Board Exam: Lib Tech Mark Landvik Phoenix 2010/2011 Snowboard Review

What the rep said: Stiff, wide and not much sidecut. Point it and hang on.

Stats/Setup: I'm checking in at 6'1" and 165#. I rode the Lando in a 157 Wide with 32 Focus Boa Boots (size 10.5) and Union Force SL Bindings at Mt. Hood Meadows.

Conditions: Boot-top pow and soft groomers

First impression: Two-headed cobra. Awesome!

The Ride: I only got one run. After what the rep said, I decided not to hold back. The board did just what it was meant to do: charge. High-speed, big-radius turns were made for this board. Crud? What crud? Like any assassin, it goes by two names. Those are 'stability' and 'dampness.' If it were a Mexican assassin it would have a third name, but I don't know how to say 'merciless' in Spanish.

View all the gory details over at Lib's site

Anyway, the more you put into this board, the more you get out. But you better be ready. Prepare to overshoot your everyday jumps because it pops like that. Prepare to run into lifties because you can't stop. Check that, prepare to run into waitresses. In the upstairs restaurant. That's how hard this board charges.

Don't worry about pressing, buttering, dancing or getting out of the way. Some avoid, some get avoided. When you're on this board, you'll know you're role.

Bottom Line: Charge!! Not exactly a board for beginners.

Similar Boards: Burton Supermodel X, Salomon Burner
(I kinda wish I had those reviews back. I'd charge harder...)

Board Exam: 2010/2011 Arbor Cascade Snowboard Review

What the rep said: An all-mountain board. This board has the Mountain System: parabolic rocker (more rocker between the inserts, less rocker outside of 'em), grip tech (a sidecut that adds contact points underfoot) and other stuff that made my mind wander to the mountain. Also, this board is similar to the Arbor Coda, but a little softer flexing. Finally, the Cascade has base graphics done by contest winner Dan Burns and it's only available at REI.

Stats/Setup: I'm checking in around 6'1" and 165# wearing size 10.5, 32 Focus Boa boots inside Union Force SL bindings. I rode the board (a 161) at a demo day at Mt. Hood Meadows.

Conditions: Boot-top powder and soft groomers

First impression: Classic Arbor wood topsheet, average weight

The Ride: This is my first experience with full-length rocker and the first thing I noticed was the instant press-ability. This stick lets you get waaaay back. As a consequence, it's less poppy and the pop engages later. Once I adjusted to the rocker, I found this lively board at home with its fellow trees. With full-length rocker and some extra length on the nose, it should do well in powder. I didn't get a chance to dive into anything substantial, but it did fine in the few inches we had.

Rockered boards can get a little squirrelly underfoot and the Cascade is no exception. A nice longitudinal flex pattern kept this to a minimum while preserving turn initiation. 

Another sacrifice was stability at speed, which kept me from testing many high-speed turns. The one flat-out, toe-side turn I arced felt like riding a mechanical bull. The Grip Tech sidecut holds through short- and mid-radius turns and engages subtly without grabbing. I liked it better than a radial sidecut, but the runs weren't icy, either.

Bottom Line: Fun to butter and cruise around with. It might be an all-mountain board, if you live in the Mid-West. Otherwise you'd want to look for something a bit more damp that could handle speed better. The reps said that's it's bro, the Arbor Coda.

Similar Boards: Lib Tech Skate Banana

Arbor Cascade, available only at REI

Baker Banked Slalom Day 1: Qualify Today and Shred Pow Tomorrow

 

Just wakin' up in the mornin', gotta thank God

Nothing says variable weather quite like the Legendary Banked Slalom. Hell, they've canceled the thing before, so I should be happy. The snow level was at the lower parking lot and stayed there most of the day. Just one spitting of rain came through that I felt. Other than that, the clouds rolled in and out, the snow came and went, the wind iced my face and then fell silent. As far as the stuff on the ground, if it was a song by Disturbed, it would be Down With the Thickness. The stuff was tough. The top six to eight inches was a step away from being too hard to ride through. Also, the stability wasn't exactly rock-solid, so it didn't break my heart that the snow was mediocre. After a couple hours of slackcountry we ditched the packs and finished off the day on groomers.  I think I heard my legs cheering. Most valuable tool to have at Baker: a friendly local. Not even close. Things like, 'Don't go left or you will have to swim out' or 'Don't go right or you'll wish you had wings' make a guide invaluable. Thanks, Martin! That's all I can say or they might not have me back...

