barok
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Posts posted by barok
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then how come 95% of pros and
instructors rock conventional
bindings ? are they "not with
the program" ?
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lucky you stemik,
must be nice to be with someone you
can hit the slopes with
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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 doubt, that's still only two points
(per boot) at a time - just not enough.
you really want an even distribution of
pressure over the board, and from the
board back onto your foot. Riding switch
bindings, you will feel alot of vibration,
and I think this comes from the lack of
pressure distribution.
And "yeah, what Don said" about walking
around with big iron rails on your boot -
It's no good.
I personally used the n-type switch
binding. The highback is said to reduce
heellift and give more support.
As for what gear is the best . . .
I have only studied the conventional gear,
and
People really seem to like the following
companies for boots and bindings. . .
Bindings (some are pricey, some are not)
Burton (CFX, C14, Custom)
Drake (F-50, F-60, Podium)
Ride (Brushie)
Technine (Signature)
You can find great deals on bindings online
ebay ! ! I would buy any one of these
bindings if I could get a good price on
them. All of these companies are solid, they stand behind their product, and they will be around for years to come. So if
you can find one of these cheap, go for it.
Just make sure you get the right size.
Bindings are important, don't get
me wrong, but not nearly as important as . .
Boots
DC (Revolution 2, Phantom)
Vans (Jamie Lynn, Daniel Frank)
Burton (Ion)
Salomon (Malamute, Synapse, Dialog)
Northwave (Supra)
With any boot though, fit is the most
important thing ! ! ! Can't stress
that enough. If you are going to spend
the money, spend it on the boots, you'll
thank yourself later for it.
This year, I chose Burton C14's bindings
because they are super lightweight, and adjustable in every way imaginable. I
also got DC Revolution 2's, because they
are stiff, and they have a pump system
that molds the inner liner to your foot -
very comfortable and form fitting. I ride
freeride and hit kickers for most of the season, and hit the pipe in the spring.
hope that wasn't needlessly complicated.
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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 arch.
This translates to MAJOR heel lift, sore
arches, and limited turning and stopping
power.
The cushioning of my new traditional gear
was absent in my old plastic and metal
switch setup.
Step-ins are a pain in the arse in the
powder. If there is any crust on your
binding, you won't be able to lock in.
Plus if you get stuck in the powder, the
snow jammed in between the moving parts
makes it very very difficult to step out.
Step-in systems are not compatible with
other systems, meaning if you want to
check out a different board, you have to
switch your bindings over as well. You
can't just hop on a friends's board.
Most companies' high end gear is all
traditional. Examples are the Burton C14
bindings, the high-end boots from Northwave,
Burton, DC, Nidecker, Vans, etc. etc.
You simply have more room to upgrade if you
go traditional.
My opinion is that Step-ins are good for
learning freestyle, but they just don't
perform for freeriding, or even intermediate
or advanced freestyle.
But hey, that's just my $0.02
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Also wondering,
Is the party scene in Japan a downer in
general ? or just that associated with
skiing, snowboarding, and the villages ?
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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!
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Well if I was a businessman, I'd try to
cater to those masses and take in some
loot.
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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 -which lowers the effective melting temperature of the slope turning the slush into ice, also allowing for faster runs.
the problem comes into play where both
techniques are used . . . a boarder
with diesel on his/her board slides down
a run salted with ammonium nitrate
and the run will actually catch on fire.
diesel + fertilizer = bad news
still don't believe me ?
try it.
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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 !
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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
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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
ridden. much better than my burton and my
nidecker.
check it out at www.neversummer.com
and check out the award it won,
and the corresponding posts
i think they say it all.
the board works well on groomed, ungroomed,
backcountry, and powder.
i'll probably have to get another board
for the pipe though. but i'm gonna get
it end of season, when everything is
discounted.
as for limited selection, you can call
or email manufacturers directly. chances
are they will be happy to hook you up.
your dollar, is after all, what keeps them
in business.
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that webcam shot is the funniest thing
i have ever seen. i guess they are trying
to lure in the jonesers. . .
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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
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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
barok@facstaff.wisc.edu
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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
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Does Nozawa allow snowboarders on all of their runs ?
What can you buy in the Supermarket at Niseko ?
in Snow talk, trip reports, Japan avalanche & backcountry
Posted
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).]