Flying V with better edge hold?

Posted: 12 January 2012 01:03 AM

Demoed the Burton Custom Flying V this last weekend.  Conditions were pretty crappy at Killington, so there was lots of ice.  There was enough snow made though, however, that I got a pretty decent feel for the board in varying conditions.  And I absolutely loved everything about it, except one serious flaw; it can’t hold an edge on the ice.  Like at all.

So I’ll continue to demo boards out there before I buy, but I’d much rather narrow the boards I should demo down to an amount I can manage in one day to save money.  Thus, my question:  is there anyone out there who knows of a board that feels and handles a lot like the Flying V, but has better edge hold?  I’m an intermediate snowboarder, looking to improve.  I’m hoping for a mostly all mountain snowboard that I can also take to the park and get more comfortable with bigger air and riding a pipe.  I also want something versatile enough to bring out west, and ride comfortably in deep powder.  From all the reviews I’ve read, I think I’ve narrowed it down to about eight boards, but would really appreciate it if someone could narrow that list even more to 2-3 boards (as previously stated).  My list is:

Arbor Element RX
Arbor Coda
GNU Riders Choice
GNU Danny Kass
GNU Billy Goat
Libtech TRS
Libtech Attack Banana
Rome Anthem

Thanks for any advice.

Posted: 12 January 2012 01:29 AM

I think you would be happy with the Lib Tech TRS or the a Lib Tech T.Rice pro. The major difference that I see between the two is the waist width. If your foot size is 11 US or larger I would lean towards the t.rice. I head great things about the flying v in pow but the major downside is exactly what you observed… pretty slippy feeling on the harder stuff. The MTX (magna traction) of the libs have an amazing hold and carves like a dream. Good luck!

Posted: 12 January 2012 05:52 AM

Thanks for the reply.  I’ll make sure to try the TRS out first.  Honestly if it rides close the the flying V and can hold an edge, I’ll but it without trying anything else.  I really loved the feel of the flying V.  If it wasn’t so bad at holding an edge in ice (I mean really… it’s laughably bad) I would have bought it last weekend.  Honestly, if I snowboarded a lot more and/or had more money, I’d buy the flying V and another board that I used just for icy conditions.

And if anyone else has recommendations, I forgot to say my size:  5’ 11”, 200 lb, 10.5 boot.

Posted: 12 January 2012 10:53 AM

I must have been demo-ing a special Custom Flying V because I thought the edge hold was pretty good and I rode it on corduroy made of refrozen slush… it gripped nicely.

If you’re struggling for grip and you want a a hybrid camber I’d say the only solution really is Magnetraction which puts you in the GNU or LIb Tech area. Never Summer’s RC tech and Nitro’s Gullwing to name aren’t so drastically different to the custom Flying V, so if you are liiking at those you may well want to demo the first.

Posted: 12 January 2012 05:21 PM

After reading your review for the NS Proto CT, it does sound like it’s exactly what I’m looking for.

Do you have any idea which GNU would be closest to the feel of the Flying V?  Then I’d have 3 boards to demo which I think I can bang out in a day. 

Also the Flying V I demoed was a 158 and I felt very good about that size.  Would the NS make more sense for me in the 157 or the 160?

Thanks!

Posted: 18 January 2012 06:27 AM

Good thing you mentioned the NS Proto CT. They had a free demo day at Brighton a few weeks ago and I took a few runs on it. I LOVED IT! Great for hard charging, good edge hold on ice (it was icy all day, nothing but ice). It also has the most pop of any board I’ve ever ridden. Also, if you like the custom flying v but want more edge hold, try to find a Burton Restricted dealer in you area and check out the Custom Restricted. I picked one up this year and have nothing but good things to say about it. They did a great job with the camber under foot and reverse outside and between the bindings so it still has the playfulness of a reverse, but you can slice through ice like a hot knife through butter. Some people like magne-traction from Lib-tech, but personally I find that it tends to be a little catchy.

