Guest Tybalt Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hello everyone - I have been boarding for several years and am in the midst of my first full season, at Jackson Wyoming. I've been riding a Daniel Franck 157 for a few years, added a Palmer HoneyPro 158 this year for the crud, and am looking to take my groomer/corderouy riding to the next level. Both of my current boards are too small for me (5'11" / 145lbs), and I consider myself a very aggressive rider on groomers - I suspect 162-165cm to be a good fit for me. The most important thing to me in looking for an alpine board is being able to wear soft boots and my Flow bindings. As a complete neophyte to the Alpine world, I would appreciate any input. Thanks - Kyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 If you want to use soft boots, chances are you don't want an alpine board but rather a very carve-worthy freeride board. My favorite all - around freeride boards are the Doneks (www.donek.com). The Incline, Wide, and Sasquatch are essentially different widths of the same board. They are incredibly stable and carve like a champ. I have the Wide 161 which is my "softie" board and I use an older Incline 168 as my rock board for early a late season - with both soft and hard boots. There are a few other feeeride decks out there I'd like to try some day - a Rad Air Tanker 192 or 200 (for powder), and a Prior MFR are the two that come to mind. Actually, the specs on the Prior are quite similar to the Donek Wide, just a bit narrower, and I've heard similar reviews, that they are stable as hell and great carvers... they do cost a lot more though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdboytyler Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 I also highly recommend getting a Donek. I'm 5'7", 130 LB and I ride a Donek Incline 160 with hard boots. Although the Incline is Donek's all mountain model, it carves a lot better than Burton's carving/race specific boards that I've ridden. I also have Flow bindings, but only use them on my freestyle board. GdBoyTyler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 F2s got a really good freecarve board for this season called SpeedCross. I rode it all weekend with hardboots and it´s really fun and turny. The 165cm is 228 in the waist and I know people with small feet who´s riding it with stiff softboots ie boardercross style boots. Try it! Mats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadoken Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 I never rode the Speedcross, but I did own the F2 Breezer which is an older model based on the same formula, narrow waist and all mountain shape. I didn't really like it all that much and preferred my older Burton Wire. I rode both with stiff soft boots. As for Jack's recommendation on the 4x4 or the Axis on soft boots, 21-22 cm is somewhat narrow. I'd love to try out the Prior 4x4, but I'm thinking the Donek Incline with its 24cm waist is a much better fit because there is more versatility to use lower angles if there is a need to do so. IMO, only a handful of soft setups work reasonably well around/above 45 degrees. I very much like soft boots with high angles on narrow boards, the edge transition is very fast and it works well for all mountain East Coast riding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Hadoken: What soft setups (boots+bindings) have you found work well at high angles? I need to replace some gear and am hoping to find some new options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadoken Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Many people here like the Flow/Malamute combo, but I personally like the Clicker step in systems. The nature of the design puts a great deal of stiffness into the boots plus I don't need to worry about binding overhang. Finally, the stuff is pretty cheap on Ebay. I had Shimano Skylords, and have moved this season to Nitro Auras. The Nitro Mirage, no longer made, are mad stiff boots. There are many flavors of K2 clicker boots that are pretty stiff if you do some research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 My POGO 175 Longboard is the board that rocks. You can board this one with a hard and soft setup. I like this board also in the steeps, the moguls, deep snow and on piste. I ride this one with the bindings Flow Pro S Freeride. You can make easily big or small turns. This board does it all. This board is also made of very durable materials (german precision). Look at http://www.pogo.biz/shop/product_category_displayE.php?cPath=24_45&language=en It's quite an expensive board nowadays because the euro is very expensive for the USA, but then you have quality. Cheers, Hans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 hadoken: thanks. I love the stiffness of the clicker boots, but they don't fit my skinny ankles well. I use malamutes right now, which fit better than anything else I've tried. I'd love to try some nitro boots, but non of the dealers here that carry nitro got boots from them this year :(. If you've tried on the nitro, are they as wide fitting as the k2, or more narrow like salomon? If they fit narrow, I should probibly just mail order a pair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 At your weight there's an inexpensive option available, especially if it's primariy a backup board - the Burton Alp from a few years back. The bluish ones with the bobcat or cougar on the nose are the best of the bunch - look for either the 163 or 171. I still keep one around for powder days. It should be fine with the Flow bindings. Obviously, at a higher price the Donek is a great board, as are the Rad-Air and the Coiler. I've also heard good things about the Undertaker, but wouldn't expect it to be as nimble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tybalt Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 It looks like a freeride board is really what I want after all. The Donek Incline looks awesome, but I can't find any used ones around. Does anyone else have a favorite freeride board? Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions and help. I'd love to go with an Axis, but just don't think my size 10 soft boots would fit on at a decent angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadoken Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Jason: The Nitros are narrower than my Shimanos, but might not be narrow enough for you. If you get a liner designed boot and add some custom footbeds, I think it might be worth the splurge as the footbeds are SO COMFY and transferable to other boots. I got my Nitros for $50 this summer new. As for the OP seeking freeride boards, if you want narrowish boards there is the Oxygen Supercross series. They always change the name, but its their BX board with a 23.5cm waist. I'd go for the Donek. The board I want if I can find it though is the Avalanche Ice Rocket. Long live Damian Sanders! Someone please post that AWESOME pic of him in neon doing a crossrocket in hard boots! Classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 F2 who´s the guys behind the INTEC step-in system for hardboots also got a softboot system. Hurricane is the stiffest boot and the binding is really solid with the same type of mecanism as in the hardboot system. I rode the clicker system with Nitro boots a couple of years ago and broke the bindings a couple of times. (softboots are not made for higher angles like 40/45*) The boots was really slim and supportive with minimum overhang. When it worked it was excellent. I live in Sweden so I don´t know if you can get hold of F2 softboots in U.S /Mats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_watkins Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Hadoken: wow, $50? I'd spend that to try them in a heartbeat. Where from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadoken Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Ebay dude. For example, here's a set of Mirages that are new and just closed at around at $45. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3654190003&category=21249 Between Nitro, Shimano and K2, a stiff set of boots come to the market fairly often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTA2R Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 Tybalt, I'm currently riding a Burton BMC 156 with 32 "lashed" boots (waiting for the rest of my hardboot setup to arrive). The BMC is pretty stiff (for a non-alpine), narrow freeriding board- but not made anymore. Really holds an edge nicely. I got last year's model, but apparently some of the earlier models delamm'd a bit. Anything new should be last year's though. The 32 lashed boots have a moldable heat liner and a lot of fwd lean- I cannot stand up straight in mine and I walk as if I had a hardboot on (heel first) They pack out, though, and I recommend them. I strongly recommend going to a reputable bootfitter (probably not the big franchise stores). Got Rossi HC3000 bindings which are working great. Good luck. --- Barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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