Jonathan Tollefson

From the beginning of the snowboard season, I have been trying to find a pair of snowboard bindings to buy.  The bindings I ride now are busted and need to be thrown in the trash.  The only problem I have is that I cannot find a binding that is worth my time or money.

Good thing I went to Test Fest because I found the binding that I am going to buy.

The Republic by Forum

Comfort: The republic is the only binding I put on that I didn’t feel.  It’s the best part about the binding.  This means the comfort of the binding is a 10 in my book.  I could buy them based on this fact alone, but I know you want more.

Lets go with appearance next. I think the binding looks sweet.  The 2011/2012 is coming out in a few different colors.  I rode mustard and black Republics at the show, and who knows they might have a few more colors up their sleeve.  They also look tough, like they won’t take sh!t from anyone.

Flex: I think this is a good all around flexing binding.  Right in the middle for flex.  It was sturdy when I bombed the hill.  It allowed me to poke out grabs and tweak tail and nose presses on the rails.  It didn’t dig into my calves at anytime, and I didn’t feel any restriction from this binding.

The Tech Side: Forum has a new hinge plate that allows the binding to flex with the board.  I think it is a brilliant idea.  The plate doesn’t change other than the hinge, and it attaches to the board like a standard base plate.

The Republic comes with a full foot bed that snaps into place which makes it super easy to adjust.  Forum added some techy foams to the foot bed to help with the comfort of your stance and make riding easier on your feet.

All in all every snowboard binding should have a full foot bed.  Forum is one binding that does, and I won’t buy a binding without a full foot bed.

The Straps: The Republic has a toe cup that fits perfectly.  It has a super comfy heal strap that takes all pressure points off of your foot.  The buckles are super smooth and super easy to get on and off of your boot.  If I don’t feel the straps and they work well.  I give them a ten!

Price: The Republic is going to retail for around $225, and I know you can buy last years version for around $200.  I think it is a perfect price for a binding that works great and one that you will be able to ride anywhere on the hill.

My overall Impression: I know I don’t get as detailed as some might want, but when I find something that works well, I am going to talk about it.  I can’t get over this binding, and I can’t wait to get a pair.

To me the comfort is the biggest when it comes to buying a binding.  The Republic hit the spot, and I didn’t even want to test another binding because I knew what I was going to buy after I rode the Republic.  I’m getting it, and if you are looking for a killer binding you have to check out the republic.  I promise that Boarding the Midwest All Day, Everyday will be a lot easier if you pick up a pair of forum Republics.

Yup it’s true.  Another electric boat has hit the water.  Nautique’s 100% Electric boat is the first to the ski industry, and it is turning heads.  I’m pumped about it.  When I first read Bill Yeargin’s (President/CEO) article in the Nautique Insider, I didn’t think it was real.

I never knew it was coming, and then BAM! Nautique steps up their game once again.  I named their 230 Air the best wakeboard boat of the year in 2010, and it will be interesting to see what ski boat takes the cake in 2011.

Speaking of wakeboarding, I hope to see a Air Nautique running on at least a mix of battery and fuel in the near future.  I know Nautique has a killer electric wakeboard boat up their sleeve.  They already have a whole line of sweet boats you can check out HERE.  I hope they keep on pushing the sport and the boat technology.

Electric boats seem to be coming into the industry faster than I originally thought.  They might be expensive at this point, but at least people are thinking of a better way to get us out on the water without using so much gas.  I think if we can get a boat that will get us out on the water wakeboarding without using gas that the industry will grow.   Boats are gas hogs! 

If you want to see a Video on the 100% electric Nautique, Click HERE!!  The thing is sweet!

All in all, we have to give it up to Nautique for getting us one step closer to Boarding the Midwest All day, Everyday by brining electric into the equation!

Over the holiday, I had the chance to get out and snowboard in Minnesota with family and friends a few different times.  Before the season really got under way, my Brother-In-Law needed a new board so I helped him out.  After a long search, we ended up finding a killer deal on the Ride Kink from The-House.com, so he snagged it up.  Lucky for me, my bro came with me two of the days, so I had the chance to take some turns on his new board.

