*** Official Snow Surfing Thread ***

[oeste858]

I'm now having a hard time shaking the low 190 lbs range, but historically am closer to 180lbs and have always ridden slightly bigger boards ranging from 159 - 163. Pure inbounds resort Sowboarder, Freeride, with very little freestyle mixed in.

I learned on Camber, and have always opted for boards in the stiffer flex range. the closest thing I've ever had to any type of rocker is a Flat Camber K2 Slayblade 163w that I still love, and have on hand for those pure groomer days.

That said, even good snow days have a mix of conditions, and I began to realize that I wasnt doing myself any favors with these stiff boards and no rocker... in powder, or in chunder, let alone just plain beat up runs. Enter the Frontier 161w that now serves as my good snow day board. I cant ever see myself riding a full rocker board. It needs some sort of flat or camber in the profile for sure.

I definitely notice and like the softer flex in deeper snow and tight spots allowing it to turn easier with less hang ups. I've even heard that many Pro's prefer a softer flexing board in powder.

But I definitely notice the softer flex when bombing / straight lining too, and miss my other stiffer boards when the speeds go up, especially on harder snow.

It's a great cruiser, very user friendly, and solid enough, but I would never try to Chinese Downhill my friends on it.

Thanks for that. Very helpful.
I don’t know much about the camber stuff. But seems like we have pretty similar riding styles and Frontier sounds like what I’m looking for. Gonna try to grab one before my next trip in April. We’ll see how much I end up riding the next couple years. Stratos looks like it may be a reasonable upgrade but probably overkill at this point.

 

[92122]

Thanks for that. Very helpful.
I don’t know much about the camber stuff. But seems like we have pretty similar riding styles and Frontier sounds like what I’m looking for. Gonna try to grab one before my next trip in April. We’ll see how much I end up riding the next couple years. Stratos looks like it may be a reasonable upgrade but probably overkill at this point.

I would tell just about anyone to get a board, any board, with camber between the feet and a rockered nose, and that’s what the Frontier is. It can do it all from hardpack to powder well. The Frontier is just a bit soft for higher speeds and getting on edge hard. The trade off is how user friendly it is in just about every other situation. Haven’t ridden it in any icy edging / steeps yet.

You mention the Stratos, which is tapered. The Frontier isn’t. Advantage of taper is to sink the tail in pow. Disadvantage is a bit more washy feeling on hard pack. I don’t ride enough pure pow to seek the minor advantage that taper may bring. A directional twin is fine.

I will never own a true twin with a centered stance because I only flirt with switch at lower speeds and dont jump to spin or land switch.

 

[Random Guy]

Did she get them at a real shop with good, experienced boot fitters near the slopes where she can come in and get them worked on? If so, she could expect to go back several times for adjustments, most decent shops will adjust your boots for free the first season. Once you get your boots dialed in they become your best friends.

I learned through experience that saving money on ski boots by buying them at a Sport Chalet or wherever is the worst decision anybody can make.

She’s been living with boots that arent the perfect fit for 3 years bought from a place with great service
shes suffering from the inability to commit to another boot
and continuing the never ending search for perfection, knowing that she can’t necessarily try on the custom foam insides until she commits

she wants her husbands support as she goes through this stressful decision, including going shopping with her
and he just wants to go ski

it really is a first world marital problem if there ever was one

years ago, when her boots fit well, they combined their ski genetics to create an amazing skier child
i hope this doesn’t break up this once happy ski family

 

[Chocki]

Thanks for that. Very helpful.
I don’t know much about the camber stuff. But seems like we have pretty similar riding styles and Frontier sounds like what I’m looking for. Gonna try to grab one before my next trip in April. We’ll see how much I end up riding the next couple years. Stratos looks like it may be a reasonable upgrade but probably overkill at this point.

Cant say enough good things about this boar, my board. Wicked user friendly, fast, and fun.
On sale now = you’re not gonna find a better board for the dinero. Get one, ride it on your trip and if it’s not the best board ever, lmk and I’ll buy it off you for what you paid. Ima need another some day.

Pow, carves, chunder and steeps.
One ring to rule them all.

