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  • Snowflex and bases?

    Ok so its getting cold again over here in England, and its skiboard time again.

    Anyways, theres a dryslope an hour away from me with what looks like a fantastic kicker (Halifax, for the Brits on here), which I'd always disregarded as I come from an era when dryslopes were, at best, dendex. I've recently realised its not dendex on this slope, however, its snowflex.

    However I've heard rumours that snowflex (and particularly this slope) is rather evil on your bases, specifically at the points where the sprinklers are.

    Ideally I want to use my Line Weapons, as they are the only set I have with non release fitted and are a good length and weight for the park. I'm thinking the kickers so big that i'll probably pop out of releaseables.

    But obviously i'm rather scared about my precious weapons getting ruined, as it's not like they are easy to replace in the UK.

    Is there anyone here that can tell me a bit more about snowflex? Like, how many sprinklers are there likely to be to avoid? Are they placed every 50cm sq or is there only a couple for the entire slope, which would be easily avoided if I just want two hours on a kicker?

  • #2
    hey man a bunch of us hit the liberty dryslope at the start of the summer so i might be able to help a bit. first im not really sure about there snowflex if its the same or not but from what i could tell it didn't really do much to my bases other than strip the wax. there are a butt load of sprinklers there wouldn't be anyway not to ride over a few of them just cause there are so men. as for messing up your weapons thats always a chance you take when ridding in the park but if there setup is anything like what we where ridding on i think you should be ok. we did like 4 or 5 days of ridding and i don't think anyone broke a board there may have been one but thats real good for us with how hard we are on them. anyway hope that helps you out man i would say go for it. its a ton of fun just make sure to have on long sleeves and tuck you shirt in cause that stuff will rip your skin up.


    liberty edit should be droping in a week or so.

    matt

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    • #3
      Cheers for the info mate. It is the same stuff, as Snowflex is made by a single company over here that owns all the TMs, so I know theres no way to avoid those pesky sprinklers! Our slope is a fair bit older though, think it was probably about the first place to get the stuff.


      I'm guessing I won't have the wax issues you do - Northern England in the Autumn/Fall is a whole different ball game to VA in the Summer, and the parks in probably about the wettest place in England - if it isn't raining when Im on the stuff, it will have done in the few hours previous!

      Whats it like for landing kickers? I'm imaging unsuitable for releaseables?


      This is the park btw - this is waht colour the Liberty park will turn to in time!

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHyY5xzIFy8

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      • #4
        We had guys using both release and non-release bindings on our trips. ALPs as well as BWPs were used with release bindings and I cannot remember a single situation where it ever became an issue.

        After a couple of hits on the kicker you feel as comfortable as you do on snow. Most of us just hit the jump once to feel it out and were able to cruise right into regular riding almost immediately.

        The only issue you may run into with your boards is a slight separation of edges due to warm moisture content. Skiboards, in any manner, are not meant to take hours and hours of continuous abuse from warm moisture. If you are riding for only several hours this won't be a problem for you. If you were spending upwards of 30+ hours on a snowflex slope you may run into a minor problem, but otherwise you should see no change in your skiboards.

        On both of my Liberty Snowflex Centre trips I used a pair of BWPs that I had ridden for most of last season. My riding time at Liberty totaled at four days with eight hours per day and my boards were still completely functional. I was very abusive to the boards, took a few really bad falls, pounding on the boards edges and tips, and they still came out in good shape. I personally accredit the incredible design and durability that carries the Revel8 name. But, that aside, the slopes should not ruin your boards.

        I think all who had the chance to ride at Liberty will agree that just the mere opportunity to have some off-snow training is something not to be passed up. Good luck and have fun.
        I'm a snollerblader.

        Go big or go home.

        "Just keep on doin' it if you love it. If you don't, scram!" - Angel Soto, SFA, 1996


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        • #5
          ah bloom your so much more articulate than me. but i second what he was saying you will love it man. everyone got at least one new trick when we went. its so nice to figure stuff out.


          matt

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          • #6
            Cheers boys, knew I could count on this forum for good advice!

            I hadn't actually considered the edge seperation thing, although I'm only planning on being down there for an hour or two out of interest in the size of this kicker - we have a snowdome twenty mins in the other direction but they only ever build small kickers and big gaps for some reason best known to themselves...

            they also have a 1/4 pipe, which is something i used to do on a skateboard but have never tried on skiboards, thinking I might be abl to try some stalls.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by matthew View Post
              ah bloom your so much more articulate than me. but i second what he was saying you will love it man. everyone got at least one new trick when we went. its so nice to figure stuff out.


              matt
              word.
              i hit my biggest jump.
              hopefully i can get some spins down this season =)
              2011 Receptor Gold on 2010 KTP and DLP

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              • #8
                Yeah so I went down today, was ok. Spent about 90 mins there, the first 30-45 mins were just getting my bearings on the snowflex, after that was able to try out the kickers. Problem was more getting speed up than anything else, but there was a real bad headwind at the top of the slope - a couple of times I'd be bracing myself against it as I was about to drop in and it'd suddenly stop when I was perched over the edge.

                Sprinklers were no problem, only issue in that respect was that there was a really nice sorta 'hip' but there was a dodgy 'knuckle' on the approach to it.

                Ddin't try out the 1/4 pipe as I really couldn't work out an approach that'd give me enough speed without having to negotiate a ridge that was forming the end of the mogul track, got some really nice kicks off that though. The rails weren't set out but they were slopeside and I was told I was welcome to use them if I wanted, but as I was the only person on the slope and they were all pretty long I thought I'd be too knackered to use them after moving 'em!

                Only real dissapointment was that there was far too much effort involved in getting from the top of the lift to the three 'drop in' points, it was obviously clear that they get so few people on two planks rather than one that they don't bother with upkeep of the dendex on this area, there was massive bare bits and tangled wire everywhere

                From what the bloke was telling me I don't think snowflex would do so well in most parts of the world, you really need the right climate and water. The hills and dales of Yorkshire have lots of rain, little warmth and pure water. Apparently the slope in Northern France has serious issues with chalk in the water which clogs up the sprinkler system and leaves you stuck in your tracks, and they've had problems with salt water infiltrating the systems when they've tested in some coastal locations.

                But yeah, good day, although after a summers lounging about 90mins felt like a full day!

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