Skate Banana?!

Hey everyone, guess what? Its snowboard (and ski) season! I was over at Jay Peak yesterday for opening day with the new setup and it was awesome: plenty of nice and soft snow with plenty of coverage and manageable lift lines. At the same time, it did get pretty tracked out and icy later in the day. Perfect conditions for testing out Banana rocker and Magnetraction!

So first off, this was my first experience with a reverse-camber board. I described the feeling to my friend as "riding a wet noodle...but not in a bad way". In general, the board board was fun: it had an easygoing feel and moderate flex for a very loose, playful ride that held up to the varied conditions quite well. Compared to my Ride Kink (see review), this board was a bit stiffer and, even though both boards are 152cm, the Banana felt longer. It felt wrong how easy it was to just butter around on this thing and I can now see where the term "snow surfing" comes from. The upturned nose just plowed overs piles of snow and seemed to glide effortlessly over bumps in the trail. The transfer from ice to light and fluffy was seamless; the board just took it all. This leads me to my next point: Magnetraction.

I'm going to be honest, I didn't feel the difference right away as much as I imagined I would. At first it felt like a newly-tuned board: no "magnetic" edge hold on the mixed conditions. What I did notice, however, was how many people kept sliding out when they hit ice, losing their edge and helplessly slipping down the steep slope. I was immune. Like I said, no "extra" hold on regular snow, but it gripped the ice like it was corduroy. Patches of ice that would normally send me sliding were transformed into hardpack. As long as I didn't try any Euro-carves on the ice, I was otherwise fine. As far as Magnetraction goes, its nothing stellar, but it keeps you at a "normal" leveling of riding when it comes to crappy afternoon conditions (or a regular day in New England).

Now back to the fruit. My belief in reverse-camber has been affirmed: I stand by my Banana and could not be happier with my choice of getting it. No pop? No problem! Sure, it doesn't snap like a slingshot , but you're halfway there anyways with the pre-curved tip and tail. And for all you haters who claim this thing has no pop to it, get in the gym and do some legwork, really. One of the biggest potential downsides I was worried about when I got this was the rumor of it lacking high-speed stability. I don't know the exact mph cutoff for where "high-speed" begins, but I felt pretty comfortable and in control pointing it down "The Jet" at Jay Peak. It felt a little loose when making tight carves, but the Magnetraction helped to keep me in line and upright on the icier snow. As far as just tooling around and popping off random snowdrifts and tapping ice boulders, this board felt great. The easygoing style of Banana rocker made this board a lot of fun to just hop around on, throwing in some small spins and butters and making just about anything jibbable (new word?). I know I sound like a broken record at this point but, if I had to sum up this board in one word, I would have to say "fun".

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Rides well as an all-mountain board
• Fun and playful for jibbing/spinning

Cons

• Slightly stiffer than other jib boards
• Takes a little getting used to after riding only regular camber

Stay tuned for a follow-up on how the Bananner rides in the park as well as a more in-depth explanation of reverse-camber and the different types! Here's some pics of my own LibTech Skate Banana for the meantime.

Full-length shot
its upside down, by the way

Magnetraction in action!
check out those lovely snowboard lumps
Laying flat on the ground
Note: the black line is the "ground", check out the upward curve

One final note: I'm selling the first batch of ECGR "Mtn Logo" vinyl die-cut stickers/decals. So far 7/10 have been claimed. Get in touch with me and you can get one for $3 (and that's cost, by the way, so I'm not making a profit off of these). If there's a demand for more I can print extra, or wait it out for the next design to be printed (possibly a re-print of the "Gold" logo?). Now get out there and enjoy the snow people, peace!

We Be Jammin'

Hey everyone, it's been a while...
Same ol' story, things have been busy behind the scenes here at East Coast Gear Reviews. The Champlain Ski & Ride Club's Preseason Rail Jam went well last weekend. Props to Kristie Adonizio and John Lyke for winning the skiing and riding "Best Trick" categories earning them a lift ticket to Stowe and a gift card to East Coast Skate & Snow, respectively. Check out the Champlain Ski & Ride Club's facebook to peep some gnarly shots from the jam. Here's a few for some of you impatient little wankers.



