Need help selecting board !!!

Posted: 06 December 2011 08:04 AM

Hey everyone,

I have been boarding for about 10 years now, however i have mainly been renting boards each year. now i want to purchase my own board. I am mainly an all mountain rider and consider myself pretty advanced. I usually ride high blues and blacks. I ride in pennsylvania and vermont. I occassionally go mid sized jumps and boxes too in the park…i think i am 90% mountain, 10% park.

i am 5’11 , 195 pounds with a size 12 boot. i am looking for a Burton board with Camber bend.

i need suggestions for good boards for my needs. any body have any ideas????

i was thinking Custom x 159w, process 159, Burton honcho 158, Ride antic 158w,

However I am open to any suggestions!!!!

i would appreciate all the feedback possible, thank you so much!

Posted: 06 December 2011 05:00 PM

You’ll be looking for a wide - waistwidth of 260mm and more perhaps - board, which would include the 160 CX wide and the 162 standard Custom wide.

Outside of Burton, Arbor’s Relapse (159 has a waist width of 26.1 - but might be too freestyle focussed) and Roundhouse CX (an all mountain board designed for bigger feet) could be worth a look, particularly at 159 size.

Posted: 06 December 2011 10:42 PM

Okay thanks for the response and ideas!

does anybody have any other ideas? I want to stick with Burton though…

do you think the Process or Honcho will be good for my snowboarding needs?

thoughts?

Posted: 07 December 2011 12:46 AM

The Process has been promoted by Burton quite aggressively the past two years, with a number of big name riders doing video parts on it (though the internals for one or two of the riders don’t match the production version in any way!).

For someone who has been riding for 10 years+ the Honcho may not be a good idea, as it may not offer much over the rental gear you’ve been getting.

I think for someone who is hitting black runs that you should be looking at a responsive board, which would push you towards the Custom (in camber or flying v variants) and Custom X in Burton’s line-up, with the Process being the fall back from that.  I really do think that the Honcho is well beneath your level, and while you can no doubt ride it, I think you will find it lacking when really pushing on.

BUT this is all speculation, because most recommendations come down to personal preference and guesswork. If you can manage it at all, you should see if local shops will let you demo gear, or if there are any demo days taking place on local hills, just so you can get a feel for a whole load of different gear.

Posted: 07 December 2011 01:08 AM

Okay thanks again for the reply!

so do you think I should get the Process 159 mid wide?

I’m debating because I have read that the Custom x is almost too responsive (7 feel rating) compared to the process 5 feel rating. also the custom x is a little bit more money.
so do you think the process is good for me?

if you could reccomend good bindings for the process also that would be great. hopefully not that much money

thanks :)

Posted: 07 December 2011 01:43 AM

I don’t know what your budget is but i would go for the custom. It is a great all mountain, do anything, board that is not quite as stiff or expensive as the CX. It also comes in tons of sizes, including wides, so it should be easy to find the perfect size for you.

Posted: 07 December 2011 10:24 AM

If you’re worried about the Custom X, then a traditional camber Custom should be perfect for you.  Saying that, you’re a pretty big fella, and with all your experience I’m sure you could work the CX, it may just take some familiarisation.

But for price, and the Custom and CX are a big wedge, the Process is a very good board.

As for bindings, if you’re getting a board with the channel, you may as well get EST bindings from Burton. And for what you’re after, and for not a whole load of cash, you should be looking at Burton’s Cartels.  Brilliant all round bindings.

Posted: 18 January 2012 08:02 AM

I would recommend the Custom camber for you. I ride snowbird, which has a lot of steeps, and BX races on a Custom X. It’s a super stiff board that is lightning quick from edge to edge. I actually end up taking out my Custom more often than my custom x, because if you’re not riding at the top of your game you are really like to start catching edges and the custom x could take you for a ride instead of you riding it. It is a serious board for advanced riders who like to go fast and lay out big carves. At least the first couple days out on it your legs could get a bit tired cause it does take some power to control a board that stiff. If you’re still on the upper blues and blacks then go for the Custom camber. Its a great board and you won’t be disappointed. The Custom is a great all around board and is perfect for an upper intermediate rider who wants to progress in all types of riding. I’ll tell you though, if you go out and spend $650 on a custom x and you don’t like it you are gonna be pissed. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the high end boards. I bought a Burton Fix thinking I would love it, after 2 days I hated it cause it wasn’t made for my riding style. I actually sold it for a Custom. Most demo shops have the Custom and a lot have the X. Go out and demo a couple boards before you dish out the money for one of em.

Also, if you’re going Burton then you’ve gotta go est. The cartel est bindings are the best ive ridden, especially of the Custom X. If you go with the Custom, then the mission bindings would be good too. They’re a little softer flex (not much) and still responsive, but i think the flex actually works better with the Custom than the cartels.

And why do you wanna stick with Burton? There are a lot of other great companies out there that are offering the kind of board you’re looking for