AKB

How's it going guys? Finishing up a deployment with the Marine Corps infantry here soon and I'm already getting stoked for Winter '09, even though '08 has barely even started.

Looking for some opinions on my setup that I'm looking at for next year, and some advice on bindings. Really, I need advice on boots too.

So I guess I'm looking for advice on a new setup, minus the board, lol

Stats:
6 foot 8
225 pounds
Size 14 foot, but a lot of boots will fit a little snug at 13 which is fine because they pack out

I currently ride an '06 Never Summer Revolver 161 and I just sold an Arbor Roundhouse 167.

My home mountain is Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, AK which is where I'll be heading back to after the desert.

General riding style is free riding, lots of steeps and deeps and I like to hit natural kickers and drops. Not a lot of park or constructed jumps, and then I'll also hit the backcountry a few times a year, although it's usually hiking trips.

I'd rate my ability level at somewhere between intermediate and advanced.

The board that I've decided on for next year is the Lib Tech Skunk Ape BTX 162. After riding the Revolver and the Roundhouse I decided that I much prefer a shorter board, despite how big I am. So I figured somewhere between a 161 and 164 would be perfect, and low and behold there's the 162 Skunk Ape. Perfection.

Anyway, the biggest thing I need help on now is picking out some boots and bindings. The last boots I owned were the Burton Hails, and they weren't bad except that they started to shred apart at the heel from being taken on and off, which I thought was pretty shoddy. I'm looking for something stiffer than that because I have pretty weak ankles and need the extra support, and it needs to come in a 13/14.

Bindings I obviously need something that can accommodate a large boot and I'd really prefer a toe cap and a high back. They seem to do well for stopping heel lift(remember, weak thin ankles means it's hard to get my feet to stay in place).

Cool, I think that's it. I'll probably buy sometime in the April area, when all the big sales hit the online shops, at least for the bindings and the board. Boots can wait until next winter when I can buy them in person.

Thanks guys, any advice is greatly appreciated!

I'

jmacphee9

if i was an iraqi and saw a 6'8 man with a fully auto coming at me i would shit my pants.

but the hails are a strict park boot, possibly the softest you can get actually. you should look for something stiffer for freeride. i wear celsius cirrus and i have nothing but praise for them. cls8 is there stiffest model, the cirrus is also pretty stiff too but they have really fluid flex in my opinion.

bindings, with what you described there are honestly thousands of options lol. i like my flow nxts...cartels are a solid binding as well, pretty stiff. next year i think im going to get some union contacts though, they are making some real nice stuff right now..

AKB

I didn't realize that most bindings could handle 13/14 boots. That's awesome. That will make it mad easier to find something I'm happy with, plus it opens up clearance sales =)

I'll take a look at the celsius stuff, never heard of them before but that doesn't mean much

jmacphee9

this is there 5th season, small rider owned company making great stuff. i have yet to hear a bad review. one of my buddies is still in season 1s cirruses...alot of bindings can handle 14s nowadays, my flows say 14+ i think..
you can also look into burtons with shrinkage tech. a size 13 will have the footprint of a size 12.

jimmerjammermrk

Look at Salomon and Northwave boots. They make some really nice boots and have many models on the stiffer side.

In search for I

First of all, Welcome and I would like to thank you for your service, and the sacrifices you have made for your country. So I take it your contract ran out during your deployment and you are done with the Marines? When you get back to Ak throw me a PM and I'll go riding with ya.

The boards you picked are great choices, the only advice I can give you is from my experience of 17 years of riding. I have always had good luck with DC and Forum boots, tough as nails, comfortable and warm. As far as bindings go I use Drakes, I have let a few of my large footed friends use a couple sets after they complained about not geting enough adjustment out of thiers and not being able to fully accomodate thier huge feet. My buddy has 15's and he said he has never ridden a more comfortable set and he was using my SuperSports.

Just my 2cents.

BigC_ 13

gotta give a nod to the cartels for bindings, i'm riding a pair of '08 cartels on my all mountian board and love them, I have size 15 boots and they adjust far enough and fit nice and snug. And they have toecaps and highbacks, just what you were looking for.

legallyillegal

This year's CLS8 is one of Celsius' softer boots.

Hails aren't super soft, but they're not made for freeride. Ions or Rulers for that.

__________________

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AKB

Okay, so I'm still looking at boots, but it looks like most of the stiffer freeride boots only come in up to 13's. So let's hope that when I'm trying boots on this fall I can find some thirteens that feel like they'll pack out nicely. Saloman Malamutes and F24's are apparently good choices for big feet, so I'll definitely take a look at them.

Now I have a board question:

Doing some more research, what is the difference between the GNU Rider's Choice BTX Wide and the Skunk Ape BTX? They seem to be the same except the graphic on the GNU is way sicker(imo).

Also, the NS Legacy-R. Is the RC and Vario-Grip basically the same thing as the BananaTech and Magnetraction? Or is it something different? My little brother has the '06 Legacy, before the R stuff, and it's a pretty sick board, and my Revolver was badass, so I'm curious now. Damn time on the internet always makes me question myself.

markee

MTX and Vario are different tech but accomplish the same thing, more grip. MTX increases the number of contact points on a board from 2 to 7, whereas Vario just changes the sidecut radius along the effective edge (steeper near the contact points, straight in the middle).

Banana tech and RC are almost the same. Both have a rockered section between the bindings, but banana has a flat section between each insert and its adjacent contact point while RC has a cambered section.

Bunch of ppl on the internet, and everyone argues over which tech is more dialed in. Hopefully someone can come in here and post about an on-snow comparison of both tech.