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  • Snowboard Bindings or Ski Bindings?

    Hi all,

    A little about my history with skiboards:

    Started out learning how to snowboard and hated it, but still wanted to be on the slopes. Saw a YouTube video of Dave Lynam a few years ago and wanted to try skiboards. I'm pretty athletic and usually very balanced and coordinated so I opted for the RVL8 110 cm Condors with RVL8 Receptor non release bindings. To be honest, I felt like the Condors were too big and I had a hard time getting around on the mountain when not bombing down the hill. While shuttling myself to the ski lifts I kept crossing them and tripping over myself. The ski boots were wicked uncomfortable too, so I only went a few times per winter. Then life showed up and I had to pay college loans, so I sold them and opted to sit by the fire and drink sherry with people of refinement. Actually, it was PBR with some bum friends, but you get the idea.

    I'm in a position now where I'd like to get back into the sport, so I just picked up the RVL8 101 KTPs which are a few inches shorter, but I'm at a loss as to what I should do about bindings. The modified snowboard bindings sound like heaven, but I'd like a few opinions before I go ahead and buy them. Or should I stick with ski bindings? If anybody has any pros/cons or personal experiences with them, I'd love to hear them.

    Or if you have any other thoughts about my experiences in the past and want to help in the future, let me know too. I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for the responses!

  • #2
    Originally posted by n0ts0smart View Post
    Or if you have any other thoughts about my experiences in the past and want to help in the future, let me know too. I'm open to suggestions. Thanks in advance for the responses!
    Welcome to the forum, n0t. Summer attendance here is usually light, so you might not get the volume of responses you would in a couple of months.

    One thought, though. When working on equipment of any sort, there's a rule of thumb: change only one variable at a time, otherwise you won't know exactly what you did to fix the problem.

    You already have a pair of Condors, a nice set of NR bindings, a pair of uncomfortable ski boots, and now a pair of KTP's. You wouldn't be the first inhabitant of planet earth to not get along with those big Condors right off the bat, so before you do anything else why not try out the KTP's with your current boot/binding set up and see what happens? If you're still feeling unsatisfied, a softboot setup or an alternate set of boards are just a few clicks away.

    Everyone's different. Many, but not all, appreciate the superwide model skiboard (Condor, KTP, etc.). Some like the superwides but only the rocker versions (RC, Blunt, etc.), others find their sweet spot with moderate width (DLP's, Revolts), than there's longboards...you get the picture. There's the misery factor with uncomfortable ski boots that trumps all, but many folks can and do find comfortable ski boots after more or less trouble. It's easier to find comfortable soft boots but also critical to find the right boots that work with softboot bindings.

    Well meaning skiboard enthusiasts (including me) generally chime in to recommend THEIR favorite set-up which may or may not be yours. As a guilty party, I almost always refer folks to the great and timeless Spruce 120, but in reality there's no magic formula that works for everyone. The payoff of a set up that's intuative for you is worth more than gold.

    Good luck and glad to have you on the forum!

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Bill View Post
      Welcome to the forum, n0t. Summer attendance here is usually light, so you might not get the volume of responses you would in a couple of months.

      One thought, though. When working on equipment of any sort, there's a rule of thumb: change only one variable at a time, otherwise you won't know exactly what you did to fix the problem.

      You already have a pair of Condors, a nice set of NR bindings, a pair of uncomfortable ski boots, and now a pair of KTP's. You wouldn't be the first inhabitant of planet earth to not get along with those big Condors right off the bat, so before you do anything else why not try out the KTP's with your current boot/binding set up and see what happens? If you're still feeling unsatisfied, a softboot setup or an alternate set of boards are just a few clicks away.

      Everyone's different. Many, but not all, appreciate the superwide model skiboard (Condor, KTP, etc.). Some like the superwides but only the rocker versions (RC, Blunt, etc.), others find their sweet spot with moderate width (DLP's, Revolts), than there's longboards...you get the picture. There's the misery factor with uncomfortable ski boots that trumps all, but many folks can and do find comfortable ski boots after more or less trouble. It's easier to find comfortable soft boots but also critical to find the right boots that work with softboot bindings.

      Well meaning skiboard enthusiasts (including me) generally chime in to recommend THEIR favorite set-up which may or may not be yours. As a guilty party, I almost always refer folks to the great and timeless Spruce 120, but in reality there's no magic formula that works for everyone. The payoff of a set up that's intuative for you is worth more than gold.

      Good luck and glad to have you on the forum!
      Bill,

      Thanks so much for the feedback. I can remember being extremely frustrated with the Condors size, so I will heed your advice and switch the set up one piece at a time. Hopefully that will help me narrow down what my exact issue is. My friend also has the Revolts, so if I'm still having an issue with the width, I can try those as well. Catching an edge may have been another issue if I remember correctly.

