Need help buying a new board - To Rock or Not to Rock

Posted: 17 October 2009 01:52 AM

Ok…I have a 08/09 Burton Custom with the CO2 bindings.  It carves like a mofo but seems pretty stiff and aggressive.  I am fairly new to snowboarding at 40 years of age but I’ve managed to get good enough on steep blues which I can pound down.  I think this board will server me well to get better on steeper black diamond runs and bowls.  However, I am trying to learn how to ride in the park, jib and do some moguls to keep up with my kids who are into that crazy stuff which frankly just gives my kids the opportunity to laugh at me when I bite it.  I usually ride at Copper Mountain, Vail and Breck. 

I am looking for a new board that will help me learn to do more of the trick/park riding but also have the ability to carve and turn well on steep groomers.  Not sure if there is such a thing.  I’m about 5’9” and 160lbs.  The Burton Custom has a lot of camber and I’ve been thinking of getting a reverse camber or rocker type board.  I have heard conflicting information on reverse camber boards…many make it sound its evolutionary and swear they won’t go back to camber, others say its just a marketing ploy. 

Last question is, should I use the CO2 binding with the new board?  If so, I’d have to get a BUrton board that has the EST binding set up.  It’s not necessary that I get a Burton board…just didn’t know whether the CO2 would be good bindings.  If something fits my needs better than a burton, I’ll just get a different set of bindings…which by the way, could you recommend bindings to go with the board you recommend?

Although I always like value, I don’t mind dropping some coin on a good board that fits what I need.

Thanks a lot for the help…

John

Posted: 17 October 2009 07:48 AM

howdy jay,
would you mind filling out the following sheet, please?

Please help us filling out the following template for best possible buying advice!

I am looking for:

[  ] Board
[  ] Binding
  [  ] regular straps
  [  ] fast-entry system (Flow/Cinch/..)
[  ] Boots
[  ] Other

Measurements:

Body height:      cm
Weight:          lbs
Shoe size:        US

Riding level:

[  ] Beginner
[  ] Intermediate
[  ] Advanced
[  ] Expert

Riding style: (multiple selections allowed)

[  ] Piste     [  ] %
[  ] Powder   [  ] %
[  ] Park       [  ] %
[  ] Rails     [  ] %

Special requests: (free text or keywords)

 

Price Limit:          [  ] € / [  ] $

Also make sure to check out our Snowboard Guide Section and Board Selecta!

After filling out the form above, I would suggest reading the last page of the allmountain snowboard thread (Click here) to find out about the K2 Turbodream. It’s actually a rocker board which might meet your demands.

Concerning bindings I can say that you should have a look at Union bindings. The Union Force e.g. is an allround binding which is ‘down for duration’ (Flex around 6/10 compared to your CO2 (8/10). You might also want to look at the Raiden bindings like the Blackhawk- they are great to ride but some ppl say these bindings are ragged after only 1 season.

Posted: 17 October 2009 08:08 AM

Ok…here is the form filled out.  Thanks for any feedback:

I am looking for:

[ x] Board
[  x Binding
  [ x] regular straps
  [  ] fast-entry system (Flow/Cinch/..)
[  ] Boots
[  ] Other

Measurements:

Body height:    5’9”
Weight:      160 lbs
Shoe size:    9.5 US

Riding level:

[  ] Beginner
[ x] Intermediate (but out right newbie at park and trick riding)
[ X] Advanced
[  ] Expert

Riding style: (multiple selections allowed)

[  x] Piste   [ 60 ] %
[ x ] Powder   [ 30] %
[  ] Park     [10 ] %
[  ] Rails   [  ] %

But I want to do more park…

Special requests: (free text or keywords)

Price Limit:      [  ] € / [up to $800-1000 for board and bindings ] $

Posted: 17 October 2009 10:06 AM

Going on your spec I’d say what you’re after is a burton custom!

Only kidding… sorry got a terrible hangover this morning.

To Rock or not to rock, that is the question….hmmm. Well I’ve ridden a lot of rockers and to be honest with you, the bad press they’re getting from certain people is undeserved, infact a lot of brands are trying hard to use this anti-rocker sentiment that’s kicking around to rubbish reverse camber because the don’t have one in their range. To the other extreme, Lib Tech dropping camber all together on all their boards is probably a little short sited as camber really is the best option for riding fast and carving hard, so who knows what their pipe riders are riding. In my opinion rocker profiles offer a really fun, loose and buttery ride, perfect for getting to grips with the park and for doing those fun jibs and jumps down the side of groomers.