This past weekend East Coast Skate & Snow in Merrimack, NH is had its Second Annual Rail Jam at their shop. Congratulations to Mike Moore and Will Stellar on becoming East Coast's first team riders and getting hooked up by DC Snowboards. The Eastern Boarder crew was killing it with a pretty solid crew and Mike Prestipino was holdin' it down for the guys at SBJ Skate. As for the setup of the jam (partially assembled by yours truly), it started off with a nice and slick tube rail, later switched out with Bean Snowboard's Boston barricade rail, and an oil tank jib. For the finals we stepped things up by throwing in a barrel jib bonk-to-oil tank jib and then later jacking up the oil tank with a gap-to-barrel for the finals in addition to the original tube rail. Despite the weather, Sunday (yea...it got postponed a day due to rain) was a great day with some good food, good music from WFNX Boston, and a laid back rail jam. If you're ever in the area check out East Coast Skate & Snow and mention ECGR and you'll get 10% off a new 2010 LibTech Skate Banana. Pretty sweet, eh?


So about ECGR...how about some feedback? I recently tossed a batch of stickers at the Champlain Preseason Rail Jam and since then I've had some people asking me for more. Before I print more stickers, I want to get an idea of what people want to see: regular stickers or vinyl die-cuts, and if die-cuts,

the "mountain" logo or the "gold" logo? Or neither?! I'll put up a new poll on the side of the page with the options and I'll probably go with the one with the most votes. I'm not going to charge people for these, however I will ask for a small donation to cover the cost of printing them, so don't assume I'm making a profit on these. As always your feedback is appreciated and it's what helps power this blog (along with electricity) and determines what we talk about in the blog posts, so leave comments on the posts, contact me directly, etc. Think snow!



Oh yeah I almost forgot, some mountains are open/opening soon. No big deal.

Pre-Preason Rail Jam Madness!

So yet again I've been swamped with preparation for the upcoming Champlain Ski & Ride Club's Preseason Rail Jam and the quickly approaching season. Take this time to chime in with any specific boards, bindings, boots, etc. that you want to hear about in the coming weeks. Speaking of the weeks to come, on Saturday, November 14 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm East Coast Skate and Snow in Merrimack, NH is having a rail jam with a Skate Banana to be raffled off as well as a shop sponsorship for the winner of the jam. Get stoked shred rats, this could be your breakthrough. Check out their facebook or website for details. Or just check them out, because these guys are an awesome shop run by some great people who know what they're talking about.

Big shout out to One Love out in the UK for hooking me and some friends up with a dirty baseball jersey-style tee. These guys are a boardsports shop with a focus on the urban, hop hop-inspired style of riding. Click the link to peep some seriously steezy threads and rep an up and coming shop dedicated to riding with style. The OneLove B.Ball Vest is "a 6 button, 100% polyester baseball style vest designed to be worn over hoodies or as a base layer up on the hill or just as a regular T while chilling." I got a XXL for 2X the steeze when rocking this over a sweatshirt and it's plenty wide so you won't feel constricted when layering it up. I must admit it's not as tall as I was expecting, so I suggest going up a size or two (or more...) when ordering. As noted, this shirt is polyester, meaning it's not going to get as soaked and saggy as that white XXXXL cotton tee you would normally rock on the hill; a major plus for those warmer/wetter days. The buttons also make for quick changes: instead of trying to pull off your top layer with your sweatshirt and base layer coming up with it or getting caught up in a hood, you can easily strip it off in seconds and toss it in your bag without holding up your crew. Another cool thing about the company is their customer relationship. They're easy to reach and will get back to you pretty quickly with any questions about shipping, etc. So basically, check these guys out if gettin' G'd up is your scene or you're just into repping an up and coming company.

