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#1
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difference between hard and soft boots
Hi guys,
This may sound like a silly question but what is the difference in a soft boot and hard boot... i live in australia and all the boots i have seen... which is not many.. seem to be soft. Is a hard boot like a skiing boot? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both types? sorry for the silly question but i have only been boarding once and loved it. I am planning a trip to america in february. |
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#3
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difference between hard and soft boots
You've got the right idea. This in in the faq as well.
But, for the sake of my boredom and posterity: Hardboots are rather rare... I'd be surprised if you saw them in a store or for rent on the hill. As far as the pros and cons go: hardboots limit your ability to flex your ankle joint, especially side to side. So, for sliding rails, teaking grabs, or landing sketchy jumps softboots have advantages. Softboots let you use a toe/heel motion to very quickly change small amounts of edge pressure. On the other hand, for the price of reduced ankle motion, a hardboot lets you use your whole lower leg as a lever against the edge. You can put your whole body weight against the edge through the boot without having superhuman strength in your calfs. So for railing hard turns at high speed, hardboots have big advantages. Also, a hardboot lets you use more forward facing angles on a narrower board, which also can give you speed. I myself believe stiffer is clearly better for all mountain freeriding. Even "soft" boots of recent years have been using stiff plastic reenforcement, and stuff like the F boot seems to be pushing further in that direction. I would be surprised if in a few years, something in the softboot step-in market develops into being quite similar in function to current hardboot gear. As a beginner you most likely do not need to worry about hardboots. Not because hardboots are some sort of "experts only" tool... but just because it's equipment that few riders choose to learn. Your first few days of snowboarding can be hard enough... using equipment that your friends or even paid instructors arn't familiar with could really complicate things. If however, you stick with snowboarding and decide that hardboots might be a cool way to have fun, don't let the lack of popularity stop you . |
#4
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difference between hard and soft boots
The hardboot community is small but dedicated. Those that are
interested can find most us at www.bomberonline.com. There's a very active forums section (well, not so much in August but it's already starting to ramp up), plus lots of articles on how to get started, equipment etc. [rant]My personal feeling is that the general approach to teaching snowboarding is pushing people in the entirely wrong direction. Most people just want to ride the mountain and enjoy it - they aren't going to end up in the park or the pipe. Those sorts of people ought to be on a directional board with a forward-facing stance, with either stiff soft boots or soft hard boots. But instead they end up on some noodle with floppy boots and a straight-across stance, making awkward turns with their ass hanging out.[/rant] OK, I'm done now. |
#5
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difference between hard and soft boots
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#6
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difference between hard and soft boots
What are the advantages and disadvantages of both
types? Good answers from Jason, Neil, the FAQ, etc. I'd like to add something... Riding in hard boots has a distinctly different *feel* than riding in soft boots. It's a different ride, a different rush. I enjoy them both very much... although to be honest I've spent a lot more tim on hard boots in the past year. However, my soft boots riding has benefited very much from spending a lot of time in hard boots. So what's so different about the ride? In soft boots I feel like I'm riding "on" the snow and in hard boots it feels like I'm riding "through" the snow. I find the hard boots insulate me from monitor variations in the surface, however they also amplify the big variations. Mike T |
#7
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difference between hard and soft boots
On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 19:04:39 -0400
"HK" wrote: Get hard boots with Intec heels, get a carving board. Now go cut trenches at your favourite ski hill. You'll never go back to softies again. *high five!* BTW: Any recommendations on t-flex liners suitable for Burton Fire boots? Generic ones suck and got packed after first season... Cheers, neuro |
#8
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difference between hard and soft boots
I've never had a problem with the standard liners in my Raichle boots.
Maybe I just don't know any better. Do the thermoflex liners make a big diff? *high five!* BTW: Any recommendations on t-flex liners suitable for Burton Fire boots? Generic ones suck and got packed after first season... Cheers, neuro |
#9
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difference between hard and soft boots
On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 00:41:48 -0400
"HK" wrote: I've never had a problem with the standard liners in my Raichle boots. Maybe I just don't know any better. Do the thermoflex liners make a big diff? Well, they surely do in case of my Burtons. Generic liners provided with "Fire" model pack very quickly and they're rather cold. That's why I'm opting for something more comfortable for coming season neuro |
#10
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difference between hard and soft boots
On Fri, 5 Sep 2003, neuro wrote:
On Fri, 5 Sep 2003 00:41:48 -0400 "HK" wrote: I've never had a problem with the standard liners in my Raichle boots. Maybe I just don't know any better. Do the thermoflex liners make a big diff? Another thing I noticed about the Thermo liners is that they're a lot warmer than other liners, even ones that are fairly thick like hte standard Raichles. My toes froze in my 413's until I put thermoflex linerrs in them. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ Say NO to useless over-quoting! Just quote a few lines to get the point across, not the whole goddamn thing, OK? Thanks! :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
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