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Jeremy
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Posts by Jeremy
05-06 Adidas Yodai Review
0Being an Adidas product I’m wondering how many shops will actually be carrying this line of goggles. I mention this because it is always nice to try on equipment before buying it, even if you’re going to be ordering it online (for the desired lens, color, etc). If you can’t find a place to try them on, then you may be compelled to buy something else. Although, if you want to trust my opinion, the Adidas Yodai’s are cool looking goggles that are reasonably priced and function well.
Goggles can make or break a day of riding. You could have the best powder conditions in the world and be miserable if your goggles aren’t working properly. Anti-fogging ventilation and the proper lens for the light conditions are a couple of the most important things you’ll look for in a pair of goggles. The Adidas Yodai Goggles aren’t anything special but they do have a cool sleek look, unrestricted vision, they have numerous options for different lenses, they haven’t given me any fogging issues yet, and they’re reasonably priced at about $72.
A common impression one might get from a pair of goggles with the name Adidas on them might be, “why would I buy goggles from someone who makes shoes?” But don’t let this misconception fool you. These goggles have quality distortion free lenses that do not easily fog. Although I would have to disagree with the advertised statement, “easily changeable lenses.” I have never seen a pair of goggles that truly has easily interchangeable lenses. The most expensive component of a pair of goggles is the lens anyway so I’ve always been of the opinion that if you’re going to buy another lens you might as well buy another pair of goggles. You’ll save yourself the hassle of changing lenses along with the weather and the risk of scratching or damaging them will be significantly reduced as well.
I like these goggles. I think I would have called them something other than Yodai but I guess a lot of the cool names like Dragon or Spy have already been taken. Who cares about the name anyways? Lets all admit that what’s really important is how cool they look, or more to the point, how cool they look on you. These goggles in particular have a streamline slightly bulged look that looks real good with my helmet. Another thing I like is that, unlike Oakley and some other big brands, not everyone and their mom has them. A little differentiation is a good thing.
These goggles are priced at about what I would have expected. They’re not a remarkable bargain but for $72 you are getting a quality pair of goggles. I guess I would be a little more suspicious of the quality of the product if they were cheaper.
05-06 Loaded Carving Systems Vanguard – Flex 3 Review
06 years ago
by Jeremy
in Summer Training
Like I said before I haven’t really used this longboard on sidewalks or streets but I know that it works real well on slick rock, which is much rougher and variable. Considering this I think that it would be exceptional on conventional surfaces and would even do well on graveled streets or cracked up concrete. Definitely a fun toy and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to buy a longboard.
The majority of the time I spent testing this longboard was on slick rock. For those of you who don’t know what slick rock is, its basically sand stone that is found in the form of expansive washes in the surrounding area of Moab, UT. I don’t believe I was really using this product for the type of surfaces it was designed for although it worked especially well on the rough variable surfaces that typify slick rock.
This longboard has a natural bowed flex to it. What this does is kind of act as a shock absorber and allows for smoother cruising and turns. Also, it has a fairly wide wheel base and the board is carved out around the “wheel well” areas. This allows you to really flex the wheels into an extreme turn radius for quick, sharp, and smooth carving. Compared to my Earthboad longboard, I believe this one is superior in just about every way. It turns sharper, quicker, and is a much smoother ride. The trucks that come on it seem to be of a higher quality as well. The only thing that I don’t like about it is that this board doesn’t really have any nose or tail to the board. It kind of depends on your riding style, but if you like to use the tail at all to drop down curbs or anything else this might be consideration for you.
This board definitely looks cool. With the bowed flex to it and the translucent red wheels, it looks pretty sleek. There’s not really any special design or logo on it so that would be up to you to sticker it up if that’s an important consideration.
This board is not cheap but if your going to be buying a longboard anyway and you want something good you might want to consider forking over the extra doe for this one.
05-06 Swany AX-1 Tracer Review
06 years ago
by Jeremy
in Gloves & Mittens
The ultimate test for a product is using it for an extended period of time, which I haven’t had the opportunity to do yet. Although from what I can tell, these gloves would at the very least stand up to one season of heavy abuse. If you like gloves more than mittens, and you only have about $40 to spend then I think the Swany Axiom 1 is one of your top picks.
I’ve always been a mitten man myself. Sharp edges and lots of grabs make for a lot of wear and tear on seams, which are more numerous on gloves. With that said, the material on these gloves seems to be pretty durable and they have designed it with minimal seams. These gloves also have a lot of other features that more expensive gloves have such as the nose wipe, the goggle scraper, and the quality material that makes the difference in how long the gloves last and how comfortable they allow you to be.