Once again I apologize for the short blog this week. Perhaps I can make up for it with something like...a banana? I am the proud owner of a brand spankin' new 2010 LibTech Skate Banana and have been waiting (un)patiently to give my two cents on reverse camber and more specifically, "banana" tech. Love it or hate it, reverse camber has become a big deal this season and every company has their unique take on the concept. I'm not making any promises, but expect the first review on banana tech coming soon...

Burton Moto Boots

I apologize once again for the late review. I'm at the point where I think rather than having Sunday be the review day, I should just change it to "sometime after the weekend". Sound fair? Anyways, things are heating up for ECGR: The die-cuts are almost at the point of printing, the Champlain Preseason Rail Jam is quickly approaching and the winter season (or at least snow) is right around the corner. This means I'm going to be busier than ever and will start to build up the ECGR crew with additional reviewers/writers for new areas such as female-specific gear and ski gear. By the way, if anyone has ever owned or ridden a Rome Graft snowboard, let me know ASAP.

So this week I decided to go with yet another new topic: snowboard boots. I feel like boots are just one of those areas that tends to get neglected and does not receive the attention it deserves compared to boards, bindings and outerwear. When you think about it, your boots are one of the most important parts of the snowboarding ensemble after your board and bindings. Just because a boot fits well doesn't mean it's going to perform well in all situations. If you found a nice pair of football cleats that fit well, it doesn't mean they'll be great for playing shootin' some hoops with the bros on the court.

I have been riding a beat up old pair of Burton Moto boots for some time now. They have legit laces (not that boa crap...) and have a nice "all-around" feel. These black beauties have held up to some serious abuse with nothing more to show for it than some frizzy laces and a few tears on the right toe (from resting the tail of my board there instead of the hard ground/pavement). Being considered one of Burton's more "economy" (or "beginner")-oriented boots, these are just about as flexible as they are cheap. Just barely cracking the $150 level for boots, these give quite a bit of bang for your hard earned bucks. Comfortable to walk in, I usually rock these from the time I get out of my car to the time I start packing up. I've never had an issue with pressure points or an uncomfortably rigid or stiff feel and they give pretty good support without sacrificing mobility for all those riders who love to get steezy wit dem tweaked-out presses. These aren't even that bad for hiking-whether you're hitting that same rail all afternoon or on your way to the summit of Mittersill (fun experience and something all of you wannabe backcountry enthusiasts should check out for an easy yet rewarding start).

I can't say much for the boa lacing option with these because, well, I don't really like boa systems. Maybe I'm just some anti-change old-timer stuck in a 19-year old body, but I like regular old laces just the way they are. I have nothing against people who feel that these crazy intertwined wires do a better job; go with whatever keeps your feet in there. I have no gripes in regards to the construction of these bad boys, cause they've held up like tanks since I got them. You can argue them being too stiff or too soft, but that really just comes down to personal choice and whether you like to feel like a skier or a skater when you're strapping in. Truthfully, I kinda hate sounding so pro-Burton because all those helmet-to-board moving billboards drive me crazy with their ignorance. Yes, Burton is by far the industry leader. Yes, they do offer a generally wider selection than many other brands. Yes, they do make many quality products, but that does not always mean they make the best products. Don't take my rants as bashing them and what Jake has done for the sport; I just feel that people need to buy a product for what it is and not who makes it. With that being said, I remain genuine in my approval of these boots and the many years of quality riding I received from them.

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Nice for the price
• Well-made, durable, comfortable

Cons

• Pretty basic boot
• Mine didn't have great traction, but it looks like this year's model is better

Rating: 9/10

News Flash!

Ok, so I apologize for yet another late review. I've been pretty busy lately and this is still more or less a one man show. Mount Snow had a nice weekend, raising over $5,000 and 1500 food items for donation to their local food pantry. Nice job guys, good karma for you. Hopefully Mother Nature will send some chilly weather (and possibly...snow?) their way so they can open things up again for another weekend soon. Meanwhile, things are shifting gears farther up north as Stowe prepares for its opening date of 11/21; get Stowked...

