So, I SNOWBOARDED today

[MOHSHSIHd]

all I can say is that I could have done better.....I could link turns right off the bat, but MAN how do you guys deal with all the sloppiness?


I mean I cranked my shit down as hard as I could and I felt like I was in some fucking lace-up rental ski boots......the only word I can find is "slop"



otherwise we skied 4 or 5 runs, and the 1 inch reported was legit face shots in turbo....boot top turns in the drifts

love wind depo inbounds like that..


met up with BZ and drank alot of free flying dog....


good times...who is in for tomorrow?

[Humble]

your own boots or rented?

when i bought my lat pair, i spent 2 and a half hours getting the right fit

to me, the boot is the most important part of the entire setup

[Sinecure]

That's why those of us who love to really make turns and carve wear hard boots. I've tried soft boots a handful of times over the past 20 year (I've been snowboarding since 1986). They SUCK. Sloppy and if you crank down hard enough on the stupid bindings, your insteps will hurt. Hard boots are hard to find, but they are awesome. If you have AT boots, those work fine as hard snowboard boots.

If you want all the info you could ever need on hard boot snowboarding, go to http://www.bomberonline.com. Its a forum just like this one and there are a bunch of folks who will be happy to answer your questions. Plus there's a welcome center with lots of JONG questions answered. Oh, they won't know what you mean if you use the word jong.

Hardbooting is the best. I can outcarve all but the best skiers in the world. I use hard boots in all conditions, although many people are of the opinion that soft boots are better in powder. I think hard boots work great in powder, and that fat skis are now the weapon of choice in pow.

[marshalolson]

PHISH - CALL ME!!!

[good4nothing]

all I can say is that I could have done better.....I could link turns right off the bat, but MAN how do you guys deal with all the sloppiness?


I mean I cranked my shit down as hard as I could and I felt like I was in some fucking lace-up rental ski boots......the only word I can find is "slop"



otherwise we skied 4 or 5 runs, and the 1 inch reported was legit face shots in turbo....boot top turns in the drifts

love wind depo inbounds like that..


met up with BZ and drank alot of free flying dog....


good times...who is in for tomorrow?

you guys rocking the basin?

[boarderline]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad snowboard boot experience. From experience, most lacing systems on snowboard systems frankly blow. They don't support your feet and ankle well enough to feel solid and give you good control. Plus the laces get loose as you ride, making the problem worse. Sounds like you got a pair of these boots. Hence the sloppy feeling you had.

The only snowboard boot lacing system that I've found to be worthwhile comes from Salomon. Instead of conventional laces that you have to tie but then come loose, it features a cinch-up drawstring lacing system with a locking mechanism. Put your foot into the boot, pull the drawstring tight on the liner, lock it, then pull the drawstring tight on the outer boot, then lock it. You're done. Not only does it provide awesome support, it stays tight all day, and you can put on your boots with gloves on for those cold days.

It looks like this:





I've been riding Salomon Synapse boots for 5 seasons now and I LOVE them. Great support, performance, and easy to put on since they have the awesome lacing system I described above.


Oh, and I skied at Alta today. Like the Bird yesterday, the snow was fast up top, and sticky at the bottom. I even tried to ski some pow today, with so-so results. How do you ski pow while not in the backseat? I was keeping my weight on the tails to keep the tips up, is this correct technique?

[MOHSHSIHd]

I was using my buddies boots and board...we have the same size feet, and his boots have the BOA system, which appears to be the tightest for soft boots...


still...Im just used to the energy transfer of ski boots...

[Yonder_River]

Welcome to the world of snowboarding. Now you understand what we gotta deal with. Don't let it deter you from trying it again.

There's definitely a lot more flex in the system than skiing and is weird at first when your used to hard boots. A good boot is key so only high end boots are usable. I don't know how the hell all those kids out there can wear some super soft shitty boots that they picked up for a buck fifty at sniagrab. I wear a size too small pair of Solomons with just a sock liner. Super stiff and not much flex in my ankle at all.

[boarderline]

I was using my buddies boots and board...we have the same size feet, and his boots have the BOA system, which appears to be the tightest for soft boots...


still...Im just used to the energy transfer of ski boots...

Understood. Boot stiffness also makes a huge difference. Stiffer boots will obviously have better energy transfer than noodly ones. If you go boarding again, rent some boots on the hill so you can try out stiffer boots until you find some that work for you. Right after the board itself, the boots are your most important piece of equipment, IMO.

[DaveTV]

The only snowboard boot lacing system that I've found to be worthwhile comes from Salomon. Instead of conventional laces that you have to tie but then come loose, it features a cinch-up drawstring lacing system with a locking mechanism. Put your foot into the boot, pull the drawstring tight on the liner, lock it, then pull the drawstring tight on the outer boot, then lock it. You're done. Not only does it provide awesome support, it stays tight all day, and you can put on your boots with gloves on for those cold days.

It looks like this:

My SIMS boots have the exact same system. Five or six years old.

[boarderline]

My SIMS boots have the exact same system. Five or six years old.

Heh. So did my Salomons, 5 or 6 years ago. Point being that conventional lace-up boots lack value.

[DaveTV]

So you're saying that using anything but hard-shell plastic boots is a waste of time? Mine are fairly stiff when you lace them properly(they also have a power strap), they work great for me..

[ridefree]

I too use a Solomon boot. But disagree w/ Boarderline. #1 priority is the boots. Otherwise that killer board you are on will never 'hear ' the instructions you are trying to give it. nce- slop = bad. Spend most of your time and energy getting a good boot fit. Then go to binders and the to the board. But if you are borrowing gear, you get what you get.

[DaveTV]

These are my boots

[MarsB]

Heh. So did my Salomons, 5 or 6 years ago. Point being that conventional lace-up boots lack value.