So definitely demo the NS Proto, and check out the Evo too. Its super playful like the proto but a little softer. And if you can get your hands on one try out the Custom Restricted. The Custom Restricted is my new board and I got it for the same reason as you. The flying v has no edge hold on ice!

And as to size, if you’re gonna be slaying the park I would try something around a 157. It’ll be easier to spin, quicker turns, a little more forgiving. If you’re mostly charging the steeps and really want the stability then go with a longer board. I’m 5’7” and ride a Custom X 156 and a Custom Restricted 154 because I mostly freeride and like the stability. Try a couple sizes and see what you’re most comfortable on. There really is no right answer for sizing. Just feel it out and see what you like. Oh ya, and make sure the waist width is wide enough so you don’t get toe and heel drag. A 10.5 boot is starting to push the limits between a mid-wide and wide board.

Posted: 18 January 2012 06:43 PM

Thanks for the reply.  Unfortunately the place I’m demoing at (staying at one place so I can put the price of the demos towards the new board/bindings) doesn’t have any NS boards to demo.  I’ll try the Custom Restricted if I have the time, but it really doesn’t sound like the board I’m looking for.  I don’t mind letting my fiance beat me down the mountain on her skis if it means I can take my board in the park once in a while and work on my technique after she gets tired for the day.

That said, if the boards that I do demo I don’t immediately fall in love with, I’ll probably just have the shop order me the NS Proto.  Even though the NS SL might fit my style better, I just can’t ignore the rave reviews from yourself and others of the NS Proto.  I also like the fact it will be better in the park, seemingly without sacrificing much as an all mountain board (which is how I’ll use it 80% of the time).  I also love the graphics, even though most seem to hate it.

I’m leaning more and more towards the Rome Agent Rocker 159 or Libtech TRS 159.  More so the Rome, but I’m planning on testing it out thoroughly on ice this weekend, and if it still doesn’t have the grip I want, I’ll take the TRS out.  However, the biggest problem I see with the Rome Rocker is that it’s freaking purple.  So even if I like it as much as I think I will, I still might order the NS Proto, since I’ve been told the SL/Proto would ride similar to that board, and as previously stated, I actually like the way it looks.

I also might try out the Jones All Mountain 159 and GNU Riders Choice w/ Pickle 157.5 if I have the time.  It’s all going down this weekend, so I’ll post my update and review the boards I tried on Sunday.

Thanks again everyone for your help and input.

Posted: 24 January 2012 03:35 AM

I ended up liking the Agent Rocker even more than I thought I would.  They only had a 157 to demo which ended up fitting me just fine.  They also had a addictive series (custom art) 157, so I went for that.  I paired it with 390 Boss Decade bindings.  The boots I bought a few weeks ago are Rome Libertines (the brick red).  So my setup is incredibly unique, which I love.

The Agent Rocker edge hold is leagues above Burton’s Flying V.  I tested it on very similar, if not even icier conditions, and it held an edge beautifully.  It’s also super poppy and crazy easy to turn which gives it a very playful overall feel, which I fell in love with.  For those interested, I’ll be posting a full review soon comparing it with the Custom Flying V and the TRS, which I also tried.  I loved the TRS for the most part, but I’m just not a huge fan of magnetraction.  I rode it for about 8-10 runs, so I feel like I had enough time to adjust.  It is definitely grippier than the Rome, but it’s just a little too grippy for me, especially on heel side turns.  That said, I would have bought it over the Flying V as I wasn’t that bothered by it, it just isn’t as fun as the flying v or Agent Rocker.

I wish there had been a Never Summer Proto or SL to demo because I think the Agent Rocker’s real competition is those two boards (more so the SL), but I wasn’t fortunate enough to be able to demo Never Summer boards.

That said, I couldn’t be happier with my setup, and can’t wait to go out again this weekend or the next.