Beginner, what to buy?

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aventrax
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Beginner, what to buy?

Post by aventrax » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 10:38

Hi, I'm an alpine's beginner. In five years of soft snowboarding, I understand that I love carving but I was on a wrong type of board (soft) :p. Last winter I've ride 2/3 times with an alpine board. Now I would want buy my own boots/bindings, and a second board.

I love the bomber bindings: TD2 Standard. But I dont know exactly the differences with and without a front/read cant disk. I've always ride with a read cant disk of n-degree (burton bindings), but some people say me that without cant disk is better.

As is say before, I'm a beginner, so I ask you what is the better choice for me. What cant disks? Where (rear/front only or read+front?)? Or without is better?

I've try ad Indy T boot, but I havent got much feeling with it. I will try an Head Stratos Pro 04/05, is it a good boot?

Thank you and sorry for my terrible english.

Bye
Matteo

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nils
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Cant or flat settings

Post by nils » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 12:26

Well we here like the bindings flat on the boards, because it is better for the backside turn. It means that if you order the TD2, order them with the 0° discs. We also like using the softer rings there are ( yellow) to kill most vibrations, and allow for more movement on the board ( weight shift).

I haven't tried the Head boots; but more and more people are using it. I suppose it is good. Maybe some people can compare both boots here?

Welcome to the carving club!

Nils

aventrax
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Post by aventrax » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 15:34

Thank you very much nils.

Another question for you, are TD2 bindings too professional/expensive for a beginner like me, or are a good choice for beginning and future too?


Thank you again ;)


Ps. Is better for me to pay an instructor? How many times / frequency?

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Post by aventrax » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 15:55

Again....As I say I'm a carver, surely non extreme (:) ), so a Hot Blast 167 (04/05) board is ok for me (1,80cm, 68Kg)? I can buy it from a friend for not many money ;)

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Post by Tarouste » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 19:52

Hot blast used to be a good board and this size should be "versatile" enough for you. May be dificult at the begining because it is a race board so it has to be stiff but as you will improve your motion and your expertise in a short time, buying an easy board for 2 weeks is in my opinion a waste of money (depending of how many days you will be snowboarding a year ...)

Concering the bindings, I would say that the most important is to buy a reliable equipement. I used to break many stirrups from low quality bindings. Having to fix a spare stirrup on your bindings in the middle of the slope is not cool at all. Not speaking about the danger for your knee when you brake it while you are carving ...
For the last 6 years, I have use burton race plates on my boards and I like them.
Make sure your bindings will not get interplay with your shoes.

Hope it will help.

Ride with Pride !

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well

Post by nils » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 20:02

hot blast: good choice for learning carving, learning span is big with this board. It will be a bit hard at first, but you can train good on that board. My avatar pic is taken on a Hot blast from 2001 season.

Bindings: they are expensive yes, but be sure you can keep them at least 10 years without having them braking! In case you find it too expensive, we also recommend the F2 titanium.

Nils

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Post by aventrax » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 21:50

Ok, so the board will be the hot blast. I agree about bindings, cracking them while carving is really a nightmare, too much better to spend more but for good ones!! ;)
Tarouste wrote:Make sure your bindings will not get interplay with your shoes.
I have a little foot (10,5 with softboot Burton ION), so no problem should be, you agree?
Tarouste wrote:Ride with Pride !
Surely!!!!!!!! ;)
nils wrote:hot blast: good choice for learning carving, learning span is big with this board. It will be a bit hard at first, but you can train good on that board. My avatar pic is taken on a Hot blast from 2001 season.

Bindings: they are expensive yes, but be sure you can keep them at least 10 years without having them braking! In case you find it too expensive, we also recommend the F2 titanium.
Nice avatar nils ;) Hoping I can carve like you in the future ;) I'm from a little touristic town (cortina d'ampezzo in the north-east on Italy, do you know?) but here there are not a good piste to carve. What is the best place to carve in Italy/Austria/Swiss?

For bindings, I will buy the TD2, I love them, seems so "pro" and durable!

