strap binding. This felt so much better I figured that when I bought something it would be a hard boot setup and would feel even better than the 3 strap. I ended up with a F2 Fire with SBH's and even the little hills of CT were challenging.

JC

[DrCR]

Just curious. Did the 2002 winter olympics and Klug / Bronze have anything with any of the north-americans here getting into hardboots?

Well, it didn't get me into the sport, but I do use it to tell people the type of snowboarding I do. If I say Alpine or HBing, they usually draw a blank face and often do even after I mention salom snowboarding in the olymipcs too, but sometime it registers with them.

I got into the sport because I had only recently started on skies and wasn't so good or used to them that I wouldn't try something else. After a couple of years of getting sick of cheap snowboard rentals in my local area, I set out to by my own gear. And trying to be a savy buyer, I wanted to make sure I laid out money on what I really wanted. I stumbled onto the Hardbooter.com website in my quest and it's review of the EC Swoard. I checkout out the EC site and was _totally_ stoked by their vids. HBing is what I was looking for! I still need/want to get a good board, looking at an Axis or perhaps a 4WD, but other than that I'm really happy with what I've gotten myself into so far! :D

DrCR

[Guest EricT]

I learned how to board later in high school. Then my dad- Tim on these forums, learned, and then learned to hard boot. Then he started going alot faster than me... hmm... had to keep up!

I have always liked riding the longer boards and the 3 strap burtons really felt like... correct turning. Weight doing the work, not the feet so much. But the speed and the railed turning, just gives me goosebumps thinking about it.

This season I am finally going to SES 06, and hope to have saved enough to be riding my step ins at that point as well. Even more fun! I hate those toe clip doodads.

Eric

[Fleaman]

I Skiied for a quite a few years. I started snowbarding because there were a few good carvers at out hill. I think I started somewhere around 1995.

A few young guys (Nic) and a few older ones, we even had a level 3 instructor on plates. I just liked watching them ride. I was given a asym Look Overspeed 173 from my brother that a friend gave to him. My brother couldnt use it because he rode regular and it was a goofy board. I rode goofy so I mounted some Fritchsi (sp) plates on it and learned on that. It was hard to learn on, but I passed my level 1 instructor the next year on it. I ended up buying a Rossi Alpine 165 using the Pro deal from the Rental shop and bought a set of boots from Nic and used that for quite a while. I bought a Coiler and never looked back. I thought I was riding fine untill I discovered Bol and it really improved my technique and also taking a lesson at Sunshine Village with a Hardboot instructor. (He rode with the Japan team that trains there in the fall) I then bought another coiler because my pure race doesnt cut it Patrolling out west. I needed something to ride all the time, My AM performs flawlessly. I think I used softies twice. Once doing some hiking with my bro when the hill was closed and another time I rented a board out of town to see what it was like to ride softies. Needless to say, It sucked.

I still have the Look board, it is a bit damaged, the original owner hit a tree with it and cracked the tip. He fixed it up with a piece of aluminum and rivets. Also it is full of holes because I pulled the bindings out a few times and drilled 4x4 patterns into it to mount my newer bindings. I am not sure what it's fate will be, but I will make sure it will be gracefull.

[CarvCanada]

Carving softies felt great when there was fresh on the surface, but when it was really packed the limits were too low. I loved the feel of softboots, but steep hardpack just wasn't happening. I also carved the nose off my old 159 literally 3 years ago

Found Bomber and also saw quite a few people on the hill and spoke to shop guys who were into it, got some Suzukas and tried it out and it was perfect on the hardpack. Really like the feel, also like the stance especially the feeling of having both arms out front, dropping the rear knee on the way out of carves, and allowing for some nice Method grab on toeside and indy on heelside. Such power and flow!

I do miss using my calf muscles to ride though, without them there's a certain feel that's missing on toesides and when sliding turns. I also don't care too much for lightning quick edge changes. I think with stiffer and stiffer soft bindings/boots and these tanks that are coming out and getting better like Prior ATV, I will be riding softboots in the future most of the time. They seem to come close to the edgehold power of hardboots in packed powder and they won't toss you around in chopped snow. On steepish hardpack though there will have to be some sweet technology pumped into those BX boards to match what my Donek171 has got

[Derf]

When I started snowboarding, I was hesitating between hardboots and softboots, alpine looked more interesting but everyone told me softboots are more versatile and easier to learn. So I went with softboots, I had fun for a while, but I quickly became bored as I was not interested in jumps and tricks and the conditions in the East were not optimal for softboots. I bought hardboots and started having fun. I rode my softboot gear a little a after that, but I don't like it anymore and since riding hardboots, my softboot riding has degraded because I try to ride shoulders square to the board and it does not work with softboots, so I only ride hardboots now, whatever the conditions.

