Last Chance for evogear HookUP

The sale has been going on for over a week I believe, but come midnight Sunday it’s all over. Evogear.com is putting on a ‘Yard Sale’ and looking to clear out gear that’s 2008 and older. You can get up to 85% off the retail price which is quite the sale if you ask me. Here’s the email they send and the code is YARD.

26% Off at the Evogear.com YARD SALE

I am looking to upgrade the bindings on my old Rome Blue because I’m just not fond of the Salomon ones I have. I was looking for something softer, more freestyle oriented, on that one since I use it for park and teaching. On my new 09′ Blue though, I’m looking for something stiffer, with more high back support for leaning into a heel side carve.

Evogear.com has a pair of Men’s Union Cadet’s for cheap I was thinking of putting on my old board, but they are a L/XL size. A tad bit too big for me. There is a large selection of Ride bindings, but I kind of avoid them since I hated my last pair. And they have no Rome for me either

I’m keeping up my search, but definitely hope to pick up both pairs by October/November and I’m leaning toward Union and Rome bindings. I’m also having a yard sale of my own, via eBay, because I have an old R.E.D. helmet that I wore a handful of times and basically let roll around in my trunk for a year. I’m also getting rid of a pair of old Burton Moto’s that I wore for a season and have let sit in my closet for at least 3 year and 2 other pair of boots. I’m getting rid of the helmet and boots super cheap, the bindings too, I’m just looking for a tiny bit of cash, but mostly more closet space. That is precious in condo living.

Bottom line: Evogear Rocks!

I Need New Snowboard Gloves

I need new snowboard gloves. I’ve got two pairs: Burton Gloves and Mitts. I found that they are water-resistant, but not for long. I’m looking for something that will keep me dry all day and won’t get drenched if I touch down just once. And super warm. I’m guessing I’ll be laying out a good chunk of cash if I want really good gloves. Suggestions would be fabulous!

Headphones Or Headphone Beanies?

I usually don’t have music playing when I ride. I’d rather hear the sweet sound of steel cutting through corduroy or lack of when floating in powder. I also like to hear the out of control person about to hit me from behind. I also can’t have tunes going when I’m working on the mountain, it’s not professional. In the office though, I rock a pair of wesc headphones.

The wesc headphones I rock out with at work.

Through college I relied on my Roxy Headphone Beanie. I went to school in upstate NY and it got cold. Walking across campus I was warm and oblivious to my surroundings and when I wasn’t feeling class, my professors never knew that I never heard their lectures. The headphones were kind of cheap inside the Roxy hat, but that is not what killed them. My clumsy ass stepped on it one day in my snowboard boots.

So in light of the upcoming season, along with my new binding purchase (Rome Madison’s very soon!), I am looking to acquire a new headphone beanie. I’m also a fan of toasty toes, so I’m looking into these Merrell Slides.

Does anyone have any suggestions on nice headphone beanie? One that is both comfortable and has decent sound quality is preferred. What do you get suckered into buying for the cold months?

How To Combat Boot Funk

When the riding is over and it’s time to your feet up, the last thing you want is the smell of your boots overpowering the aroma of your pint. Last season I had it with stanky boots. I’m glad it’s just the boots that reek, not my feet. Some of the AASI riders that ride for days on end and travel and clinic have multiple pairs of boots so they can let them air out well enough. Since I don’t get free gear or have a trust fund, I make do with a pair or my super old smelly, soft boots.

Seeing as I just got a new pair of snowboard boots I aim to keep them as fresh and clean as possible in the next few seasons and making an effort to keep my old ones longer as well. I’ve compiled a list of a few ways to get rid of or prevent the unpopular boot funk.

Powder
Some say baby powder in your boots will help absorb the moisture and avoid stench. I’m sure something like Gold Bond would work too.

Rice Sock (courtesy of The Angry Snowboarder)
Load two socks up with rice and after riding drop them in your boots. The rice will absorb some of the moisture so the bacteria can’t grow nice and strong.

The Freezer
A fellow instructor told me try putting my boot liners in the freezer and that the cold would kill some of the bacteria. I put my liner’s in a garbage bag, but left it open (I just couldn’t bring myself to leave the food fully exposed). After a whole day I didn’t notice that great a difference, so I put them back in. I forgot about them until I had to get to the mountain 3 days later and they actually weren’t too bad. After two days though, the smell was back, but not as strong.

Steam Clean
Steaming can work for clothes. It also works to open up the pores on your face and kill bacteria. Since I used one extreme (The Freeze), I thought why not steam? Set large pot on the stove and bring to a boil. I had no where to do it, but hanging your liners above the pot would make it easier than holding them up there. I steamed them for about 10 minutes each and let them dry, but really no difference. I steamed them again and threw them promptly in the freezer and that seemed to get more results, but they still weren’t Febreeze clean.

Plain Old Washing
This one sounds like a good idea, but my problem is getting the inner laces out of my liners and I really don’t want to mess with them. Directions: Throw liners in the washing machine. Simple enough? I’ve read that it really doesn’t do that much on its own, but if anyone tried it, let me know.

Pet Urine Enzyme Neutralizer (upcoming experiment)
Yes. I know it sounds gross, but it’s a cleaning agent. Comes in a bottle you can get from PetSmart for a few bucks. It gets great reviews on the pet store websites for cleaning up dog messes and I think I saw it a while back on a forum. Most of them seem to be natural, so I don’t think it will harm the material. Spraying might work, but some people recommend a heavy application. Since I do have a new pair of boots, I’m going to be trying this one in the next few weeks on the old ones and I’ll update you on the results.

If there are any other methods that have worked wonders for you, don’t be shy! Everyone suffers from it, especially if you ride as much as me or more.

Review: Salomon F20W Snowboard Boots

So I realized mid-season that my boots were never going to smell fresh and clean again, nor fit my foot snugly. Only three years old (riding 30 day seasons), but they are packed out. It seems there is also nothing I can do about the smell. I’ve got to get my hands on some of those little plastic air freshener balls, maybe I can still have a back up boot for multi-day trips in case one pair is shot.

Lucky me that I came across a crazy deal on evogear.com. Seems I’ve been getting lucky a lot lately (with the deals on gear, get your mind out of the gutter). I loved my Salomon Ivy’s but, I needed something a little lighter and low-profile. Walking around in a bulky boot is a downer, but I also need something with support that I can charge in. Hence the F20’s.

Salomon F20W Snowboard Boots

I ordered a 9.5, even though I wore a 10 in the Ivy’s. I probably could have worn the 10’s if evogear had them, but I crossed my fingers. I slid my foot in and it was a little snug standing up, but it just has to be broken in, I hope. Oddly, my left foot fits in better than my right, and it’s really only slightly snug on my right big toe. I bet that with a few days on snow they will feel fabulous.

The best part about the Salomon Fusion series is the low-profile design. They aren’t as bulky and resemble a skate shoe. The foot bed isn’t as comfy as I expected, but it’s better that it’s not too soft and I’m sure it will break in quickly.

The heel hold is amazing. I don’t ever remember feeling that secure in my old boots, like a baby joey in it’s mother’s pouch. The boot conforms around the back of my leg and I can feel the liner around the tendon. I won’t have to re-lace these babies up mid-day to keep my foot in place.

Being that they retail for $230 and I paid about $98 after discounts and coupons, I think I made a good purchase. I also got a Dakine 10″ Wax Scraper, a Dakine Pocket Stone and Dakine Stud Stomp Pad for my new Rome Snowboard. Has anyone had these boots before? Or the F22’s? Let me know! And I will update come winter on the performance of my pretty new boots.