SIA Day 1: Brain Rush

Just a giant blue bear looking in. Act natural. Check out my wares.

This is the first year I've ever attended the monstrous snowsports industry trade show known as SIA. It's intense. Not a great time for my wi-fi and phone to be flaking out because there are so many pictures to share, but I guess they'll have to come over a longer period of time. Follow me on twitter (@boredyak) and instagram (boredyak) if you want the up to the second updates. Here are some themes popping up this year.

Backcountry safety. Several different groups are getting out the message that we need to do more on this front. I'm fully backing AIARE's Project Zero. The goal: reduce avalanche fatalities to zero. The process: cohesive messaging across the industry with all stakeholders involved. This is nothing short of a full commitment by the entire industry to save lives. The process will be long, but nothing is more important. To that end everyone from Jeremy Jones to Glen Plake to Dean Cummings came out to speak at the specially constructed backcountry experience booth.   The message: get educated and be good stewards of the backcountry. Take responsibility and take care.

Board shapes. It's so refreshing to come out and see all the brands, big and small, toying and tinkering with different shapes. Base beveling is spreading. Think Bataleon's Triple Base. Here's a tiny - yet not so tiny - taste.

The limited run, noboard-only, Johan Olofsson-designed Venture Powder Pig.

There's too much to list it all right now. Name a brand and they have new shit. That's just what happens. Every year. Jones has a carbon Hovercraft splitboard. You have to hold it to understand how light it is. A new backpack manufacturer called Orion Packs is entering the space with a line of minimalist backcountry packs and big plans to expand. Another 'new exhibitor,' Adidas Snowboarding. Giro is debuting an innovative line of multiple-impact helmets. Everywhere you turn there's a new camber profile. Still. K2's Lifted line has my attention. Oh, and the graphics. Here's one that stopped me in my spot, speaking of K2.

The whole Happy Hour line has photo bases with incredible depth.

Like I said, though, lots of material and long hours/days. Check twit-stagram for the hyper-news and check back here for the details as the show goes on and beyond. Don't forget at the end of it all, we get two days of on-snow time to demolish the new gear. Any requests? Just leave them in the comments.

SIA Bound

No plane, just rain

I'm headed to the future of snowboarding. Slowly. Denver is the destination and the Snowsports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show. Right now I'm stuck at the airport with an hour delay, but free wi-fi. My question to you, fair reader, is a simple one. What do you want to see from this crystal ball? What would be the first booth you checked out if you were at the show?

I'm there for four days of convention crawling and two days of on-snow demos, so I'll have a good chance to see all of 2014. I'm sure by the end I'll be checking out handmade children's ski gear from Botswana. Or maybe I'll be rushing to fit in all the good stuff.

Did I mention it's my first time at this snow sports spectacular? Yep. Exciting. Stay tuned to the blog, the twitter (@boredyak) and the instagram (boredyak) for all the updates. 

Board Exam: 2012/2013 Capita NAS Snowboard Review

What the Rep Said: It's a normal-ass snowboard. Directional twin, camber and a progressive sidecut.

First Impressions: It's blue and now I have Nas songs stuck in my head. Average weight underfoot. This is my football field.

But what's the waist width!? Learn from Capita.

Stats/Setup: I was 6'1" (185 cm) and 162 pounds (73.5 kg) when I rode the Capita NAS 159 at Mt. Bachelor. I rounded out the setup with Union Force SL bindings with Salomon Dialogue boots inside (men's size 9.5 [27.5 cm])

Conditions: Soft, packed-powder groomers with boot-top fresh off the groom and still snowing. Not bluebird, but Grey Goose and a whole lotta hydro.

The Ride: Right off the lift, I'm struck by how much this feels like my 2001 Option Kevin Sansalone. It's medium-stiff. I would agree with Capita's assessment of 7 of 10 (10 being tree trunk, 1 being wet leaf). I'd probably like it better at a 6.

You will notice the pop. You will also notice (if you're used to any sort of reverse camber) that the moment the board pops is different. It reacts sooner and stronger. You put more effort into it and you get more air in return (the negative is that it also takes more effort to press and butter). When you land, you'll also notice the difference. The NAS is stable underfoot regardless of how off-center you come down.

Same thing goes for the turns. My demo day was soft with few chunks or ice patches around. Edge hold and dampness weren't tested as fully as they usually are here in the northwest. That said, the NAS didn't care about its vanilla sidecut. It eased into turns smoothly and quickly, held on through the gut and powered to the next.

It also charges like a bull at speed. Not surprised at all it performs well at the Baker Banked Slalom.

The powder wasn't exactly challenging. As with most boards that aren't pow specific, you'll want to size the NAS up or set the bindings back. It will do fine.

I didn't go near a rail. It would have meant traversing. Not this day.

Nas's landmark album Illmatic dropped the same year as Volcom's video The Garden. The Capita NAS would have been right at home in 1994, too.

Bottom Line: This is a normal-ass snowboard. You might call it 'old-school,' but if you've ever watched any old snowboard movies, chances are they're all riding boards similar to the Capita NAS. People still slayed it hard back then. They rode pow and did sick nosepresses. You can do these things on cambered boards. Give it a shot, you might find that old's cool.

Awards: 2x Transworld Good Wood

Similar Boards: Stiffer boards of the pre-2006 era.

Board Exam: 2012/2013 GNU Impossible A.S.S. Pickle

What the Rep Said: Symmetrical tip to tail (twin tip), but not edge to edge. Not only is it a deeper sidecut on the heelside, but the contact points are closer together also. Your body is asymmetric, your board should be, too. Elliptical C2 camber means more rocker between your feet and less near the inserts.