Amplid

Discover the best all-mountain, powder & backcountry snowboards and splitboards. Find your ultimate equipment. Now in the official Amplid Shop.

www.amplid.com

One of the reasons it’s such a good carver is it has a lot of this boat’s “DNA” in its design.

Amplid

Discover the best all-mountain, powder & backcountry snowboards and splitboards. Find your ultimate equipment. Now in the official Amplid Shop.

www.amplid.com

 

[SeaFoamGreen]

Spent the last week on Kauai thawing and getting my winter wave count up, but TBH was having FOMO knowing I was missing the 3rd consecutive week of continental dry snow in a maritime zone. I know 1st world probs, but from what I saw and heard it was all time cold smoke. A 3+ week run of cold temps and huge dumps that will go down in the books around here. Now we're looking at pineapples again for this next one, but Sat am looks good. My pass is no longer restricted so might have to battle it out with the weekend warriors as Im kinda frothing to get back on the volcano.

As for boards, it's really an exciting time and so many options. The new board tech has definitely kept me more interested in riding over the last decade. You guys might want to check out some of the volume shifted models. Riding a 153 and having an absolute blast threading lines in our fav zones, esp the tight ones. Such a playful ride. Mostly ride pow days and surf when it's HP, but super fun carving the groom and no issues putting it on a rail. Fun!

 

[SeaFoamGreen]

Oh.... and T Rice's line on his 1st run in the Natty Selection finals was mind blowing! Dude is a beast. That zone was mental. Also good to see 2 OR rippers holding it down.

 

[Subway]

love my skeleton key. And I just bought 2 epic passes for next year. Stowe for a few weeks, and perhaps a week in Summit County. If you actually go ride a couple of weeks+, the passes are absurdly cheap

 

[oeste858]

This whole thread was TLDR. Did someone post this CCxJones surf/snow video "Life of Glide" yet? I dug it.

Thanks bros for all the advice on upgrading new gear. Already ordered the Jones Frontier 161W and Jones mercury bindings. My Burton SLX boots should be good. They're around 7-8 years old... but only a couple weeks worth of riding on them. Going back to Mammoth first week of April. Stocked.

 

[SeaFoamGreen]

April? Aren't you a little late on winter mang?

 

[oeste858]

April? Aren't you a little late on winter mang?

Umm. Mammoth got 12' of snow last 2 weeks. We got absolutely dumped on last week and only made it in/out during storm breaks. Season total at Main Lodge before last weekend was like 525”. They will be open in June!

 

[bruhdakine]

Absolute A++ in Southern Utah last weekend... I cant recall a time we had better overall conditions, and hardly ever have I got to do run after run after run laying fresh tracks the entire way.

Our condo with a direct view of the main black diamond slopes and ski in / ski out in those first buildings lower right.

View attachment 149829View attachment 149830

View attachment 149831


My friend who rented the resort for his 40th birthday celebration on the way up the main lift in his 'merica suit. ...riding a Lib-Tech Attack Banana I might add.

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Deep in the POW. Honestly, no drier than what I experience in CA on a regular basis, but I know it CAN be drier snow in Utah and Colorado, it's just not always the case. Still great.

View attachment 149833


Panel after panel of freshies. Highs hit about 30* so borderline face mask Temps, but the sun and almost no wind helped a lot and I never wore one.

View attachment 149834


The resort is normally closed Monday - Thursday, so with maybe 25-30 of us on the slopes for a private opening Thursday, and ample snow the week before, we had an untouched mountain. There were still plenty of stashes left when we rode again on Friday with the general public.

View attachment 149835


One thing holding the Eagle Point Resort back is that it requires a shuttle ride to get from the bottom zone to the top. Once up there, you can drop the whole thing via a tunnel under the highway or a different trail with a highway crossing.

Jones Frontier 161w & Union Falcor Bindings
View attachment 149836


Natural halfpipe up top with plenty of filling. Mmmmmm.

View attachment 149837


Snowboarder crossing. I made it a point to ride the entire boundary of the resort top to bottom. While I didn't ride every single run, I saw everything, which is always a goal of mine when visiting a new place.

View attachment 149838

Braaahhhhh... looks like we have a new high score on the board for this season.

