Rome Artifact 1985

Welcome back everyone, hope all my fellow students had a nice break with some decent time on the snow. With the new year comes a new format here at ECGR. I'm starting to get some guest reviews, with this one from steezemonger Jake Pearlstein being the first one on his new Rome Artifact 1985. If you've ridden a new board, bindings or boots that you're crazy about and feel like joining the ECGR crew, hit me up. ECGR is getting bigger (AKA more than just me) and I'm (we're?) looking for reviewers, writers, artists, etc. to flesh out this blog (...company?). Anywho, enough from me, here's Jake's review of his Artifact 1985. As always, feedback will earn you karma - get some!

To get right into it I F@$%ing love my new Rome Artifact 1985! At first I was like “what the hell is the point of reverse camber, I dont get it.” Well, I used to ride for Signal and was scared of their Park Rocker. So after I stopped riding for Signal, I did a few things- 1: stopped caring about their boards I still had and 2: GOT A NEW BOARD!!!!! I had a budget of the money I had saved up this year for some new gear. I started out with the DC PBJ, however I decided on a whim to get over my fear of reverse camber and to get the Artifact 1985. The reason I was so scared of that “reverse camber” action was because I knew nothing about it. I had always used positive camber and could not understand what was so great about reverse camber. I understood the Magnetraction technology from LibTech, but this was different. My edges weren't all wiggly and Libtechy. I didn’t want to commit the entire season to hating a new technology, but for some dumb (but in the end awesome) reason, I got the Artifact 1985. Best. Decision. Ever. Not only do I now love reverse camber, but I’m not even using the PBJ at the moment; there’s no need to! I have so much fun on the Artifact 1985 that I never switched back. In fact the first time I rode it on rails was the PureStyle Railjam at Sugarbush. Although I did not win, I got podium with my boy Parker Fothergill. Thanks reverse camber. I locked into my tricks much better than on a regular jib board. Pivots were much easier due to the raised tip and tail and the flow was insane. I really freakin’ love that board. Lipslides feel much easier and catch free from that extra 5 milimeters of raised nose and tail. Or it might just be because of the totally flat base, but either way, I noticed a huge difference and felt totally locked in. Obviously tail presses and nose presses are just plain easier with the Reverse Jib Camber, but still nice and smooth. And they looked smooth. This is alot of credit to give to this board, I know. However I am NOT a Rome rep or a team rider, but after riding the 1985 I would love to be one. To put it simply: I am a college shredder that likes the park, filming and creative rail riding. I had no idea about Rome boards or reverse camber until I got this board. If you like jibbing and a great ride, go for the reverse camber that Rome offers, especially the Artifact 1985.

Pros
-SICK!
-Catch-free edging
-Great pop
-Easy presses

Cons
-Bronze edges burr easily
-Hard to ride on ice

Burton Mission Bindings

Ahh, another weekend, another mountain! I made my way over to Killington on Saturday for a fresh mix of natural/man-made snow to once again test out my new setup in some early season VT conditions as well as occasionally checking out the qualifier rounds for riders and skiers at the Rails2Riches competition at the base of K-1. Congrats to all the winners and those that competed on Saturday.

So while skiers and riders were throwing down at Rails2Riches, I was cruising Killington's 50 open trails, ranging from powdery, mogul-laden steeps to icy flatland as well as some quick laps through the mini park. Once again, the Banana slayed it all with great hold on ice and easy riding through deep snow. Throughout this day on the snow I was thinking a lot about the new binders. First off, they feel slightly heavier than my Burton Customs, something that I actually didn't mind all that much. They felt nice and solid, yet not lacking in response. I feel like they transferred my movement accurately without feeling too loose on the board. I liked the minimalist design of the "Primostrap" toe strap, as I am a big fan of around-toe straps vs. over-toe straps. Apparently* (*disclaimer*: I have not tried this myself!) you are even able to switch the left and right straps in order to make them into traditional over-toe straps, if that's your preference. Pretty sweet for those who want to kick it old skool, but I'm perfectly content with them out of the box.

Like the majority of bindings on the market these days, these utilize a traditional ratchet system consisting of two straps that go over (or around!) your boots to hold them in. I experienced a veeeeery slight amount of jamming with them on Saturday, most likely due to the mad cold conditions that day. It never prevented me from strapping in nor did it cause my bindings to loosen up while riding; just a slight pain at the top that took about (litterally) 3-5 seconds longer to strap in than normal. Compared to my friend's Ride Beta bindings (now discontinued), the jamming really didn't create an issue for me. Good ol' fashioned two-strap bindings with a smooth-glide ratchet system: works for me.

Like I mentioned earlier, these bindings had pretty nice response, giving me a nice return on whatever flex I put in. The sturdy metal base gives peace of mind on those chilly days that seem to turn plastic into fine china, but not making it feel like you're riding in Frankenstein boots. I actually noticed the extra little bit of cushioning added to the padding on the straps as well as the highback, giving a super-comfortable ride. The only (potential) downside to this upgrade is your boot slipping around while strapped in. I cranked these down to what felt like the same level of hold as my old bindings and whether a result of the bindings or my riding, at least once or twice throughout the day I felt my boot crease in the binding. Rather than the sole of my boot staying level with my baseplate, I could feel it bend a little in my binding during some extra tweaked out butters and presses. Now don't jump to conclusions that I'm riding with bindings that are too big; I'm not, because they're the same size I've used for years and last I checked my boots didn't shrink over the summer. Honestly, I just think that the extra puff on the straps gave me a false sense of security on how tight I had my foot strapped in, making them feel tighter (but not in an uncomfortable way!) than they were. After a few days on the new setup this has been an isolated incident, but I'll mention in a later review if it continues.

The Bottom Line

Pros

• Solid binding with great response
• Nice and cushion-y with some sweet straps

Cons

• Some jamming with the ratchets
• Extra cushioning makes it feel more secure than it really is (more to follow on that)

P.S. If you're in the southern NH/northeastern MA area, check out East Coast Skate & Snow in the coming weeks to pick up some ECGR die-cut stickahs. I'll be re-printing the "MTN Logo" sticker as well as a second, soon-to-be-unveiled design, probably drawing influence from the "Gold" sticker seen on the site in earlier posts. Pick up your own and rep the EAST!

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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