SnowJam Board Issues (Fat boards in general)

[Noodler]

I received my SnowJam 90 boards yesterday (along with some Bomber Elite bindings). I took them out today and was surprised to have some major problems with them, but I shouldn't have been since they were the same lessons I had already learned about regular skis.

Really wide boards (waist >100mm) on hardpack/groomers are tough to get on edge if you don't have enough lift from the bindings. When rolling onto the inside edge, the outside of your ankle must handle tons of pressure without enough lift. The same thing happens with mid-fats and fatboy skis. In soft snow it's not a problem, but I was dealing with some major pain very quickly today. On my other boards (85mm waist) I never had this problem.

I had also read some posts about mounting the binding back a bit on the SnowJams to find the sweet spot. In my opinion this is totally incorrect for these boards. The midpoint marked on the boards should most definitely match the midpoint marked on your boots. With the boots mounted about a half inch rearward the shovels reacted very "squirrely" and even when put on edge it was tough to keep them there without tons of forward pressure on the shovel. Manufacturers mark the boot midpoint on the ski for a good reason - the sidecut of the ski determines where the boot should be mounted.

So I think I'm going to work on getting a binding setup with at least 50mm of lift (measured from the bottom of the base to bottom of the boot). It'll probably be using the Spruce Risers along with a normal ski binding with a lifter on it.

[Noodler]

I was just checking my boot alignment on the SnowJams (since I had made many changes on-slope) and noticed that there is no way to adjust the Bomber bindings so that my boot midpoint mark will line up with the skiboard mark. They were still 1/4" behind.

So I pulled off the Bombers and put the Extreme IIs back on. The Extreme IIs have much more flexibility in their adjustment and are able to align the boot properly. Unfortunately they don't have as much lift as the Bomber (and no option to add any). Maybe I can figure out some way to add additional lift using the Extreme IIs. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

[Roussel]

i think u jsut have to get used to the fat waists, i never loose and edge with my heritage

[kirk]

yea, just ride them til you get use to them. all boards ride differently, you just have to get a feel for them first.

[Noodler]

Do either of you guys ski? Would you consider yourselves advanced or expert level? I think that if you do, you would have an understanding of what I'm getting at about fat boards on groomers. As traditional skis became wider and wider, bindings introduced lifters and plates to raise the skier up to gain better leverage over the wider waisted skis. The same thing applies to skiboards. You have greater leverage over the board when tipping on edge if your boot is higher above the board.

[SkaFreak]

Yes, having risers will logically give you more leverage to turn, but they are right about boards. I learned to skiboard on salomons because that's what everyone rents, and I was doin pretty well on them till one day when a person at my local ski store suggested I try renting a fatter pair (not sure what they were). At the begining of the day I couldn't turn quite as well, but I quickly adjusted and got used to them and decided that I liked the wider boards alot more, espescially in the terrain park. You can try putting risers on, but if you don't want to you will eventually get used to riding em.

[kirk]

i have never been on the snow in my life. please discard everything i say.

[Roussel]

thats why most skiboards bindigns are already high off the gournd to begin with, the Canon TD-I get you realyl high off and the bombers too. compared to regular ski bindings.

i think the extremes and the groove x-1 are the lowst bindings.

you can make yourself some homemake risers too, but it might void the warrenty.

[Roussel]

by the way i started skiing at 5 years old and swtich to skiboards 6 or 7 years ago.

[Greco]

So I pulled off the Bombers and put the Extreme IIs back on. The Extreme IIs have much more flexibility in their adjustment and are able to align the boot properly.

nothing has more adjustments than the bombers. look again, you can position the base plate in three different places AND each toe and heal bail has 3 major positions in addition the the minor adjustments.

g

[Kelli]

i have never been on the snow in my life. please discard everything i say

your such a liar.

[marcolo86]

Kelli wake up... I THINK he was being A LITTLE ironical...

[Kelli]

i knew that trust me. i was just teasing him.

[marcolo86]

I knew that you knew, I was just teasing you.

;)

[Kelli]

so its like one big circle

[marcolo86]

Yes Kelli, the circle of life...

[Kelli]

man i feel like we should start singin the Lion King "Circle of Life"

[Jonny W]

Originally posted by Noodler
Do either of you guys ski? Would you consider yourselves advanced or expert level? I think that if you do, you would have an understanding of what I'm getting at about fat boards on groomers. As traditional skis became wider and wider, bindings introduced lifters and plates to raise the skier up to gain better leverage over the wider waisted skis. The same thing applies to skiboards. You have greater leverage over the board when tipping on edge if your boot is higher above the board.

if you are an advanced or expert skier, you shouldn't have a problem riding fat waisted skiboards. also i know a cat that rides 182 fat ass line mother ship skis, and his bindings are right on top of the skis, no riser. he does just fine on groomers park and powder. Maybe you should go out and practice withe them for more then a day. I know kids that weigh like 80 pounds that ride mix skiboards and get over on there edges just fine with bombers. yeah kirk doesn't know anything hes a hack;)

[valmorel]

You know Kirk, you got the right idea on this one. I too have never been on snow in my life. Only boards I ever been on are blog boards and I drink way too much! Stay lucky.