Our first test board is fantastic!

[rilliet]

Hi to all,

I just arrive from a fantastic test day at Saas-Fee (glacier).

I just tested our first board constructed with our new process, and a set of BOMBER bindings.

Conditions were perfect: good weather, hard snow.

After trying again my old board (first time since July) comes the exciting moment.
I mount my old bindings on the new board and I start riding.
Once I get used to the flex that is a bit stiff (will be corrected in the next board), the miracle happens : this new board works better than my proto !

It is more stable, more comfy (less feeling of the unevenness of the ground), easier and has more tolerance, without sacrificing its super juice (nervousness).
In EC, I'm able to achieve more speed and it's easier.

I can barely believe it !

After thinking, it must be the machining precision provided by the digitally controlled machines. The mold (that makes the shape), the core profile and the carbon parts of our secret torsion control system are all realized now with such precision machines.

On the piste, I feel that the board bends more regulary and enters the turns more easily because of that.
I also feel that the small imperfections of body position are better tolerated, which makes the whole thing easier.

I also wonder if the plastic sheet on the top (for future decoration) doesn't play a role here. Snow feel is softer and more absorbed. This soft sheet, slightly soft, must be playing absorbing and stabilizing roles (also because it adds some weight to the board).

Then I replace my bindings with the BOMBER and I cannot believe it: everything works even better !
The board gains flexibility, due to the smaller binding contact zone that diminishes the stiffness under the feet. It seems to bend even more regulary.

The contact with the snow seems also softer, due to the edge of the binding that is almost 7 cm away from edge, creating a suspension effect due to the cantilever.

In order to keep the little lateral boot swing needed to turning a wider board, I tighted the bindings/boot setting quite loose. I therefore feel very free when I'm standing up on flat ground, and when pushing hard in turns, the stiffness of the bindings gives back an incredible safety (trust) feeling.
It seems that nothing can disrupt them.

All this works so well that I can't stop carving!
I eat my sandwich as fast as I can, to avoid loosing anything of this incredible day.

Then I go back on my proto.
Everything seems less stable and comfy.
I now feel icy parts of the slopes I didn't felt before with the new board.
Edge grip and juice are there still, but everything is more difficult, more "on the edge" and rough.

I'm back on the new board and get all good vibes back.

This board /bindings combination is by far the best set up I have ever ridden !

After such a test day, it's decided, we go further and MAKE the damn boards for good !


Jacques

(Thanks to Nils for the quick translation and Patrice for the corrections/posting)

[audacium]

Maintenant encore de tres bonnes nouvelles / marvellous news!
I eagerly await the first board under my feet made by Patrice and Jacques!!!! Count on us.


Eduard.

[fivat]

Hm... The protos handmade by Jacques stood out from all what is available on the market. So I don't dare to imagine how those new boards will work

The mould for a board sized to me is going to be made! For the flex corresponding to my weight all is ready. I have pins and needles in my legs... HURRY UP! I want my test board!

The only bad thing for me is that soon I won't be the only one having advantage of the innovations and genius of the best shaper Hey, he is going to blush!

-Patrice Fivat

[pete]

Damn!
It looks so attractive! i REALLY wanna be back in the alps ti get the chance (i hope) to try one of this boards!! I don't know when i'll have enough money to afford it... but one thing id sure: THAT'S MY NEXT GOAL!!!! when going back in the summer, i'll try to find a summer job... that'll be a begining!
This first board seem to be so amazing... and that's only the 1st "industrial" one... i guess it'll be improved a bit!

but calm down pete, you'll have to wait for a while before riding ur own EC board!!

[ablazespy]

happy happy happy to hear the good news, it sounds great the first test board. but do you know the first lead for sales boards I am going on the 20th of december already to that alpes!! please let it be possible to buy one before this time. I WANT IT NOWWW!!!!!!!!!

sorry I just can't wait to be in the snow again and master all you present on this site

Greetz

[nils]

Jacques is in lausanne, patrice in geneva, and i'm in Lyon> there should be a way for those interested by picking up the board on their way to the mountain.... Its a bit prematurate now, we'll see how the production goes but 20th of december should be ok....
Cheers

[Rod Sherwood]

I can vouch for Jacques, it looks like it goes great...I thought I blazed on a board but F*** when he's on this thing I eat S**T. One caveat: the snow was PERFECT, I was up there testing new equipment too and had to actively search for ice (the ultimate testing ground). After searching for the extreme's I managed to come to the same conclusion about my new gear (ski's BTW) so I'll back his judgement and agree, the proto goes insane.

[GrimReaper]

Great to hear dat the board is so good.
Are there any pictures ?

Just like ablazespy I will be going to the alps soon to, only just a bit sooner, 6 december. Sure hope they're done by then, otherwhise ill just have to wait till after new year when my second trip is planed.

Tom

[nils]

I have been able to test ride the 1st EC board Jacques tested above for the week end in Verbier, Switzerland.