Northwave has been making them like that for years as well. Phish, if you think snowboard boots suck now (not sure, but if the boots you used have the BOA system, then they are probably pretty high-end), you should try rocking old school Sorrels with a ski boot liner like we did in '87! Talk about some slop! The other thing worth mentioning is that snowboard boods come in different stiffnesses; less-stiff boots allow more tweaking and flexibility for freestyle, while big mt. riders typically go for a stiffer boot. Might be that you used a freestyle boot w/ a lot of flex.

[Below Zero]

I think you did pretty good for being off a board for so long.

[kidwoo]

Yeah man, you just need some boots that are on your feet because you chose them to be there......not default buddy's foot shape.

I started snowboarding around 86 and used my old duck boots for a few years. Skis sucked back then too so I stuck with the board..

I've had a pair of sollys that I found second hand a few years ago and they've been golden. I pretty much ski exclusively now but I know that just because a boot has a soft shell doesn't mean you shouldn't be looking for a lot of the same characteristics you look for in an alpine boot.

Screwing around with bindings and straps and such is pretty important too. You need a good interface even if it's not a spring loaded heel piece.

[watersnowdirt]

My Salomons boots have been great as well. I feel like I can get them as stiff as I could possibly need. Have had them for a long time and they've held up really well.

Glad you enjoyed snowboarding phish! It can be fun to mix things up now and then.

And Sinecure - I've got to agree with DaveTV here. I don't think that a hard boot set up necessarily better at all. I've done both, and I can carve pretty darn well in good conditions with my soft boot set up. I actually far prefer the soft boots. Most snowboarders have never been taught to "carve" so it doesn't come naturally. But it's definitely possible to get a good carve out of a soft boot as well.

[fortysix&2]

Not to beat a dead horse...

I actually started on softboots, then moved to hardboots for a few years. This year I went back to softboots (Salomn Malmutes?), and I have decided I like both depending on the conditions/objectives. One nice thing is that I learned to carve with the hardboots, and now I can carve on the softboots with a freestyle stance.

Oh, and ahh...A Basin did not suck on Saturday

[yentna]

Definately make sure to get a stiffer boot - I rock the Thirtytwo Lashed. Awesome boot, much stiffer than my previous boots.

My first two seasons pretty much sucked, bootwise, since I'd ended up with beginner boots designed for maybe 10 days of riding, soft to start with, then after the 10 days were up (quite quickly) the boots felt softer than Sorrels. SO SOFT. Compensated with tightening up the bindings too much, causing foot pain.

The Solomon Malamut (sp?) is one of the stiffest boots you can get, maybe try them if the brand fits your foot.

[boarderline]

So you're saying that using anything but hard-shell plastic boots is a waste of time? Mine are fairly stiff when you lace them properly(they also have a power strap), they work great for me..

Nah, just that I've never been a fan of boots that you have to tie like a shoe because they always come loose and you then have to re-tighten and re-tie them. Boots that have some sort of locking mechanism for the laces like the BOA or the Salomon system rock the house.

[Yonder_River]

I have the Malamutes too. I like the stiffness, but I have a question for everyone else who also mentioned having a pair. Did you have issues with the durability of the innerboot? I only have about 40 days on mine right now and the whole lacing system is falling apart. Comments?

[rideit]

My F22's fell apart (lacing) in two seasons...I ham running Burton Driver X's now. I owned a snowboard shop for eight years, and worked in them forever...the absolute stiffest soft boot i have ever ridden was a Sims, (I forget the name) it was built with hockey skate technology....unreal stiff, probably stiffer in some ways than a Raichle...but not in others. Try different things, have some custom tweaks done, if you are into it. The boots are a very important component.

[Sinecure]

So you're saying that using anything but hard-shell plastic boots is a waste of time? ... they work great for me..

Nope, I'm saying its a waste of time for me. I tried Malamutes two seasons ago based on their reputation as one of the stiffest soft boots. I hated them and sold the boots and bindings last season. If they work for you, awesome.

Also, I don't do any park/pipe riding. My knees are too shot from years of big bumps at K-mart as a youngster. I love big mountain riding, carving and racing. For me, hard boots work best and are way more comfortable than soft boots (except maybe for walking around the lodge or parking lot).

why most hardbooters have abandoned all-mountain riding and turned it into a fringe free-carving thing is a different question entirely.

- I'm with you on that one. I love ripping the whole place up. I can't really do the Extreme carving thing very well (where you totally lay out flat on the snow) and I like speed too much to just carve from one edge of the trail to the other all the time.

I actually started on softboots, then moved to hardboots for a few years. This year I went back to softboots (Salomn Malmutes?), and I have decided I like both depending on the conditions/objectives. One nice thing is that I learned to carve with the hardboots, and now I can carve on the softboots with a freestyle stance.

I know a lot of people who can carve really well on softies. In fact, there's a guy who is slightly faster than me through gates on softies Except he crashes more often than me so I usually win in the end. I just think that for skiers making the transition, and for folks who want to carve well, hard boots offer much better energy transfer, better comfort and better overall performance.

...you should try rocking old school Sorrels with a ski boot liner like we did in '87! Talk about some slop! The other thing worth mentioning is that snowboard boods come in different stiffnesses; less-stiff boots allow more tweaking and flexibility for freestyle, while big mt. riders typically go for a stiffer boot.

I wish I still had my Sorel Snow Bears with the Caber boot liner shoved in them. Got them in France winter of 86-87 when I learned to snowboard and rode them for a few seasons. I even did Tuckerman Ravine in them!

[Cyber Cop]

^^^^dude riding hardboots in tahoe, I was totally perplexed, then it all clicked, ice coast transplant. East coast folks have a wierd notion of surfing, mainly cause they can't surf.....

Carving, la la la, groomers