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The Andorra 2018/2019 Skiboarding Report

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  • #31
    Up to 25cm of snow dumped in the Arcalis resort. This was not really noticeable on the the pistes, but one of the freeride zones opened.

    Realising this we headed over there on Crossbows. On the first run a took a accidental small jump and ended catching ond the tips the deep snow upon landing. Mmmm... I thought maybe we should ride them set back.

    Off to the car we went and made tge adjustments. Neither of us ever rode them set back, ao we headed off to the groomed runs first to see if we noticed any difference.

    I had no problem sitting back on the tails I noticed pretty early on and I think the heel turns are not as subtle as when mijnted centre. I also think i got a bit more skate action out a set back position.

    So then we went back to the freeride area for some extra runs. Although the area is not very steep in many places one gas to keep wits about due some rocks and boulders and the turning space between them being small.

    It was definitely easier in the deep snow on set back and I found that I happily floated down the fresh snow with tips up.

    Verdict: center mount for playing on tge groomers, set back for soft snow.

    However I might leave them in set back for the next visit to Arcalis.

    Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
    Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
    Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
    Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

    Comment


    • #32
      Originally posted by ysb33r View Post

      Verdict: center mount for playing on tge groomers, set back for soft snow.

      However I might leave them in set back for the next visit to Arcalis.

      Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
      Hi Ysb33r, glad you are getting some snow ! I enjoyed your take on the Crossbows . I agree completely . I tend to just leave them set back as I am always looking for soft snow off piste and have adjusted to riding them on firm snow that way . By the way how do you ride the Ospreys ? Do you always leave them center mount or do you set them back in soft snow ? I know you have a set permanently mounted with touring bindings , is that center mounted? Although I ride the Sherpas set back in soft snow , I tend to just leave the Ospreys centered all the time. Just was wondering what you have found with them ? And also how they compare to the Crossbows for you ?
      Boards :
      Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
      Boots
      K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
      Bindings:
      Zero Pro Non release Binding
      Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
      Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
      Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
      Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

      Comment


      • #33
        Originally posted by jjue View Post
        Hi Ysb33r, glad you are getting some snow ! I enjoyed your take on the Crossbows . I agree completely . I tend to just leave them set back as I am always looking for soft snow off piste and have adjusted to riding them on firm snow that way . By the way how do you ride the Ospreys ? Do you always leave them center mount or do you set them back in soft snow ? I know you have a set permanently mounted with touring bindings , is that center mounted? Although I ride the Sherpas set back in soft snow , I tend to just leave the Ospreys centered all the time. Just was wondering what you have found with them ? And also how they compare to the Crossbows for you ?
        Yes Jack, the Ospreys are pretty much center. This season I have not had chance to ride them in deep snow yet. I wished I had them with me though. I would have liked to see how they did on the same terrain. I would have taken poles with them though. The Ospreys are definitely harder to turn too.

        My daughter remarked that with the Crossbows set back she had to put a little more effort into the turn.

        Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
        Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
        Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
        Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

        Comment


        • #34
          Weather was dire on the mountain this morning, so we did only a few runs. I spent the afternoon instead finding myself another Buff windproof neckwarmer. (https://www.buff.com/ad/professional...low-fluor.html).

          Unlike other Buff products, these consist of a small fleece section to pull over one's mouth and nose, whilst the rest is some non-irritant material sandwiching Gore Windstopper. Since using it I have felt much more toasty without ever overheating. I have used it for both downhill skiing and ascending with great effect.

          I have never felt comforrable with the neoprene face masks that many people wear, but this Buff product I can achieve the same with much for effectiveness.

          Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
          Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
          Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
          Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

          Comment


          • #35
            Ski biking

            I managed to achieve a milestone today - first ever day ski-biking. Knowing that it would be a sunny, no-wind, weekday we headed up to rent some 3-ski snow bikes and 2-ski skibikes.

            We returned the snow bikes after just some runs and continued on the Sledgehammer skibikes.

            Main achievement of the day: I never wiped out!

            Suddenly I was a beginner again and spent the first hour on the bunny slope trying to figure how to stop and get some turns. At lunch time my calves were burning which I put down to bad technique. I did progress though and rode a number of blue slopes.

            Hey ho, I did have a lot of fun and might consider buying one in future.

            Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
            Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
            Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
            Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

            Comment


            • #36
              My calves are still hurting from yesterday's ski-biking. We shuold get some snow tomorrow again, so Friday morning I'll hit one of the resorts, hoping for enough sof snow on the side-pistes. I am considering taking only the Ospreys and trying to improve my off-piste riding skills with and without poles.
              Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
              Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
              Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

              Comment


              • #37
                Snow!

                It snowed throughout Monday night and a good part of Monday morning. I went out first thing. Headed up to Arcalis. It was cold. at the base -7ºC (19F) and on the mountain top around -12ºC (10F). This is also the first time I used my newly acquired Karpos Odle fleece as a mid layer.




                As I was driving in the sun was shining, but as soon as I got to the top of the mountain flat grey clouds moved in. I had my black lens on, so I did one slow run down back to the car to change to the yellow lens. The snow was sticky. It must be the cold and maybe a need for some cold temp wax again.

                I only had had the Ospreys with me as I wanted to work on my technique on them both with and without poles. So glad I brought the poles. The sticky snow meant that there were some really slow sections. I did some runs and decides the visibility is too low for pleasant skiing so headed down to one of the restaurants.

                Then for a comedy of errors. I unclipped the downhill ski, only for it not to detach completely. The brake was still up and I started to slide down hille with my boot at a 45º angle int eh binding. I finally had to put my knee into the snow to stop the sillyness and it unpoppped. Hoping that no one saw that, I stood up. I uncliiped the other ski, only for the telescopic ski pole to get trapped betwen the brake and the board!I use Black Diamond telescopic poles (similar to Jack) and to add insult to injury the mes with the ski brake unlocke dthe bottom half of the ople. So when I untaggle dthe mess, the bottom part of the pole dropped out! By now I was an unhappy bunny. Getting everything together I marched up back to the restaurant.


                After having a great alpine hot chocolate and chattting to some snowboarders I knew I set out again. Light was slightly better, so I headed for a small free ride area. I hit some real deep snow on a popular line and cruised boot deep between a maze of rocks and trees. The line itself is very well defined and there is a safety rope near the one point to ensure one turns left instead of skiiing off a cliff. There is a lot of turning involved witht he line and I felt I really had to sit back to get the turns. I have recently expereimented with initiating turns on the Ospreys with the front of the food on groomers, but this was not the place for that technique.

                Finally getting to the bottom I did one more long run in order to get back to the car. The light was not getting any better and snow was expected to return after lunch. We shoul dbe getting two full days of snow coming in on a new front, so the waiting game for Friday morning begins.

                Handed in my Ospreys for a wax when I got back, just to be sure that they don't stick on Friday.
                Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

                Comment


                • #38
                  And now the snow is really arriving. Our village of Arinsal as of this morning.



                  Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
                  Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                  Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                  Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Excellent

                    Sent from my Moto G (5S) Plus using Tapatalk
                    Crossbow (go to dream board)
                    Most everything else over time.
                    Go Android

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      This past Saturday was simply the best skiboarding day of the season so far. After the heavy snows of the previous couple of days, the snow settled and there was a lot of action to be found.

                      I was out on Ospreys the whole day and carrying poles to get around some flat sections.

                      The most fun to be had was on a popular, but ungroomed trail. It got really cut up during the day, but the Ospreys handled so well. I took a snowboarding friend through there and went slower than usual. This meant that I had great control of turns.

                      Earlier the same morning I discovered a steep section that connects the exit of the previous trail with with my favourite red run. It is very black, might even be double diamond by US standards. It was hard work, but I never felt unsafe - I am actually beginning to enjoy the Ospreys over the Crossbows on this kind of terrain. I am also finding more skill in initiating turns from both the toe and the heel on the Ospreys. They remain fast beasts which have to be reined in.



                      We are hoping that our main freeride section will open this week so hopefully I can have some Osprey experimentation.

                      Oh we had a leg of the skimo world cup on the same day. The fitness of these people amazes me.

                      Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
                      Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                      Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                      Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

                      Comment


                      • #41
                        Went out for about 90min of skiboarding just before work. Beautiful bluebird day. Overtook someone on Elan skiblades and he eventually sat next to me if the lift. He's from Barcelona and enquired about my Crossbows. I had to explain in my limited Catalan what they were.