Hi
Matteo[/quote]

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Cortina

Post by nils » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 22:28

Hehe its not far from Alagna...
I know a crazy guy from Milano who rides long Swallowtail with his friends there. He told me its as good as La Grave and Cham....Next time I have a few spare time i'll go there!

N.

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Re: Cortina

Post by aventrax » Wednesday 17 August 2005, 22:53

nils wrote:Hehe its not far from Alagna...
I know a crazy guy from Milano who rides long Swallowtail with his friends there. He told me its as good as La Grave and Cham....Next time I have a few spare time i'll go there!
Too far for me, Alagna (monterosa, right?) is in the north-west of Italy, only from here to Milan I had to drive for ~4 hours :( Thank you however :)
"La Grave" ? Is it in France?

Bye
Matteo

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Post by neil_swingler » Thursday 18 August 2005, 0:57

Matteo, http://www.pureboarding.com/en/ arange trips from Switzerland to Wolkenstein (Selva?) so there must be some good carving closer to your home.

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Post by Tarouste » Thursday 18 August 2005, 6:55

Yep, La Grave is in France.
There is a famous derby in La Meije/ La Grave, one of the best back country contest ...

The best place for carving is the place where people do not go : empty well prepared slopes. In my opinion, the best of the best is the slope prepared for the ski world championship : Once the contest is over, make sure you will be the first to ride the piste and you will fell yourself as the king of carving !

BTW, about your shoes, take a tiny size (look at the size of the frame since manufacturers use to use the same frame for 2 sizes at least and put thin or thick slipper inside to make 2 sizes of shoes from one frame). The inside shoe (the slipper) use to collapse after 4-5 days of carving and there is nothing worst than having the heel able to move inside of the shoe. I would say than the shoe is more important than the board. Worst case, if the shoe is a little bit small, you can tune the inside with a thiner slipper (Conformable from Sidas, made by a skilled person is the best). If the shoe is too tall, just throw it away !
Remember that race boards are narrow (18cm for most of them). If the frame of your shoe is long, you will have to put a lot of angle with your binding to make sure you can carve without touching the snow with the end of your back shoe (dirty fall garantee !)

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István
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Good Carving Places

Post by István » Thursday 18 August 2005, 9:38

Matteo,

Welcome to the carving community!

Maybe I'm not the right person (as being Hungarian) to give advice to an Italian on the Italian ski locations, but there are a couple of good slopes in Corvara/Colfosco, I think it is not far from Cortina. (Silber can describe where those slopes are). The other good place for carving in Italy in my view is Livigno, although it is not that close to Cortina.

Have fun here!

Cheers,

István

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Post by aventrax » Thursday 18 August 2005, 12:19

Thank you for the welcome István ;)
Yes, corvara is not so far (1 hour), in truth I've never ride there. You know, borning in a touristic town you prefer riding always behind your house :-D Nothing bad, but here there are no places for carving. All tracks are too narrow for a good carve :( So I'm searching for a better place ;) I've seen some EC videos on some piste that was perfect for carving....I love those places :pray2:

Tarouste, I agree that the best place is where I'm the only one on track :)
For the shoes..... I know very well the bad of having the heel moving up and down :(
I'll follow your councils about shoes.

Thanks neil_swingler too, yes, Selva di val gardena is not so far, I dont know their tracks, may be a good place ;)

aventrax
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Post by aventrax » Thursday 18 August 2005, 12:27

Ah....sorry for my insistence, but you suggest me to pay an alpine instructor or not? Here there are not instructor that can teach to carve, but maybe they can help me to learn the basics....
In the case you say yes, how many times (hours) you suggest to do?I pay ~32euro/hour, so I'm not happy, but I wouldn't want to take bad habits.... ;)

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Post by McFussel » Thursday 18 August 2005, 12:33

Don´t stress yourself - buy something and go out and ride!!! By riding you will learn....

Boarding is not like buying a car, selecting what is going to be in the car.

Go out, play and: HAVE FUN!!!!!

Greeetzzzzz
Don´t ride the chicken line!

http://www.carving-masters.de
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