In recent news for ECGR, things are moving forward. I've been reviewing some sticker designs and logo submissions from friends and tweaking them. Hopefully we'll have a functioning web logo within the next week or so and some gnarly stickers (matte black die-cuts...just wait) to boot. These will (hopefully) be ready in preparation for Champlain Ski and Ride Club's preseason rail jam on November 6th. I haven't placed an order for the stickers yet, so hit me up and I'll make sure I set a few aside for anyone who wants a free one, otherwise look for them at upcoming events in the Burlington area. Until then, just feast your eyes on this one-of-a-kind gold die-cut East Coast Gear Reviews sticker. If there's a demand for this design I might even bring it back after the initial black-out design is released, just let me know and I'll listen.
So getting back to the blog itself, you can expect to start reading some "certified" (author and gear approved by yours truly) guest reviews from other riders I know and ladies, I haven't forgotten you: expect to start seeing some female-specific reviews soon from the best of the best. East Coast Gear Reviews is growing and you, the readers, can help direct me (us) on which direction you want this blog to take. This blog is powered by the input of its readers, so be active and let us know what you want to hear about and when. Earlier tonight someone texted me asking for advice on what boots to look into buying. I planned on having a guest review of the 32 "Lashed" boots sometime later in the season; now I'm going to shoot for making that the next review. I'm in this because its my passion and I want to help out other riders and maybe even learn a thing or two myself in the process. So, to cut short my rambling: give me your input, tell me what you want to hear about and be a part of helping this blog grow.


Oh, yea by the way, get stoked for this board. I know I can't wait to ride mine...any guesses?

Spy Soldier Goggles

First off, a belated congratulations to Abby Keller on winning the Rome "Roadie" Snowboard bag! This raffle is over but keep checking in on the blog because we'll be having more raffles and contests later on. Oh yeah, by the way, it was snowing on Stowe and Killington yesterday...no big deal. Also, a minor disclaimer: I am now required by the FCC (or risk a $10,000 fine: not the kind of pocket change I carry around) to note that I am not paid by any of these companies to review their products. That's right, I'm not some sneaky Head of Marketing posing as a college student, I really am a poor 19 year-old who just likes to snowboard and talk about it for fun. If in the future I receive any "donations" I'll let you know before I talk about it.

So this week's review is for the Spy "Soldier" Goggles, another favorite of mine. It's tough to nail down a price on these because, well, it varies. Many brands will price different styles of the same model of goggles differently, leading to (sometimes extreme) variations in price. For example, I own the limited edition "The Wall" color from the "Rock" collection (styles inspired by Pink Floyd, The Ramones, Van Halen and The Rolling Stones). These supa-steezy, extremely limited edition goggles feature Pink Floyd's "The Wall" pattern on the frames and strap with "The Wall"-inspired Spy logos and silver mirrored lens. They also set me back about $250 (ouch...). Most Spy "Soldier" goggles retail in the neighborhood of about $100-$180. So you can see that that little bit of extra style can cost you when it comes to goggles, even within the same model. Now I was never one to splurge on goggles; I used to rock some crappy old...honestly I don't even remember what brand they were. They were typical persimmon lens goggles that were small, flat and fogged up within a few runs and stayed that way. Then I bought my Soldier's.

It was like a Claritin commercial: the world became brighter, clearer, and never foggy or blurry. As I said earlier, mine had clear silver-mirrored lens. They did/still do an amazing job at cutting down glare on bluebird days but didn't leave me blind for night riding. I do an even mix of day and night riding, so visibility in low light conditions is important to me. The large spherical lens give an incredible range of vision and keep you from feeling like you're riding in a tunnel. In short-these goggles do an all-around great job in a wide spectrum of light and conditions, so if you're looking for something that will hold up on sunny days, cloudy days, friday nights under the lights, and anything in between, go with a nice pair of silver mirrored lens with 100% UV protection to protect those peepers.

