Alan Gerlach is probably the most accomplished snowskater on the planet right now and he rips on both bi-decks and single snowskates. He is also a nice guy and I wanted to support his new adventure with Hotdish, so I ordered his signature model :)
After playing with it around my van I realized how good those guys are because it so darn difficult to ollie a flat board!!! it'll take me a while before performing any cool tricks...
I fucked up my wrist a few years back skateboarding/snowskating and since then I always experience pain when falling on them so protection is now mandatory, especially for my right wrist which is my work insurance as well. The Burton Impact seems to offer what I wanted, practicality and a low-profile to wear gloves on top of them... and obviously a minimum impact protection, the quality is really good, they feel very solid and the size M fits perfectly (although it needs to be worn a little to be more comfortable). Despite being thin they won't go under all type of gloves but they work well with mitts!
After swapping my Harfang Claw trucks with the new Rocker Trucks double-ramp on my main setup (December/Ralston) I have noticed a huge improvement in the flex of my Ralston 41" Wide ski, it probably adds about 15% more flex-play and allows for better riding, pressing and ollieing. It take some time to get used to it but it feels so much better!
Now I can not wait to ride the powderskate in good deep snow conditions at Sutton or Jay Peak, knowing Mark's passion for powder-riding this should be awesome!
