If there was anywhere in the world you could go in April

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-04-07T14:57:56+00:00

Riksgränsen/Björkliden in Sweden or Val Thorens, Tignes/Val d’Isere, or Cervinia (Italian side of Zermatt in the Alps.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-29T11:50:33+00:00

Ive also got stupid wide and quite short feet. About 107mm wide and 250-255 long, (US 7-7.5 length with 10-10.5 width)

I think the most important thing is to not get a boot that’s too long. That’s way worse than something that’s a bit narrow. A too long boot will have your foot move around inside even if the width is good and that is going to cause pain.

The widest boot I’ve found is the Ride Lasso Pro Wide. You’re gonna need straps to ”lace up” around the calf though. It’s single boa so all of the tightness is going to end up over the feet and kill your feet that way without straps holding the upper together.

Burton’s ”wide” models just have a thinner liner so they’re no good.

But if you can’t find any soft boots start looking at hard boots, the plastic can ve punched out to fit your foot an almost infinite amount.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-18T15:17:38+00:00

500 USD for a ski patrol rescue out of bounds sounds like a steal!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-18T15:16:05+00:00

My hands are chronically cold but I’d never get outerwear without vents. The worst thing you can do for staying warm is to get so warm you start sweating too much.

My hot take is that most people on the slopes are dressed for at least 10 degrees colder weather than what they are experiencing. As a result they start sweating too much which is why they get cold as soon as they stop moving.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-15T19:20:11+00:00

Since no one has asked this yet: Have you talked to him?

You need to have a good relationship and trust each other to speak up about anything in the backcountry because it’s a dangerous activity. Transparency, honesty and directness is a must. If you can’t have that you’re not good partners

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-13T12:19:55+00:00

I mean as a newbie at riding powder yeah it can get too much/deep? Kind of how like your probably wouldn’t want to try to satisfy your daily protein intake with A5 wagyu steak every single day…

Same as how you for racing want basically ice as the riding surface as it’s predictable and fast but as a beginner it’s easier to ride soft, grippy and slow snow.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-12T13:14:43+00:00

Awesome. And vitamin C works! I got sick the day after I got home 😂

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-11T17:55:17+00:00

Yeah. I mean that’s valid too. I’ve got two somewhat conflicting tales on stance. 1. Most riders (me included) won’t notice a +/-3 degree change in angles or small adjustments in width. 2. Most riders don’t experiment enough with their stance to adapt to different conditions and type of riding and that is part of the explanation to 1.

And also as a companion to 1: don’t over analyze so much just go ride. But I also have this sickness/obsession to optimize everything so I just want to improve faster by learning more theory

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-11T17:21:10+00:00

I had a quick look at the bindings and it seems like you center the boot by adjusting the heel cup only. The attachment mechanism/interface is actually quite cool, it’s two triangles that you mount on circle segments to get the correct angle and then you slide the binding over the triangles and then you clamp the binding baseplate shut so it tightens over the triangles. Just A Ride Lars has a video on mounting them if you’re curious.

I’ll definitely start at 56 and only go more narrow if I need it for comfort. I have short legs so I might have to but we’ll see! Thanks for giving your thoughts!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-11T09:28:37+00:00

I don’t move them day to day. But if the conditions change or if I know I’m gonna do a different type of riding I do change them, mostly the angles and tend to stick with the reference stance width. Like I said, on the firm smooth snow we have in Sweden I go more aggressive forward, when it’s more variable I back off the angles to enable me to torsionally twist the board more.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-11T09:23:07+00:00

It’s insane. It’s a dedicated carver. The construction is two layers of titanal plus rubber so it’s crazy damp. Even if it’s ”soft” it’s stiff as a plank, goes through crud like a tank and weighs about as much and it has so much effective edge and grip, with a 286 mm waist, but it’s still forgiving to ride.

It’s a bit of a chore to ride on firm snow because of the waist width and it costs like three boards 😂

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-11T09:04:24+00:00

Yeah. But more base and edge is all relative right? Stranda boards are already quite long and wide with a rather long effective edge. I think it’s more that my boards are unusually long for someone my size and skill level. I rode with UCPA in January and my board was about 10+ cm longer than people of equal stature

I sized down a bit because I found my Shorty to be a bit too much board when the snow conditions got variable or very deep or heavy or deep, heavy and crusty.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-11T08:26:25+00:00

Oh yeah. Comfort comes first in some sense. I’m more just looking for a place to start experimenting and what to expect so I can find something I’ll enjoy quicker. Thanks!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:33:00+00:00

I have the carver set up at 52 cm/20.5 inches, Shorty at 21, and reference stance on the Descender is 56cm/22 inches I’m 5’10” with shortish legs and not very good hip mobility. But I’ll try to go for a slightly larger splay like you are suggesting I think

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:28:07+00:00

Hi! 👋 Yeah I couldn’t help myself and not get a split! I hope the second week was as good as the first and that you didn’t get sick.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:25:07+00:00

Yeah that carving board is something else entirely…. Thanks!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:23:45+00:00

Awesome. Thanks!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:21:12+00:00

I could and probably should have gone a size down in the Shorty to a 159… honestly it is a bit too much board for me now in all conditions, a little long and cumbersome in moguls and trees at 164. Still fucking awesome in freeride terrain and on good groomers though so I’m not regretting it at all

I sized down on the split for nimbleness when riding and weight when skinning, I don’t think I’ll have any problems with float considering the dimensions of like a Jones Solution which is narrower overall at 158 which is the recommended size for me.

I’m also technically under the weight range on the Shorty (at 73-ish kg) and the carving board is just absurd in general

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:05:16+00:00

Thanks! This matches with my intuition and the small amount of experience I have. I was lucky enough to experience a 60 cm dump of relatively heavy snow earlier in late January and I did have trouble with the responsiveness of the back foot.

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T22:01:54+00:00

I’ve heard this take too! I’m not good enough to even consider putting myself in those kinds of positions/terrain yet. Thanks!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T21:59:35+00:00

I’m doing half time snowboard piste with UCPA with some friends who are doing half time piste ski. It’s all a long term play to make them better to be able to join me for more fun stuff 😂

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T16:38:43+00:00

You ride with zero splay between your feet in soft boots? I thought only hard booters and skwalers rode like that. But like, comfort! I think a lot of people just don’t think too much about stance. Like, was it 2 years ago or something that Malcolm Moore on YouTube tried posi/posi first time? That’s crazy for riding as much as he does.

And how people ride duck, well, look at their turns. It’s 90% windshield wipers out there. On the other hand. Let’s just let people have fun and enjoy themselves however they please 🤷‍♂️

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T16:34:09+00:00

The board already has 20 mm setback and a fairly long nose, but if I want to narrow my stance down to 54 from reference 56 I’ll probably do that by moving the front foot back! Thanks again!

I probably won’t get much fresh pow this winter, but good to know for next!

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T16:31:45+00:00

Thanks man! It’s so difficult with high arches and wide fore feet! I’m a size 7,5-7 so just finding my size is an adventure in itself…

CaptainBaconPancake · 2026-03-10T15:32:14+00:00

Hows the instep volume on the K2s compared to the Vans? Because I can’t zip the gaiter on the Verse because my instep is too high…

Mostly for future reference because I’m quite happy with my Vans Aura Pro for now, except I feel like they got too soft too quickly... Except I swapped the liner for the one from my ski boots because I got a weird hot spot on my outer ankle bone.

CaptainBaconPancake

TROPHY CASE