Yes Optimistic/Typo 2011 Vs. Burton Custom Flying V/Sherlock 2011

Posted: 24 December 2010 02:00 PM

hey dudes, merry christmas. i’m going crazy trying to pick a snowboard for this season (i’m down under, got a few months to go). the australian dollar is looking brilliant after christmas and my jobs working out well so cost is a non-issue.

i’m looking for an all-mountain hybrid rocker/camber board, and i’m generally about 50% off-piste/trees, 30% groomers, 20% park. 70-80kg, 175cm. also wanna get a board that looks good.

i’m tossing up between Yes Optimistic, Yes Typo, Burton Custom Flying V and the Burton Sherlock. all are pretty much exactly what i want, but without having any way to test the boards here and with review sites generally being fairly inconsistent i’m having trouble deciding. the EST binding system also appeals to me, i’ve heard good things about it. the Sherlock is a standout to me, some of the features (such as the small sidecut) are exactly what i’m after, but i’ve heard mixed reviews about the board and people have told me to get the Custom Flying V over it, making my choice even more difficult.

i’ve also been recommended the Lib Tech TRS C2 BTX but haven’t found much information on the board.

anyone able to help?

Posted: 24 December 2010 02:15 PM

Haha… I rode the Sherlock on Wednesday! I’m just rendering the video review. Should have it up in an hour or two.

I’m kind of in two minds about it at the minute. I was fun to ride and in powder it would certainly be an incredibly fun and lively board, but on hard pack it wasn’t in it’s element. I felt like most of my grip was coming from the flat section where the nose and tail blend into the super short sidecut aka the Side Effects.

THat said it wasn’t crap on the pistes it still rode pretty well, and the shape looks incredible for riding powder on a twin board.

Posted: 24 December 2010 10:49 PM

I bought an Optimistic.  I like to really bomb it on groomers when I’m east with the odd day of park/pipe laps, and all trees and pow when I go out west.  So far I have only used it on the East coast (Canada btw) and I find that it can handle pretty well for a rocker hybrid.  Turn initiation is spectacular… it is super responsive and effortless to get from one edge to another… perfect for trees.  It also has a shape that is ideal for powder.  Considering that it is mostly a rockered board, I was very impressed with it’s ability to hold a good edge on hard pack.  I would have to try to carve very hard while going at top speed to get it to begin to lose it’s grip.  It was not as solid as my friends Salomon Special II for bombing it, but it was more than enough considering that the turn initiation was much smoother and this board will be much better in the backcountry.  For an all mountain/all conditions board, I thought it did a fantastic job. 

Let me know if you have any questions on how it handles…

Posted: 25 December 2010 03:07 AM

cheers for the responses. i checked out the review for the Sherlock, really does sound like exactly what i’m after, but at the same time so does the Optimistic. they’re both around the same price as well, and both look nice, making the decision a bit more difficult. any suggestions on what bindings would suit either one? @boarder27 what bindings did you use?

Posted: 25 December 2010 05:47 AM

I bought a new pair of Burton Cartels with it.  I really like them so far… they are nice and snug and don’t give me any pressure points.  The gel in the heal of the footbed feels nice too (The white ones look sick on the Optimistic).  I got them at 20% off so that kinda made my decision for me, otherwise I would look at the Rome Targas, which are supposed to be a nice freeride binding.  Flux binding seem to be big these days too, but I’ve never tried them.

Posted: 25 December 2010 09:10 AM

i currently own a pair of 08 Flux Premium bindings. they’ve lasted well over the years and have undergone some intense treatment with almost zero breakage. definitely good bindings, but they are the only bindings i’ve ever owned so i have nothing to compare them to and they’re starting to get a bit old. the Cartels look sick and also come in EST so i will definitely be considering those, cheers man. targas look sick as well i’ll keep an eye out

Posted: 25 December 2010 09:26 AM

sorry to double post but i’m not entirely sure what size to go for. my current stick is a 156 and suits pretty well, but i’ve heard lots of different things about riding shorter boards with rockered boards. i’m leaning towards 154 but the Optimistic comes in 156 as well and the Sherlocks 157 is also appealing.

Posted: 25 December 2010 09:48 AM

If you are looking at the Sherlock don’t pair it with a stiff binding. I rode it with the C60s on the Sherlock and they were complete overkill. I don’t feel like I benefited from any additional response when paired with the Sherlock I just ended up with sore calves. In the Custom X they were unbelieveable but not with the Sherlock. I think the Missions would do just fine. A solid mid flexing binding that’ll save you a bit of cash.

Posted: 25 December 2010 09:50 AM

Oh and regarding board length, go for your standard all mountain length. For the Sherlock that’ll be the 157 and for the Optimistic a 156. You will benefit from a touch more float, but the boards will feel shorter and more manageable than a conventional cambered board anyway.

Posted: 25 December 2010 11:43 AM

thanks heaps for the advice man i’ll definitely recommend this site. i found a pair of Mission EST’s that would look absolutely bonkers with the Sherlock + my gear. think i might give it a go.

Posted: 25 December 2010 11:54 AM

No probs always a pleasure to help. Make sure you leave a review and some pics of your setup when you’ve give it a whirl! Merry Christmas.

Posted: 29 December 2010 02:17 PM

any info on how 2011 Burton Custom EST’s would go with the Sherlock? or should i just spring for the Missions? cheers man

Posted: 16 February 2011 04:14 PM

Hi, I am 5´9 and weight 198ib (90kg). After I have reading this I am sure I will buy a Sherlock! But I am not sure what lengh I will have, 160 or 157? Anyone who has used the Est Mission with the sherlock?

Posted: 19 February 2011 10:54 AM

You’ll definitely want the 160. The Sherlock is pretty soft, the 157 felt soft to me and I’m about 40lbs lighter than you. Because so much of your weight goes through the side effects at the tip and tail you’ll find that if you go too short and the board is too soft it will wash out on you.

I paired the Mission ESTs with the Custom Flying V. THey were fine, held my boot in nice and snug.. absolutely no issues.

Posted: 13 July 2011 04:17 AM

Hey guys i’m in the same boat here.  currently ride a 155 Burton X8 which has been awesome but now just looking to get something that will be a bit more fun and easier to ride in the deeper stuff.

Im about 5’8 and have always found the length of my current board to be pretty good.  Im tossing up between the Sherlock and the Custom Flying V.  In the Sherlock i can get it in a 154 or a 157, and in the Custom i’m thinking the 156 would be a sweet option.  I think it is ok to go a tad longer in these rockered boards because the effective edge is shorter…

Im also about 77kg’s or 168 pounds if that makes any difference.

It’s starting to dump pretty hard here in New Zealand and i’m keen to get on one of these bad boys and get out there!

Also i heard some weird review that the new est cartel bindings i have are not a good fit for the Sherlock?  is that right?  Too stiff or something…

Anyway guys, would appreciate any advice on where to move forward from here.

Cheers!

Brad

Posted: 13 July 2011 06:14 AM

i haven’t ridden the custom flying v myself yet so i can’t really draw a direct comparison. would be useful because we’re pretty close in height/weight.

when it comes to the sherlock however, i’ve been riding it this season (in Australia) in a 157 paired with 2011 Mission EST’s. the board felt pretty sketchy at first, especially in the early season on hardpack/ice, but after a couple days and better snow it felt amazing. the board is a dream in powder (which i imagine NZ would be full of). it is a pretty soft board, and also pretty light making it easy to jib and butter around with. the wide nose/tail make a pretty big difference too.

i found some pretty deep powder spots the other day and the sherlock had an insane amount of control. managed to cut through some pretty tight gaps between trees and my mates had trouble keeping up.