Your First Board

[Aracan]

An F2 Fire 158, not sure about the year - it was the one where the Firebird graphics had been modified to look like the board was underwater.

I rode it with F2 plates and - I shudder to say - some Nordica rear-entry ski boots (725, I think), before I upgraded to Raichles, which hurt like hell but improved my riding no end.

[GeoffV]

Crazy Banana with a V tail in 1987. Don't remember the model, but with a foam core the board only lasted for about 5 days. I cracked the core, and the edges started to tear away. Same year I picked up a Burton Elite 150 with a V-notch tail. I hated the board, super heavy and the base was rounded, so try riding flats as a beginner with a rounded base

[kjl]

Interesting that so many carvers started riding so many years ago, well before the massive wave of popularity that I was in...

My first board was a 1997(?) Burton Motion 156. I would like to see the bar graph poll of how many years it was between people's first snowboard and their first carving board. It was 6 years for me, I think.

[Slow Eddie]

Interesting that so many carvers started riding so many years ago, well before the massive wave of popularity that I was in...

You should check out the My First Day Forum on oldsnowboards.com. More than a few hardbooters chiming in from back in the day.

I would like to see the bar graph poll of how many years it was between people's first snowboard and their first carving board. It was 6 years for me, I think.

10 years for me between the Performer and the Rush - 1986/96.

[BDZal]

Ugghg. Burton Charger

[Gleb]

10 years for me between the Performer and the Rush - 1986/96.

Ive noticed that it seems people have a few boards between their first board and the first carver.

I saw the light right away Wish i saw it sooner:-\

[Yard Sale]

Burton Custom 159, circa 95 or 96, I forget. The one with the Pegasus and red base. It was all I had until I sold it before this season and got a bunch of boards to replace it.

[PeterC]

1980 Winterstick Swallowtail...Sweet

dig the moon boots

[torquecarver]

Burton Elite 150. V-notch tail that ended about 6" behind the back binding. Skegs on the tail that I removed for resort riding. Foam core with inserts that tore out the first run down a decent hill and were subsequently t-nutted. Fastex buckles with web straps that got wet and stretched, requiring adjustment each run.

As of this month, I'm celebrating 20 years of sliding sideways. Here's to another 20 at least!

Hey Neil, I also started riding over 20 years ago during the '84-'85 season on a Burton Performer Elite 150. Similar things happened to me... Delaminated both sidewalls riding at night on solid ice that Mtn High was calling "groomed" at the time. Took the side fins off, added some epoxy, and went back for more the next weekend. Also that first season; riding through roughly 1 foot of thick powder, tried a simple 360 and promptly pulled out both bindings with all inserts attached. Never being one to let a "minor" problem ruin the day, I went into town (Wrightwood) during lunch, bought some round-head lag bolts/nuts, punched holes through the base with a phillips screwdriver and re-bolted the bindings on. The rest of the afternoon was a blast. Later replaced the bolts with T-nuts and had no problems the rest of the season. The nylon binding straps were definitely a pain. They stretched when wet like you said, and also froze solid at night while riding the lift, so you couldn't fasten the buckle. The only resorts that allowed snowboards were Mtn High in SoCal and Boreal Ridge in the Tahoe area. I couldn't afford a pair of Sorels until halfway through that first season, so I made do with Converse high-tops, a plastic bag between 2 pairs of socks, and duct tape over the whole outside of the shoe. Many times I was the only boarder on the hill. Other times I'd try to keep up with and chase the other few people I met riding at that time: Don Zsabo, Victor Coyne and occasionally Damian Sanders.

I wouldn't trade that first season for anything...

[Morten]

My first board was some beginner board from Crazy Creek, length 143 i think. Can't remember the name..:o

[350]

a custom painted softie was my first board

fp 136 was my first alpine

nick

[Slow Eddie]

Ive noticed that it seems people have a few boards between their first board and the first carver.

I saw the light right away Wish i saw it sooner:-\

Hey, if there was equipment readily available to me in the late 80's that would let me carve as well as I could on my skis, I wouldn't have waited 10 years, either.

Think about where your own carving careers might be without the Internet, for example. Toiling about alone on your local hill, trying to chase down the rare other hardbooter just so you could watch him ride, sourcing gear over tho phone and often from other countries, walking to school 8 miles in the snow, uphill both ways - technology has not only resurrected hardboot snowboarding, but has strengthened the hardboot community as well.

[Gleb]

Hey, if there was equipment readily available to me in the late 80's that would let me carve as well as I could on my skis, I wouldn't have waited 10 years, either.

Think about where your own carving careers might be without the Internet, for example. Toiling about alone on your local hill, trying to chase down the rare other hardbooter just so you could watch him ride, sourcing gear over tho phone and often from other countries, walking to school 8 miles in the snow, uphill both ways - technology has not only resurrected hardboot snowboarding, but has strengthened the hardboot community as well.

thats very true. Without BOL, the odds of me starting hardbooting wouldve hovered around zero. I'll convert a few of my friends eventually.

[Mike T]

Without BOL, the odds of me starting hardbooting wouldve hovered around zero.

Ditto!

[ar(angel]

than a Rossi "Prowler" than a Sims Burner 162. I kinda worked my way up over the course of a season and a half to the Alpine set-up from softies. The Prowler was a great all mountain board, nothing compared to the AMB's of today, but man was it fun! Ah the memories.... :D

Have fun,

Paul

[roman]

somebody know 'hooger-booger'? a swallowtail with short bolt-on edges? i will try post a picture of that original. shure you'll like this 'beautie'....:lol:

[Guest alakata]

a custom painted softie was my first board

fp 136 was my first alpine

nick

was that he k2 spitfire with palmer lifters?? i remember that board

[willywhit]

burton backhill 1983

[big canuck]

Slicker. red with white lettering. 130 cm, 2 blue bungees, nylon straps that went around the back of your boot for straps. Bought in about 82 or 83. Wood base, steel fins. It was sweet. Bought it from Freewheelin Skateboards in Calgary. Same era as Backyards and Backhills. I still have the Burton catalouge. There awas a picture of JBC (I think) Maybe Andy Coghlan (sp?) doin a sweet frontside while 2 XC skiers watched as they hiked up the hill. Anyone remember that catalouge?

Stick the needle in...

[trikerdad]

Mine was a Sims 165 Ace with Burton torque bindings with 15 degree front and 5 in back angles, it was about 90 or 91 and I was 45 years old. I was carving it after about 3 days, even then I felt that skidding wasn't an option. I loved the feeling of rocking from edge to edge in an upright position. I later went to a 175 Ace with the torques and 35 degrees front, 15 back. My first true carving board was a Hot Spot with Blax bindings and Raichle 124's or 5's. I gave the 165 Ace to my son to use but, when I checked with him to see if I could get it back, he told me had given it away. This was taken in 93 when every hardbooter I ran accross told me I was "doing it all wrong!"