Greetings from new member.

[goofyfoot53]

Hi. I just joined this forum. Originally, I'm a skier. I started my kids skiing and they did pretty well, but inevitably, they wanted to snowboard. Although I surf, I was never into skateboarding or snowboarding, which seems like skateboarding on the snow. Then I saw alpine snowboarding. That I can really get into. I'm still learning about regular snowboarding and I haven't tried it yet. The season is just starting and I'm still buying equipment for the kids. I do not want to even try conventional snowboarding so my search for info on alpine snowboarding led me here. I'm having trouble finding info or any source of equipment here in southern California. Any help you can give me would be great. Thanks.

[nils]

Hi Goofy Welcome aboard...
There is a few surfers on here indeed, as well as on bomberonline...
Gear for kids and alpine in the same sentence: good luck: gear is very hard to find...Maybe someone recalls brands with junior size boards...

Another option is a versatile freeride board with hard boots setup> those boards are easy to find for kids, and it will teach them..( problem is likely to find smaller size boots too)

Nils

[kurtsk8]

rabanser make alpine-board for kids
junior line
http://www.rabansersnowboards.com/it/it ... alpine.htm

[goofyfoot53]

Hi. I'm putting the kids on regular snowboards with soft boots, although I will search for alpine gear if they show an interest. The alpine gear I need will be for me. In the days of straight skis I used 200cm for slalom, 205-207 for GS, & 215 for DH. Now that I've been dragged into the shaped ski world (after a decade in Hawaii with no skiing but a lot of surfing), I now use 168cm skis. I estimate that I should start on a 155cm snowboard but maybe I need to go longer for alpine? I see a few good deals on boards and bindings but boots look much harder to find. I have many questions, such as, do hardboots fit like ski boots and should they be fitted that way. Lengthwise, I should be in a 28.5-29 but they give me too much volume so I wedge my foot into a 27.5. My toes hit the end but since I'm always leaning forward, I can deal with it. However, in alpine snowboarding I'll be pressuring my heels on backside turns so do I need a longer, smaller volume boot? And again, where can I find them in southern California? Thanks.

[denis]

Hi

For the boot size, just stick to your actual foot size, 28.5, that'd be a good starting point (and go for a reasonable board width)... Are you looking for brand new or second hand stuff? For the later, try your local ebay or forums ie bomberonline.com, snowboardingforum.com... For online shops, again try bomberonline.com, for physical ones (to try the boots...), difficult to give you any address from this side of the pound but hopefully some of the chaps on this forum living in usa-canada would assist you! Alternatively, you also could contact US distributors and ask which surfshops do they supply in southern california?


Ciao

Denis

[goofyfoot53]

Thanks. I've been checking around and the only place I've found so far in California is a shop in South Lake Tahoe that has some Head Stratos, the smallest in 28.5. Of course, that is almost 400 miles away so unless I plan a multi-day ski trip I won't be able to tap that source. Some have told me to stick with my ski boot size of 27.5, while others have suggested going up to 28.5. If I go up, the boot will need to be low volume with a narrow last, around 98mm. Anything wider and I will be swimming around. That's why I go with 27.5 in ski boots, even though my toes hit. I can always grind out the toe but I can't easily fill the space in a boot that's too large. I haven't done anything yet because they're still packing out. Does anyone know which boots tend to be low volume, with narrow lasts?

[joemzl]

What about this one?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Raichle-AF600-Alpin ... 1c0dba6580
or this
http://cgi.ebay.com/Oxygen-Proton-snowb ... 2c51985536
Of course the Raichle is the better choice, but for a start the Oxygen may do.
For new boots you should search at Bomberonline, as said.

[pokkis]

There is also good For sale section in http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/index.php
so that is best place to get stuff in US.
Plus guys in forum will help you to find good source for carving material locally there, there is several of them located in California anyway

[Hans]

I haven't done anything yet because they're still packing out. Does anyone know which boots tend to be low volume, with narrow lasts?

Try with custom insoles first, this gives more volume and shape to your feet. Those standard insoles in boots are crap most of the time (too flat, no support). A boot with a low volume is the black red buckled Deeluxe Track 325.
You can find them everywhere and they are not that expensive (relative).
You can see them at their site:
http://www.deeluxe-hardboots.com/

High volume boots are UPZ.