 

[bruhdakine]

Spent the last week on Kauai thawing and getting my winter wave count up, but TBH was having FOMO knowing I was missing the 3rd consecutive week of continental dry snow in a maritime zone. I know 1st world probs, but from what I saw and heard it was all time cold smoke. A 3+ week run of cold temps and huge dumps that will go down in the books around here. Now we're looking at pineapples again for this next one, but Sat am looks good. My pass is no longer restricted so might have to battle it out with the weekend warriors as Im kinda frothing to get back on the volcano.

As for boards, it's really an exciting time and so many options. The new board tech has definitely kept me more interested in riding over the last decade. You guys might want to check out some of the volume shifted models. Riding a 153 and having an absolute blast threading lines in our fav zones, esp the tight ones. Such a playful ride. Mostly ride pow days and surf when it's HP, but super fun carving the groom and no issues putting it on a rail. Fun!

Come down and shred the Big Wave with me on Saturday. Still spots available. Get yourself registered and come 'surf' with all the braddahs.

 

[bruhdakine]

Oh.... and T Rice's line on his 1st run in the Natty Selection finals was mind blowing! Dude is a beast. That zone was mental. Also good to see 2 OR rippers holding it down.

Fergs first run right into the biggest cliffs around and Jared threading the edge of that death gulch was gnarly. Proud of those dudes. Heavy as it gets. TRice is next level and his finals run was mental but he's lucky the judges didn't give the semifinal to Craven after his utterly insane pillow drop line. What an event. Garans the camera views we saw didn't do it justice at all either.

 

[bruhdakine]

April? Aren't you a little late on winter mang?

That place is going to stay open all summer this year. I saw a clip of a kid dropping into a little cornice line in front of my friends house down there. Legit 15' drop to run out on the side of the road snowbank in town.

 

[mundus]

Umm. Mammoth got 12' of snow last 2 weeks. We got absolutely dumped on last week and only made it in/out during storm breaks. Season total at Main Lodge before last weekend was like 525”. They will be open in June!

June? Might be Sept this year.

 

[SeaFoamGreen]

Right. Everywhere on the WC will be open until as late as they can this season. But it only gets warmer from here on out if cold smoke and deep pow is what your after, the true essence of " snow surfing" IMO. Last April was strangely cold here, but this next track looks to be ye ole Cascade crete, Sierra cement. Stoked we actually had a good mid winter this season when it does get cold. Hasn't been the case in years past. By May Im over it, time to surf open beachies before it gets flat and windy and chase southies in Mex. Not really keen on groomers, but will definitely do some user friendly corn days with the fam.

 

[SeaFoamGreen]

TRice is next level and his finals run was mental but he's lucky the judges didn't give the semifinal to Craven after his utterly insane pillow drop line.

Yeah thought the same. Kinda got to wonder about that judging call. That was pretty much the finals.

 

[mundus]

Right. Everywhere on the WC will be open until as late as they can this season. But it only gets warmer from here on out if cold smoke is what your after. Last April was strangely cold here, but this next track looks to be ye ole Cascade crete Sierra cement. Stoked we actually had a good mid winter this season when it does get cold. Hasn't been the case in years past. By May Im over it, time to surf beachies before it gets flat and chase southies in Mex. Not really keen on groomers but will definitely do some corn days with the fam.

Cold and windy back east, happens every year we have no winter.

 

[bruhdakine]

Right. Everywhere on the WC will be open until as late as they can this season. But it only gets warmer from here on out if cold smoke and deep pow is what your after, the true essence of " snow surfing" IMO. Last April was strangely cold here, but this next track looks to be ye ole Cascade crete, Sierra cement. Stoked we actually had a good mid winter this season when it does get cold. Hasn't been the case in years past. By May Im over it, time to surf open beachies before it gets flat and windy and chase southies in Mex. Not really keen on groomers, but will definitely do some user friendly corn days with the fam.

I don't know...spring and summer slush is pretty damm fun 'snow surfing' to me but YMMV.

 

[Subway]

I would fly out for a few days of late spring/early summer riding in the sierras. The novelty alone would be dope. Ride with some of you hell men

may?? Birthday trip for me and the missus.

ooh maybe another stop on the subways grand North American tour in @oneworlded camper van hint Hint tahoe or mammoth or basically anywhere is on the way to Seattle from the desert of the southwest