I like the pre-curved construction of these gloves. It makes grabbing your board seem all the more natural and easy. The material of the gloves seems very robust and the waterproofing is effective in keeping your hands warm and dry as well. The Axioms also have the quick release wrist strap and the wrist cords that allow you to take the gloves off and still have them attached to your wrists. One thing I don’t like about these is that I can’t fit them over my wrist guards. You could probably get around this problem, if it was an issue for you, by getting the gloves a size bigger than you would normally wear.
Swany does offer this glove in several different color schemes, for those who are trying to match their outfit this is good. For people like me, it doesn’t matter as long as they’re not pink. Besides that, the design and pattern is okay.
These gloves retail online for about $35, which surprised me after having worked in a ski shop in Vail and seeing what they charged for Swany gloves. I am happy to see what appears to be a quality glove at a competitive price. I would definitely consider this a good value for your money.
05-06 DC Storm Review
0There are a lot of quality jackets out there for the consumer to sift through. Price is definitely an indicator of quality and the style and look of a jacket will certainly play a factor in the decision making process. In a nutshell, I think that the DC Storm has a fairly simple design, is made of quality durable fabric, and has a number of functional features. If you like the look and can cough up the money, I believe you won’t be disappointed with the DC Storm jacket.
A good jacket is definitely one of, if not the most, key essentials to your comfort and appearance when getting equipped for the winter season. Of course everyone wants something that is functional, comfortable, and especially durable. I’ve had jackets that got big tears in them as well as jackets that have had seams that fall apart or even jackets that just get completely soaked due to ineffective waterproofing. It is certainly frustrating to have these issues with such a crucial piece of your snowboarding apparel but there are certainly products out there that are designed to withstand all these things. The DC Storm jacket is one of these products.
This jacket has a fairly simple design but has a lot of features that contribute to its functionality. First of all, it is made entirely of Exotex 20,000 fabric which has a real sturdy feel to it and is truly waterproof. I really like the vent system it has as well. Instead of just having armpit vents the Storm has both front and back vents (chest and middle back) that will allow air to actually circulate through the jacket on a hot day. Of course it does have more of the standard features as well, such as a clear pass holder on the sleeve, stretch hand gaiters, and a powder skirt that has snap attachments for connecting to various snow pants. The jacket also has large zipper tabs that are conveniently located and make one handed mitten zipping easy.
This jacket has a pretty simple look. It’s a solid color and doesn’t have any special patterns or color schemes.
The DC Storm is around $260 which is a chunk of change but as we all have heard, “you get what you pay for.” Also it’s a lot better in my opinion to buy a nice jacket that will last a few seasons, rather than something cheap that will have inferior waterproofing or will get torn up easier and will require you to buy again the next season.
03-04 Intrawest Steamboat Springs Review
0Overall, if you’ve been to Steamboat you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then you need to. The terrain is epic, the people are nice, and the quality of the snow is unbeatable.
Steamboat has had a great start on the ’02/’03 season. They have been getting good snow and their “Maverick” super pipe was the first to open in Colorado. Being the second largest ski resort in Colorado, the mountain offers a vast variety and quantity of terrain to ride. The numerous Aspen glades provide the best tree riding I’ve ever experienced; there are plenty of steep and deep slopes and numerous cliffs just a short hike from the “Storm Peak Express” lift, and there are lots of cruiser runs for all the speed demons out there. Steamboat has a great first-tracks program as well. For $35 you can beat the crowds to the powder. The experience of being the first ones on the mountain with fields of untracked snow or sheets of untouched corduroy is truly unique, plus, included in the price, you get a buffet style breakfast at the mid-mountain lodge.
From my experience, Steamboat is not as crowded as many of the other ski resorts in Colorado. Many resorts are located off of Interstate 70, which makes for lots of traffic and big lift lines. Steamboat is off the beaten path but is still easily accessible, being only 3 hours from both Denver and Fort Collins. They also offer a “Steamboat Card” that costs only $10 and is good for all future seasons. The card is aimed at attracting Colorado residents and allows you to get both ticket and lodging discounts throughout the season.
During our visit it snowed steadily for 3 of the 4 days we were there, giving us well over 40 inches of the fluffy stuff; this is a common occurrence in Steamboat. We also had the pleasure of riding with Scott Anfang, one of the snowboard instructors, for two days. He was a great guide and showed us some of the favorite local spots. Scott and the other instructors I met were very energetic and enthusiastic about sharing the superb experience of riding Steamboat. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who is interested. Even if you don’t need instruction it’s a great way to find the best spots on the mountain and skip any of the lift lines. Scott also told us about the freestyle instruction program that is another unique characteristic of Steamboat. There are beginning to intermediate instruction programs for riding rails, half pipe, and jumps for those who have the desire and need some pointers. Another thing that I really like about the mountain is the ease of mobility. In most cases you can get to where you want from just about anywhere on the mountain in one run (2 tops). This way you don’t waste time and can ride the entire mountain instead of staying on one peak or one side for the whole day.