The best solution for outstanding fit is a foamed innerboot. Like Strolz, but any other skimanufacturer has them.

You can always order boots with www.bomberonline.com. If you don't use them in the real snow, you can return them.

[starikashka]

Lengthwise, I should be in a 28.5-29 but they give me too much volume so I wedge my foot into a 27.5.

glad to see same crazy guy like me ^-) i have 29 cm feet, but shell of my boots is designed for 27 cm feet thermoflex really rocks

[Transistor Rhythm]

Ofcourse this is a great forum for information and fun, but if you want to hook up with other North American riders or test or buy some used gear you should try bomberonline.com. Just the other day a guy called Bordy from harbooter.com claimed people could rent gear from them, that would be a great solution as you can try out different boots and boards before shelling out big bucks on a set.

[denis]

for the board, just get a swoard, that would sort the question out: there is no alternative, this is the best ever made alpine board. Unless you are racing, looking elsewhere is a waste of time...

[Transistor Rhythm]

Where did you get your Dual so soon denis?

[goofyfoot53]

joemzl
I have been watching both those boots. The problem is, I don't know what size to get in either of these or any other alpine boot, and there isn't anywhere nearby I can try them on. That makes buying online risky. My wife would kill me if I just started ordering various boots and sending the ones back that don't fit, since each pair would cost $20-$30 shipping times two. I could easily run up several hundred in shipping charges. Then I would still probably need fitting, as I have a problem foot.

starikashka
My right toe is too long so after a day of skiing I'm in pain there and several other places. This usually precludes skiing two days in a row, but I'd rather have one day with my skis in control, than two with them flopping around. That might lead to other injuries anyway when my skis don't go where I point them at a critical moment. I hate falling on a steep, icy headwall and sliding for 100+ yards while I wait for the slope's incline to get shallow enough for friction to stop me. I learned not to reach out with anything and try to stop myself. Ask me how I know.

I didn't mention that I also have a problem left foot. I was born with a club foot which was twisted inward an backwards. I was missing the tendon which performs plantar flexion so the surgeons performed a tibial tendon transfer which works a little but left me without a tendon in my big toe and the toe adjacent to it. They froze the big toe and bent it inward 45 degrees. All the other toes have curled into hammer toes. The foot is severely inverted, resulting in two large bunions at the ankle and big toe. The ankle and forefoot are wide but the heel is narrow. The lack of foot movement does not allow enough flexion so my left calf is much smaller than my right and my left thigh is an inch and a half smaller. In addition, the inversion left my left leg shorter, resulting in scoliosis and the bent toe left my foot shorter. In street shoes I wear an 11 right and either an 8.5W or 9.5 regular but I could go shorter if I could get a wide enough shoe. Of course, I would need a heel cup since wide shoes are too wide at the heel. No bootfitter has ever been able to properly fit me and I have tried the best. All they did was lighten my wallet.

Of course, this presents some problems skiing. My weaker left foot, which also has less forward flexion ability (I wear a heel lift in my left ski boot) means less control of my left ski and weaker right turns, which also hurt. Still, I was able to race in junior competitions and even won a few local races but I got stomped when I tried to move up. But maybe I would have anyway, right? This is why I am stoked about alpine snowboarding. I think it would make some of these limitations less noticeable. My left leg doesn’t bother my that much when I surf because I surf off my back leg and I learned to utilize it in kickboxing, since a lighter leg comes up and around more quickly, and years of judo helped my balance. My right leg, which I discovered takes 65% of my weight, is very strong. I can do one leg squats all day. I won’t know if alpine snowboarding will work for me better than skiing until I actually try it, but I’m looking forward to it and one way or another, I will secure the proper equipment. I guess I’ll have to learn on my own, since I doubt anyone around here gives lessons.

[joemzl]

Only one solution: the bootfitter

Carvers around here use the help of a bootfitter even with less problems.
And if so, the exactly size doesn´t matter.
I would go for the Raichle, because it´s the better one.
Used Raichle plus shipping plus fitting is cheaper than a new boot. (Even if you want a Bomber BTS for more flex of the boot)