First Impressions: Just looking at it, it's hard to notice the sidecut difference. Weird and wavy graphic. Average to below average weight.

Any questions? Ask GNU!

Stats/Setup: I'm 6'1" and about 162 pounds as of this demo. I rode the Gnu Impossible Asymmetrical Symmetrical Synchronized Pickle in a 155 with Salomon Dialogue boots (men's 9.5) and Union Force SL bindings at Mt. Bachelor.

Conditions: Packed powder groomers, up to boot-top pow off the groom, snowing

The Ride: The asymmetrical sidecuts were quite subtle on the snow, but they translated to a real ease of turn initiation. Both heelside and toeside turns came quickly at all angles of attack.

As always the Magne-Traction didn't disappoint, holding on to all turns. Granted, the snow was soft that day and it was less icy and choppy than your standard Pacific northwest winter day.

The EC2 camber profile is a good blend of rocker and camber with the most pronounced rocker at the waist, then mellowing toward the inserts as it transitions into the camber zones at the tips. This means easy presses and a more skatey feel but a little less stability and pop than Mervin's C2 or similar profiles. Gnu calls it a flex of 6, but I'd say it's closer to 5 out of 10 (10 being a fence post, 1 being a fence wire)

Though the powder wasn't too deep, the Pickle performed well for it's size. There's no reason to think it wouldn't hold it's own on a deep day with a little setback.

As per usual, I didn't test this board on rails.

Bottom Line: I couldn't get my hands on a 159, which would be my preferred size of this board, but the 155 was impressive enough. I feel like this board would be great for all ability levels. A beginner get's the forgiveness, easy turn initiation and edge hold. A more advanced rider appreciates the park skill set. This is a board that can grow with a rider. If only it didn't retail at $800.

Awards: The Gnu Impossible A.S.S. Pickle won 2013 Transworld Good Wood and Snowboard Magazine Platinum Picks awards.

Similar Boards: Never Summer EVO

Missing Snowboarder Found Alive in Casino

I gotta believe this kind of thing happens all the time.

A missing snowboarder who prompted an all-night search at Heavenly Ski Resort was found safe and sound at a Lake Tahoe casino.

OK, maybe not the all-night search part, but the 'Where the hell is my friend? Oh, there he is playing poker,' part.

Rescuers searched throughout the night in snow, wind and avalanche danger. More than 75 people were involved in the search that included two helicopters. The cost is estimated $40,000.

It's gonna take more than a hot streak at the dice tables to erase that one. Next time, pick a meeting place and keep your cell phone on. Full story here.

Gear Review: Remind Insoles The Solution Liner

Boots are the most important part of your snowboard kit. Nothing will send you limping to the lodge faster than a pair of ill-fitting kicks. So what do you do when your favorite boots pack out and turn into your worst nightmare? Check out Remind Insoles' new liners: The Solution.

Let Remind give you the stinky details.

Function: Get ready for support. The Solution is for riders seeking a stiffer flex with extra arch support. They come with Remind Insoles wich have more support and cushioning than your stock insoles, too. This all adds up to more support than you're used to from snowboard boot liners.

These liners are extra-easy to install, too. In the two pairs of boots I tried, it was harder to pull out the old liner than it was to put the new one in. This with no extra heel lift. The liner remains locked to the boot shell and your heel stays seated in the liner. 

If you have boots where the liners are fused to the boot shell, obviously, The Solution will not fit. You need to be able to remove your old liners to insert these. They do, however, work with boots that have the liner laces attached to the shell, like the 32 Focus Boas pictured below. You end up with two sets of liner laces, but it still works. Tighten as many of them as you need.

Whatever you do, don't cut the red wire!

One spot where The Solution could use some work is on the liner lace. I feel like they have a futuristic liner with a lace from the past. Small potatoes, but it's something they could improve for next year. Maybe a lock-down more like Salomon uses.

I didn't do any long-term testing, but Remind claims these liners never pack out. I tested them about 10 days and some other liners would pack out a little in that time, but The Solution didn't. The did break in a little and get more flexible, but the internal volume feels the same. Speaking of which, these liners feature a snug heel with a slightly roomier forefoot. Comfy.

Oh yeah, I broke out the food scale and weighted these bad boys (and my girlfriend just busted me for it). The Solution came in at 10 3/8 oz., the Salomon at 12 1/8 and the 32 at 9 1/4. All numbers are per liner with insole. Of course, 32 has the lace attached to the boot and the others' are attached to the liner. Not the sort of weight you're going to notice, unless you're that guy who obsesses over that stuff. You know that guy. Don't be that guy.

Speaking of the food scale, Remind touts the antimicrobial properties of the fabric used for both The Solution and their insoles. I didn't hear the microbes rioting, but I did ride three days in a row in them and still drove home without a clothespin over my nose. Full disclosure: I also used these every night. Regardless, they passed the sniff test at the end of the day.

Fashion: The Solution is actually about as fashionable as a boot liner - an article that's made to be covered up while in use - can be. They are bright red inside and the insoles (reviewed separately) come in an array of art and color. Floating eyeballs, yetis, tie dye; none are bland. The red beacon will let you know which boots are yours at a crowded cabin from down the hallway and across the living room. The insole art will be a nice little personal gift when you slide into and out of your boots.

Bottom Line: If you have jacked up feet and need extra support, The Solution is for you. For me, it was more support than I needed, so I went back to my Salomon liners with the Remind Cush insoles in them. Perfect. If the liner packs out any more, I know where to find The Solution.