If your looking for board to start learning tricks and you already have a custom for general riding, you should look at a board like the GNU Carbon Credit Series, these little beauties have all of the features you get in the Lib Skate Banana at a fraction of the price, Banana rocker and Magnetraction (a wavy edge that applies pressure to the snow in 7 distinct pressure points, increasing your grip, it really works) all for circa $400. Maybe have a look at the K2 parkstar, that board makes smaller jumps and technical rails and jibs sooo much fun and really easy. Binding wise, if you can’t use the CO2s, it’s a good opportunity to get a softer flexing and slightly less responsive binding, which will take the twitchyness you might be getting on the Custom. Union are making a rocker specific binding this season called the Contact which enables RC boards to flex properly without any dead spots. I did an article on them not long ago, link below.

http://www.snowboard-review.com/blog/article/union_build_bonkers_banana_binding/

That kind of setup will help you with progressing in the park, without breaking the bank, and should secure some kudos from your kids! However, I’d stick with the custom for the steeps and the moguls, a firm flex, camber and response is what you want for that job, sounds like you’ve got the tool for that job.

Posted: 17 October 2009 04:19 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I will take a look at the boards you guys suggested. How will the Gnu board you suggested do on steeper groomers/piste?  I’d like a board that transition to groomers but do really well at the park as I learn not to embarress myself and my kids at the park.

When you say RC do you mean the NS board with the rocker-camber tech? 

Do you think the K2 believer, K2 turbo dream or NS evo, NS sl-r would fit what am looking for as well?

Also is there no difference between the gnu and libtech in terms of tech and performance? 

Lastly, what do you think of the libtech C2 rocker tech?

Posted: 17 October 2009 07:26 PM

jaykay

if you’re not definitive on getting a rocker board, but still want to progress in park riding you might want to consider a board like the Stepchild JP. it’s still regular camber and is a rail/park-focused board, but it’s still stable and can handle piste/groomers as well as any. as opposed to the Custom which is primarily groomer-piste board that can handle park laps if it needed to.

but if you are decided on a rockered board, I’d say you would not be disappointed with any of the Believer, Turbo Dream, Evo or SL-R, though the believer is not strictly reverse camber so it may be less playful than the others nor will it be as forgiving on landings (something I’m reeally looking forward to on the Turbo Dream!)

from what you’ve written I was going to suggest the NS Evo and Rossi Angus if you wanted to try Rockered-Camber boards, but if you wanted pure rocker I was going to suggest the Jibpan, Ride Machete or the Turbo Dream, all three of these boards are technically designed and made by the same people (K2 and Ride are same company) and I’ve heard nothing but good reviews about the rocker design on these boards. the Jibpan is more strictly park and will not perform as well on the pistes (more of a noodle) but you’ll be able to put some extra steez on those park laps if you really wanted to impress your kids. The Turbo Dream will handle the rest of the mountain better, it’s stiffer.

lib tech and gnu have the same balls behind the brains- both technically sound, only I’ve been really disappointed with the direction these two companies are headed (for some reason everything MUST have Banana BTX which I’ve heard some pretty bad reviews on, shitty and repetitive board graphics). Performance-wise don’t expect anything like the Custom but they have their merits. Not too stoked on magne-traction either.

I’ve heard much better things about the C2 rocker than the original Banana boards. (who the f*** wants to ride a banana? thought that was one of the WORST marketing names for any board design) 2nd gen designs tend to be improvements.