As for the actual construction of these goggles, I have somewhat mixed feelings. The actual frame is a durable soft plastic/rubber-like material that flexes but doesn't feel too soft. The frame is connected to the strap via hinges, allowing the strap to be stretched out without doing the same to the frame or lens. Around the frame is a very comfortable double-layer of foam. This helps with the ventilation of the goggles, but also makes it feel like the goggles come out from your face pretty far. I ride with a helmet most of the time so this isn't an issue, but the few times I've ridden with these goggles over a hat they do feel kinda bulky. I've hardly ever had issues with these goggles fogging up on me and they are very scratch resistant. Of all the times I've dropped them, gotten poked in the face while riding glades, kicked up some ice, etc., I've received only one very slight scratch that I don't even notice while wearing them.

The only issue I have with the construction of the Soldier goggles is how the lens fit into the frame. Because of the flexible construction of the frame, the lens can pop out slightly at the top of the frame when the goggles are being put on/taken off. This isn't really a big deal but it can be a pain to take of your gloves and try to snap it back in when you're out in 15 degree weather with high winds. This is really more an annoyance than anything and is an easy fix.

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Great range of vision
• Very scratch and fog resistant

Cons

• Somewhat bulky when worn without a helmet
• Lens occasionally pops out of frame with handling

Rating: 6/10

Burton Custom Bindings

Ok, so I'm a day late this week, my apologies. There's nothing like realizing you have a paper due at 11:55...at 10:45. Oh the simple joys of being in college! Alright enough of my whining, back to snowboarding.

This week I'm reviewing the Burton Custom Bindings. These are some of the most popular bindings out there and they are a nice middle-ground between quality and economy in a pair of snowboard bindings. These bindings are a nice step up from the Burton Freestyles but are still relatively cheap (about $160) compared to the Burton Mission or Cartel bindings (around $190 and $230 respectively) I rode these with my Ride Kink on a pretty even mix of all-mountain and park riding (mostly rails and jibbing) and they felt great for both.

The Burton Custom bindings are mostly plastic, which is a blessing and a curse: they are nice and lightweight, however they are also less durable than metal binders. This did not pose much of a problem until the very end of my second season with them. I was riding at Okemo Mountain on closing weekend and around lunch time I realized the knob connecting my highback and baseplate had broken off. As long as I had the foot strapped in I was fine because the pressure of my boot being in the binding prevented it from twisting too much. Once my foot was out, the highback was loosely held on by a single thin plastic piece. Being the visual person I am, this is difficult to explain the exact part of the bindings without showing you.As I said, this minor break didn't affect my riding, but the handling of my board. If my highback was pushed too far to the inside, or right side (I'm regular, by the way), of my left binding, it could have snapped right off. Simply by being careful with my board when it wasn't on my feet saved me from the need to replace these entirely, so it still isn't that big of a deal.

Other than the issue with the mostly-plastic construction, I loved/love these bindings. One of my favorite parts of these bindings (or pretty much all other Burton bindings) is the capstrap. I was a skeptic at first of the change these strange curved toe straps; how could moving the toe strap in front of my foot possibly make riding better? In short: it did. No more pressure points when I felt the need to lock it up and no more wiggle-room when I felt like getting nice and loose. Think about it, how do two straps over your foot hold your boot in place? You crank them down until they're tight enough to hold your foot down. What about two straps that pull in different directions? They hold your foot in. Now I know I'm starting to sound like a Burton rep, but I truly love the concept of a strap that hugs around your toes instead of crushing them. Let's not forget the nice and smooth ratcheting straps as well the ease of on-hill highback adjustment (after all, they are the "Customs"). I could go on for a while about these, but now I'm technically two days late with this posting, soooo...

The Bottom Line:

Pros

• Lightweight, flexible, easy to adjust
• Good value (especially at post-season prices!)

Cons

• Plastic construction increases chances of breakage
  
• Honestly, the weak points were my biggest gripe

Rating: 8/10