Steamboat Colorado, and some Board setup questions

Posted: 12 September 2011 05:41 AM

Hey all,

Hopefully, late 2012 season, I will have an opportunity to go to Steamboat Colorado and shred some pow!
I was just wondering if anybody on this forum has been there and could comment on how it is.  I have a friend who goes every year and he’s told me it’s awesome, so that’s good for starters.  May also have an opportunity to go to copper mountain or Breckinridge on the same trip so some comments on those would be awesome too!

Now I have a few questions about my setup.  I just started boarding last year and got my first set of gear then.  I have a burton bullet 160W, Burton custom bindings and Burton awol boots.  I wanted to support my local shop, and as i live in IL, Burton was about my only choice. 

I progressed well last year, and by the end of the season I was confidently carving down black diamonds, hitting some smaller kickers I’m the park and 50-50ing some boxes. 
Ive been really happy with my board all-round, but I’m just wondering if it is the right fit for me and the right board to progress on?  It happened to me several times that I was carving really hard and I leaned so far into the carve that the board just stopped gripping and I fell over Backwards!  (Pretty sure this is not my board’s fault but thought I would mention it :P).  It also just seems that my board has a tendency to wash out while carving.  It seems quite stiff for being a v-rocker

My vital stats are:
I’m 5’11”
155lbs.
US size 13 boot

Getting another board is not really an option at this point…but I just really wanted to know if this is a good board to learn on.  It’s rocker and from the reading on the internet I’ve done, camber sounds like it’s more what I’m after since I’m much more interested in high speed carving, riding transitions, and hitting jumps…not really that interested in boxes and rails.  And the conditions I will ride in are almost 100% hard pack icy groomers…living in the Midwest doesn’t give me much of a choice. :P
I’d say my interests are about 80% all mountain cruising 20% park jibs etc.

So to surmise,
Any info or tid-bits about the resorts I memtined (from people who have ridden there, etc.) would be cool.
And, Id just like to know if I’m pointed in the right direction as far as my set-up goes and if I should be looking for a board after this season..and if so which board :D

Thanks very much,
Keep on shredding!
Stevan

Posted: 12 September 2011 02:08 PM

I might add that any board suggestions will probably have to be Burton..  I like the brand and it’s the only thing my local shop sells!  I’ve really had my eye on a custom camber as a kind of “dream next board” ever since earlier this year.  Do you all think this would be a good fit for me given my interests/ the conditions I ride in?

Posted: 13 September 2011 08:10 AM

Hi Stevan,

Yeah it definitely sounds like you are pushing your the Bullet too hard, wich would explain why it is washing out. THe Bullet is designed to be soft flexing and forgiving to encourage riders to progress easily and having tons of fun. It sounds to me like you have progressed pretty quickly at least in your groomer riding so I would think moving to a firmer cambered board is where it’s at for you , as you suspected. The two cambered boards I would look at are the Honcho 158W which with a flex of three still might be a little soft for your taste but it will certainly give you more stability and edge hold than the Bullet. Alternatively you could go down the Custom route. It really is the definitive all-mountain snowboard, fun to ride and plenty of performance.

Rich

Posted: 17 September 2011 05:06 AM

Thanks for the reply Rich,
Your reply confirms what I’ve been thinking all summer.  Now for the hard part of convincing my parents to let me shell out some cash….especially since I just got the Bullet this January… I’ll probably have to get through this season on the Bullet.  I’m sure I can get a really good end of season deal on a 2012 custom next spring!

Thanks for the advice again, much appreciated
Stevan

Posted: 28 September 2011 06:02 PM

Hey Stevan,

Haven’t visited Steamboat… yet.  Keep hearing nothing but good things too, so one of these days…

Now to answer your Copper/Breck query… both are GREAT resorts, catering to all varieties of skiers and boarders.  I have boarded there over the years in pretty much all conditions - early season, peak season and late spring mush. Even though both are what I’d classifiy as large resorts, Copper feels a little “smaller” in a good way.  Be aware that Breck’s base elevation (with the exception of Wolf Creek and possibly A-Basin) is the highest of all the Colorado resorts.  You’ll be riding a few hundred feet higher on average than Copper or Steamboat, and it could make a difference when it comes to cardio endurance.

For apres ski activites, Breck is GREAT little town.  I love the ambience and the way the town is laid out.  To have night life in Copper, you have some slopeside, but you’d probably want to hit up Dillon or Frisco which are a few miles east.  A lot of people stay in Dillon or Frisco and drive out to Copper for apres ski reasons.

Hope this helps.  Have a good trip out west.

Posted: 29 September 2011 04:34 AM

Hi Zigmund!

Thanks very much for the reply, this is exactly the kind if insight I was looking for!  In all likelihood, I will end up at Steamboat, but, I have really wanted to know the inside scoop on Breck and Copper for a while.  I have a friend who goes to steamboat every year so he’s told me about it, but he hasn’t been to copper since he was really little and he’s never been to Breck, so I didn’t know much about either of them!

Thanks again and have a good season!
Stevan