barok

conbeni ice is made with a secret MIND CONTROL chemical ingredient that makes you think time is moving sloooowwwwwwweeeeeer it's a conspiracy [This message has been edited by barok (edited 22 November 2001).]

then how come 95% of pros and instructors rock conventional bindings ? are they "not with the program" ?

lucky you stemik, must be nice to be with someone you can hit the slopes with

By two points I meant that there is a clamp that hooks on top of each rail along both sides of the boot. it is maybe 4-6 cm long. This clamp provides the lock-in point. I guess by four points, they must mean the front and back of the clamp-rail system, and I guess that makes some sense because . . . let's say you carve and turn backside, your heels press up and the rails on your boots exert on the back of the clamps, and if you turn frontside, your toes are up and the rails exert on the front of the clamps - but even giving these bindings the benefit of the

boarder.

I just purchased a new set of gear after riding switch bindings and boots for a year. my advice is don't bother with this stuff. There are of course advantages and disadvantages to step-in gear vs. traditional gear. The main advantage being that switch saves you some time. You will get more runs in if you are riding solo. It is also alot easier to just step in rather than sitting down and strapping in every run. The disadvantages far outweigh the advantages however. . . With switch gear, your foot is only locked in at 2 points, one of them being your

Also wondering, Is the party scene in Japan a downer in general ? or just that associated with skiing, snowboarding, and the villages ?

think about your hometown, how would you be if every week would come and go masses of japanese tourists, drinking too much and trying to get the most beatifull girls in town...?? i can understand them a little and i know that many people in other ski areas are much more open to foreigners! - - Well if I was a businessman, I'd try to cater to those masses and take in some loot.

naaah, not neccessary. . . i've seen it a thousand times. i'm tellin' ya - if you ride pipe in the late late spring, you need to strip it to get any speed. try it. people do it in boardercross as well, because alot of the boardercross races are late season. . . i've seen in boarderX when people have stripped their boards with diesel fuel. the diesel removes the wax and is hydrophobic, so they are able to hydroplane on the slush instead of sinking in it. in some cases the resorts will salt the runs with ammonium nitrate - fertilizer -whic

well i'm not chris, but i've tried on almost every boot out there. salomons are stiff. high end DC boots have the best fit by far with their pump system. that's what i got. and they are made in korea, so you could probably find some on the streets of Seoul for cheap !

one exception, you will actually want to take your wax OFF if you are riding a pipe in late spring (when the best pipe riding is) or in slushy conditions. wax + slush = SLOW

salomons are good (number 2 on my list). all of my friends ride salomons they are pricey, but . . . they are better than alot of the crap out there (burton, forum, etc.) - sorry if this offends anyone, but the best team riders, slickest graphics, and sickest videos don't make up for sweatshop construction, poor customer service and LIMITED warranties. i'm moving to japan (hopefully nagano or sapporo) next september, so I got a board this year that would take that into account, and i decided on the never summer premier. it's waaay better than anything else i have

that webcam shot is the funniest thing i have ever seen. i guess they are trying to lure in the jonesers. . .

stiffer = more control stiffer = faster turns, quicker response time most of your topline boots (Burton Ion, Salomon Malamute, etc.) are stiff boots. but stiff only goes so far, fit is the most important thing, so I gotta agree with Nat, DC is the way to go, I'm picking some up stat, the pump seals your foot in perfectly. gotta spend the loot though - both pump models - the Revolution 2 and the Phantom are very expensive. BR

gotta say to those learning switch - don't do it on a beginner slope, it's way too slow, and easy to lose control and balance. try it on a freshly groomed intermediate slope. faster = easier to control and turn. if you can find the cordurouy, your in switch-learning heaven. as for the angles, it's yer back foot (riding switch or regular) that provides most of your torque, so the closer it is to zero, the easier your turns will be. I've never ridden duckfoot. It seems to me that you would lose alot of power ? ? ? ------------------ Ben Rok

Does anyone know if Nozawa Onsen allows snowboarders on every run ? Do they sell a season pass ? Do nighter's really end at 8h30 ? BR

Does Nozawa allow snowboarders on all of their runs ?