Oh the decisions! Help a guy out!

Posted: 19 October 2009 09:24 PM

Hi everyone. Nice reviews on this site, good work!

Hmm, where to start… Well I’m a pretty good snowboarder, I have nailed down my riding on piste/off piste. I ride hard and fast, and have just recently towards the end of my last season turned my head to getting air off some kickers (love it!). I’d class myself as mainly a freerider who’d really like to add the freestyle game to my list this year. I’ve been riding a Burton Custom Wide 162 06/07 for 2 years (duh), and obviously I shouldn’t have bought this as my first board, but I was sucked in by the power of the Burton on the newcomer to snowboarding. Now it was hard to learn on, but I ride it well now, totally got used to it and it’s been a joy to ride.

Now for this season I’ve decided I would like a new board, well, just because really. You know what it’s like i’m sure! Now the obvious thing to do would be just to get this years new custom… screw that idea, have you seen how expensive it is?! Not to mention i’d have to buy their bindings (I know you can buy special discs, but i’ve heard a few horror stories). I’m quite big for a snowboarder, 200lbs, 6’3”, size 12 boot (US). Now i’m not fat, it’s muscle from an addiction to the gym and sport. I know that it must be a wide board, that’s a given. Here are my choices thus far:

#1 K2 Slayblade 163W

Seems like the front runner for me so far, but I’m not sure how I’d get on with the Flatline technology. The size seems perfect for me.

#2 K2 Turbo Dream 160W

I like the idea of reverse camber boards, but have never ridden one. I’ve heard this is a great all round fun board (kinda what i’m now looking for). I was thinking, maybe keep the custom and get this board as then maybe i’d have the best of both worlds, camber and a rockered board. The only problem with this choice is the size, 160W seems like it would just be too short for me. I don’t know! I may be able to demo in a couple of weeks, but only indoors, which isn’t such a great test. I know there is a 164W, but my local shop can’t get it, and I love to buy local! Also, is 164W maybe too big to have fun on a rockered board?

#3 Rossignol Angus 162MW

I’ve heard good things about this board, solid company, but maybe the width not quite big enough? I can’t find actual width measurement. Also, have no idea where to get hold of in the UK!!!

I ride Salomon Relay XLT 08/09 Bindings, just so you know! :)

I hope someone can help. Cheers guys.

Posted: 20 October 2009 12:25 AM

Hi Theliz,

The old Custon conundrum. Yeah it’s always been marketed as a board for riders of all levels, but from what I’ve heard, a couple of years ago it was quite an agressive and stiff ride, kind of like the Custom X now. There’s no denying this years board is slightly softer (although still not ideal for learners) but at £470 it’s competing with boards that are a level above it like the K2 Zero and the Amplid Hi Def… I wouldn’t be suprised if Burton have some problems shifting gear this season. It’ll be interesting to see if Burton can resist manufacturing boards in China for much longer.

Firstly the Rossi Angus. I love Rossi’s infact I’ve got 2 a 164 Twilight (freeride fish) and a 158 JDub. They’re absolutely awsome, built bombproof and at the moment they’re some of the best value boards on the market. You can get Rossignol Boards at chain reation cycles, but the AMG group who distribute Rossi in the UK are the biggest bunch of muppets on the planet. I’ve tried tons of times to get parts for my Jeremy Jones bindings but they’re useless, let alone trying to get hold of details for this years boards, I ended up having to contact Rossi US. So they’re great boards but the UK distribution is a joke. I haven’t ridden the Angus but I’ve ridden the YES boards which have the same camber/rocker hybrid profile, camber between the feet and rocker at the tips seems to work, perhaps not the most pop, but plenty of edge hold and forgiving landings. I think the Angus got voted #2 best all mountain board on the Snowboarder Magazine test too, so it must be pretty good!

Moving on to the Turbo Dream, I love this board. I was a bit dubious about riding a K2 after all the bad made in China press that they get, but their boards are fantastic and still affordable. Getting on the Turbo Dream was like picking up my old Rossignol Todd Richards, I board that I rode for almost two whole seasons riding everyday, I was immediately at home on it and on my second run went up and hit the Travis Rice butter box which was still in the Kaunertal park after his visit, it had a nice 4m high 8m long drop off at the end! Carving was fun, variable snow didn’t make it chatter and transitions were stable. It was laso fun buttering about and hitting boxes. At 6’3” and 200lbs (14.5 stone) I don’t think you’ll find the 164W to big. I found the 159 easy to jib about on and I’m 5’9” and 12 stones.

