Determining sidecut/radius of a board?

[jim_stoll]

Is there a general rule of thumb for determining the sidecut/radius of a board? Something involving the running length, the nose/tail width and the waist or such? (I could likely derive a value by doing the math, but I have no confidence that the calculated value that I'd come up w/ would actually approach the practical value...)

I'm looking for a new board and would like to have some general comparison on the carving radius between my current board and boards that I'm considering.

Thanks!

[Neil Gendzwill]

Nate's got one (http://www.natew.com/pages/software/snow/html.Reverse). You just have to measure tip, tail, waist and running length.

[jim_stoll]

Ah, very nice - that's exactly what I was seeking!

Thanks Much!!

[D-Sub]

or possibly...post your current board, and someone might know the actual specs?

[jim_stoll]

Yeah - a very good idea, but I've honestly forgotten the year that the board was made... <:-) Its a Burton Alp 156, and its probably a good 6-7 years old - the light-blue model w/ the white ram's head on the topsheet. Anyone know off-hand what the sidecut on this board is?

Thanks!

[Kirk]

Top sheet graphics changed from year to year, but specs didn't change from roughly '96-'99. I have the same board, 1999 (actually a 157). Check this out:

https://www.klugriding.com/98-Alp_1009-snowboarding-gear.php

[Chris Houghton]

And the board has a green base, right? I think that's 1996 or so. I still have the Burton catalog, and it says: overall length 1565, running length 1320, effective edge 1355, waist width 200, sidecut depth 24, sidecut radius 9.09, stance location 15 back, recommended weight range 110-170 (!) pounds.

[boostertwo]

In a recent training session with Jim Lindsay (Aspen bootfitting pro), he mentioned the FIS formula to determine sidecut radius is

<img src="http://tinypic.com/16kowx">

FWIW.

<img src="http://tinypic.com/16kpdu">

Cheers,
B-2

[jim_stoll]

Hmm... Its not the 98 - different topsheet graphics. It does have a sort of sea-green base, if that helps. Looks (based on the 96 and 98 data) that the sidecut is just over 9m, which is close enough for the level of comparison that I need to do. The Donek FC 163 is 10m and the Axis 162 is 8.9m, so that pretty much brackets the Alp. I'll have to run the numbers for the Alp and the 2 Doneks to see how they compare using that FIS formula - even if its not absolute (ie, what the manufacturer reports), it should provide a good relative indication.

Next question: How significant a difference is a bit less than 1m in sidecut radius? I would think relatively insignificant, but I really have no clue...

Thanks for everyone's assistance!!

[kirtap]

What's the sidecut depth, I've seen people talk about it, but I never understood what it was.
Thanks

[Derf]

I'll scan the catalogs and put them on my website as soon as I am done. I have from 93 to 02.

[jim_stoll]

You 'Board Historians' are awesome! (and a little nuts!! ;-) I appreciate your willingness to post the catalogs on-line - I should be able to definitively determine the radius from that!

Thanks Much!