Beginners carving setup

[rowies]

Patrice,

I promise if I have the possibility to come to ECS2010, so
I can compare with other boards... I'm just a biginner maybe a made
a mistake, maybe not...
Just know that i really apreciate the time you and others spend on this forum to answer questions en give advice
The most important is that we have fun on the slopes

[fivat]

Yes, it would be great if you could come to next ECS, ride the original and make some turns with me or with our extremecarving instructors.

Since you say you are a "beginner", you should have asked some advices about the board from other Swoarders here. The board is even more important than the setup!

For an equivalent or even better price you would have got a quasi custom Swoard in a choice among 3 sizes and 5 flexes (!!), and not only 2 sizes for zero flex choice! It's crucial that the board matches your height and, above all, your weight if you want no limitation in your progression. The flex is really important, as well as the torsional stiffness whose distribution is tuned accurately thanks to our ATC Matrix technology. In this way the Swoard can carve at any angulations, and also perfectly at 90° (the edge nearly vertical to the surface of the piste) what is the real technological challenge. It is possible to lay down on frontside with a door or any snowboard but the Swoard is a dream for the easiness and the smoothness it gives, as well as on the backside.

I'm sorry to tell you that your board is not an extremecarving board and that it has not been developed by extremecarvers. It's just a good carving board and all its weaknesses are known. For examples:
- All the pictures you can see on the vendor's Web site are not laid turns. We mainly see the hand touching the snow, rarely the elbow and never the armpit. However the (Greek?) snow looks wet and thus forgiving: it should not be difficult to lay down in such conditions. At the last ECS, I saw half of the participants who were much better. Look at the pictures and videos here.
- The vendors of your board are thus not extremecarvers but just carvers. They have never contributed to the development of the ride technique and were unknown till recently. Worse: they write sometimes big mistakes about a discipline they don't master. They are good snowboarders of course, there is no problem, but they are not specialists and not as good as many guys I saw during the last ECS.
- "Developing" a board on Greek snow during short seasons with a factory which is located thousands of miles away (in USA) is a big inconvenient. The tester is not a shaper and not an extremecarver. The builder is not an extremecarver neither, though he is doing a good job.
- They show NO video. I can't believe that our "Opus 1" has been shot 9 years ago already (winter 1999-2000), while we still don't see anything from them.

Sorry to be so frank, but that's facts. You should have asked first.

But don't worry, for sure you will have fun and you will progress at carving on good snow. For normal carving there are no bad alpine boards nowadays. As well as the freecarve boards for soft boots. The sport is mature. Then, to go further and stop being limited, come back here. I have got e-mails from people who have switched back to Swoard. So feel free to write me an e-mail when you want.

Patrice Fivat

[pokkis]

and not only 2 sizes for zero flex choice

You sure about that? There must be atleast one flex available

[fivat]

1 flex only = zero choice

Patrice Fivat

[pokkis]

So 5 flexes is 4 choices
mathematics is wonderfull

[starikashka]

Patrice, this guy actually asked about board in this topic Swoard was recommended as a tool for easier learning. So, up to him to decide. I think he choose Blade because it`s avaliable in the shop next door. I was buying F2 Silberpfeil for a same reason a 2 years before and sold it after 1 month of riding.

Sorry, but i think board can be different for learning, you can look how Rey rocks. But this guy is sort of uniqum.

Rowies, by the way - why you have chosen Blade?

[rowies]

Yes, it would be great if you could come to next ECS, ride the original and make some turns with me or with our extremecarving instructors.

it would be an honor

I'm sorry to tell you that your board is not an extremecarving board and that it has not been developed by extremecarvers. It's just a good carving board and all its weaknesses are known. For examples:
- All the pictures you can see on the vendor's Web site are not laid turns. We mainly see the hand touching the snow, rarely the elbow and never the armpit. However the (Greek?) snow looks wet and thus forgiving: it should not be difficult to lay down in such conditions. At the last ECS, I saw half of the participants who were much better. Look at the pictures and videos here.
- The vendors of your board are thus not extremecarvers but just carvers. They have never contributed to the development of the ride technique and were unknown till recently. Worse: they write sometimes big mistakes about a discipline they don't master. They are good snowboarders of course, there is no problem, but they are not specialists and not as good as many guys I saw during the last ECS.
- "Developing" a board on Greek snow during short seasons with a factory which is located thousands of miles away (in USA) is a big inconvenient. The tester is not a shaper and not an extremecarver. The builder is not an extremecarver neither, though he is doing a good job.
- They show NO video. I can't believe that our "Opus 1" has been shot 9 years ago already (winter 1999-2000), while we still don't see anything from them.

