Stuck in Maine

Posted: 28 September 2010 09:08 PM

Hello from Portland, ME

Over the last week I’ve been reading over a bunch of reviews trying to select the perfect new board.  I am an intermediate but ambitious rider cruising mostly on groomers but wanting to expand into off piste, powder, trees, and backcountry.  I am not into park or rail.  Finally, I thought I found the perfect board in Never Summer’s Raptor X 165W.  But then I started second guessing myself and cancelled the order.

Now, I’m back more or less where I started.  I narrowed my selection down to three boards:  Rossi 2011 Experience 164 mW; Never Summer Raptor X 165W; and Atomic Banger 164.  I’m stuck and need advice on which board to pick. 

For example, does the Experience perform equally well on groomers as on powder?  We don’t get a whole lot of powder on the East Cost and typical conditions are hard pack snow, often icy.

And would there be too much overlap if I bought both the Raptor and the Experience (or the Banger for that matter)? 

I’m 6’1”, 185lb, and shoe size 11.  Also, my boots are Burton Driver X.  Is this a good setup for the Experience or Banger on powder?  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thank you all.

Posted: 28 September 2010 09:58 PM

Hi Derek,

First board I would discount is the Banger… i love this board, it’s fantastic in fresh snow, be it 15cm or a meter, but it’s tapered shape and early rise nose mean it’s not going to perform amazingly on hard pack and ice. Fresh corduroy yes it rips and icy patches yeah it’ll manage but all out hardpack, no it’s just not damp enough.

Which leaves the Experience and the Raptor. Both are stunning boards, the Magnetraction edges are a big selling point for Experience, but this board is definitely designed for lining up big lines where stability is needed at speed and 100% confidence on an edge is a must, it will hold a carve like no other board no matter how hard the snow is, but for the kind of riding you are talking about the Raptor is definitely going to be the best option. Your carving will improve no end with the Raptor, it just loves beeing worked into tight high G carves… sure the Experience might be a little bit more nailed for crazy backcountry riding, but if you’re going to spend most of your time riding goomers and progressing your freeriding the Raptor is going to be a bit more rewarding.

I hope that helps.

Posted: 28 September 2010 10:02 PM

Or you could look at the 2011 Rossi One Magtek…....might save you a bit of cash and it’s a sick board; great for carving and gunning it about the slopes.

Posted: 28 September 2010 10:41 PM

Tom, may thanks for this quick and very informative follow up.  Much appreciated.  May I just ask one follow up question?  Will the Raport perform well in powder?  Later this season I’m planning a trip to Breck and want to ride true deep powder.  What do you think?

Posted: 28 September 2010 10:56 PM

Both the Raptor and One Magtek will be fine in powder as long as you’re a fairly aggressive rider. Both Amptek and RC tech both help with float, to put it in perspective the Rossi Experience which was designed by JJ and Xavier De La Rue to dominate the backcountry and big mountain uses the Amptek profile.

Posted: 29 September 2010 03:26 AM

I don’t know if this was part of your question but Burton Driver’s will be fine for the type of riding you want to do…  it’s one of the stiffer more responsive boot Burton makes so you’re golden there.