A magazine talks about "alpine rebirth"!

[Felix]

Well yes, alpine was allways both race and freecarve. However here in Austria we had many people on alpine freecarve boards (or allround freecarve boards like Speedster GTS or even easier to ride), that simply could not carve. They were drift/carving their turns (but not race driftcarve technique - that's another different story), normally on 9-11m radius 160cm long boards. Often they carved worse than freestylers/softboot riders. Those people simply don't exist anymore nowadays.

[Vladimir]

... Often they carved worse than freestylers/softboot riders. Those people simply don't exist anymore nowadays.

This people now are expert borders and carve on Speedster RS/SL
and/or Swoard
Skidded turns are the common technique for speed control,
Next step is sliced turns.
As to Siberia to alpine boarding come (it seems to me 50/50)
- expert softboot boarders – for speed and control
- expert skiers – for new feelings

[patmoore]

Hate to say it but alpine boards are still scarce in New England. There's only one shop (The Starting Gate near Stratton) that stocks alpine gear. I can go a whole day at Okemo and not see another hardbooter. I'd like to see a resurgence but it's not apparent in my part of the world.

[Schneewurm]

Well, it seems that in north-est Switzerland its easyer to get alpine boards. I live in a suburban area and 30 minutes away from home, there are three Shops with a good assortment range of alpine boards, hardboots and plattebindings. Beware, 30 minutes walking to the shops!! When I wish to drive 30 minutes, there are 15 shops arround! It's also possible to rent there newer to older alpine stuff. The same on slopes, there are not a lot, but even on small ski-areas, you see any day non-racing/non-EC "freecarvers" whith alpine boards, about 50% men and 50% women of them. Well, when swissracing-days are on the ski-areas you will see hundreds of alpine snowboarders there, also from foreign country!

[nils]

yes....North-East Switzerland is the Alpine Eldorado !

[Silver]

Which ski station and cities are you referring to ?

Silver

[Vladimir]

Our "alpine rebirth" -
Stas Detkov, from Siberia,
on Website of F2

P.S. On http://www.f2-snow.com/f2race/index.htm
find <speedster>
Foto - from Sheregesh ski resort

[Schneewurm]

Non specific!

Well You know, there are also a lot of unknown small Skistations in Switzerland.
Eh, Yesterday I was posting in a other forum a list about only Canton/Departement Appenzell IR/ AR. There in an area of 418.3 square-KM (similiar to 20 x 20 km) you can find 12 Micro- to Mini-Resorts!

- Appenzell-Sollegg 800-1200 müM, 1560m long, 400m HD, 10km slopes, 1 skilift
- Brülisau-HoherKasten 926-1799 müM, freeride only, 1 cableway
- Grub-Kaien 821 müM, 1000m long, 225m HD, 1 skilift
- Heiden Bissau-Bischoffsberg 612m long, 133m HD, 1 skilift
- Jakobsbad-Gonten 872-1664 müM, 1000m long, 240m HD, 16km slopes, 1 cableway, 2 skilift
- Oberegg-St.Anton 885-1110 müM, 1050m long, 250m HD, 3.5 km slopes, 1 skilift
- Schwägalp 1354 müM, 720m lang, 164m HD, 1 skilift, (1 cableway up to 2502müM touring only)
- Schwellbrunn 866-1100 müM, 720m long, 200m HD, 3km slopes, 2 skilift
- Speicher Vögelinsegg, 470m long, 87m HD, 1 skilift
- Trogen, 600m long, 140m HD, 1 skilift
- Urnäsch 832-1080 müM, 1000m long 250 m HD, 10km slopes, 1 skilift
- Wasserauen-Ebenalp 870-1700, 15 km slopes, 1 cableway, 2 skilift

Of course, You woulnd't find them on the Switzerland tourism brochure.
But they will offer enough fun for a view wakeup Saturday morning runs. Well the listed Skilifts are too far away for me. For most of them, I should drive one houre ore more!

Even the last winters we had enough snow there, January, Februray and March up to 120 cm snow at 900 m on pastur-land, thats more then double, like Zinal had last winter on rocky 3000 m!

[surfinsmiley]

I wouldn't speak of an alpine rebirth, but of a carving/racing rebirth. Rec alpine boarding is dying out. It's experts only now.

That "may" be true in your part of the world but in Japan harbooters are fairly common and getting more every year it seems, I`ve rarely seen a race track but I`ve seen thousands of people riding harboots and all sorts of weird boards, simply for the fun of riding.

Judging by the number of "Alpine Schools" I see on the slopes here in Japan, there are plenty of people taking up the sport.

Alpine riding just offers an alternative thats LOTS of fun

I for one will NEVER be in any race against others, I`m in it for the turn, If you beat me to the bottom of the hill chances are you weren`t turning as much as I was.............

[Ohawa]

Les2alpes end of last season: if I could count 10 alpine boarders (level sliding to good carving) it was close to real. No alpine rebirth in France, I quess. Switzerland and Austria were always on the top with race/alpine boarding (as well as with skiing!).
In my country of origin, Czech Republic, allmost all commercial attention is given to freestyle riders. Alpine riders enjoy riding, mostly race or race-like creating associations for friends and organizing local competitions. Which is nice, because we can still feel as in a family, or among friends:-)

[Vladimir]

... No alpine rebirth in France, I quess...

I see, ... Fred (ENSA) sead, that
to our French-Russian-Siberian seminar for hard boot boarders 2006
viewtopic.php?t=2306
he bring ALL SIX alpine boards from Chamonix
and left them in Siberia

[Vladimir]

BroMoo7
Carving session on Baikal Lake - february2007

From Siberia with love
(Last year Fence on page 1)

[nils]

awsome vladimir! thnx for sharing! You got more pics? vids from the event!
I see no swoard there! Lets hope next season it will be more!

Nils

[István]

Awesome.... expensive solution for building a fence.... but lovely

[Vladimir]

I see no swoard there! Lets hope next season it will be more!

"Do you want to speak about it?"
I am the owner of Test center and boardshop
P.S. About pics&vids - as soon as posible