If it's true what you say well then G-Force tells lies on there site
Sunday I will be on the slopes and try the board, at this moment I can't tell if you are right or wrong about the board, did you ever try the board?
If there are some boarders with a Swoard 175M next week on the slopes of Superdevoluy, it would be nice to meet and maybe we can compare boards on the slope . On the other hand, if i can EC with the blade I would certainly could EC with the Swoard .

Sorry to be so frank, but that's facts. You should have asked first.

I survived it, breaking a leg is more terrible.

[fivat]

@starikashka: Huh? You didn't get the point. Rowies does what he wants. This topic was an opportunity to give some facts to all beginners who read the topic. It's not a private message. I think there is no problem in giving the good points and the bad points about a choice (even after the purchase).

The beginners also have the right to get the best. And they have the right to be informed.
Anyway Rowies will have fun with any carving board. Then real extremecarving is another question.

@pokkis: here is something simpler for you: 2 sizes x 1 flex = 2 choices only...
But, for the Swoard, 3 sizes and 5 flexes is not 15 choices, but 12 choices, hihi! Because the XS flex is only available for the 161 (light riders and girls) while the XH is available only in 168 and 175.

Patrice Fivat

[pokkis]

I was more wondering logic with 1 flex = 0 choices.
Rest of discussion i dont want to touch

[Schneewurm]

@rowies

ESD pads: it gives few more flex, perhaps also shock absorbing. But the big advantage is the protection of the topsheet of the board. Can be orderd by sporting-goods-stores from F2. You need 4 pieces.
- boot: I think it's a good choice.
- bindings: can be to flexy/soft for your weight / this board. If You are comming from softboots, try to ride Your new board the first day/2-3 days with lower binding angles, as now shown on Your picture. Some boot overhang doesn't matter. After then and for carving closer to ground, turn them back.
Try to get later a "Snowpro Race" binding with front-trigger, they are still available e.g. by Völkl snowboards/raceboards! (perhaps the stiffer modell "Völkl Tiger Force" is also o.k.)
Völkl Benelux: Tornado Sport BV / 6422 PR-Héerlen
- fixing strap: read instruction manual of bindings carefull, strap should be thread in on the grooves (boardside / down under) in the mid slot of center-disc.
- board: It's Your choice - don't be worry about the enumerated (too hard) facts - to feel them, could also help You to find what You realy need.

- beside: for good hints and informations for the setup of Your equipement, check every time boardmanufactor site or call them up. Good board manufactures should give You, according to their high degree of experience, best advices for combinations of boots and bindings with their raceboards.

[starikashka]

G-Force is offers 2 size X 3 flexes Not sure if it differs significantly, but advertising in Moscow shop says this.

[rowies]

@rowies
- fixing strap: read instruction manual of bindings carefull, strap should be thread in on the grooves (boardside / down under) in the mid slot of center-disc.
their raceboards.

Fixing strap = Leash ??

Maybe like you say it's better to start with lower bootangles to get the first sensations, and don't break my "watherver" the first day

thx

[fivat]

@Starikashka: no mentions about flex are given on the vendor's site. But you have this option directly at Donek where the design/model is different.
Grrr, I wonder why I should make the support for a Greek brand which does nothing for the community and gives no support.

@Rowies: yes, you have been lured by opportunists who are clearly not extremecarvers along to their pictures (and the lack of videos). It's off topic, but you must understand my sensitivity about some vendors whose priority is business with bad ethics. Beside trying to copy the Swoard outline (which is fortunately only one parameter) and our concepts, it's a shame to even copy the model name with words close to "sword", "extremecarver" or to the meanings of these words... Hopefully there are many riders who care about good ethics as well as riding the original which is still kicking ass (Generation 3 now).

With more than 50 mails per day I'm very well informed by riders and professionals all around the world. I get interesting feedbacks and info not accessible to the public.
The last board which I tested intensively 10 days ago was a Kessler. I really liked it: excellent product for race turns. Probably the best I have ever tried in this category.
Again: rowies, for sure you will have fun with your carving board. I don't say the contrary and won't repeat my preceding message. Even with a door it's possible to lay down on frontside. But it's not a proof that the doors are ideal boards.

Patrice Fivat