New To All Mountain..Request Assistance

[Crispy23]

I'm going to start alpine boarding soon and need to know the right kind of gear to get that isnt brand new but doesnt fall apart after a year of use. I'm 5'9 120 pds and I wear a 9.5 in shoes
Am going to be using a All-Mountain board but havent been able to find one to buy... maybe the Donek Axis.. Any info would be appreciated

[Randy S.]

Start with Bomber's Welcome Center (http://www.bomberonline.com/articles/welcome_center.cfm) . The Carver's Almanac (http://www.alpinecarving.com/) is another great resource. Once you've been through those, you'll be much better equiped to start making decisions. The Donek Axis is a great board. It would undoubtedly make a good starter for you, especially if you are making the transition from a traditional snowboard. Plus it will serve you for years to come, even if you add a more racey board to your quiver. You only have a few options for boots. Bomber has Head and Deeluxe (Raichle). Klug Riding has some close-out Burtons and UPS Boots (http://www.upsboots.com) has UPS (check availability). The Classifieds section of this site can be a gold mine of great deals, however boots is a tough one unless you can try them on first. Although Thermoflex liners give a lot of room to fudge it if you get close on size.

That should keep you busy for an hour or two. Come back here for more advice as you narrow your choices. This is by far the best source for info. Welcome to the brotherhood Crispy.

[NateW]

Prior has an all-mountain carver called the 4x4, or 4WD, (I forget) and Coiler makes great all-mountain boards as well.

www.donek.com

www.priorsnowboards.com

www.coiler.com

I just ordered my second Coiler. Bruce will mutate the boards for a modest upcharge, so I got a taller tail for fast backward sillyness, and taller nose for psychological reasons.