Prior MFR Men’s Freeride - 2011

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If your idea of snowboarding is tucking into the fall-line and letting rip then the Prior MFR is right up your street. Triaxial glass laminates and carbon stringers should provide enough edge grip for even the hardest snow conditions and enough pop to clear the biggest Bergschrund. Featuring Priors early rise tips for 2011 the MFR will switch from edge-to-edge with much less effort than previous models.

Manufacturer's Description:

The 2011 MFR’s directional chassis provides incomparable edge hold and fall line speed. New for 2011, the MFR now comes with Hybrid Rocker which frees up the tip and tail for improved powder floatation and more effortless edge-to-edge transition without impacting its smooth, damp ride and on-edge carvability. Stiff and stable, with minimal taper it is a freeriding machine that performs in the worst crud and floats in the sweetest powder and provides post turn energy to spare.

Best For -

Speed, steeps, trees, powder, groom, ice, crud, air and all-mountain variable snowpack. If the mountain has it the MFR rips it.

Rider type -

Soft boot carvers, cruisers, speed demons and soul riders. Also great for BX racers and extreme mountain explorers looking for stability at speed from summit to valley bottom.

**Available in Wide (W) and Extra Wide (XW) models for riders with large feet.

Recommended for freeride riding.

Recommended for big mountain riding.

High cost $

Available in Wide.

Rocker Construction.

Directional Shape.

Year: 2011

Available Lengths (cm):
158, 162, 165, 168, 172, 176, 162W, 165W, 168W

Riding Style: Freeride

Specifications:

Sandwich construction
Wood core – tip to tail, vertically laminated Aspen with Maple hardwood stringers along each side
Full wrap Rockwell 48 hardness steel edges
Two layers of 21oz triaxial weave fiberglass with interwoven longitudinal 10 count carbon stringer in center.
Shatterproof UHMW sidewalls – 22 degree bevel
Epoxy resin
Rubber foil dampening
Backprinted nylon topsheet
UHMW sintered diecut base with speed polish finish (Note: all black base material is graphite)
Directional Hybrid camber/rocker profile
Handcrafted in Whistler, Canada

Similar boards: Rome Anthem SS - 2011 Nitro Pantera LX - 2011 Apo Apocalypse - 2011 Amplid UNW8 - 2011 Capita Black Snowboard of Death - 2011

Prior MFR Men’s Freeride

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What colour is powder?

Jeff Poirier on January 02, 2011 at 06:53 PM

I own a 172 Prior MFR without rockered tip/tail, and I love it. I ride about 45 days a year mostly in Oregon, Alaska and Whistler. I am pretty one dimensional: go fast on steep non-groomed runs is my thing. I demo many boards but have always prefered the stable crud-smashing predictable way of my Prior. Then last spring I tried the new version of my board—the only change is this rocker thing—and I loved it. I rode it in 4 inches new, on the groomers back to the lifts, and scratching through icy entrances to chutes, awesome board. The one thing I didn’t do on it was huge high speed turns on the groomers. Stable and turny—didn’t think this was possible, but it is.

mark on February 21, 2011 at 10:08 PM

Jeff how is the edgehold on this board? Does the rockered version have less?

Jeff Poirier on February 21, 2011 at 11:48 PM

Mark I can’t tell the difference—I have ridden a few boards with the early rise tip tail/ camber between feet thing and not picked up on any sacrifice in edge hold, whereas the reverse camber/rocker boards I have ridden, big drop-off in carving. I rode the Smokin 172 KT22 and Rossi Experience, both have magnatraction, both hold an edge. I think the MFRs looong sidecut helps it edge hold big time, and is more fun for groomers than the magne bumps. The only boards I haven’t tried that may dethrone the MFR for big stable fun are the Never Summer RaptorX and the Venture Storm—have you ridden these?

mark on February 22, 2011 at 12:33 AM

Jeff I have a Jones Flagship, I think the camber between the feet thing works awesome and the nose rocker/tail rocker makes the board very quick edge to edge.  It’s really fun.  I’ve heard lots about the MFR so want to give one a try, I’ve heard they’re really, really stable.  But wasn’t sure if the rockered gave up some carving. I’m also interested in the Venture Storm but haven’t been able to ride one.

Henners on April 19, 2011 at 07:13 AM

I have an MFR 168 hybrid rocker paired with some 2009 Burton C60’s (not Burton ESP model). My boots are Vans Cirro’s.

I have ridden over 100 days on the board in BC Canada twice and New Zealand’s icy conditions and I have really fallen in love with the thing. It handles nearly all conditions with ease and is confidence inspiring when at speed (no vibration). Traction on pure ice is surprising really good. I did struggle a little in super deep POW (5FT) but that is largely to do with my ability rather than the board. All other times this thing rocked for me.

If I was going to try another board perhaps I’d look at a Prior Spearhead at about 178 but this is a wish list item and hard to justify buying a second board when the MFR does it all anyway.

