Combination boots/bindings/board II

Post by **Guido** » Monday 16 February 2004, 21:55

Dear Swoard team and all the forum members,

As I pointed out in my first forum topic I am totally new in the so called hardboot/carve scene. I am still very happy with my current softboots and Burton Omen but wanted something more challenging. Because it is very difficult to find really good alpine stuff in the Netherlands I had to rely on the few advices I got when I visited a couple of shops. So I ended up with an F2 Silberpfeil 168 in combination with the Deeluxe boots and bindings.

In my first topic a asked you if it was possible to do the EC technique with my equipment. Fortunately I got a few valuable answers of a few forum members. Thank you so far.

Still I got a few questions regarding my gear and the really amazing EC technique practiced by the Swoard team and many other hardbooters at the forum.

Let’s say that my binding angles are not restricted by the size of my boots. For example a really small size. Is the EC technique still limited by the narrow Silberpfeil?

Let’s say that the “body movements” needed by the EC technique are not limited by the extreme binding angles (60/55). What’s the outcome of the EC style with the Silberpfeil?

Looking at the TD and Catec bindings, it seems to me that these bindings are much more sophisticated than the average binding for sale in Europe. Is it better to swap to one of these bindings in stead of the Deeluxe ones, although the price isn’t really comparable?

I hope a few or more of you can help me in understanding the inns and outs of this really amazing type of boarding.

Thanking all of you in advance for your comments and advices.

Keep up the good work and enjoy life!

Guido

Post by **BlueDevil** » Tuesday 17 February 2004, 7:21

Hi there, and let me jump in with what I know or have tried myself.
The SilberPfeil is, IMHO, one of the best boards ever made. It really feels
good to ride it, and it carves like a dream. That is, for the race-type of carving. One thing, though, is that it's nose tends to be somewhat too stiff,
so it dives right in the snow. If the snow isn't hard, when I rode the SF it took a bite out of every slope I hit, and threw me on my head a couple of times. This obviously has to do with my riding technique, but the fact remains it never happened to me with another board.
As for the bindings, I've been having the same questions like you do for some time now. Is the extra $$$ (but really EXTRA $$$) worth it? I did manage to break my bindings a lot of times - mostly rails (often the front rail of the rear foot). It was 6mm steel rail, but it went off like it was butter and in the middle of the carve, so there must've been angels holding my leg bones together! I still am not decided, but then, there ain' no price you can put on a perfect day on a perfect slope, and then your binding decides to leave you -- loosing a day like that.

Post by **vkrouverk** » Tuesday 17 February 2004, 20:12

One restriction with Silberpfeil is its short turning radius: with such board turns happen very quickly and your timing should be very precise and fast, otherwise you'll build up tremendous speed on steeps and lose ability to carve at all.
Additionally Silberpfeil is quite stiff (although newer models are not so much as mine from 01/02 production), so it will be hard to ride in hardpack snow. Swoard is more flexier in this regard.

Anyway, Silberpfeil is great board and if you are new to carving, then you can learn to carve with it anyway (perhaps not quite in EC style) and have tons of fun. Practicing extreme carving is easier with previous experience in carving and you can achieve it with Silberpfeil very well.

Bindings: Deeluxe binding is carbon-based and not so strong, as TD or Catek, so if you have great weight (>80 kg) or ride aggressively, then I'd recommend to get more reliable binding (I ride F2 Intec Titaniums, they seem to be quite reliable as well). IIRC some years ago the suggested rider weight was indicated with Deeluxe (then Raichle) bindings, but now I can't find it... Sophistication is probably not an issue here, although with Silberpfeil it would be nice, if you can adjust canting and lift: getting good position on riding narrow board is much harder than on wide (such as Swoard). On my Silberpfeil I had inward canting and rear binding heel lift, this setup seemed to be best for me, on Swoard I have both bindings flat (as recommended by EC team) and it feels OK...

Post by **Hans** » Tuesday 17 February 2004, 22:48

If you want a top of the notch binding with much versatality choose the Catek Olympic standard or stepin. Also bindings from F2 (www.blue-tomato.at) are cheaper and also good quality for money but with less versatality to change lift or cant comparing to the Cateks. Myself I ride Catek Olympic stepin short plate and bomber TD2's. Can't tell you which I like the most. The Cateks feels like they are the most bombproof and they are also more directly in steering. The TD's like they "move" a little bit with the soft rings (lateral movement it is?), they are more indirect but smoother. Especially now the USdollar is going down comparing to the euro, it will be more interesting to buy american stuff. I think the dollar will be more cheaper the next months.

Greets, Hans.