Manual got into the hostel on Monday night. He flew to Vancouver from Switzerland mid January and is flying out of Buenos Aires in December--epic trip, huh? In between he's traveling and doing some snowboarding. He bought a dodge neon in vancouver. He's a funny dude, and a skilled rider.
We rode on Tuesday, a cold (~10 degrees), windy, snowy day. The snow was awesome, and certain aspects were getting way wind loaded, so it was fresh tracks every run. The downside was that visibility was dreadful. I had some trouble with the visibility...
I led for a while because I knew where the goods were, but once we both knew where we were going I got to follow Manual for a bit. It was fun. He threw 180s all over the place, the occasional 360, and was way more playful than me. I tried to imitate his riding with limited success.
At one point, we were at the bottom of moran woods taking a break. I said it looked like good snow over that way, to which he said, "I go dis way" and ollied off a rock through a thin patch of willows.
We went out that night, nothing eventful, played some pool. Me, Dan, Manual, and Sarah were chatting in a bar when Manual looked up, pointed at the tv, and yelled "Soccer!". He promptly ran to the tv. I guess there's some big soccer thing going on.
Manual did the tourist thing yesterday and I got out around noon. I stopped at the transit station to offer rides (so I can park for free), and that's where I picked up Josh. I didn't have enough people for the free parking (which I got anyway), but I didnt feel like waiting so we booked it for the mountain. Josh grew up in Lander and riding at Jackson. I think he's fresh out of high school, and headed for the northeast for college although I forget where.
I was super sore from the day before, and I knew this kid was going to give me a run for my money...Fortunately I kept up just fine (I learned my keep up skills from Adam). Following Josh was amazing. He regularly popped 3's while riding about as fast as I can go. I also spotted a couple of fives and one 720. He also aired an impressive gap off a catwalk. It was inspiring to watch, and reminded me that I learn things by example, and if I want to step it up I gotta ride with people like Josh and Manual.
Today I goofed around popping 180s, ollying shrubs, jibbing on stumps, riding switch, and even got one 360 around on a small hip. I'm working on the trick where you smack your board into some object (like a tree or a park obstacle), and use that force to rotate 180. It was fun to goof around.
My board has started to delaminate on the heelside edge. I will try to fix it, but I have to stop riding it for at least three days to fix it. This was all the encouragement I needed to buy a new board.
The selection is slim in Jackson. This late in the season all that's left are short park boards and a couple of long, stiff mountain assault boards. I'm looking for a mid-flex all mountain board between 160 and 163 cm. The extra length will give me a bit more float in powder, and I don't want to overdo it with stiffness. One shop had a Burton Supermodel X 161, for out of my budget, one had a Salomon Answer 161 that was tempting but I read bad things on the internet. There were a few arbors at the village, but for some reason I didn't like the shape of the element (I've always wanted an element).
After riding I drove out to Victor. I was going to buy a board--either an Illuminati for cheap (the board maker is quitting and selling inventory) or something from the shop out there--Habitat. I have seen a few broken illuminatis on the mountain, so I'm hesitant to buy one without any sort of warranty. I walked out of habitat with a Nidecker Platinum 163 midwide.
It's a gorgeous board. We'll see how it feels. I got occasional toe and heel drag on my salomon, even though my salomon boots are size 9. My old boots were 11s. I got confused at the store and reported my size as 10.5 or 11, making the selection of the mid-wide board OK.
I think, though, that with my history of heel/toe drag on the salomon, I should be okay with the mid-wide. It's probably a centimeter wider at 264 cm, barely out of the range of 'normal' boards. The increase in width + the extra length will be a significant change (although it's also a short 163, more like 61 or 62). The owner marked it down from 600 to 350. Like everyone else around here, I guess he's worried about getting rid of his inventory...
Did I mention it's gorgeous? click on the link above to check it out. if you're too lazy, it's all black with some gold inlays and a clear spot in the middle where you can see the wood core, the carbon strips, and a four leaf clover. hand made in switzerland. I'm stoked to ride it, and I really hope I like it. I'm not sure what I'll do if I dont...
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