Official 2015-2016 Ski/Snowboard Season Thread!

[asp integra]

Also, Godzilla El Nino predicted for this winter, don't know how this will affect us, but looks good for Cali areas http://unofficialnetworks.com/2015/0...016-ski-season

[GQBalla]

any good deals around for snowboards?

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by GQBalla
any good deals around for snowboards?

Source sale but IMHO it's not really good deals. It's the same deals you could have gotten back in May with less inventory...

Some of the soft goods are on for good prices but most of the hard goods are pretty much the same price as they were in May.

[asp integra]

Revy is putting in a park, maybe they know something about the El Nio we don't


http://freeskier.com/the-wire/revels...w-terrain-park

[dubhead]

Originally posted by GQBalla
any good deals around for snowboards?

thinkempire.com usually has lots on clearance this time of year

[silvercivicsir]

Get a Lib-tech Banana Magic... I bought me a new one in April, can't wait to try her out..

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by silvercivicsir
Get a Lib-tech Banana Magic... I bought me a new one in April, can't wait to try her out..

IMHO lib tech banana anything is over hyped and too pricy for what you are getting. Not to mention their notorious issues with top sheet delam. Just buy something with the camber profile you are looking for and get something on the cheaper end of things. A 200$ vs 700$ snowboard it really doesn't make much of a difference. Get better boots/bindings.

Pretty hyped on the revy terrain park though At least there will be something to do now when it's not snowing or raining on the base.

[silvercivicsir]

I would totally disagree with you on this.. it's like comparing a Focus RS to a base model Honda Civic. Sure they will get both to point B, but the tech in the higher end Snowboards is worth the money in my opinion.

a $200 sport check special vs a high end Burton, Lib-tech, or GNU are completely different. But I agree spend the money on a good pair of Boots.. Nothing worse than cold and sore feet to ruin your day on the mountain.

Originally posted by mazdavirgin


IMHO lib tech banana anything is over hyped and too pricy for what you are getting. Not to mention their notorious issues with top sheet delam. Just buy something with the camber profile you are looking for and get something on the cheaper end of things. A 200$ vs 700$ snowboard it really doesn't make much of a difference. Get better boots/bindings.

Pretty hyped on the revy terrain park though At least there will be something to do now when it's not snowing or raining on the base.

[flipstah]

Gloves>Boots>Board>Bindings

My ride made a big difference going to a stiffer boot. But I had to learn what I needed to have to make my ride better.

Time to get my GNU board waxed and tuned.

[mazdavirgin]

Originally posted by silvercivicsir
I would totally disagree with you on this.. it's like comparing a Focus RS to a base model Honda Civic. Sure they will get both to point B, but the tech in the higher end Snowboards is worth the money in my opinion. A $200 sport check special vs a high end Burton, Lib-tech, or GNU are completely different.

I've ridden plenty of expensive boards and cheap boards. Frankly I've never felt like my board has ever held me back in terms of what I can do on the mountain. It's always been a question of needing more days out AKA more skill.

At the moment I'm ridding so called sport check specials AKA 200$ park boards. Pretty sure that if I had bought a 700$ lib tech park board my park skills would be pretty much exactly the same. Unfortunately buying a more expensive board doesn't make you a better snowboarder. Wish it did but spinning a FS/BS 5 feels the same on a sport check special as it does on a 700$ lib tech deck. Just feels a lot better though when you snap your sport check board vs wrecking something in the 700$ range.

As long as the board is the right size everything else is pretty much minor details.

[g-m]

Originally posted by jacky4566
Redlyne_mr2 I have a Japan trip booked for Feb 14-27. When are you going?

I'm going Feb 6 to 21. Where are you g guys going? I wouldn't mind hitting the Japan alps this time, mostly stayed on Hokkaido last year. Niseko was sick though

[Redlyne_mr2]

haven't booked yet but thinking around the same time frame as g_m. I was thinking about the Aomori prefecture in the upon most north section of the large island.

Can anyone here suggest the best resort/slack country skiing for powder? I've heard niseko is awesome but can get tracked out.