[bumpyride]

Started snowboarding at 45 (1995). Just wasn't having that much fun skiing anymore. It probably helped in the transition that I'm pidgeon toed and only an OK skier. Did my homework on Snowboards, looked at the injury rates and bought 3 strap bindings (Burton Torques), to give me more support.

Progressed rather rapidly after the 1st couple of days. After every two runs, I'd readjust the bindings to see what felt better. I came to an early decision that I wasn't going into the terrain park or very seldomly ride fakey. After about 5 days out I arrived at pretty much the angles that I'm riding now, 66 and 45.

After having figured out how to ride, I then chose where I wanted to ride, and it turned out that I was having way more fun trying to master the bumps. Then it was the steeps and bumps, and now it's anyplace that has steeps and bumps and is pretty difficult, or just plain fun.

Well the only problem with all this was when I'd hit the troughs hard on the bottom of the bumps, and started hyper-extending my ankles, I knew I needed to remedy the situation. Then I went to the Ski and Snowboard Expo in Seattle and saw a lonely Burton Alp with plates on it. It was so cheap after my first Snowboard, I figured what the heck I'd try it. So there was also a pair of Raichle 123's there and it was done.

So first day out on the slopes and it was slammin' through the bumps. Unbelievable control and a firm edge set, and I was sold. Since then I'v added to the quiver and settled on a bunch of boards for different applications. I only carve when I'm in Duluth Mn, cause they groom out the bumps and there ain't no steeps. I have my carving set up there, and back in Washington I have my Powder and Bump and Spring Boards.

Haven't looked back, except in disgust, at my skiing.

[davekempmeister]

Because I rode soft boots for awhile, saw someone riding hardboots and immediately associated it with progression. Simple as that.

[ncermak]

I got thrown into coaching a snowboard race team and decided I should learn to ride. second season I decided to start hardbooting...

[Guest Zach Davis]

Hard boots (AT) and plate bindings are really the ONLY choice for high-altitude, snowboard mountaineering. No other system is as reliable, rugged, warm, climbable, etc... An interesting aside - I discovered that with TD2s, if you're wearing neoprene overboots, you don't have to take them off to step into your bindings. This is a HUUUUGE advantage over any other boot-binding combo, including ski set-ups.

Fin talked me through the transition, and I'll never go back. I thought that I was compromising, but I found that hard-booting is more fun for me than soft-booting. I use them in all settings, now.

Zach

[Bobby Buggs]

Met a guy at Sunday River in 1990 that rode Sb121s and emery surfs on free ride boards. He was a Monster in the Bumps with that set up.Never carved a turn. I was still on skis and he was faster than most skiers. Started soft booting in late 93 and by the middle of 94 he had given me an old set of shells and a Avalanche Damian Dagger to use for the season. At the time I didn't have a clue about carving. The bindings were T-nutted so there was no way to adjust the angles, 45-30 was it. Keep in mind I was the only one of the group that was on a board so I needed to keep up, No one was going to wait for that damn snowboarder.

I was a "Power Skidder" but could fly down Any trail in a 5-8 foot area, mostly along the tree line on the right side.

Getting back to the level I was at on Skis was a great accomplishment. I said I re fell in love with the mountain again after 15 years of skis. The easy trails that I never even went on were now fun, that was Great and I started on the board at the same time as my wife so each day was a new adventure for us both. We spent most of our days at Stratton. About 2000 I began to see people actually carving and riding angles +50, I was like WOW I could never ride those angles.

About the time of the First ECES at Stratton, which I was unaware was even happening I was in possession of a Rossi Slayer 162, man I was scared of that board

I decided to stay up at the mountain for the weekend and Committed Sunday to Learn that darn Yellow board, I was gonna beat that thing and No way was I going back to my old board.

That day I met Ron, Tony Z and Elliot in the bar, we all had the same boots and they asked me if I was there for the Session?? I was like Session?. Well I rode with them and they convinced me to stay and ride the next day. Wow what a show. The one that stuck out the most was Vin Q. Body dragging on both sides in Soft boots Well after seeing this my competitive spirit pushed me to find the answers. I found most of them in Eric Brammer. Riding with Tony Z, Ron, Alex J and Steph really pushed my progress then I found the Coiler, that put me over the top.

