Advice for Budget Freestyle/All Mountain Board

Posted: 05 January 2011 01:38 AM

I’m looking to get a new board for mostly freestyle riding (jumps more than rails) but that can handle well on the mountain for around $300. I do most of my riding in So-Cal/Arizona, so conditions are usually icy and rarely powdery. I’d really like something with a bit of flex and a twin shape.  I was looking at boards like the Burton Twin, Blunt, Deuce, or Hate or the Forum Darkness Insert or Destroyer and the Ride Kink. I was also looking into the K2 Anagram or WWW, although I’ve read the WWW doesn’t handle the mountain too well. I’m 6’ tall, approx. 175 lbs with a 10.5 boot. Any advice on which of these would handle the park well while not making me useless on the slopes?

Also, any suggestions on other brands/boards to check out would be greatly appreciated.

Posted: 06 January 2011 11:39 PM

Hi Zonazoo

Are you open to rocker suggestions or do you prefer traditional camber? What kind of ability are you i.e are you confidently hitting 8m table tops and trying spins or are you just taking your first steps?

Rich

Posted: 06 January 2011 11:51 PM

I’m open to either reverse or trad camber. I did like the idea of a hybrid camber (i.e. Amptek).  I’d say I’m pretty confident on jumps and rails: intermediate rider, not quite advanced yet. I’ve been riding a beastly 163cm all-mountain POS for the last few seasons and have had good progression on jumps and rails. I’m just looking for something geared more for freestyle since that’s all I really do anymore. I’ve actually narrowed down my search a lot after checking out a few local shops.  Right now I’m trying to decide between:

Ride Kink (2010)
Rossignol Trickstick (2011)
GNU Park Pickle (2010)
Stepchild Everything Sucks (2010)

The Park Pickle is the most expensive while the Stepchild is the cheapest. I’m just wondering if the extra cash is really worth it, or if the Kink or Trickstick would be more suited to my needs (mostly jumps and rails).

Posted: 08 January 2011 12:25 PM

A good selection of boards. The Park Pickle is the most expensive in the list but it’s also the board I’d suggest to you out of the four. It’s not a complete noodle and has a bit of guts, a nice bit of pop and the Magnetraction makes a noticeable difference on icy landings and sketchy run ins. You’d happily fit onto the 156. I think 7cm off your current board is going to make things a lot easier. The Rossi Trickstick that you’ve listed is pretty much conventional rocker, there is a slight flat section between the bindings but it is minute… it’s not really a hybrid. I’d have a look at the Atomic Hatchet and Axum if you want a hybrid profile for park riding.

Posted: 08 January 2011 12:33 PM

Oh just had a thought, it’s also worth having a look at the Signal Omni. It’s a hybrid camber rocker combo with a medium soft flex perfect for jibs and jumps.