      With any luck this winter, I'll be comfortably bombing down some hills and much less worried about falling over getting in the ski lift line.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Bill View Post
        .....Well meaning skiboard enthusiasts (including me) generally chime in to recommend THEIR favorite set-up which may or may not be yours.......
        So as Bill predicted here are my two cents:

        For the regular Condors they are big birds and a tough board to start with. You should see immediate improvement with the narrower and shorter KTPs. If you are still having difficulty with the KTPs know that they are a board that responds best when ridden aggressively so you may have to push them a bit to get the most out of them. If you don't want to be too aggressive than trying your friends Revolts is certainly the next smart step. Revolts are great jack-of-all-trades boards are respond well to almost every riding style.

        I'll agree with Bill that switching more than one thing is not advisable so stick with ski boots to get started. However if your boots are really killing your feet you may want to change boots, modify your existing boots, or got to a softboot set-up. Having ill fitting boots can kill your on mountain experience. I always suggest investing in the best fitting boots you can find since once your feet are happy you can really enjoy your time on the hill.

        Lastly I am with Bill on my love of the Spuce 120s and hardboots but I have Revolts, Condors, and other skiboards. Each set-up is awesome and special in their own way. You just need to find what works for you. Welcome back to the sport and good luck!!
        Boards:
        2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
        2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
        2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
        2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
        2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
        2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
        2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
        2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Wookie View Post
          So as Bill predicted here are my two cents:

          For the regular Condors they are big birds and a tough board to start with. You should see immediate improvement with the narrower and shorter KTPs. If you are still having difficulty with the KTPs know that they are a board that responds best when ridden aggressively so you may have to push them a bit to get the most out of them. If you don't want to be too aggressive than trying your friends Revolts is certainly the next smart step. Revolts are great jack-of-all-trades boards are respond well to almost every riding style.

          I'll agree with Bill that switching more than one thing is not advisable so stick with ski boots to get started. However if your boots are really killing your feet you may want to change boots, modify your existing boots, or got to a softboot set-up. Having ill fitting boots can kill your on mountain experience. I always suggest investing in the best fitting boots you can find since once your feet are happy you can really enjoy your time on the hill.

          Lastly I am with Bill on my love of the Spuce 120s and hardboots but I have Revolts, Condors, and other skiboards. Each set-up is awesome and special in their own way. You just need to find what works for you. Welcome back to the sport and good luck!!
          Thanks, Wookie! Much appreciated. Lke I said previously, the Condors were huge and I had a really hard time with them. I felt like I was darn near impossible to go anywhere but straight down the mountain at light speed lol. I'm sure the KTPs and the Revolts will be easier to manage. Going to start doing some research on some soft boot set ups and see if that helps. Really looking forward to trying it again this winter.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by n0ts0smart View Post
            Thanks, Wookie! Much appreciated. Lke I said previously, the Condors were huge and I had a really hard time with them. I felt like I was darn near impossible to go anywhere but straight down the mountain at light speed lol. I'm sure the KTPs and the Revolts will be easier to manage. Going to start doing some research on some soft boot set ups and see if that helps. Really looking forward to trying it again this winter.
            I am sure the regular Condors would have killed me if they were my first boards. Their width requires a lot of effort to get them from edge to edge. This is not a big deal in powder but can be tough in typical East Coast hard pack. The Condors I own now pretty much stay in the quiver except for powder days.

            For the boots, if your hard boot are bothering you due to hot spots or pinch points you might want to have the bootfitter at your local ski shop see if they can tweak them. It might not be a perfect solution but is usually low or no cost. If the bootfitter tells you that you have the wrong boots for your feet and you should buy new then you might just want to go with a soft boot set-up since you are starting over. One bit of caution, soft boot set-ups sacrifice some of the tight connection to the skiboard that you get from hardboots. This has lessened over the past few years with better bindings and stiffer boots but softboots do provide a different type of ride than hardboots/skiboots.
            Boards:
            2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
            2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
            2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
            2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
            2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
            2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
            2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
            2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

            Comment


            • #7
              Decided I'm going to go with the Bomber Elite 2s and spend some money on decent ski boots. We'll give this set up a chance and then see what the deal is. I'm thinking that the snowboard boots weren't going to be enough on the New England hard pack snow. Stupid question: leashes on non releases or no?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by n0ts0smart View Post
                Decided I'm going to go with the Bomber Elite 2s and spend some money on decent ski boots. We'll give this set up a chance and then see what the deal is. I'm thinking that the snowboard boots weren't going to be enough on the New England hard pack snow. Stupid question: leashes on non releases or no?
                I think non release bindings with ski boots is your best option with the KTPs. They are at their best when ridden hard and aggressively, which suits this set up perfectly.

                Yes, you have to have leashes with this set up. It's not even a choice but the rule at most resorts.
                Just these, nothing else !

                Comment

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