Man it's here. We're off to Morzine/Avoriaz today for a week of shredding. We've been pretty lucky because it's snowed quite a bit this week, topping things up real nice. I know what it's gonna be like tonight - the first night in the chalet - like a kid on Christmas Eve. I'll be so excited I won't be able to get to sleep. I've aready annoyed Ciara this morning by getting up too early and then jumping around the place...
I've just had a quick look at the forecast for the next few days and it seems for now, at least, the snow is hanging back. It should make for some great sunny riding days to begin with - but I hope the temperature stays low and we get some fresh snow next week.
The new stick. Well, I'm also really excited as this will be the first time that I've ridden the new board, the T2. I can't wait to see what it's like.
Actaully, I've been pondering the stance options a little this week. You see the (152) Kink's got a wide boy set up, allowing for a 25" stance. I started off using the 25" set and it was nice, much wider than anything I'd tried before, and it had its benefits. But after a while I dropped down to the next inserts which are around 22". The main reason for this was that I found it easier to pop/ollie with a narrower stance...
Now, the T2 looks like its widest set is 23.5" and then 22". This is pretty handy (for all I know this could be standard?) because I've got the option to stay with the same setup. However, that 23.5" is right inbetween, so I'm gonna check it out and see how it feels.
Oh yeah, I've waxed the boards up too. I still don't know whether or not I'm doing a good job with this. It's always in the back of my head that I might be adding a sticky coat that's gonna slow me down, rather than performing a speedy wax! In fact I might do something with this when I get back: show you guys my procedure and hopefully pick up some tips.
Ok, I suppose it's time to go get ready. I wanna give a quick shout out to my (lucky) mate Simon, who's off to Fernie for two weeks. Have a good time mate! I say "lucky", but there're no complaints here... I'm going snowboarding! Sick.
4 comments:
Hey dudes, i made it eventually, long journey but well worth it. Hope you guys have a awesome time, see you in 2 weeks. There is good coverage here but its damn cold! Im getting some shuteye coz i not slept for 2 days and its boarding time, Ye Ha!!!! Have fun stay safe!!
After you've scraped the wax off, rub a green pan cloth along the base tip to tail a good few times. Makes it a lot quicker.
Hey, thanks for the waxing tip. I actually use a couple of brushes: one nylon and one copper (I think). I sometimes use a pan cloth too. I think it's supposed to bring out the structure of the base.
The thing that I'm never sure about is whether or not I've taken off enough wax with the scraper...
Set-up: Put the board on a board vise or something flat but shorter than your board. I use books if I'm not at my usual station. Always take the bindings off before waxing.
Clean: I clean the base with a nylon brush to make sure any dirt is out of it. Occasionally I use a citrus degreaser to remove old wax. You can also use hot wax and scrape it right away to remove stubborn dirt.
Prep: I use Burton Flouro All-Temp wax (purple). I heat the wax up with an iron and rub the wax on like a crayon. If you do it right the wax will slide about 12 inches before cooling. Do this until the entire base has a thin layer. I also drip wax up and down the edges because that's where my base touces the wnow the most.
Waxing: I use a Burton iron because it works good and its worth the price. Temperature 2 seems to be good. Your iron shouldn't smoke, but should melt the wax quickly. I slide the iron lengthwise on the board slowly and consistently. Then I go side to side to make sure the sides get coated and it spreads out evenly. Then finish it off with lengthwise strokes again. You shouldn't be able to feel the heat underneath your board if you place your hand on the topsheet. Also be extra careful around the inserts. Inserts are metal, and attract alot of heat. This heat can damage the epoxy around the inserts and make your bindings loosen up a lot quicker. I go as far as not waxing the insert area at all sometimes if it doesn't need it. Let the board cool to room temperature when you are done (before scrapring or putting the bindings on). Sometimes I repeat this process once day for a few days before scraping.
Scraping: I use a plexi scraper to remove as much wax as possible. Then I use a nylon brush to remove any more wax the scraper didn't get. Then I buff the base with an abrasive pad. I forget what they are called. They feel like the coarse side of a kitchen sponge.
And that's it. You want to heat the pores of your board up and get the wax in, but once it cools you need to remove as much as possible. The wax will still be in the pores. Any excess wax will only slow you down (as well as hurt if you try to boardslide anything).
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