Wednesday, November 24, 2004
I need a board!....
Still not feeling too hot. Though I was cleared by the doctor, still don't feel quite right. Just hope it goes away soon in time for boarding season.
Last season saved a ton of money borrowing my brother's friend's gear. That's two degrees of separation there, I really have to thank him (cuz I prolly would never let anyone borrow my gear! Unless they begged really hard). Prolly saved around $300 in rentals. Anyways, this year decided to buy my own stuff. Which meant hours of research - when I'm about to spend a grip of $$$ I always comb the net for info.
Most of my friends got "combo deals" which means getting the boots/bindings/board in one shot. I decided to mix and match, which considerably ups the amount I'm going to be spending. Also went to the local store a bunch of times to try on boots and stuff.
Bindings: DRAKE PODIUM. Bought these off Ebay for $66! Just got them today, they were used and not the latest model. Still are in pretty good shape. Got lucky with the bidding since I saw it pretty last second. I was going to wait to get DRAKE MATRIX bindings but those would be like $150 ish plus the Podiums have a few things going for them. Carbon-fiber high back (stiffer, better for carving), no disc cover (didn't want to take the cover off everytime I needed to tighten), and more lightweight than the Matrix. Oh yeah, the binding base plate is compatible w/ burton boards (w/ the 3d holes), so I don't have to worry about that. The newer Podiums retail for around $250ish so I think I got a decent deal. Plus leaves more money to spend on boots and board. I hope these don't snap the second I step on the mountain.
Boots: 2004 NORTHWAVE KEVIN JONES. Last years model. I tried on the 2005's and the padding isn't as soft. It is a bit lighter though. Sizing worried me but I figure 10.5-11 will work. Supposedly your toes should be right up against the tip of the boot, but you don't want to be too uncomfortable either. Still on the lookout for good deals on this. Got outbid a couple times on ebay, GRRRRR! Don't want to spend THAT much since I need ...
Board: Burton Custom 2005 162cm! Dream board. I am actually selling some stuff so buying the board doesn't weigh on my conscience that much. Heheheh. I actually bid on a 2003 model but lost out :( My mom was like "NOOooooo don't buy used stuff, you might get bad "chi" from the previous owner (or something like that).
Pro/cons
+ kick-ass board
+ looks kick-ass
+ i'd be happy w/ it
+ new, so I wouldn't have to do the "cleansing ritual" thing mom suggested to banish the previous owners "chi"
- EXPENSIVE
- so kick-ass someone might steal it
- will look dumb being outboarded by a lil kid riding a 2x6 plank.
I'm leaning more and more towards buying it, but we'll see. I want to see how high last years model are selling for. A ton of customs just showed up on Ebay. If the difference is somewhat negligable, I'll spring for the newer board.
The most important thing is going enough times to justify the cost of the gear! ¶ 1:58 PM
Last season saved a ton of money borrowing my brother's friend's gear. That's two degrees of separation there, I really have to thank him (cuz I prolly would never let anyone borrow my gear! Unless they begged really hard). Prolly saved around $300 in rentals. Anyways, this year decided to buy my own stuff. Which meant hours of research - when I'm about to spend a grip of $$$ I always comb the net for info.
Most of my friends got "combo deals" which means getting the boots/bindings/board in one shot. I decided to mix and match, which considerably ups the amount I'm going to be spending. Also went to the local store a bunch of times to try on boots and stuff.
Bindings: DRAKE PODIUM. Bought these off Ebay for $66! Just got them today, they were used and not the latest model. Still are in pretty good shape. Got lucky with the bidding since I saw it pretty last second. I was going to wait to get DRAKE MATRIX bindings but those would be like $150 ish plus the Podiums have a few things going for them. Carbon-fiber high back (stiffer, better for carving), no disc cover (didn't want to take the cover off everytime I needed to tighten), and more lightweight than the Matrix. Oh yeah, the binding base plate is compatible w/ burton boards (w/ the 3d holes), so I don't have to worry about that. The newer Podiums retail for around $250ish so I think I got a decent deal. Plus leaves more money to spend on boots and board. I hope these don't snap the second I step on the mountain.
Boots: 2004 NORTHWAVE KEVIN JONES. Last years model. I tried on the 2005's and the padding isn't as soft. It is a bit lighter though. Sizing worried me but I figure 10.5-11 will work. Supposedly your toes should be right up against the tip of the boot, but you don't want to be too uncomfortable either. Still on the lookout for good deals on this. Got outbid a couple times on ebay, GRRRRR! Don't want to spend THAT much since I need ...
Board: Burton Custom 2005 162cm! Dream board. I am actually selling some stuff so buying the board doesn't weigh on my conscience that much. Heheheh. I actually bid on a 2003 model but lost out :( My mom was like "NOOooooo don't buy used stuff, you might get bad "chi" from the previous owner (or something like that).
Pro/cons
+ kick-ass board
+ looks kick-ass
+ i'd be happy w/ it
+ new, so I wouldn't have to do the "cleansing ritual" thing mom suggested to banish the previous owners "chi"
- EXPENSIVE
- so kick-ass someone might steal it
- will look dumb being outboarded by a lil kid riding a 2x6 plank.
I'm leaning more and more towards buying it, but we'll see. I want to see how high last years model are selling for. A ton of customs just showed up on Ebay. If the difference is somewhat negligable, I'll spring for the newer board.
The most important thing is going enough times to justify the cost of the gear! ¶ 1:58 PM
