By Cindy Kleh (2005)
Most riders can’t recall the last time they thought about alpine equipment. It probably wasn’t a TV commercial, magazine or snowboard movie. Maybe it was in February, 2002, while watching the parallel giant slalom event of the Winter Olympics, or maybe they shared a chairlift ride with a “hardbooter”, and asked a few questions out of curiosity.
Alpiners comprise only one percent of the snowboarders in the U.S., maybe squeaking in a few extra percentage points worldwide. They are a rare breed … practically extinct in some mountain areas, with small pockets of enthusiasts scattered around the globe.
Hardbooters seem satisfied to have carved out their own niche, viewing themselves as a select few rather than a small minority. But in reality, their numbers don’t add up to enough of a market to be attractive to the larger manufacturers.
Even before major snowboard companies started dropping their alpine lines, it was difficult for snowboard shops to rent or sell alpine equipment. How could a shop stock enough sizes and models to provide an adequate selection without ending up with unused inventory at the end of the season?
Alpine equipment has evaporated from magazines’ buying guides, while carving photos and alpine-related articles have virtually disappeared. This void of information breeds a climate ripe for myths, and this pulls the sport down further.
Myth #1: Alpine is dying
Alpine snowboarding hasn’t grown much since the millennium, nor has it withered away. Small “microbrew” alpine equipment manufacturers that popped up in the 90s grew along with the internet. These “bottom feeders” have thrived on the crumbs dropped by the big fish.
“The internet has made my business possible as I have next to no advertising and communication costs.” says Canadian Bruce Varsava, owner of Coiler Snowboards. “Since my product is very shippable, I can easily sell anywhere in the world. The chat groups about alpine are great for getting information, and are also my best form of advertising. I will not be expanding because I do all the work myself and treat it as a craft. So, only limited numbers will be available.”
Plate bindings have been around since the 80s, but as hardboots, alpine boards and carving technique advanced, more pressure was placed on the binding, and ejections or double ejections were common stories among alpine enthusiasts.
Fin Doyle, a snowboard instructor with a degree in mechanical engineering, saw the need for a durable, rigid aluminum plate binding that could stand up to the G-forces.
“For years, Bomber made just plate bindings.” Doyle recalls. “But the industry wasn’t growing, so I decided to think like the early companies: ‘you don’t sell snowboards, you sell snowboarding.’ The internet was the way to make the sport grow.”
Doyle created bomberonline.com in 1999, giving online shoppers a diverse selection of alpine equipment. Bomberonline is now the quintessential site for carvers to buy or sell alpine equipment, read product reviews, and communicate with carvers around the globe.
Bomber also sponsors an Expression Session each year, where hardbooters gather for a week of carving together. Bomberonline has helped create a sense of community and helped to promote the sport from within.
Regional carving sites have sprung up around the world: stoked.at (Austria) [earlier version of freecarvers.com], ozcarve.com (Australia), tahoecarvers.com, alpinepunk.com (Swedish), to name a few.
The internet proved that a strong, passionate alpine community exists, and it has helped small manufacturers thrive. The “boutique” manufacturers have also benefited from growing numbers of riders that are more knowledgeable about equipment. They will pay more for a board that is custom-built and lasts longer than the mass-produced ones. They prefer to talk to the person who is making the board rather than a salesperson.
Myth #2: Alpine equals racing
The images that most riders have of alpine riding do more damage to the sport than the lack of media exposure or availability of equipment. Most riders equate alpine snowboarding with racing. They picture a lycra-clad rider doing gates on an unforgiving board that is useless on any terrain other than groomed corduroy or a race course.
Although racing boards and skin-tight suits can shave precious seconds off racers’ times, most hardbooters are not racers. They just want equipment that carves well, and they are willing to give up the versatility of freestyle equipment for better performance in the turn. They simply prefer less energy loss between the snow and their feet. They not only enjoy laid-out turns on freshly-groomed corduroy, but will venture into the bumps, steeps, crud and trees.
There might be more riders using alpine equipment if their first experience had not been on a high-end racing board. The hybrid boards, with characteristics that fall between race and freestyle, are a better choice for a newbie.
All-mountain boards resemble freestyle in shape, with rounded nose and tail, but have enough effective edge and stiffness to nail solid carves. They are wider, allowing for lower binding angles and the option of soft boots and bindings.
Freecarve boards look more like a race board, but have a fuller nose, softer flex and a tad more width. They are perfect for riders whose home mountain normally has icier conditions or those wanting to perfect their carving skills without blazing speed.
Myth #3: Hardboots hurt
“Why would the average person want to buy uncomfortable hard boots like skiers are subjected to when they could be wearing soft, warm snowboarding boots? Comfort rules!”
This statement was made recently by a professional snowboard instructor (AASI-certified Level III Examiner). Even those who know tons about snowboarding still think that hard boots are uncomfortable. Like ski boots, they are less comfortable than soft boots for walking or driving a car, but most riders find hard boots more comfortable in the turn because the extra control adds up to less foot and leg fatigue.
Myth #4: Alpine equipment costs a fortune
Many riders avoid experimenting with alpine because they believe the equipment is more expensive than freestyle. The freestyle equivalent (high end) is not much cheaper, and used equipment can be found on e-Bay and carving sites. Hardboots are usually more expensive than soft ones but endure more years of riding, so it could be argued that they are cheaper.
Myth #5: Alpine is an “old-guy” sport
There are proportionally more older carvers, and many believe that as kids create their own future arthritis in the trauma park, they will eventually be drawn to alpine as a way to still have fun on the slopes without so much pain.
But some kids aren’t waiting until they turn grey. 16-year-old Kim Krahulec competes in boardercross, halfpipe, slopestyle, GS and Slalom. She has her eye on the 2010 Winter Olympics.
“I love the challenge of alpine! I use an alpine set up alot when I’m training for boardercross. It helps me to tuck, and think about edge control and getting better lines. ‘Hards’ help you keep forward and balanced while letting you rail turns inches from the ground!”
But for most youngsters, discovering the joys of riding alpine might be decades away, and who knows where snowboard technology will lead to by then? But right now, alpine is alive and kicking, and its heart and soul are just a click away.
BH 
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