Another W-I-D-E Board Search

Hey guys,

I know the infamous Snowboard FAQ lists some makers of wide boards,
but to save me from having to navigate through endless,
not-so-easy-to-navigate manufacture's sites... I was hoping on
getting some input for a wide, stiff, long, free-ride board.

I have my eyes on a Donek Sasquatch, but just know that I'll end up
paying way too much. Not really too much for the board.. too much
after US/Canadian exchange, border fees, shipping, etc...

If anyone has any input, could they please list the maker, model, and
if possible, the waist and length of the monster.

I'm currently on a Solomon Regulate 168 - 272 Waist (I think). It's a
nice board, but it's starting to delam. I'll end up repairing it..
but I have some cash burning a hole in me pocket.

Also, some suggestions on potential big-footed alpine boards would be
appreciated as well. Is it possible for a dude with size 14-15 feet
to get into a hardboot rig?

I'm into carving probably more than anything (softboots), but because
my only real local hill is Collingwood BlueMountain, I'd probably be
wasting money on highend alpine gear.. even though I'm very interested
in it.

Thanks in advance,
Tedo

I have my eyes on a Donek Sasquatch, but just know that I'll end up
paying way too much. Not really too much for the board.. too much
after US/Canadian exchange, border fees, shipping, etc...

You could always look at Prior, who is based in Whistler. The retail
price of Prior is more than Donek (exchange rate doesn't help you - in
UDS, it's 525 versus 380), plus Prior charges extra for something as
wide as you want, so Donek might still wind up being cheaper in the long
run even if you do get hit with duties.

FWIW, I bought a board from Coiler this season, which is a small
alpine-only rig out of Toronto. All I had to pay on top of the board
price was shipping, which was only slightly more than if I had ordered
from say Boston. I don't know if NAFTA is "assymetric" meaning
Americans win more than Canadians, but I suepect the same might be true
for a Canadian ordering from Donek.

Also, some suggestions on potential big-footed alpine boards would be
appreciated as well. Is it possible for a dude with size 14-15 feet
to get into a hardboot rig?

Foot size is not generally a problem with Alpine boards. Anything with
a 19.5 cm+ waist would be fine. Try www.klugriding.com for Burton
closeouts (I've heard their e-ordering system sucks, call in your
order), they have unused alpine boards starting at $150.

Boots on the other hand could be trickier. Mondopoint 31 seems to be
the biggest size available in the few brands of hard boots that exist.
That's about a 13.5. However that may work, if you get an Intuition or
Thermoflex liner. I strongly recommend asking about this over at
www.bomberonline.com... I'm a Gear Geek here at r.s.s., but mild by
Bomber standards

I'm into carving probably more than anything (softboots), but because
my only real local hill is Collingwood BlueMountain, I'd probably be
wasting money on highend alpine gear.. even though I'm very interested
in it.

Alpine boarding on a small hill with slow lifts can be frustrating due
to the fact that your run is over faster. However this problem can be
alleviated by selecting a short-radius board. Pass on the GS boards...
go with a sidecut radius less than 11 meters.

Mike T

On 10 Feb 2004 05:03:44 -0800, Edmunde Lee said (and I quote):

Also, some suggestions on potential big-footed alpine boards would be
appreciated as well. Is it possible for a dude with size 14-15 feet
to get into a hardboot rig?

Sure, why not. It's probably easier to deal with big feet in hard
boots because you can increase your angles without worrying about
lack of lateral support.

Still, you'll want a wider than normal board. An all-mountain carver
like the Donek Axis or Prior 4WD or Coiler AllMountain would be a
pretty forgiving first alpine board anyway, and these boards have
enough width for your big feet.

Or if you want a board that will be a bit stiffer and more
aggressive, one of the Donek Customs might suit. A quick look finds
the "178 Behle FC", which has an 11.20 m sidecut radius and is 22.0
cm wide, which would be a good width for those big feet. If you're a
confident carver in soft boots that board probably wouldn't be beyond
you for a first alpine board. It'd be stiff, but a guy with size
14-15 feet probably weighs quite a bit, so it might suit you fine.

If you want to make smaller turns, one of the Donek slalom models
might be good, as they tend to come a little wider (around 20 cm)
than most alpine boards.
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