I could stop typing, this says it all.

Some gates were set up on the hill, too, so I decided to check that out. I'm not much of a competitor, but why would you race in such a weird, up and down, zig-zag line? I kid, I kid. The LBS course was kickin'. Good coverage made some deep banks, some deep ruts and a couple special features. As I mentioned yesterday the final corner this year is The Gravitron. Riders have a roller option to air into the final 180-degree, downhill, right-hander. Word was the gates before it were iced over from all the speed checking. The other gate that is eating people up is the fourth blue gate. A combo of ice, tightness and maybe a lack of banking is giving folks the old heave-ho. About half of the riders I watched at that spot hit the deck. The Blue Cheese!

It happens to plenty of guys, Colin...

The Gravitron cannot be confined to one picture.

I'll hit it with video tomorrow.

Tomorrow, more of the same. Another try at qualification will set Sunday's finals field. The weather's looking to hold steady tomorrow, so look for a hard and fast course and some good conditions for those of us looking to hike for turns. Demos start tomorrow, so get up here and try out the super, next level type gear. If you want all the LBS info go to the source and you'll know when we all know. You know, except for those of us who are actually here. Like you should be.

Holidays, New Year and Then Some

We're officially into it, the teens. I expect it to be awkward. Change. Growth. Distractions. Just like any decade, I guess. Hell, I'm already 1 for 1 on writing checks, how bad could it be!?

This was actually my first holiday season without contact with my family. I've been stuck in airports and on trains for Christmas, but I always managed to find a way home. This year, I just decided to forgo the whole long-distance winter travel to a small town in the middle of nowhere scenario. Instead I went to Sunriver, OR where my friend and his family rented a vacation house for the week. I got to Skype with my family, which of course turned into my six year-old niece goofing off for the camera and precluding any real conversation. The family vibe was high at the rental home and it was packed with 14 of us, so it felt like 'home for the holidays' for sure. The bonus was two days of snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor, just an hour's drive away. Peep the pixels.

12/23 - The first day Northwest Express was running

12/24 - the first day Summit Express was running
Gotta get those lifts running by Christmas and we were there to use 'em!

After four days of Christmas cheer it was back home to Portland for a tic and then up to Bellingham, WA with my girlfriend for our traditional New Year's festivities: shredding Baker for New Year's Eve and ringing in the decade at a warm, boozy house party. This year that meant I got to hang out with some friends I met up in Baldface last year. Snowboard friends become good friends quickly and it's been great hanging out with Martin, Jeff, Jesse and all the rest over this past year. There's nobody I'd rather ring the new year in with than my girl and some of my best new friends.

With that, here we are. 2010. Keep reading the blog and dropping your comments. I can promise you nothing but the best of my abilities, which hopefully improve throughout time. Got anything you want to hear about, let me know. I've got a handful of board demos to tell you about in the coming days and another board demo to attend this weekend. This one's only Burton boards though. What should I try? I'd like to check out some different cambers, a Malolo if it's powdery, something jibby and loose to round things out.

Also coming up quick is my Level 1 Avalanche certification. My kit is complete except the beacon and a good pack. Which reminds me, I'll be introducing you to a custom backpack maker, too. He just happens to be my cousin.

After that, the Legendary Banked Slalom at Baker. More good times with the crew up there. Followed by an epic, three-stop shred trip: Salt Lake, Aspen and Jackson. Any of you live in those areas or have advice thereto, let me hear it. Especially Jackson, I'm going in with nothing but some lift ticket vouchers. Not quite seat of the pants, but not quite fully clothed either, if you smell what I'm stepping in. Baldface comes next, speaking of epic. That's about as far ahead as I plan. Some 'maybes' in there: North Face Masters at Crystal Mountain, Level 2 Avalanche certification, Ride Shakedown at Snowqualmie. Lots going down and I'll be sure to tell you all about it. Just like I told you about Cambodia. Yeah, you thought I forgot. I'm working on some big things there. Here's a taste.

Anybody ever see Tomb Raider? I haven't but apparently this tree figures in a scene.
Ta Prohm, Angkor Province, Cambodia

Here's to the best year yet. May all your powder be deep and safe. May your landings be as solid as your joints. And may you always have the prefect words when recounting your tales of deep powder and solid landings!