[Matted0364]

howdy folks, (re)introducing myself and asking for the usual piece of advice I had an account here years ago but forgot the password, cancelled the domain for that email and.. well, might as well start fresh.

I'm in Vancouver BC and when I moved here in 2008, snowboarding was high on the priority list. Went up a bunch in the first few years, then life and work took over and things dwindled. I think I might have used my last setup once or twice before putting it away in the closet!

I was probably on the threshold between beginner and intermediate back then and I'd say I'll be going all the way back to basics.

I've got a 2013 GNU Carbon Credit and some old DC boots (Sabre maybe, 2010ish?). Both are almost new.. I remember buying that board as my previous noodle stick was a suuuuper soft jib thing that I kept catching edges and eating shit on. The Carbon Credit was almost impossible to catch an edge, but I also clearly remember not being super happy with how loose it was on "edge". Every turn was a skidded out thing rather than nice smooth linked turns.

The boots fit ok (tight on the big toe..), the board is ok.. I guess I'm just wondering if anything major changed in the last decade. I'm inclined to go up, use what I've got and see if I stick with it, but also not opposed to grabbing a new board and boots if the general opinion is that the latest gear would make things more enjoyable.

Cheers!

 

[Surgeon]

Welcome back!

A lot has changed in the last decade in many many aspects. Boots have gotten better, boot-fitting is now more recognized as something important (go read the threads about boot fitting in the boot sub-forum), bindings are more adjustable, boards have evolved a lot too. In short: everything continued to move forward while you were away from the sport.
However, I'm guessing that the thing that will have changed the most is you.

Your stuff is old but I'm guessing it's not decrepit, rotting and disintegrating at roughly 10 years. My advice is: go ride a day or two, see if you still enjoy your current gear and try to find out what kind of riding you want to do at this point in your life. I'm guessing that will have changed as well. That will allow you to look for the right set-up for your needs.
Maybe your abilities aren't the same as they were before... or maybe you're in better shape? Who knows? But finding out where you're at before you buy new gear is important.

You're in the Vancouver area? I'm guessing there will be demos available to you (lucky SOB). Go try a bunch of boards see if anything clicks with you.

The first thing I would do is find a pair of new boots and get properly fitted. Once that's done, demoing boards should be a blast.

Cheers!

 

[Oldman]

+1 ^

Everything he said. Great to hear you're keen to get back in the saddle. Have fun and keep us posted as to how the "comeback" progresses. Good Luck!

 

[Matted0364]

Thanks folks! Ah, I was just going through ALL the boot fitting threads haha. I do think my boots fit pretty well - they feel small putting them on, but with the arch support insoles and in a 'riding' stance, the toes are all reaaaasonably snug rather than painfully tight. And you're right, it all looks essentially new still.

Yup at nearly 40 and after so long away from the slopes, I'm not as excited as I once was about jumps and rails haha.

 

[Chern]

Surgeon said it best: the most that has changed is you. How you think you used to ride on your kit is not how you will ride after a long hiatus. Boots are the top priority. If your feet hurt, you won't enjoy riding at all. The board and bindings will determine how you ride, not IF you can ride. Your board will be fine, but did you wax it before storing it? If not, that stick is dry as a bone and needs waaaaaaxxxxx.
The biggest thing to change is the price of tickets and how to buy them. I don't think there's a mountain other than Sasquatch (Hemlock has a new name) that you can just show up at w/o a ticket and expect to get one. You could also drive to Baker. Seymour has "Power Laps" on the weekends from 8:30-10:30. 2 hours would be a great re-introduction

 

[Matted0364]

The biggest thing to change is the price of tickets and how to buy them. I don't think there's a mountain other than Sasquatch (Hemlock has a new name) that you can just show up at w/o a ticket and expect to get one. You could also drive to Baker. Seymour has "Power Laps" on the weekends from 8:30-10:30. 2 hours would be a great re-introduction

yeah that was a bit of a shocker - and honestly one of the reasons the hiatus was this long. Even before the 'vid, I remember heading up for snowshoeing with the wife on a weekend and being really turned off by the road/parking chaos. Thankfully booking a month off work so should be able to head up on weekdays to start with! Will probably start with Seymour's 3ski weekday thing and go from there!

Wax... good flag!

 

[Chern]

Weekdays are where it’s at! Two more years before I can retire and be the Mon-Fri old guy on the mountain. 3ski is a great way to get back into riding. Work those deals and ride the crap out of Seymour before moving on to Cypress. Hopefully they’ll still offer the Beach Pass again this spring. They don’t do free on your birthday anymore.

 

[foreveryoung]

I'm an old bastard having 20 years break until my kids started the sport some 4 years ago and I got back to slopes also. I was surprised how fast it all came back to me and have still evolved quite a lot in few years. It's like riding a bicycle, once you learn it your muscles will remember it. Super fun but of course age does it's things and I can definitively feel long sessions in slope the next day in my body especially as I still tend to ride pretty aggressively not remembering my age

 

[wrathfuldeity]

Welcome Back! A 64 yr old sob here, yesterday was sadly day 1 of the season. And last season only got 2 days in. It was pretty much fly down groomers non-stop from 9-2 to get back in the saddle. Though the last hour was pretty sloppy; so decided to call it a day before I really did myself in. Happy to say not feeling sore anyplace, but definitely feeling the muscle fatigue.