Glenn

I think my biggest concern about these is the "no name" companies that are making these bindings and the complexity problem. The complexity problem being that with almost any piece of equipment the more complex it becomes the more likely it is to break, and more difficult it is to fix. Bindings are the most important (IMO) piece of equipment on the board, and they are the first to break. I can only imagine what happens when these guys break... All that being said, if I had $100 to burn, I would pick up a pair for the days when I know the crowds are going to be heavy. The side of my foot gets cramped up trying to keep the board pointed forward on the lifts with 4 people on it. It doesn't help that I ride goofy.

If its a really long distance no doubt. If you can get a little bit of "coasting" then you are better off skating. Top of birches is a skating area, heading across the base from sunbowl to the lodge is a walking area. As much as I love snowboarding, at the top and bottom of the mountain I wish I was a skier, they have the clear advantage.

Long distance skating just isn't meant to be done on a snowboard. Even with the leading leg discomfort elminated the rear leg still has tons of work to do. I can see how it might be nice if you don't ride alot and aren't used to using those muscles, but I definately don't think it would help that much for a daily rider. I suppose the lift thing would be nice on busy days where you have to ride 4 to the quad as well.

Yeah, I hadn't considered opening, and Camelback made it a priority this past season to get opened up. Quality or no, they had their park setup pretty early in the season.

I think he was referring to the high moron to park skier/rider ratio moreso than any specific people who ride the park. I ride the park almost every time I'm at the mountain. I have lots of friends that ride the park, but there are LOTS of knuckle heads (IMO) in the park.

Well said.

Moved to classifieds.

I think it's in Europe. I didn't edit the video right so the bit 180 isn't in there. If I get motivated I'll post the rest.

Actually the trail is really nice as it is. It's out of the way, a perfect cruiser trail, lots of pitch changes, and as you mentioned so wide. Raceway really would make the best park out of any trail on the mountain but to say it is useless just isn't right. If for nothing else you can get untouched groomed corduroy at 8 pm on raceway. Also, there in my eyes there is more to picking park locations than simply the terrain of the hill. As I mentioned before two parks on the east side of the mountain would reek havoc on it. The trail system sucks to begin with because everything is funneled through Ceasar. As I mentioned before the tripple is garbage. The laurel park lift works out because no one wants to hike across birches, and tut doesn't give you the full run. Also the park is super short so the wait isn't bad. On the other hand, it's faster to use the quad to take laps on rhodo than the raceway tripple. Also, the laurel lift is dual purpose, if it is running than beginners need not take the quad. Taking laps on the raceway tripple/rhodo is mind numbing. Laps through the park from the Stevenson aren't too bad if there crowds aren't there, but if both parks make their way to the east side of the mountian things will get VERY UGLY. On the plus side... the west side of the mountain will be nice and clear. It may mean on ski club nights the mountain is more tolerable, because there is a place to get away from them.

That triple is garbage, and it would with the quad usage that side of the mountain would turn to poo if both parks were on that side. Raceway would be the nicest though.

... Plus you would have to stop your run on a pretty decent pitch. The penalty for failure is pretty large.

Simply breath taking. What are the plants in the 3rd picture. Looks like about 200 feet of hikeable vert in the last couple shots in the 3rd post.

Forgot to mention... that was taken from one of the videos in the solid powder series. They are available online for free at http://www.solidpowder.com. They feature snowboarding and skiing. Sorry had to get that plug in...

Sorry I uploaded it in "edit mode" and left the computer alone for a while. The video is now attached.

... found it, I guess its only a 180, I'm not sure on the 50+ foot kicker either. He does throw a nice 3 over something big, 2 backflips and does alright on what looks to be an C rail, though it could just be the fisheye lens. Anyways... here it is.

... I fixed it.

Was the ben in the first video you? Freeheel freestylers make me pee myself. I have video of a guy in tele's doing a 5 or switch 3 over a 50+ foot kicker. I'll have to dig it up. I think he cleans a S rail as well.

Maybe we will have a PASR day at roundtop this year, and car pooling arrangements can be made...

... how did I miss these videos?!?! Nice skiing though, and I really dig the editing. I'll check out the rest later.

Welcome DC!

So in laymens terms... you get a more stable ski at high speeds that can turn easily because of the radius?

What's the radius on your gs:9's?

I think what sib was getting at was even if you have ridden one size, you don't know what another is going to feel like. No one can pick the right size for you, not the us, the manufacturer, the ski shop employee, no one. It has to be the right ski for YOU. That is why demo'ing is important. Now you may want to keep in mind while demo'ing: it would be nice to have something a little bigger than I am fully comfortable with, but riding a pair is always going to beat some shop employees opinion, or even better yet a poll on a message board.

... are you kidding. For a local 13 days is nothing. You have a home in northridge right? You may almost have that covered by x-mas if you play your cards right...

... changed my mind on wintergreen... a 6 person lift servicing nothing but blacks in Va. If the blacks are even half way decent it could be a very beautiful thing. No n00bs screwing up the lift traffic, and off the radar of all the ski bums. It might be a pertty sweet spot after all. I'd definately give it a shot.