[BlueB]

I learned to ski at the age of 5 (mid '70), back in Europe. Tried snowboarding in '90 or '91, on a rental board. It was on plates, as I was using my ski boots. Didn't like it too much (very steep hill, very icy)...

In 92 I moved to South Africa. That had put the end to the snow fun for couple of years... Then I started going on ski trips to Europe. My best buddy, who lives in Germany, rides plates on a freestyle board (!?!), which was cool for me, as I could just jump from my skis to his board. It felt nice! So, I decided I must learn to snowboard a bit better.

Then, in 2003 I moved to Vancouver - bingo, mountains at the doorstep! As I wasn't going to give up on skiing, I wanted plates for easy crossover. Unfortunately, I figured quickly there was no equipment, and the staff in the stores looked at me bluntly when I asked about plates... So I got myself a soft setup, luckily long, narrow and stiff, and was carving it (gently :) ) from the day one - just the way I learned on plates and skis. The price to pay was the great pain from over tightened straps. I am not at all into parks / jumps (bad back). Plus, when I started teaching the kid's ski camp, I couldn't just switch to board during my off hours. Something had to be done... Started digging on internet and discovered Bomber. Bought some cheep used plates (here) and thrown them on my softy board - great. Then I found a dusty NOS Hooger on a top shelf of a local store - nice forgiving board, good as an all-mountain. Newer looked back.

I still have my old soft setup - keeping it for pow days (but even then I still end up riding plates :), and as a potential loaner to friends visiting from Europe.

Boris

[rikytheripster]

Started skiing with the family at 4(1987), got pretty good but got bored about 8 years ago- just before the carving ski's came out here in Europe.

Trying snowboarding was the obvious choice, plus it was the cool thing to do at 13. During my first ever week in France, i believe, i saw what can only be described as a holy sight- a a carver. From there on its what I wanted to do. By the end of the 1st week in softies on a rental was carving, went for my second week, after that bought my nidecker escape and plates and went from there.......have never looked back.

DO A POLL!

[RJ-PS]

OK,

Let's do a poll, but help me out, what would the questions/statements be?

[tex1230]

Skiing Crossover

Weak Knees/Ankles

Racing

European

Other

[Guest Tombo28]

I grew up skiing in the 70's and 80's and always loved speed, even raced for a while. I tried snowboarding a few times in the late 80's but it never really grabbed me. Then in the 92-93 season my best friend told me about some snowboard instructors he knew that used hard boots. We decided to try it together and rented the gear (yes, they actually had the stuff for RENT!) and we were both hooked from day one.

By the next season we got to know some of those instructors pretty well and we often cruised around Mammoth Mountain in a carving posse of a dozen or so riders.

The season after that I sold my skis and haven't owned a pair since.

The irony is that, unlike me, my friend has gone back to skiing almost exclusively and so have most of the other guys I used to carve with. Until I found this forum, I felt like a relic. Thanks guys.

[crucible]

I have always been a hardbooter.

I started out as a backcountry skier on tele, 22 years ago then moved to Alpine Touring (AT) gear, and chose plate bindings initially in 1988 because it meant that I could use my AT boots for this set-up.

As an alpine climber and mountaineer too, I found that the AT/plate set-up allowed me to climb up steep and knarly chutes with the crampons that I already had, and that soft boots and bindings were extremely limited for versatile backcountry use.

Then in 1996, a friend if mine who worked in a shop in Salt Lake City took me out riding, and said to me, "If you're a plate rider, then I gotta hook you up on a GS racing board".

He got me my Oxy-Proton, and the his initial advice to me when I strapped it on was:

1. You're gonna accelerate like your hair's on fire.

2. Look three times farther down the hill for a clean line, because you're gonna need the extra room.

3. Your carved turns will feel like you're driving a Formula 1 race car.

4. You'll never go back.

Bigger truths have never been told.

If it works, then it ain't stupid.

[terror]

What made me start carving/hardboots? Damien Sanders and a couple guys at Kirkwood. Would've been late eighties.

At Donner Ski Ranch, you could see Damien hucking backflips off that cliff on the lift line on his Avalanche ironing boards in obscene Koflach plastic boots. I think they were Koflachs, anyway, and then, there were a couple dudes at Kirkwood that just ripped on race boards. Those were the first guys I'd ever seen really carve, the Kirkwood guys that is. Damien ripped it up, but really wasn't a carver per se, but showed that you could ride anything in plastic boots. I was sold. It was probably '90, '91 when I stopped skiing completely, and got rid of my last soft-boot setup.