Last but by no means least is the Slayblade. I’ve not ridden the Slayblade myself but Tom ahas and he loved it. From what I gather it’s got the flatline (zero camber) profile a kind of compramise between camber and rocker (the jury’s out on how long these boards retain their pop), and K2 have added some extra longitudinal carbon reinforcement to the base laminate and an extra load of carbon torsion forks that the TD doesn’t have. The Slayblade also has the underfoot Harshmellow damping, which I tried on the Zero and was completely converted by…it’s sick.

My thoughts are, you’vealready got a custom which you can take out on the icy and hard days and charge the pistes and the pipe. On the Pow days and park days, you’ll love having a rocker profile. So I think you should look at either the Rossi or the TD…. i’ll leave it to you.

Hope that helps

Rich

Posted: 20 October 2009 06:31 PM

Thanks for the reply Rich, very helpful. The more I think about it the more it makes sense to keep the custom and buy a reverse camber board, which unless I can somehow get hold of a Rossi board will most likely be the K2 Turbo Dream, probably 164 Wide because I just think 160 will be too small. I will be able to test the 160W out in a couple of weeks, but this won’t be in powder terrain, just an indoor slope! :(

It’s like you said, keep the custom for days of charging, icy runs, and such like, whilst having the Rockered board for powder trails and jibbing/buttering. The best of both worlds! :)

Adam.

Edit: Darn it, turns out I really can only get the 160W TD. I can’t find anywhere in the UK that has the 164W. Hmm. Hopefully the demo will go alright with the 160W.

Posted: 20 October 2009 07:00 PM

Ok ok ok, hehe, I’ve decided on the Rossignol Angus, if I can get hold of one here in the UK. I was wondering if someone could please point me in the right direction. I’ve been on the AMG website, but I have no idea how to purchase the Angus from them, it’s a strange website, well to me at least. Maybe it might be worth buying from US and having it shipped over here. Maybe I could get a friend to send it as a ‘gift’ to avoid tax charges. Hmm, decisions!

Thanks for any help.

Adam.

Posted: 20 October 2009 08:44 PM

http://www.blue-tomato.com/en/Freestyle-Freeride/Rossignol-Angus-162-MW-09-10/product.bto?product=300144123&category=10100&brand=68#

Get in their quick! One left in stock…. doesn’t seem too expensive considering the exchange rate. Blue Tomato have great customer service too, shipping doesn’t cost too much.

Posted: 20 October 2009 09:03 PM

Wow! That is a good price, if only I lived in a country that’s currency was the euro, damn weak pound!

I think I will order that, I need to know whether I will be charged import tax and such by UK customs first, I don’t want to get raped with those charges as they can be VERY expensive. If blue-tomato don’t pay the import duties, I may have to see if I can source one from chain reaction cycles, I hear with them you don’t have to pay import.

Thanks very much for your help Rich.

Edit: I’m hoping i’m right in this, I checked everywhere on their site and I can’t see anywhere that says I will have to pay import duty, so they must pick up the tab. I hope so, I think I will order one later on tonight when I get back from swimming.

Posted: 20 October 2009 09:35 PM

Attention! Only 0 more on stock!

If that wasn’t you getting the last one, this seems quite bad..

I don’t know if it helps throwing in another board here but I will just do it: Signal Omni
Might want to check that one out, as well. It’s alike to the NS rocker tech and is said to be rather dope, just a lot cheaper than the NS decks.

Posted: 20 October 2009 09:54 PM

Hehe, I hope it was me! I did order it! Thanks for throwing in the suggestion of the Signal Omni board, but without wanting to feel as though i’ve made a mistake I will be stopping my searching of snowboards, hoping that this one is the one for me!

I’m looking forward to getting it.

Posted: 20 October 2009 09:59 PM

Haha, no problem. I just mentioned the Omni because I thought you might have to go on looking for an other board, anyway.

Have fun with the board, I’m sure it’s gonna be a blast to ride!

Posted: 20 October 2009 10:01 PM

Lucky you! By the skin of your teeth!

Yeah no import tax between member of the EU… one of the many joys of a free market… and why we shouldn’t have a referendum on Europe.

Hope you enjoy it, It sounds like an awsome board, and my Rossi’s have been fantastic. Be sure to post a review on the site when you’ve ridden it!

Rich

Posted: 20 October 2009 11:29 PM

Cheers. I will be sure to review when I’ve had a good month on it, with hopefully lots of powder riding. Please be as good as last season, if not better!

Cheers for the replies guys.