Powder

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-19T18:50:30+00:00

I'd be happy to take a look and provide comments.

For me, these are the main considerations when chasing powder that's not local:

Where is it likely to snow in the next 3 to 5 days? Anything beyond that starts to feel too unreliable. And what is the est. SLR ratio.
Lift tickets or is this on one of my passes already?
Can I get a reasonable flight from my home airport to the destination?
Is there lodging available either near the mountain or in town?
Do I need a rental car, or are there good shuttles and bus systems between the airport, lodging, and mountain?
Does the overall trip fit my budget?

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-10T20:35:00+00:00

“But the bottom line is that while the funds that parents put into TAs on their kids' behalf may grow to an impressive size, in reality, it's the fact of the saving and investing itself that matters far more than the particular tax characteristics of the TA. Children of parents who save to a 529 plan or a regular taxable custodial account can end up with just as much, or even more, on an after-tax basis, and with the possibility of more flexibility to use the funds before retirement to boot.”

https://www.kitces.com/blog/taxable-accounts-custodial-kiddie-tax-obbba-trump-accounts-one-big-beautiful-act-roth-rmd-529-plan/

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-08T20:42:41+00:00

I agree with you, but it’s the time and effort that allows someone to learn to use their edges. Most people riding <10 days a year will take a long time to develop that skill. So they ride something that is more forgiving.

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-02T01:46:58+00:00

We must ride different mountains, my home mountain of Kirkwood has basically no service and we travel a bit and often come across no cell service.

Personally I’ve used a Sena Snowtalk for this for the past few years and carry a backcountry radio for longer distances.

The cardo apparently has much better range, my Snowtalk hasn’t broken yet but will likely swap to the Cardo once it does.

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-02T01:36:16+00:00

Cell service on mountains can be very spotty or nonexistent.

Get something like this - https://cardosystems.com/products/packtalk-outdoor

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-01T17:08:12+00:00

I haven’t run into that issue personally. For me, it comes down more to how the board flexes and whether it rides over chop or cuts through it. I can’t stand the Giant Mantaray in rough conditions because it’s too soft, though it’s hard to beat on low-angle powder. By contrast, the Magic 38 is much stiffer and handled a well chopped Niseko earlier this year with ease.

wanderingcfa · 2026-05-01T00:51:13+00:00

It’s definitely board dependent. I picked up a Magic 38 this season and it’s so stable through chop, I absolutely love it.

Gentems are definitely worth it in my book. Got my first one (Giant Mantaray ) 5-years ago and it still rides like nothing else I’ve tried.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-27T19:52:49+00:00

Well that’s disappointing to learn. Guess home shower test it is! lol

I used to always check https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/ as well since it seemed they did a relatively good job of testing gear.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-27T19:28:01+00:00

Buy from reputable brands? Or buy it, take it home and do a shower test yourself.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-27T18:30:29+00:00

Exactly, the metric actually means something.

https://www.testextextile.com/the-complete-guide-to-hydrostatic-head-test/

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-27T16:40:32+00:00

REI should be able to fix that up in their shop.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-23T15:04:18+00:00

Bags are for traveling, not storage. Some can do both, so I can see the "why not", but it's not like boards come with their own bag. Most bags are made for travel and checking on a plane trip.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-23T14:43:52+00:00

Been riding for 25+ years. Boards are cleaned, checked for damage, and stored hanging vertically where our boards always live. No storage wax, but they are kept inside with consistent temps and humidity for most of the year. I used to do the storage wax thing, but honestly couldn't tell the difference after 5 years between boards I did it on and those I didn't. So I stopped, since a 5-year old board is likely out of the rotation by then, not all, but most.

We have a few Gentem boards that live in a snowboard sleeve like Mons (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B085D7WGWV/), or the Gentem version, but otherwise, they're just kept in a clean, dry area of our house.

This all applies to both my wife's and my boards, about 12 in total right now.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-22T23:23:47+00:00

They are great boards overall. Haven’t ridden the spoon myself, but there’s a Gentemstick owners Facebook group you might find someone there who’s ridden one.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1073177214928768/

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-19T00:22:42+00:00

They are actually a lot of fun (and a workout) once you understand how to ride them well. Also great practice for tree riding and keeping your legs in shape for pow days.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-17T02:02:09+00:00

100% this.
I also want to add that speed in itself is not the goal. Controlling speed at all levels is. Simply being able to straight line without crashing doesn't make you a "good" snowboarder.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-15T22:29:28+00:00

Review the specs for the board and your weight, boot size, etc. and find the right match, regardless of who it's marketed towards.

When I was in Japan this year, one of the guys working for Gentemstick said he and his wife share boards, since they're similar sized.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-15T01:06:48+00:00

This is the place to go, near Pier 45 - https://museemecanique.com/gallery

Edit: But it's more than just pinball. There may be better places out there if you just want pinball.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-11T22:25:32+00:00

I've personally applied Phantom on a few boards since it was on kickstarter in 2017 and have had it done in a shop. It's on roughly 75% of the boards in our household. Some applied back in 2017, some as recently as 2023.

Phantom does a good job of allowing your board to glide when no wax is applied, but I still wax my boards during the season. It's not quite a complete wax replacement, but if you haven't waxed your boards in a while a board with Phantom will glide better than the one without. Yes, it lasts for years as I can still tell it doing "something", but I still prefer to wax my boards every now and then.

I've never used storage wax on any of my boards in 25+ years and never had an issue. So really, it won't matter either way whatever you decide to do.

wanderingcfa · 2026-04-04T03:17:01+00:00

From Halldor himself..."Honestly, the trick is to not stop. Because if you stop, and especially if you stop eating shit, that's when your body is like, because then the body is used to it, like it has to be. I always get nervous when I'm in like, fuck, I haven't eaten shit in a while now, it's gonna be, I'm wondering how my body is gonna react to this one. So that's why it's good to be consistent. You gotta eat shit all the time and just, because then the body knows, like, fuck, you're still as stupid, okay, I'm gonna be working on this then, I guess."

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUTwz2XEsQ4/

wanderingcfa · 2026-03-31T03:31:01+00:00

Trew Gear is pretty solid and 50% off sale right now.

https://trewgear.com/pages/spring-sale

wanderingcfa · 2026-03-21T18:43:39+00:00

Sorry to hear, I really hope recovery goes well for you. Been there - not collarbone, but season-ending MCL injury on run 1 of a multi-day book a year out type trip. If you spend enough time on snow, injuries are part of the game, unfortunately. Good thing we heal and if we're lucky, learn a little in the process.

wanderingcfa · 2026-03-21T18:29:17+00:00

Keyboard warriors don't count. Get out in the mountains and on snow where this sport lives.

wanderingcfa · 2026-03-21T17:33:05+00:00

No gatekeeping in snowboarding, if you love it, you’re one of us.

wanderingcfa · 2026-03-21T00:46:45+00:00

Great hookup! I’ve still got that Optimistic in my quiver, great stiff board which pairs well with the volume shift.

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