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Spruce Mountain Skiboards - 115 CM Crossbow Longboards

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  • macrophotog
    replied
    Day 3 on the snow with the Spruce Crossbows:

    I was able to get another couple hours in today before going to work. Another morning of Ice Coast conditions - it rained heavily all day yesterday, then overnight the mountain got down into the teens for temperatures. This made for hard icy trails littered with death cookies and chicken heads. The groomers also had left many potholes and killer humps where a lot of snow had been lost the day before. The Crossbows again performed very well on the ice - I was able to lock in an edge on moment's notice or let up and surf over the death cookies and potholes with confidence. The conditions today were such that I would typically ski with hesitation in my approach, but felt very comfortable pushing the Crossbows harder. So far, these are passing all of my Ice Coast tests.

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  • Tom91381
    replied
    Originally posted by sempai View Post
    Tom, I watched the couple videos that you posted. Looks like conditions were hard. How were the sidewalls on the Crossbows after you got done, any chipping?
    I guess it looked like I hit the fronts together a little bit here and there? But as you can see it’s virtually nothing.
    I put over 20 miles on them and tried to hit all the same runs that I took in the SII’s. I wish the snow was softer like it’s been though




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  • sempai
    replied
    Originally posted by Tom91381 View Post
    I’ve added some of the raw videos I took while at Mammoth to my YouTube , if you want to see them in action

    https://youtu.be/mPNbnCT0Xys

    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
    Tom, I watched the couple videos that you posted. Looks like conditions were hard. How were the sidewalls on the Crossbows after you got done, any chipping?

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  • Tom91381
    replied
    Spruce Mountain Skiboards - 115 CM Crossbow Longboards

    So I finally got out to give my crossbows some California snow love. The day didn’t get off on the right foot, literally
    The guy at the shop put the right boot on the left ski when he tested the din release, and my ocd made me think I can’t ski like that. So after a small run I’m back at my car switching around the bindings and reinstalling them with the set back, I like my weight on the tails .
    As I get back to getting off the lift I’m almost blown away with the strong wind guest. 15-50mph , what a great day to give these a whirl.
    So I’m about a minute into the downhill and they felt about the same as my Sticky’s , so I’m instantly comfortable with them . And the feel is that comfort, it just seems that I switched into a shock absorber ski. The little bumps in front of the board are not really making my legs work as hard as some of the other boards I’ve used in the past. These had the same characteristics as the stickys . They held in the carves I was doing even thru the hard snow and my legs weren’t being punished. Center mount skis really have a way of making my legs work and I have no idea why?
    All in all these skis were great for me. I’m only 5’9” and weigh under 160. I was able to handle them the same way as I handle my stickys . Not sure if these were made fro someone my size or someone taller and maybe heavier , but they work for me no problem.
    They seem to be able to carry speed pretty well , that extra length really helps smooth out the snow and kept my fatigue down too.

    I can see really using these a lot when I’m by myself or in a group that doesn’t stop a whole lot. And when I’m with a group that is always regrouping my SII’s will be perfect for that.
    I know I’m not the same as most of you guys with the knowledge of the characteristics of what the skis doing and why, I just know that it was as easy to ski as my Stickys

    I’m off to a good start for the season.
    I’ll try to post some videos on Facebook
    I’ve added some of the raw videos I took while at Mammoth to my YouTube , if you want to see them in action

    https://youtu.be/mPNbnCT0Xys

    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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  • Fedfan
    replied
    Originally posted by Bad Wolf View Post
    My HDPE risers solve that issue.......just saying[emoji106]
    Are you taking pre-orders? ;-)

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  • Bad Wolf
    replied
    Spruce Mountain Skiboards - 115 CM Crossbow Longboards

    I think our trend away from stiff cambered boards to the softer flexing rockered boards is why we are seeing more riser contact issues. Plus, rockered boards are no longer just for deep snow days. We have turned them into all mountain boards with all the technical demands that entails.

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  • Kocho
    replied
    The way the Spruce riser is shaped in the section away from the plastic base is a bit flat. It creates a situation where the ends of it might make somewhat hard contact with the boards. I've seen minor marks from that on Raptors and 120s. I know the SIIs will too contact the Riser that way.

    My DIY riser is an inch or two longer than the original (to accommodate my extra long boots), but I have shaped it to curve-up more gradually, in a way that the board will first contact near the base, then bend itself along towards the end of the riser. That effectively gives an variable contact length if you will, with more of the board in contact as you push harder. So never a "clank" with the ends of the riser contacting the board.

    Anyway, I don't think any board with the exception of the Raptors perhaps would bend that much during a carve. It might do it going over some sharp curve like on small but closely spaced moguls. In most cases it would be the front or the rear touching but not both at the same time.

    Sorry, not helpful in terms of shedding info on the Crossbows, but my guess is if the center of the 'bows is stiffer, given their length, they might make less contact with the riser than a 120 might.

