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"Short Ski" Expedition 4/14/2013 -Video and Pics

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  • "Short Ski" Expedition 4/14/2013 -Video and Pics

    My friends and I had a spectacular day in the backcountry yesterday . As we were gearing up in the trailhead parking lot , a skier passing by said " Hey , are you guys the short ski expedition !" Later , after another skier watched me descend a steep line , he asked me about my Spruce 125's " Hey are those snowblades, never seen em with touring bindings !"

    Here is our playground ...


    Here is the crew ,Michael on Icelantic Scouts, Miku(Andre's dog), Andrei on Hagan 130 , Billy on Hagan 130 , Jeff on Spruce Sherpas


    I am on Spruce 125's.


    Approaching our summit ridge ...


    And here is the video ...
    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.

  • #2
    Damn, when you Cali guys take a dog for a walk, you really get into it! Nice demo of the use of poles to initiate turns on the steep at the end . . ..

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
    Crossbow (go to dream board)
    Most everything else over time.
    Go Android

    Comment


    • #3
      Thanks for sharing that - it made my morning a lot brighter! That dog rocks - who needs gear when you have 4 good paws....

      Glad to see you guys still getting out and enjoying the mountains. The snow still looked pretty decent. Good to see you giving the 125s a good backcountry workout.
      In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
      Think Like a Mountain

      Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Bluewing View Post
        ...... Good to see you giving the 125s a good backcountry workout.
        As everyone knows I have been a big fan of wide bodied skiboards , first the Spruce Sherpa and then now the Rockered Condors . I have not been on a narrower skiboard in the backcountry for several seasons . One of the things that a narrower skiboard or short ski has in spades over the uber wide bodied boards is in doing climbing traverses on steep slopes.
        Doing these climbs was a lot easier when I was on my narrower Hagan 130's and became more challenging as I switched to the wide bodied boards. It was really fun getting back on a narrower board in the new Rockered Spruce 125. I must say that the 125 design when set back in the rear inserts is just a hugely powerful backcountry skiboard. It approaches the effective float in soft snow of the Icelantic Scout or Sherpa ,but is much more nimble then either of those two boards . It has the effective float of the RC and the ability to negotiate the same nasty snow as the RC but is much easier to do climbing traverses and has much better edge control on icy firm snow . It has the nimbleness of the Hagan 130 but significantly more float , in a shorter package . The early rise rockered tips are super sweet on the 125 . Set back on the 125 you get the same icebreaker tail drop effect of the Hagan in crust but you have an additional secret weapon in the rockered tips which combine to help float and prevent tip dive . Absolutely brilliant . Combine that with the ease of a step in Fritschi touring binding and it just may pull me back into the longboard fold for backcountry riding !

        Here I am a few years back following my buddy Steve on a steep climbing traverse . I was on Hagans at the time . The Hagan is a great climber in this kind of stuff and the 125 is every bit as good ....

        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


        • #5
          Rear inserts on the 125

          I wanted to make an additional point concerning the new Spruce insert options on the 125 and why this design is so cool .
          I have experimented tons with short skis and skiboards . Before I rode the Sherpa and the Rockered Condors I strongly felt that all short skis and skiboards needed to be ridden at least 4-5 cm set back for comfortable backcountry use to avoid tip dive in crust and powder . It is very difficult to get significant set back with bar type Alpine touring bindings like the Fritschi on short skis and skiboards because you run out of thickness out back to get your binding screws in for the rear heel elevator lock down part of the binding. The way these bindings are designed make them a lot longer then regular release ski bindings. Riding boards like the Summit Marauder or the Spruce 120 with center mount Fritschi was a royal pain because of the need to get back on your heels in nasty snow . If you are dead tired from climbing with a heavy pack , it just is no fun . The Hagan is constructed to allow set back bindings but in doing so it is very thick and stiff . The Icelantic Scout is of course long enough at 143 to alllow a set back Fritschi nicely and the recommended set back on that board is 7cm back .
          The Sherpa and the RC were the first designs that let me ride comfortably center mount in the backcountry which is fabulous but part the reason they work so well that way is their uber fat design . The 125 like other narrower short skis and skiboards has too much dip dive in nasty backcountry snow from the center mount position despite it's rocker and it's assymetric shape . It just doesn't have the nice uber wide upturned 160mm shovel of the Sherpa or the RC to keep the tips up without diving , but set back on the 5cm inserts it is hugely powerful in nasty crust , the set back and the early rise rockered tips just work like magic together to get tip float and lift without massive 160 tips . Without a custom Jeff Singer Spruce touring riser there would just be no way for me to have a set back Fritschi touring binding on such a wonderful light , softly and smoothly flexing 125 skiboard . The rear inserts are a wonderful way to get set back without having to have a longer ski or uber stiff and thick short ski or skiboard .