Review of the Ride Kink

Board: 155 Ride Kink

Shape: Twin

Stance: Goofy

Bindings: Burton Custom

Snow Conditions: Midwest hard packed groomers

My thoughts before I rode the board… After talking with many different people about the Kink, I was a little nervous that the board was going to be a wet noodle on the snow.  The Kink is Ride’s premier indestructible park board.  It is designed to slay the rails and rule the park.  Every shop I talked to said it was crazy flexible and that it might not be good for the whole mountain.  Every owner of the Kink I talked to said that they thought the board was going to be more flexible than it was.  My buddy even told be he wished it was a bit more flexible.  All of the owners also use their kinks for the whole mountain (if you can call them mountains in the Midwest).  Overall I was not sure that I put my brother-in-law on the right board.

My Thoughts of the Kink

Lets start off with the flex of the board seeing that is what I was most worried about.  I don’t think the board is as flexible as everyone thinks.  It is soft, but I still had to work to get the tips of the board off of the ground.  Once you did get the board into a press it seemed to hold pretty well.  I thought the flex of the board was smooth from the tip to the tail.  I like a board that I can press and hold.  The kink fits that description well.  Overall I thought it was going to be easier to flex, but I did like the consistant flex throughout the whole board.

As I rode the Kink… I was impressed.  It transitioned from edge to edge very well, and it held up a high speeds.  As I pointed the board down the hill it felt stable the whole time.  The board did not chatter on the hard snow, and it held an edge well.  What I noticed most as I rode the Kink was the pop of the board.  It felt like I could ollie 6 inches higher than I could on other boards.  This pumped up my tires.  The pop of the kink is the board’s biggest attribute if you ask me.  The pop is the one thing that stands out in my mind the most.  I instantly forgot about the flex once I popped off the tail for the first time.  Unreal!

My Overall Thoughts:  For a rider in the Midwest where most of the hills are becoming snowboard park wonderlands, I would say that anyone who picks up a Kink has made a good decision.  If you are just starting in the sport of snowboarding the Kink is a good board to learn on and it is a very versatile board for the whole hill.  It provides a smooth flex to learn butters and presses, and you will be able to fly off off jumps if that is your cup of tea.  If you want to take your park riding to the next level, the Kink is going to be a good board for you.

All in all, I would buy a Ride Kink in a heart beat.  The pop is something I love and will never forget.  It turned well and it’s not going to fold up on you when you hit a rail or point it down the hill.  If you are looking for a good all around board, I would consider the Kink 100%.  It’s going to hold up, and be a board that will last you a long time if you take care of it.

If you want to learn more about the Kink and hear what others are saying about the board, check it out on Ride’s Website.  Enjoy your winter, and if you have a chance to get on a Kink while your Boarding the Midwest All Day, Everyday, DO IT!!

Over the last two weeks of crazy vacationing and traveling around the Midwest, I was still able to get out and snowboard a few times.  So many stories could come from these times of fun, and the one I am about to tell is one that I just can’t hold back.  It all started on a cloudy day in Des Moines, Iowa.  The snow was fresh, relatives were in town, and we needed to go boarding.  So what did we do?  We hit up Sleep Hollow with a vengeance!

Let me tell you about Sleep Hollow… Sleepy Hollow is nestled just outside of Des Moines with a vertical drop of about 150 feet (a conservative guess).  Their website tells me that their snow tube hills are about 1000 feet long.  I would say the snowboard runs are about the same length.  One chair lift and a single rope tow bring people to the top of the hill.  From there you can navigate your way down multiple terrain park features and a few steeps.   This is where the fun starts.

