Getting back into riding after 10 years; deck advice?

Posted: 05 January 2012 05:25 PM

Hey guys. After breaking my 10-year hiatus from snowboarding with a 2-day trip to Stowe, VT this past weekend, I’ve rediscovered the stoke, and I’m looking to buy a deck.

To give you an idea of the type of rider I am, here’s a bit of background:

38 y/o, 6’, 160 lbs., East Coast goofy rider with 10.5” foot. I’m an old head; got into snowboarding back in ‘92, and rode for about 10 years until I finally gave away all my gear because I just wasn’t riding anymore. Back then I was riding a stiff Mistral Freeride board, shredding groomers and occasionally venturing into the parks. Because of the weight and stiffness of that old board, I never really got good at freestyle tricks, so I mostly stayed on the groomers and developed a love of deep carving, speed, and popping the occasional hit. Never learned to ride switch.

Ideally, I’m looking for a true all-mountain board; something that can accommodate the type of riding I’m used to, but that is also versatile enough for me to explore the kinds of riding I’d like to do. I guess I want a true twin with medium flex, but I’m not sure what camber profile is best for me. I want to learn how to ride switch, and then start learning presses, butters, rails, and other fun stuff. I’d also love to eventually start exploring side-country, so a board that also slays pow would be a bonus. I know I’m asking a lot of one board, but I don’t anticipate building a quiver any time soon.

Prior to my Stowe trip, I went to a local ski/snowboard shop with the intent on buying just a pair of boots, but ended up spending over an hour there, talking with one of the sales staff about my riding history and goals, and he recommended setups that might interest me. Ended up buying K2 Maysis boots and K2 Forum bindings. The decks he recommended were: Rome Agent Rocker, Never Summer Legacy, and K2 Fastplant.

While at Stowe, I demo’d the Agent Rocker 157, and had a blast on it. Since this was my first time on a mountain in 10 years, I spent my time on the groomers getting reacquainted. Got pretty comfortable by the end of Day 1, and by the end of Day 2, it felt like I had never taken a hiatus.

However, I’ve been reading a lot about the Agent Rocker, and despite generally rave reviews, one common thing I’m finding is that it’s pretty stiff, and not well-suited for the buttery playful stuff. Is that the case?

From what I’ve been reading about K2 Fastplant, it seems more jib-oriented, but that indestructible Bambooyah core, Ollie Bar, and 5-year warranty all seem very appealing. Is this deck too jib-centric for someone like me?

The Never Summer Legacy seems like a good all-arounder, but from what I’ve seen, it’s big, and seems like a lot to handle. Considering that, would the SL be more for me? What about the Proto CT?

Additionally, I just read about the Salomon - Grip, and it seems right up my alley.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Posted: 05 January 2012 11:47 PM

Welcome back!  Glad you’re stoked on boarding again.  Regarding the Never Summers, the SL and the Legacy are the same board, the Legacy is just the wide version of the SL.  Based on what you said you would like to ride, the Proto CT seems like it would be a better fit.  It’s a true twin, mid flex, and can handle the whole mountain quite well.  It’s also going to be much easier to ride switch than the Legacy/SL and easier to learn butters on.  Pretty much is a quiver killer.

Posted: 06 January 2012 05:12 AM

Thanks for the welcome, Pete! Yeah, it feels good to be riding again. And to think I have my fiancée (a skier) to thank for getting me back out there! She’s the one who suggested the Stowe trip.

Thanks for the Proto CT recommendation. That does seem like a solid board for my needs.

Any info about the other boards I mentioned? Any other brands/models come to mind as being other options I’d want to consider?

Posted: 06 January 2012 07:04 AM

I would spend some time checking out the reviews on this site.  I can’t give any advice on the other boards because I have no experience with them.  I’ve been riding Never Summer boards since ‘96 so figured I’d throw in my 2 cents regarding those.  Good luck in your search.

Posted: 06 January 2012 08:27 PM

Thanks again, Pete.

In an effort to give myself some more options, I’ve been poking around various forums, and I’ve read a bit about Rossignol’s 2012 One Magtek. Seems to be another one that might be right for me. Anyone care to comment on that one?

Posted: 11 January 2012 03:05 AM

Hello fellow virgin!

Im in pretty much the same situation as you, Its been 15 years ago since i last snowboarded until two seasons ago. My skills and ambitions are pretty much the same aswell so I am pretty interested in what you ended up with,  have decided what to get yet?
And more importantly: did it meet your needs?

Kenneth