ISPO Preview - 2011 Freestyle / Park Snowboards

So 2011’s freeride boards are looking fantastic, but I know what you guys are waiting for! It’s all about the freestyle park boards. So what’s new for 2011 and what trends are going to be big. I strolled around ISPO picking out boards that bound to sell like hot cakes next season.

Firstly, I don’t know what Forum are doing these days, but it seems to be working! This year’s Scallywag with the Chilly Dog rocker was a monster success thanks to the immediately recognisable SCALLYWAG base graphic. This year’s Scallywag is looking gggrreeaaaattt (said in a pirate accent) and the Pirate’s plank graphic is a nice touch. Another Forum board to look out for is the Forum Holy Molly, no doubt you’ll be seeing the flouro topsheet in lift lines worldwide by December, but I was particularly intrigued by the toe and heel riser at the bindings, I can only assume the ramps are for improved edge hold and response… on a Forum? Surely all they have to do is reach the street furniture you’re sliding?

Stepchild haven’t grown out of their teenage angst stage yet, so their graphics are political, poking fun at the USA’s puppet presidents and out-right controversial with the Whale Dick… yep a cartoon of a whale with an enormous Johnson. It’s not just Stepchild upsetting grandparents worldwide, the Capita Horrorscope returns next season with a mad collage of alien shaped colour, and there’s a new release in the line-up, the Extreme Party Goer… naked Panda’s with boobs adorn the topsheet.. I’m just glad I’m not growing up with these visions in my head!

Demir at Imperivm has been busy readying his legion for another seasonal campaign. Hot graphics throughout the line, the introduction of some rocker boards and the fastest bases in the world (10,000 grade sintered base on the DJVI!!!), I don’t know why we don’t see more of Imperivm, definitely one of my tips for 2011. It’s not just Imperivm who are giving riders what they want, at long last Amplid have released a jib deck, it’s what the kids have been screaming out for and now it’s here. Loaded with Amplid’s new Jib rocker profile (maximises board rail contact between and under the bindings, with a buttery rocker tip and tail), some dope (excuse the pun) graphics, Amplid’s new environmentally friendly recycled Polywood core and the usual high end materials and construction you’d expect from Amplid, the Dopamine is on my test list for May, big time!

I bumped into Max Jenke from Endeavor who was busy readying his merchandise and chatting to the various journalists meandering around Endeavor’s 2011 line. Max has got an eye for graphics; every board he put’s his brand’s name to just look incredible. Whether the Russian cosmonauts on the Hi5 series is my favourite graphic of 2011 remains to be seen, but for now, I’m definitely digging it. On the other hand, a look I’m not feeling is the K2 WWW, obviously conventional topsheet finishes aren’t doing it for K2 so they’re using Ptex for 2011 the first thoughts that spring to mind is excess weight. I’m sure K2 is banking on the all new Fastplant to bring home the bacon. With it’s ridiculously soft flex and mind blowing durability, the Fastplant is set to bring home the Bacon in 2011. On the subject of graphics, Hampus Mosseson’s ride on Omatic, The Sweet get’s a new lick of paint, yep, it is in the form of a neon green Key-tar, damn that guy is too trendy for his own good.

1)Forum Holy Moly. 2) Forum Holy Moly. 3) Stepchild Corporate. 4) Forum Scallywag. 5) Capita Horrorscope. 6) Capita Extreme Partygoer. 7) Imperium First Legion. 8) Amplid Dopamine. 9) Forum The Honeypot. 10) Endeavor Hi 5. 11) Endeavor Colour. 12) Omatic Sweet. 13) K2 World Wide Weapon.

The sensational Skate Banana is back with a new skin, Mike at Lib Tech could paint it brown and stick dead flies to it and still sell millions of them! Not every brand is keen to embrace rocker technology. Bataleon are set to release the Rocker as a limited edition… Triple Base Technology and a rocker, surely that won’t work? You’re right it doesn’t which is why Bataleon painted ROCKER on the base and kept camber. The much hyped Salomon Salomander is set to take 2011 by storm, only problem is I couldn’t work out what’s different about it, answers on a postcard please. After taking a bronze in the Olympic halfpipe Mr Scotty Lago has been causing all sort of trouble, and there I was thinking he was such a nice young man. Scotty’s ride on Flow, the Quantum looks pretty tight, in fact, most of Flows graphics look pretty cool, providing you’re into your 1980s Iron Maiden record sleeves.

There’s no doubting that one of the biggest talking points of this season is the dramatic return to pioneering board design by Rossignol. There is no denying the unbelievable success of the Angus with it’s Amptek camber/rocker hybrid profile. Arno at Rossignol was keen to show me Rossi’s supped up park boards, the Decoy, Retox and Trickstick, all featuring, wait for it… Amptek! All of Rossi’s boards for 2011 will feature Amptek, the Decoy and Retox will feature a new freestyle specific Amptek with a greater length and depth of camber. This tweak of the Amptek design results in increased pop from the tip and tail and a softer waist, for easier trick initiation and increased run-in stability. The Trickstick uses a Autoturn Amptek, as the name suggests the Trickstick will make progression for beginner freestylers exponential. Which remind me, those guys at YES. Nowboards have broadened their line-up this year, think more shapes and specs for a range of abilities and foot sizes. A lot of people have been asking when YES. are going to release a wide board for bigger footed riders. Sorry guys, maybe next year? Although if it’s any consolation, Tadashi’s new ride The Handsign has a ridiculously narrow waist… on second thoughts maybe that’s not of any consolation at all. The Ride DH, DH2 and Machete look just like last years models, which looked a bit like the boards from the year before that. Seeing a trend occurring here? Expect another highly dependable freestyle package from the guys at Ride.

Finally we got a glimpse of Antti Autti’s new pro model on Nidecker, the Autti Powers, but I’m afraid the ‘I Love Pam’ board sat next to Mr Autti’s new ride stole the thunder a little. Half naked women are always going to sell boards, I’m sure Pam will be sliding on waxed poles from California to Moscow by Christmas time. I’m just gutted Pammy didn’t make an appearance at ISPO like she did in Denver.

14) Arbor Draft. 15) K2 Fastplant. 16) Lib Tech Skate Banana. 17) Rome Agent. 18) Bataleon Rocker. 19) Flow Quantum. 20)Rossignol Decoy. 21) Rossignol Retox. 22) Rossignol Trickstick. 23) Salomon Salomander. 24) Ride Machete. 25) Ride DH. 26) Ride DH2. 27) Ride’s cheaky marketing. 28) YES. 2011 boards (L to R: The Basic, The Typo, The Dudes, The Optimistic, The Hand Sign. 29) Salomon Sanchez. 30) Autti Powers. 31) Nidecker I love Pam.

Posted by Rich Ewbank in Features.