                        I did not have any cards with me so I eventually pointed him to the Spruce website from my mobile phone.

                        Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
                        Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                        Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                        Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

                        Comment


                        • #42
                          Looks like it was a great day for skiboarding.
                          Spruce Crossbow 115 "Ski Track" skiboards - My Go To skiboards
                          Tyrolia Attack2 13 GW release bindings on Spruce Risers
                          Nordica HF110 ski boots

                          Comment


                          • #43
                            I have skiboarded the whoel weekend. I spend the most of the day at the Arinsl resort just riding Crossbows. Since I have configured them to setback some weeks ago, I have not changed them back and got used to riding them in this position now. I know the Arinsal very well. It is small and it is really in my backyard - the main gondola is just 600m from out apartment. By now the Crossbows have been down every piste on this resort and between the pistes as well (except for the snow park). Saturday I mostly worked the top part of the resort using a small, but steep surface lift. This allowed me quick access to a number of black & red runs. This is no beginner terrain, but on the Crossbows I rode them like a king.

                            When I got tired of them I swapped over to a 4lm blue run with ~1000m vertical drop. Then I came back. I did that the whole mornign until the surface lift developed mechnical problems and had to close. I was close enough to lunch as I promised my wife to meet her at one of the on-resort restaurants.

                            Sunday I was out to Arcalis again using the Ospreys and I took poles with me. I tend to this with the Ospreys now even if not for backcoutrny. Basically for the terrain I tend to slect when riding the Ospreys, it is useful to have the poles to get in between sections. I rode a lot of the usual pistes that I like, but my highlights was the black La Portella run. I had time to it three times. Easy on a great powder day it is a hard ride, but today it was full of soft snow moguls. I just played by taking small jumps over some, turning between them or on top of them. It was really a case of "let's try this here and see how it works out". I was relentless, hardly stopping anywhere unless there were others nearby. A the end of the day, I could actually feel it in my legs.

                            Oh yes, I got asked by a liftie about the Ospreys in a small freeride area.

                            Overall my take-away from the weekend is that I can see how my off-piste and mogul skills are continuously mproving.
                            Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                            Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                            Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

                            Comment


                            • #44
                              I have had my Bolle Visor helmet for some years now, but today I decided to invest in a new visor helmet, this time it is the Alpina Jump 2.0 VM with a polychromatic visor.

                              Why? Well, the Bolle has two visosr, which I need to change over depending on the light conditions. Of late the yellow visor has also started developing fogging-up issues. As it is an early model it does not have the same seal as the newer versions. This means that in windy conditions or with snow making equipment, the fine snow particles can drift into to top.

                              I'll go give the new Alpina a run this week, especially given the expected sunny conditions.

                              Now to go find that Revel8 & Spruce stickers that I still have somewhere.

                              Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                              Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                              Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

                              Comment


                              • #45
                                I put some rental bindings I have around on my pair of 120s. The latter has just been gathering dust for the last two seasons since the Crossbows arrived. I am thinking of buying another pair of Crossbows when they are in stock again and selling the 120s on to a new home.

                                But until such time comes I would like to lend them out to people around here to give them a feeling of skiboards. When it comes to the latter the 120s are real classics.

                                I thus took this setup out for a couple of runs - 2x steep reds, a black full of moguls and a 4km long blue run. This has been my first real outing on fully cambered boards in a long time.

                                The 120s carvered really well on the groomed runs, but they became cumbersome on the moguls. I simply could not turn them as easily as the Ospreys. I rode the same black like a pro just a couple of days ago on Ospreys.

                                So I think they will still do this season as an intro, especially for someone coming off skis, but personally I love the camber-rocker blends on many new skiboard models.

                                Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk
                                Current: '20 Spruce Slingshot 119s, '20 Spruce Crossbow 115s, '18 Spruce Osprey 132s (touring), '21 Rvl8 SII 104s, '21 Summit Invertigos 118s
                                Also: '11 Allz Elaila 94s, '12 Rvl8 Rockered Condor 110s, '15 Spruce Osprey 132s , '18 Spruce Crossbow 115s
                                Previous: Gaspo Hot Wax 84s, Mantrax 98s, Summit Nomad 99s, Spruce Yellow 120s, Eman Uprise 104s

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