Need a new setup after 12 years

Posted: 14 December 2011 07:48 PM

I’m 6’2” and 190 lbs. I’ve been riding for 18 or so years (expert level/ex snowboard bum)... my old/current rig is a 1998/99 Burton Rippey 157 with custom bindings. I broke my back snowboarding in 1999 (note to self: don’t miss landing spots) and I’ve only ridden a few dozen times since then due to changing priorities (college, surfing, kids, etc.). I’m looking for a board that has a ton of control (especially at speed), pop, works well enough in the pow and I can still use to hit the kickers in the park with. I’m leaning towards a board in the 160-164 range (up in size from my current 157). I force my size 11.5-12 feet into and 11 boot so that I don’t have to ride a wide board.
I’ve been looking at the
-Burton Custom x 160 or 164,
-Burton Sherlock 163,
-K2 ProtoHype 162 ,
-K2 Turbo Dream 161 (or maybe a 165?),

I’m looking forward to some good powder days at Mt Bachelor as well as many average days around Mt Hood.

Thoughts and any other make/models I should be considering?

Thanks in advance!

~Cam

Posted: 14 December 2011 09:26 PM

Leaning towards a the Sherlock 160/163.

Posted: 14 December 2011 11:07 PM

I’d probably go for the Turbo Dream over the Sherlock. When I rode the Sherlock sure it was really poppy but it felt a bit slippy on hard snow because of the big contact points at the start and end of the effective edge… I’d also try and ride a mid wide if I were you something around the 26.2cm at the waist would be perfect.

Rich

Posted: 15 December 2011 12:37 AM

Thanks for the quick reply… :-) Based on your experience, you mentioned the Sherlock felt a bit loose/sketchy on hard pack? Was the Sherlock so sketchy that you took your weight/pressure off the rail and just skated though the hard/icy sections?

What are thoughts on the camber of the Turbo Dream (TD) and Sherlock. I have never ridden any thing other than traditional camber and I’m a little curious in difference between Burton’s V in the middle of the board and the camber under the feet and the TD flat-in-the-middle with rocker in the front and rear of the board (reverse camber?). Thanks again!

Cam

Posted: 12 January 2012 12:14 AM

After a lot more research I purchased a Lib t.rice pro 164.5. The factors that led to my decision to go with the t.rice were the mid-wide waist, stiffer profile, carves well/holds an edge very well and the positive feedback I received from friends on how great hybrid rocker is in the pow. I was stuck between the 161.5 and the 164.5 and decided that a larger sled would serve me well on pow days. I was leaning towards the 161.5 but I was coerced into the 164.5. I don’t regrete it… the 164.5 rocks (just takes a little more effort to spin and flex). The board flies, floats and carves like a dream (even on the ice… MTX is great!). The board is really stable at high speeds and loves landing off the kickers. I’m really stoked on the board. The only downside is the board is definitely not as jibby as most of my previous boards were… but that is what I expected as I wanted more of an all mountain/freestyle board that worked really well in pow and I was willing to sacrifice the loose feeling of a park oriented board. Now I just need a lot of the light white fluffy stuff to make its way into the Pacific North West.