Posted: 17 October 2009 07:49 PM

zoryfl - 17 October 2009 10:48 AM

howdy jay,

I am looking for:

[x] Board
[  ] Binding
  [  ] regular straps
  [  ] fast-entry system (Flow/Cinch/..)
[  ] Boots
[  ] Other

Measurements:

Body height: 175 (5’9) cm
Weight: 165 lbs
Shoe size: 10 US

Riding level:

[  ] Beginner
[  ] Intermediate
[x] Advanced
[x] Expert

Riding style: (multiple selections allowed)

[  ] Piste     [15-20] % (honestly only when necessary)
[  ] Powder   [0-100] % (if there’s fresh, why would anyone want to ride groomers?)
[  ] Park       [30-50] % (gotta test the kickers if anything)
[  ] Rails     [0-15] % (rail seshes are dead for me. strictly slope style)

Special requests: (free text or keywords)
just doing this for fun noone has to respond I’ve already decided to get the K2 Turbo Dream 159 just a trial run so you know what to expect from readers/posters.
IMO instead of price limit it should be price range (i.e. what you prefer to spend and what you’re willing to spend) and give option (on the Board Selecta! as well) of choosing rocker, camber, or any.

Price Limit: [  ] € / [500+/-] $

my NEW! setup: Cartel, Northwave, Turbo Dream 159 and new jacket dunno what I should get.

Posted: 17 October 2009 07:55 PM

Thanks for the input, Rally Bowl Central ! I will look over it tomorrow.
Regards

Posted: 18 October 2009 02:58 PM

Sorry by RC I just meant reverse camber, but you’re right R.C. tech is Never Summers rocker/camber hybrid.

Yeah Lib Tech and Gnu are out of the Mervin stable of brands, but then again, K2 and Ride are the same company too, and pretty much made in the same factory. There are very few truely independent snowboard companys that compete in the global market.

From what I’m gathering, you enjoy the Custom for bombing it around the groomers and doing the odd off piste mission, but you’d like a more flexible and forgiving ride for blasting around the pistes, hitting the odd jump or jib in the park, but generally just playing about on the whole hill. In that case I still believe the Gnu Carbon Credit will be a good board. The K2 Turbo Dream is killer, I felt at home as soon as I got on it and it’s a joy off kickers and hitting the odd jump off the side of the piste. And then there’s the K2 Believer with zero camber technology, which Tom (our head of testing) has been using in Argentina for the last 10 weeks, and he loved it, said it felt bouncy and responsive in deeper snow, stable off kickers and sooo easy to butter, on the other hand he thinks it’s a bit soft torsionally for really gunning it and lacks the pop of cambered boards. I think taking camber out the equation is automatically going to put the play and forgiveness you’ll appreciate when starting to freestyle, so don’t be tempted to go for a really park orientated rocker board, think something between park and all mountain.

I rode the Danny Kass C2 BTX, T.Rice C2 BTX and the NS Evo-R at the board test. Did I notice any more pop and grip than standard rockers? Yeah perhaps with the Kass and the Rice, to be honest they were such easy boards to ride I could have done it blindfolded, and I tell you what I got some big poppy backflips on the kass and some nice grip up the pipe walls with the Rice so it does make some difference. The Evo-R is a different story…. firstly don’t ride it as long as your usual ride, I went for a 158, should have selected the 156. It’s just soo powerful and grips on everything, and it’s supposed to be their jib board… yeah maybe if you’re 100kg.

I’d get down your local shop and see if you can try a couple of different rockered boards, then pick a board from the style of rocker you like. C2 Banana / NS R.C. and Nidecker Camrock / rossignol amptek do offer a little more versatility than standard rockers, but do take a bit of playfulness out of the board. You’ve got to decide which option is best for you.

Oh and regarding the Banana marketing, I think it’s absolute genious! Lib Teck have literally turned the snowboard market on it’s head. The talk in the UK at the start of the season was that 70% of boards being sold this season would be reverse camber….. that’s increadible and it’s mostly down to the catchy marketing of the Skate Banana. Mike Olson and Peter Saari at Mervin and their owners Quiksilver will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Posted: 19 October 2009 07:35 AM

I know what you’re saying, the hype definitely spread like wildfire following the LT Skate Banana but it comes to the same thing: I feel like I’m the only person* (corrrection: dude*) who thinks riding a banana sounds 100% unpleasant. not saying the marketing didn’t work, just the name bugs the hell out of me. A “banana” board makes me think it’s gonna be a noodle, and I don’t like noodles (cept in me belly).

Posted: 19 October 2009 02:26 PM

I guess something that really appeals to some people is going to appaul others! I,m definitely a big banana lover. Nothing better than strapping on a banana and jibbing all over the place! Oh dear, this is getting depraved.