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  • Tom91381
    replied
    Spruce Mountain Skiboards - 115 CM Crossbow Longboards

    Very nice, can’t wait to try them in the California snow. Looks like I’m gonna head for that tomorrow, heading up to Mammoth I’ll be there tomorrow, with GoPro in hand


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  • macrophotog
    replied
    Day 2 on the snow with the Crossbows:

    Glorious Ice Coast conditions to start the morning (please note my sarcasm here). After almost getting into a multiple car accident because of icy conditions driving up the mountain, I found freezing rain had created a nice hard shell of ice over the groomed trails. Skiing frozen corduroy is never fun, less fun when you find yourself being covered in ten layers of ice while the freezing rain continues for the first hour.

    This was a nice test for the Crossbows. I was able to hold edge extremely well on top of the ice and as things softened up throughout the morning I was also able to break through to softer stuff when pushing them harder. I had no problems transitioning above and below the ice in the same turns - I am definitely getting very comfortable and confident in these boards. As it got closer to noontime, things continued softening up quite a bit and one of the steeper trails began to bump up nicely with soft stuff from underneath the ice. Not full sized moguls by any means, but I was able to put the Crossbows through the paces by picking quick lines around and up and over mounds of snow. The Crossbows responded well - very quick to respond and turn.

    The Crossbows have yet to disappoint - I'm very pleased so far.

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  • macrophotog
    replied
    Originally posted by Fedfan View Post
    Hey, Macro.
    What did you think of the stiffness? Something I'm concerned about is the boards being too soft for the way I ride. I had a set of 120's a couple of years ago and saw right away that the tips of the risers were starting to make indentations on the tops of the boards. I don't expect them to be KTP's, but I want to be able to push them without them folding up. Was your high speed during a straight line or while on edge?
    Originally posted by macrophotog View Post
    I think in the setback position it is possible that the tails could hit the riser but i think you’d have to be falling on your butt a lot if that’s the case. I don’t see that happening in the tips. Not that the tips are stiffer, but just in the way the risers built with more of the aluminum in the rear. I’m riding them now, and will try to push/carve hard on the talis and see if I get any contact with the riser. I will report back after I’m done skiing.
    Very interesting - yes I can get the tails to hit the riser in setback position. But after getting home, I also found the same marks on my BluntXL's and Rockered Condors. And with Sempai saying the same thing about the Icky's, I'd be curious how many other boards (even some of the really stiff ones) have the same thing. Seems to not be a big deal since this is the case with many very popular boards.

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  • Tom91381
    replied
    Maybe I’ll have to trim off the excess aluminum ?


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    I'm just the FNG--== ****ing new guy

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  • Bad Wolf
    replied
    Spruce Mountain Skiboards - 115 CM Crossbow Longboards

    My HDPE risers solve that issue.......just saying[emoji106]

    Leave a comment:


  • sempai
    replied
    Originally posted by Fedfan View Post
    I had a set of 120's a couple of years ago and saw right away that the tips of the risers were starting to make indentations on the tops of the boards.
    I've noticed that this has happened on my Ickys, especially since covering them in diamond plate vinyl. If the Crossbows are just longer versions of the SIIs, I bet the same thing will happen.

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  • Wookie
    replied
    Originally posted by macrophotog View Post
    I don’t have 120s to compare them directly to, but from my recollection I believe these are a little stiffer underfoot and very similar in the tips and tails .....
    I haven't had my crossbows out in the wild yet but what Macro describes matches my observations of these on the workbench. The 120s have a consistent soft flex from end to end. The Crossbows appear to more robust under foot but softer in the tip and tail.

    If you have both boards side-by-side, hold them by the ends, and flex them the Crossbows feel softer. But if you try to flex them each enough to bottom out on the Spruce riser the Crossbows take a lot more effort, more in line with the RVL8 SIIs. The core of the Crossbow in nowhere near KTP stiffness but is definitely a robust core.

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  • macrophotog
    replied
    Originally posted by Fedfan View Post
    Hey, Macro.
    What did you think of the stiffness? Something I'm concerned about is the boards being too soft for the way I ride. I had a set of 120's a couple of years ago and saw right away that the tips of the risers were starting to make indentations on the tops of the boards. I don't expect them to be KTP's, but I want to be able to push them without them folding up. Was your high speed during a straight line or while on edge?

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
    That particular high speed was in a straight line. However I was hitting mid to high 40’s most of the morning carving. I don’t have 120s to compare them directly to, but from my recollection I believe these are a little stiffer underfoot and very similar in the tips and tails - maybe a tad softer. I think in the setback position it is possible that the tails could hit the riser but i think you’d have to be falling on your butt a lot if that’s the case. I don’t see that happening in the tips. Not that the tips are stiffer, but just in the way the risers built with more of the aluminum in the rear. I’m riding them now, and will try to push/carve hard on the talis and see if I get any contact with the riser. I will report back after I’m done skiing.


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