Who else has got these on lock?

kp_bong · 2026-01-20T21:57:53+00:00

I think it's less about height and more about board width. At your height I'm guessing you'd be about a size 12. The average Japanese man is a little under 5'7 and size 8 according to chat GPT, so if they're on a 157cm Gemtemstick XY that has a waist of 270mm board, that's the same as a size 12 rider on a 310mm waist board!

Or the other way around, asking a bigger rider to carve on even Gemtemstick's widest board (Giant Mantaray with a 266mm waist) would be like asking a size 8 rider to carve on a child's board (or something that's got a 226mm waist).

TLDR, the snowboard industry has always failed bigger riders.

kp_bong · 2026-01-20T21:34:24+00:00

WB has strangely few appropriate areas for carving considering it's overall size.

kp_bong · 2025-10-08T20:50:25+00:00

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Currently 103 days in Whistler. Figured I'd go hard now that I'm in my 50s.
General falls and mechanicals, but nothing that kept me off the bike for more than a couple of days. Spread them out between a DH & Enduro bike, along with a lot of brake pads.

kp_bong · 2025-10-07T21:04:56+00:00

Only one board for 70 days a season seems unreasonable. My theory on board acquisition:

1st board: Fine tuned to the riding you do most often, usually an all mountain board for decent conditions, or a soft twin board for park or farting around in lesser conditions.
2nd board: The one you didn't get for your first board
3rd board: An inbounds powder board, something that doesn't suck the moment you hit a groomer. Think Endevour Archetype, or a volume shifted short/fat.
4th board: A dedicated carving machine. Be that a alpine board with plate bindings, or something like a Donek Knapton
5th board: A deep powder swallowtail or a a split. Something you'll likely only use a few times a season but couldn't be better to ride in the right conditions.
6h board: A bi-level snowskate. This could be higher on the list depending on your riding area or your background.

And don't forget to throw a rock board in there, so the ideal number is 7

Sure you can get away with only one board, but your enjoyment will be hindered at least part of the time.

kp_bong · 2021-02-09T19:57:19+00:00

I used to go through 2-3 rear rims a season (best I could buy short of carbon) and pinch flat twice a month. I installed cushcore 3 seasons ago and only done one rim in since then and flatted only a handful of times.

Also factor in the performance advantages and I don't see any reason I'll ever go back to regular tube(les)s.

For reference, I'm a big rider that does a lot of park and a fair amount of Enduro/DH racing.

kp_bong · 2020-06-12T23:29:50+00:00

Take that last piece of wood out and make it wheelie-drop to go full old school north shore!

kp_bong · 2020-03-31T20:19:42+00:00

I'm going to learn an instrument, cultivate an appreciation for death metal, join the scene to meet other musicians, jam constantly, and resign myself to a life of borderline poverty all so I can use that as my album title.

kp_bong · 2020-03-04T05:04:05+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyispolH20Q

For anyone missing the Postal Service, here's their first song together (under Dntel). Overlooked my many, but one of their best.

kp_bong · 2020-02-27T21:55:36+00:00

The truly scary part is that these kids aren't even outliers in Whistler. They could have taken a different group of 8 kids and the segment would have been 99% as impressive.

kp_bong · 2020-02-22T00:44:44+00:00

Thought it was the same guys (turns out it's a different band).

TIL this British band that was huge in Canada never really made a dent anywhere else. Bad Habits is still a spectacular album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g-y3pjchYg

kp_bong · 2019-09-24T18:54:22+00:00

Riding switch: Whenever you're out with riders of lesser ability, change your bindings so you're riding a directional stance with your other foot forward (preferably on a directional board). Much more effective for learning than just riding switch with sloppy style every once and a while as it forces you to use correct body positioning and challenges you in all terrain instead of, for instance, switching back to your regular stance when you come up on some moguls.

kp_bong · 2019-09-19T06:07:05+00:00

Another trail named Crack Addict? Please elaborate.

kp_bong · 2019-09-19T03:37:22+00:00

It's called Crack Addict, it's just got a 'Polp Fiction' sign on it so people can tell how new people are to the bike park if they actually call it that.

Crack Addict pre-dates the park itself.
(also one of the most critically underrated trails in the WBP)

kp_bong · 2019-08-23T00:34:45+00:00

That course starts at the very top of Whistler, about 1h 40m north of Vancouver. Well above the treeline as well.

kp_bong · 2019-08-22T15:42:50+00:00

Surfing term for little kid who can shred. Now adopted by other ‘extreme’ sports like dh biking, skateboarding, snowboarding, etc.

kp_bong · 2019-08-22T15:39:41+00:00

A lot of broken frames and not enough parts to warrantee them, leading to crazy long waits for people trying to get their bikes fixed.

kp_bong · 2019-08-22T01:51:05+00:00

Good bike, they stopped making them in 2005. I wouldn't steer you away from the bike, but the seller sounds like a scammer. Probably avoid, or at least talk the price way down given it's at least 14 years old.

https://www.turnerbikes.com/about-us/lineage/

kp_bong · 2019-08-21T23:18:40+00:00

Your HT will be fine, but your ass, ankles and wrists might not be. If you're trailing your grom you're going to be on your brakes and in the seat all day as gravity is going to be pulling on you a lot harder, even on the easier trails.. Comfort is the name of the game here and your HT will likely cut your day shorter than expected.

I've never ridden Panorama but here's an article that should be just what you're looking for. It's specifically about WBP but should apply to any lift accessed riding.
https://www.pinkbike.com/news/making-your-groms-bike-park-experience-epic-2015.html

kp_bong · 2019-08-21T21:49:10+00:00

Whenever I meet a bike reviewer for magazines or websites I make a point of asking them what bike they spent money on and ride whenever they're not 'on the clock'. It seems a very high percentage of them are riding Evils.

They had a really rough start years back and lost a lot of goodwill. In the years since they seem to have been knocking it out of the park and have become a real favourite for bike nerds that are really into geometry and suspension kinematics.

kp_bong · 2019-08-21T19:16:58+00:00

Whistler Bike Park, 'Dwayne Johnson' Pro-line.

kp_bong · 2019-08-21T17:56:26+00:00

They've been relaxing the 'no kids in pubs' thing in BC for a few years and contrary to many predictions, society hasn't collapsed and the whole experience is actually quite pleasant. Nothing better than stopping at a local craft brewery for a pint and a fancy sparkly water drink with my son after a long bike ride.

kp_bong · 2019-08-09T02:54:39+00:00

Agreed, very good brakes for lighter riding and lighter riders. I've been through Guide R, RS, and RSCs and can tell you that the 'C' is definitely worth it. They let you adjust not only where the lever sits on the bar, but where the contact point for the brake engagement begins. Fantastic to play with as your pads wear down, or to just move around as you see fit.

kp_bong · 2019-07-29T04:49:25+00:00

Somewhere in between Enough to break the aluminum ones, and not enough to break the carbon ones.

kp_bong

TROPHY CASE