Vacation Snowboarding

The fun starts as we took trips up the chair lift.  From the great view, we saw people flying everywhere, 100′s of bodies laying on the ground, out of control skiers, and some of the best falls I think I will ever see this year.  I only wish I could say that it got better as we cruised down the hill.  It didn’t.  Our crew was nervous the whole time.  We didn’t know where people were going to go, we didn’t know if a ski was going jump out and kill us; we were snowboarding for survival, and I think everyone else was doing the same!

On the Flip Side I do have to say that we had a great time.  We found some un-tracked ice glades with about five inches of powder covering them.  It was great fun to feel the float for a couple of seconds.  The rail park wasn’t all that bad.  It started off with a couple of boxes that lead to a down rail (first pic) which directed you to a corrugated tube that was super smooth.  All in all, I have seen rail parks that are a lot more brutal than Sleepy Hollow’s.

In the picture above you can see my cousin who has only been snowboarding for a short time.  He was hitting Sleepy’s only kicker which had a four foot take off, a 25 foot table and a three foot landing.  Needless to say we never even tried to make the landing, but my cousin did stomp his first 180 ever.  Pumped!

Other than the crazies on the hill, the flailing bodies on the ground, and the not so sweet jump; we had a blast.  I am super stoked that I got to get out and ride with a few of my cousins, and I can’t wait to do it again.

I think this experience goes to show that if there is snow on the ground and you are on vacation, that you can get out and ride no matter the conditions.  Nothing has to be perfect for you to have a good time snowboarding with family and friends.  Heck you might even learn something new.  So I have to give it up to Sleepy Hollow for allowing us all another opportunity to get out and Board the Midwest All Day, Everyday!

A couple months ago, I was a lucky winner of a wakeboard video called Not Just Clockwise.  Because I was the winner of this video, I would like to pass it on and pay it forward for someone to enjoy.  Leave a comment after reading my review and I will pick one person to send the video to! (Make sure to leave your email)

My Review: Not Just Clockwise

Not Just Clockwise was produced by a guy named Robert Absher who produces wakeboard videos over at Absher Films.  There is never a way to tell how long it takes someone to put together a full production movie, but I can tell you that Robert put a ton of time into this video.

The only reason I want to send it on to someone different… is because this is Robert’s first video that he has ever produced, and I believe more people need to see this film.

For a first production film, Robert KILLED it.  He taped pros such as Bob Soven, Dallas Friday, Kevin Henshaw, and about 20 other great riders.  In this film you will see Cable riding, straight up steller wakeboarding behind a boat, rail parks, and shots from any angle that you can think of.

From wakeskate supermans to chicks going inverted to pros throwing down massive spins and airs, the caliber of riding in Not Just Clockwise is top notch.  You guys have to watch this video to see Daniel OBrien hit a kicker on a wakeskate, grab the board indy, and throw his feet behind him superman style.  Best trick in the film.  There are many others that I can think of, but nothing sticks out in my mind like that trick.

Where Absher Films could improve – Lighting, on some of the clips it was hard to see the rider.  I know that this is never an easy thing to improve on because you really only have one light source.  The sun.  Seeing that it is hard to rely on Mother Nature, I am not going to take anything away from the film.

Another area where Robert could improve is in the text and editing of the video.  A lot of the song titles were hard to read.  This will just take some more editing and playing around with.  I would also like to see some variation in the video clips.  A lot of the clips were straight clips of the riders.  I would like to see Robert get creative and mess with the clips a little bit.  Layer them up and add some dimension to the riding through editing.  I know this only adds more time to the overall edit, but I bet you will be super happy with the final product.

Summery of my Review: All in all, I am pumped that Robert was willing to give out a copy of his video.  The video is loaded with crazy riding, and a bunch of people having the time of their lives.  If you haven’t hooked up with Robert on Facebook yet, make sure to become friends with him so you can see his latest edits and everything else he is doing.  For a first time video, I say it is worth it to go out and get yourself a copy and support Robert’s cause.  He is doing great things for the industry, and I have a good feeling that he is not going to go away.  Nice work man, and thanks again for sending me your vid!

Be sure to leave a comment so I can send you a copy of Absher Films Newest video, Not Just Clockwise.