New Year, New Gear
My old snowboard equipment was getting on the worn side, so I thought it ways time to ante up for a whole new setup.
Ouch.
Snowboarding can be an expensive activity, even if you find ways to get discounted gear. But I’m in for it now that I’ve worn the boots a few times, and my board suffered a chip to the topsheet when an out-of-control kid slid over it. I was standing at the edge of the run-out area from a lift when I heard an awful sound. “Sorry dude,” a guy said, before shrugging and riding off. When I got home that night, I noticed a chip on the top.
The board is a Salomon Special. It is stiffer than what I am used to, but that’s by design. I washed out during my first time using it, but I’m getting accustomed to it.
I’ve also got new boots, also Salomon. They’re a bit tighter than I would like, so the other day I took them into a shop and they did some heat molding work. Briefly, they heated up a footbed and put it into the boot. I put an foam insert on the end of my toes–to make them longer–and stepped into the boot. Walking around for a bit with this arrangement packed out the front of the foot enough to make for a better fit.
Another piece of new equipment is a pair of Flow NXT-AT bindings. I’ve always said that a person either loves or hates Flows. Up until now, I’ve loved them. Now … I’m not sure. I finally have had to deal with the “pressure points” that some people have talked about with strap bindings. I wonder if the bindings are the wrong size. I had bought XL based on what I had on my old set, but these aren’t sitting well on one foot. Or maybe it’s that the boot is too small. I’m going to take my old stinky boots for a ride in the new bindings and see what happens.
Tags: bindings, snowboarding equipment, Snowboards