First of all , I'd like to precise that I am an average carver, and not to the same level as J and P when it comes to EC, but benefited from their lessons riding with them last year, and talking to them weekly.. I have now killed the counter-rotations defaults and can EC frontsides pretty well, and am currently improving my backside which should be ok by the end of this season ( cross-fingers).I was used to ride narrow boards ( 19cm) and this was my first wide carving board riding since the Hot Logical years ago ( besides my swallowtails pow boards).
I tested the board with bomber TD with 0°canting disks and yellow ( soft ) bumpers, and with my old raichle SB121 (that I had to sand down to fit the bombers).

Now the feedback:
the board at first felt very stiff compare to my usual proton, which has a softer feel, and it took me a while to get use to the width.. as Jacques told me , I immediatly felt the lack of tolerance this board has, due to the fact that it came out of the press too stiff.. It asked for huge physical efforts to make the board's tail slide at small speeds, when needed to avoid crowds etc... this one default is already corrected in the other models that came out of the press, so shouldn't be a problem for those who will choose the right flex for their weight.
Then came the open space, the steep slope, the very hard snow of the early morning, and the time for EC turns.
Not going too fast, I landed on the snow using the EC technique, fully extended on both legs and then it came: the edge grip that made all this possible... the board just cut a trench in the snow, making fun of all the bumps, snow differences that I met on the way.... I recovered into the backside, and despite my lack of expertise in the backside EC, the edge just gripped without sliding at the end like it sometimes does when carving backside.. It was really an impressive feeling !
It took me two days to really get used to the width that is very demanding on the legs, especially the front of the foreleg that is pushing a lot...I felt the need for a boot that doesn't flex, but goes along with the leg (flex beeing distributed and controlled by a spring.. my old raichles where binding like they were rubber... and at the end my leg hurt quite a bit...

The bomber TD did a good job letting the board flex, and the trenches I dug where close to perfection with that board... Never actually did that kind of carves before !!.... I'll test the next softer boards during Xmas holidays, so will be able to improve that again, but can tell here that the Grip feel, and safe feel during EC's is something that takes long to forget!

I'll post a small pic of yesterday tonight if i have the time to edit it !
Nils

here it is note that my butt still sticks out a bit , but to my defense, it was just the beginning of the turn and the rest of the turn was fully extended

[raphael]

vous me rendez fou de jalousie les gars/ you guys are making me crazy with envy

je m'entraine bien sur mon "higlander" cet hiver et je crois que l'année prochaine j'aurais besoin d'une EC / i will train hard on my highlander this winter and i think next year i will need the real EC board.

[rilliet]

Wow Nils, I can't recognize your style since last winter!

You are an ECman now!

[roman]

hi everybody from extremecarving!
i accept your meaning, that a carvingboard has to be wider than a standard raceboard. but i wonder if you ever tried a 'newschool' carving board from virus snowboards? the most of them are around a average wide of 17cm in the middle. like mine, thats 172cm full, 17cm in the middle and runs a full 156cm edge length. i am shure to do your full laied turns down with this narrow board. and i can't find the reason, why it should not be possible to do it 'the right way' as you say?
you know, i am really a fan of your site and your 'carving-thing'. but when i think back in my own learningtime (who is not finished yet!), didn't we called 'your technique' aktives tiefentlasten (sorry, don't know it in english!)??
well, i hope we meet some time on the pistes, can test some boards and talk about!
keep the thing carving,
greetings
roman

[skywalker]

Hi Roman...

I think I've learned it under this name too in my former live an a ski-driver . But to answer Your question: I'm riding a narrow board, too and when I try to lay down, my binding-angles stert getting smaller... and the board starts beeing too narrow. Its just because of the angles, You can read a lot about it in former postings.

And one question to You: How many carvers have You ever seen totally laid down with a really narrow board?? If You whatch the riders on the pistes, You will see, that the deeply carving people ride wider boards. But it's easy, I think: Just try out!!! Get a wider board or even degrease the angles of Your bindings (maybe Your feet will stick at one side, try the other!) and You will get the answers

Grüßle

Tom

[roman]

hey tom,
i know what you mean. but, how many people do you see laing full down at least? not so many, i think. i say that one of the important techtips is, to turn your shoulders in the carve. means, move the outside arm at the height of your hip in direction to the snow. so you will add enough pressure on the edge to stetch. you are laiing full down, when you slide over the surface with your inside underarm and your outside hand.
but as talked oftenly, there are many ridingstyles out there. with 'my' style, i can lay down on a narrow board. why should not any other rider with narrower boards be able to do so?
cu,
roman

[skywalker]

Hi Roman...

That's why I asked to read all the other posting about it! I know, that it's possible, bad it's just harder I'm just starting to do so, too. Did You ever try otherwise??? If You raed carefully You will see: the aim is to offer EVERYBODY an option to carve low, not only those who are as good as You and the other virus-riders (sorry about that!)

And: I don't dee many fully laid down, but even few with those extreme boards like Yours and mine ))

Grüße

Tom