[jacky4566]

Originally posted by g-m
I'm going Feb 6 to 21. Where are you g guys going? I wouldn't mind hitting the Japan alps this time, mostly stayed on Hokkaido last year. Niseko was sick though

We are booked for Feb 14 - 28. Ill send you my schedule PM.

Redlyne_mr2 if you went as well maybe we should do a beyond meet in Japan ? Rental racing anyone?

[dubhead]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin


I've ridden plenty of expensive boards and cheap boards. Frankly I've never felt like my board has ever held me back in terms of what I can do on the mountain. It's always been a question of needing more days out AKA more skill.

At the moment I'm ridding so called sport check specials AKA 200$ park boards. Pretty sure that if I had bought a 700$ lib tech park board my park skills would be pretty much exactly the same. Unfortunately buying a more expensive board doesn't make you a better snowboarder. Wish it did but spinning a FS/BS 5 feels the same on a sport check special as it does on a 700$ lib tech deck. Just feels a lot better though when you snap your sport check board vs wrecking something in the 700$ range.

As long as the board is the right size everything else is pretty much minor details.

I have 4 boards in rotation right now and I assure you they all ride waaaaay different sure I can throw down on anything under my feet but still love the ride of a quality board vs cheap one. (I think we beat this to death last year though)

That being said I would never pay MSRP since most boards, boots and bindings don't change a lot yet over year.

Boots, base layer, board,----------->binding offin a distant last place they'll all pretty much the same.

[asp integra]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
haven't booked yet but thinking around the same time frame as g_m. I was thinking about the Aomori prefecture in the upon most north section of the large island.

Can anyone here suggest the best resort/slack country skiing for powder? I've heard niseko is awesome but can get tracked out.

pm'd

[g-m]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
haven't booked yet but thinking around the same time frame as g_m. I was thinking about the Aomori prefecture in the upon most north section of the large island.

Can anyone here suggest the best resort/slack country skiing for powder? I've heard niseko is awesome but can get tracked out.

Niseko is awesome, people really are risk adverse, tons of amazing skiing. Risutsu or however you spell it is good too. I wasn't impressed by anything else on Hokkaido. I want to hit Honshu north as well.

Originally posted by jacky4566


We are booked for Feb 14 - 28. Ill send you my schedule PM.

Redlyne_mr2 if you went as well maybe we should do a beyond meet in Japan ? Rental racing anyone?

We're still in the early stages, I'll send you a PM when we're more locked down, next week. Furano is really good out of bounds so long as you're allowed, and it snows. Otherwise it's horrible, as we found out. High winds closed the top lifts so even though we were willing to defy the bans, we couldn't. Asahi'dake was pretty cool to summit but not enough vert

[dubhead]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
haven't booked yet but thinking around the same time frame as g_m. I was thinking about the Aomori prefecture in the upon most north section of the large island.

Can anyone here suggest the best resort/slack country skiing for powder? I've heard niseko is awesome but can get tracked out.

We had cars which made it super easy to access the backcountry behind Niesiko but even without there is tons of easy lift accessed slackcountry.

A popular route is to buy a single use ticket then ski/ride back to the Onsen at the top of the pass behind Niesko then there's a bunch of easy little tours from there. Stop at the Onsen on before touring back over to the resort.

We also did Yotei which was way over my fitness level but worth it for sure. Crampons are definitely helpful on this one the top half is wind swept bullet proof hell.

Asahidaki was pretty cool riding on an active volcano was sweet. It was way to socked in to stray too far. It's also super laid back with only a handful of people around which made for some nice relaxing at the end of our trip

[g-m]

Did you ski the crater on Yotei? We had a perfect day but chose to ski lift access retain instead for more laps

[dubhead]

Originally posted by g-m
Did you ski the crater on Yotei? We had a perfect day but chose to ski lift access retain instead for more laps

Unfortunately we did not, was getting late by the time we got up and there was some questionable looking weather rolling in so decided against it.

[mazdavirgin]