My brother in law got the AMF 165 and he’s stoked with it also. given he’s been riding for 30 years and is a BC local I’d say his opinion is a pretty informed one. Interestingly I was quicker in a straight line on the MFR then he was on the AMF. I guess its to do with a narrower longer profile and I’m a bit heavier. 

I have read on some blogs that Prior are not so good with the after market service. Seriously Chris Prior has been very helpful with me when I was buying from overseas location and they were trying to give me as much description and detail as he could give I bought one sight unseen.

In summary the prior boards are rock solid and starting to get a really good following of riders. My MFR is really very light considering how stiff it is which is good when considering plane baggage limits. I can pack my board bag with board, bindings, helmet, boarding cloths and general clothing for two weeks travel before needing to launder, and still keep the weight under 22 KG’s.

Personally I’ll be sticking with Prior boards for some time yet.

mark on April 19, 2011 at 03:16 PM

Thanks for posting that.  The only concern I had was edgehold on ice- the mange-traction has been really good for that on my Jones. I want a real handcrafted board like Prior with a damp, stable feel and it sounds like this fits that.

Jeff on April 19, 2011 at 05:38 PM

I smashed a 3 inch chunk of my sidewall out of my MFR. Prior was very helpful with coaching me on how to repair it, and I had a piece of sidewall material at my house from them in days.

Now I will really show you what a geek I am: An objective of magnetraction is to put control between the feet of the rider. The long sidecut radius on the MFR also achieves this—one does not have a relatively wide tip and tail digging in on icy traverses to fight. I love my board on icy groomers too.

I was at the Prior demo tent two days ago and have now tried almost everything he makes, and the MFR in three lengths. Chris’ boards more than others seem to do exactly as described on his website.

Henners on April 26, 2011 at 12:09 PM

Hi Mark, One of the problems I had when choosing a board like Pior, was gambling on a board i couldn’t see or ride before I bought it (I Live in Perth Australia. on the coldest day the nearest ski hill in 3000 Kms away, needing a plane flight). I should proberly mention that I don’t know any people or have relatives that work for Chris Prior either (i.e. no conflict of interest).

To be as Candid as I can; I wrote to the general prior website when I decided that I wanted a new all-rounder board, so I used the email address from the website and got a response from a few diffrent guys on various occasions. Couple of Dudes sounded like stoners, but a few really knew their stuff. Chris was one of those guy’s that new his stuff and bothered to put a fair bit of detail into his communications. Frankley the board handled as he said it would!. I’ve since learnt that Chris is an ex-wind surfer that turned his hand to snowboard making many years ago, after he realised where the talented people hang out (teasing comment incase Chris reads this).

I’ve tryed the Magnetation By Libt’ and they are nice boards. In my exerience I have found that it is a great inervation but doesn’t really make much diffrence on ice if the cut radius of the board is over 9 metres. I’m a bit like Jeff (Board design geek).. (sorry Jeff.. no insult intended).

I have been riding for about 15 years now and the MFR is my all time favourite. I see that the aluminiun core boards are back in fashion “For that added POP!” (I’m still not sure what “POP” Truely means?). If you read the hype on most boards they all claim to be awesome for various reasons (BUY ME.. B’S’). I have owned a pure carbon fibre board and an old wood core piece of crap over the years and may diffrent things in between, and in my opinion the wood core is still the best all-rounder. I write this knowing there are better specialised boards (good of single purposes) but I’m writing about the all purpose boards like most of us want to ride.

The JONES - FLAGSHIP looks awesome and really similar in overall design spec. I love what Jonesy is doing, as he’s about the same vintage as me and I would love to buy a board of his out of simply to support him.

If I had a jonesy baod and the prior I reckon I’d still favour the PRIOR MFR because the board is tough, rides well, travels around the world easily and quite frankley is fun!

For the record I focus my riding on freeride and have little to no interest in park style riding.I’m 105 Kg’s and the MFR still performs wickedly under my mass.

Have fun, stay safe and if you got questions I’m happy to help to my ability.

Mark on April 26, 2011 at 03:40 PM

Thanks man- I need to hear all the info I can.  It looks like I will be getting the MFR after all the positive feedback- can’t wait to see the 2012 graphics.

mr.moon on October 07, 2011 at 07:35 PM

Nice review guys!I find myself in a similar situation here in EU where there are no PRIOR to demo :( As well looking for a damp ride, soft and super stable. I’m old school like you guys, not after the extra POP but after the old smooth ride and carving. Love pow the deeper the better, but also backcountry, trees and icy slopes when the weather is not on our side. Been looking at many boards, ended up with PRIOR MFR, SPEARHEAD and ARBOR ROUNDHOUSE CX as I’m on the wide side. Still difficult too choose as both MFR and SPEARHEAD have good reviews, but probably the SH might be faster turning and more floaty and surfy in pow. Has anyone tested it??? Cheers Alex

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