There are many other things that make the town of Steamboat great aside from the mountain itself. Not far away there is Steamboat Powder Cats, a cat service that operates on Buffalo Pass, which usually receives more snow than the rest of Colorado. Also, there is another local mountain called Howelson, which is the longest running ski resort in Colorado. Howelsen offers night skiing and is used by a lot of ski clubs that cater to the youth of Steamboat. The local scene, my favorite, is great. There are a number of great restaurants and bars both at the mountain (Slopeside, Bear River, Gondola Pub) and in town where everyone seemed to know one another. Everybody was upbeat and friendly and portrayed a sense of being in one big family.
03-04 Winterstick Wasatch Review
08 years ago
by Jeremy
in Men's Snowboards
This board is a high quality freeride board, suited to powder riding, big airs, cruisers, and riders who destroy other boards.
I had never ridden a Winterstick board until this season and I have to say that I was quite impressed. Being named after the rugged terrain of the Wasatch Mountains, which demand performance and versatility, the Wasatch 164 is a solid, sturdy, multiple-use board that is especially suited to the aggressive and heavier (~200 lbs) rider. No doubt, the board lives up to its name. I’ve broken bindings (Nidecker Pro 800s) and my body (torn ACL ligament) but the board is no worse for wear. Considering that I’ve broken 4 of the 7 boards that I’ve owned, when I say that I feel that durability is one of strongest qualities in Winterstick boards, it is quite an endorsement.
As for the functionality of the board, it has a quick and responsive turn due to the 130 centimeters of effective edge and its extreme side cut (9.2 cm radius). Also, the Wasatch is slightly wider than the rest of the Winterstick boards, which allows freeriders to still stay on top of the powder without switching to a pure powder board. The extra width also helps accommodate riders that have Sasquatch feet.
Overall, the Winterstick Wasatch 164 is a durable and versatile board that focuses on perfecting the essential basics of board design rather than on new and unproved innovations. Basically, the guys at Winterstick have been making boards since the 60′s. These guys know what their doing and their products reflect that.
03-04 Winterstick Severe Terrain Review
08 years ago
by Jeremy
in Men's Snowboards
The ST boards are designed for the aggressive advanced rider and have been proven in the past to be one of the customer favorites. If you like the back country, deep powder, and/or big cliff drops, this is the board for you. You won’t be disappointed.
The Winterstick Severe Terrain 166 snowboard is a board that can speak for itself. It is Winterstick’s most popular series, and has been voted among Transworld’s top 25 boards since it was introduced. This board is for advanced and expert riders as its design reflects. It has Rockwell hardened edges and a Graphite Race Base which proved themselves when I rode at Silverton, Colorado this season. Silverton’s has some of the most extreme terrain available at any resort in the United States. Despitethe number of rock and stump shots that the board took, the base and edges held up to the test.
The board is meant for aggressive big mountain riding. I’m a big boy, but the stiff flex and the 166 centimeters of length kept me on top of the powder with no difficulty. Also, the stiff flex helps in sticking landings off of big drops and launches. When landing in powder the natural response is to lean back. The stiff flex design of the ST series helps to bring that front foot down and ultimately helps riders stick those big mountain hits.
98-99 Powdr Corporation Boreal Review
013 years ago
by Jeremy
in California
Boreal has some nice runs but I think that the halfpipe and the terrain parks are the mountain's strong points. Overall, if you are a freestyler, then you'll fit right in at Boreal.
We ended up going to Boreal twice, the first after a huge snow dump. The snow kept falling the whole day while we rode. It padded the ground at a rate of about three inches per hour. Unfortunately, Boreal is relatively small and flat which makes freeriding in deep pow difficult. Even though half the trails were closed and the terrain parks were buried, we had a great time.
We returned to Boreal for "Bored '99", a concert and competition event that the mountain hosts every year. Several bands showed up, including "No Use for a Name" and the band formerly known as Sublime. Another part of the festivities included a freestyle competition with riders sponsored by local board shops. The day was warm and sunny, perfect for a park riding day, which is Boreal's strong point. They have a number of well made table tops and an awesome halfpipe. Boreal's terrain is suited perfectly for freestyle, so if that's your thing, Boreal should be a high priority on your list.