Snowflex

[Skully]

Just Curious, has anyone on the board ever tried this stuff?

http://www.britonengdevt.demon.co.uk/sf_tech.htm

How is it for carving?

[Carp]

I saw this stuff in a traveling stunt show in Milwaukee or at least something similar. I also think they have it at the university of WI Eau Claire, but again it may be similar. I just wonder about the speed achieved?:confused:

[philw]

Oh yeah.. we have a fair choice here in the uk, where Snowflex is made. There's:

(1) Dendix
This is the stuff with wide hexagons of bristles.
Pictures from a local Dendix slope. (http://www.wigglesworld.klebos.com/sports/snowboard/uk/wycombe/index.htm)

(2) Snowflex
As per your link. Here's a shot of it in use from a Snowflex halfpipe in Sheffield (think "the full monty"):
http://www.wigglesworld.klebos.com/sports/snowboard/uk/sheffield/images/A19S12854.jpg

(3) Indoor snow
Like artificial snow only indoors.
Some pictures of our local indoor slope. (http://www.wigglesworld.klebos.com/sports/snowboard/uk/xscape/index.htm)


What's it like? Well you can figure that the hills are generally quite small, hence it's mostly flatland stuff. There are a few carvers around. It's not as fast as snow, so the slopes have to be built very steep and they have "misting" systems to reduce friction.

If you're living in the UK then pretty much either you use this stuff or you're likely to be crap.

[Baka Dasai]

Is it possible to carve a turn on Dendix or Snowflex? I guess it's impossible to carve an actual trench into the surface, so how much lateral force can this stuff withstand before you skid out?

I've skied on Dendix before (many years ago), and it's about 10 times slower than snow. Ugh.

[philw]

Carving is certainly possible, but it's much harder than on snow for the reason you give. You need sharp edges and good technique.... not a problem for most on this board, but many local boarders never learn how to hold an edge. On the other hand, if you can rip on this stuff then everything else is pretty easy.


On Dendix you can load it pretty much as hard as you can manage, but you have to bear in mind that you're not going to go very fast on a 200m long Dendix hill full of sideslipping beginners.

Think of it as gym training and you'll get the basic idea. You can see that the fashion for freestyle is good for slopes like this. Snowflex is better to fall on that Dendix. Most of us have some Dendix scars.

[Al G]

I learnt to ride on a 200ft dendix slope in the UK and can confirm that it is excellent for learning edge control - You soon learn after slamming your rear end on the mat hald a dozen times! I have the scars referred to by Philw.

Al G

[UK2TX2CA]

I learnt on the Dendix at the John Nike Center, Bracknell, UK in the early 80's ...still have the scars!

I'll have to dig out my old Snowboard UK magazine's to see if I can find any of the pictures of the races.

Anyone remember the name of the guy who added the washing up bottle and pump to his board? Got banned from racing with it....too fast!

For the uninitiated...dry ski slopes where supposed to have sprinklers running to help with the friction...of course the heads would get broken so you would get fast and slow areas. So yer man added his own water = fast!...buggered if I can remember his name.

Regards,
UK2TX2CA

[bobdea]

at steamboat they use it at the lifts and on a sunny day its hell slow spots in the middle of the ramp ,dirt gets in it and so on

[Al G]

I learnt at John Nike in the early nineties, even had lessons from Martin Drayton.

Only the oldest most disposable board in the quiver should ever get abused by dendix!

I recall at Aldershot on Thursday 'board' night that they had a 'bath' of washing up liquid mixed with engine oil to lubricate the bases. Great for speed, even better for wrecking ptex!

Al G

[scottishboardracer]

Yeh you can kind of carve on dendix as long as you keep pretty up right and dont bank your turns too much, problem is after 3 or 4 turns your edge has heated up so much that the base starts to melt away from it (due to the friction).
I'm currently instructing at http://ski.midlothian.gov.uk/ the longest plastic slope in europe, sure as hell nothing like steamboat where i spend my winters!
Mike.