          The next part of the plot is to get a commercial Spruce touring riser /binding combo . I am running a prototype that involves combining version 1.0 of Jeff's tray riser for Touring bindings and a plastic 1/4" lifter plate that I had fabricated. Jeff will be working on a new commercial product along these lines and hopefully I will be able to test drive a prototype next season. One of the cool things about the 125 bare board is that it is so light that adding a bit of weight to a touring binding with a Spruce riser below it , doesn't feel that heavy .
          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


          • #6
            Originally posted by jjue View Post
            As everyone knows I have been a big fan of wide bodied skiboards... Set back on the 125 you get the same icebreaker tail drop effect of the Hagan in crust but you have an additional secret weapon in the rockered tips which combine to help float and prevent tip dive . Absolutely brilliant . Combine that with the ease of a step in Fritschi touring binding and it just may pull me back into the longboard fold for backcountry riding !
            you heard it here first! The 125s might be winning Jack's heart away from the RC's!
            In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
            Think Like a Mountain

            Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

            Comment


            • #7
              Nah, just a brief affair

              Go Nexus
              Crossbow (go to dream board)
              Most everything else over time.
              Go Android

              Comment


              • #8
                What a great trip
                Again, many thanks to Jack for letting me try his dynafit-mounted Hagans!

                Some more photos and footage:
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                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Bluewing View Post
                  you heard it here first! The 125s might be winning Jack's heart away from the RC's!
                  Originally posted by valmorel View Post
                  Nah, just a brief affair

                  Go Nexus
                  LOL , you may be right Valmorel... was out today again climbing a closed ski area , nice pow at the top , turning to crust over moguls at the bottom ... the 125 was a champ climbing and descending most of the way down .. but when the crust got really nasty .... I am sure I would have had a better time on my RC's , the uber wide shape of the RC's and it's heavily rockered tips and tails really make it a lot easier for me in really bad breakable crust , i just don't catch my edges as much and get tripped up like I do on the 125.... each board has it's advantages and disadvantages ... but I am thinking I may be going back to my old faithful (RC's) ! It is really hard when you have two such fine boards vying for your affection !
                  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


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by jjue View Post
                    LOL , you may be right Valmorel... was out today again climbing a closed ski area , nice pow at the top , turning to crust over moguls at the bottom ... the 125 was a champ climbing and descending most of the way down .. but when the crust got really nasty .... I am sure I would have had a better time on my RC's , the uber wide shape of the RC's and it's heavily rockered tips and tails really make it a lot easier for me in really bad breakable crust , i just don't catch my edges as much and get tripped up like I do on the 125.... each board has it's advantages and disadvantages ... but I am thinking I may be going back to my old faithful (RC's) ! It is really hard when you have two such fine boards vying for your affection !
                    Try a similar experiment I proposed for people going back and forth between 120s and 125s - strap the 125 to one boot and the RC to the other boot - you have the best of both worlds then!
                    In pursuit of Peace, Harmony and Flow.....
                    Think Like a Mountain

                    Boards ridden, some owned: Sherpas, Spruce 120 "STS", Blunts, DS110 custom prototypes, Rockered Condors, Revolts, DLPs, Summit Custom 110s, Summit Marauders, Head 94s, Raptor prototypes, Osprey prototypes.

                    Comment

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