help with what snowboard to buy

Posted: 17 January 2011 10:36 PM

Hello there,
i was wondering if anybody could recommend any snowboards for general use on the piste but also would be good in powder. I do enjoy going in the park every now and then so looking for a board for general free riding. I have done about 2 months snowboarding around europe and going again this year which is why im after a new board. I have had a flow merc board which i bought a couple of years ago, which was ok, but am now after something that is faster and holds its edge better. I can tackle all pistes in the resorts with good speed but i feel my board at the moment just doesnt hold its edge as well when i want it to. I will admit im not good with all the technology terms and have been struggling to understand them. I have read some reviews on the internet which seem to be the kinda thing im after, but was wondering if anybody could recommend these boards or recommend something more suitable. These boards were the:
Never summer premier f1-r
k2 believer
k2 darkstar

i am sure there are loads out there, but i just dont understand the terms and these are the ones i could pick out from the reviews, there were also a couple of burton boards but i wasnt too sure about them.
i am 176 cm tall and about 12 stone in weight, with a size 10 UK boot. I also use flow bindings.
If any more information is needed then please ask and i appreciate any reply to this post.
Thank you very much
Tom

Posted: 18 January 2011 10:39 AM

I would take the Never Summer Premier F1 straight off your list, that thing is a monster designed for gunning down choppy freeride terrain at mach 10, I think it will be far too much for a rider with your experience.

My advice to start with would be to click on our “Board Selecta” and then click on the following criteria:

Riding Terrain - Park & Freeride
Board Shape - Directional Twin
Cost - Medium

Have a look through the boards and then when you have a couple you like the look of post them here and I’ll talk you through them.

Rich

Posted: 18 January 2011 09:12 PM

Thank you for replying and thank you for the initial advice.
OK im looking through your “board selecta” and these are the boards i like the look of:
burton process v-rocker 2011
k2 raygun
palmer pulse 2011 but do like the 2010 also
I had a quick look through the boards with high cost and i like the look of some of those, but do you think i would be wasting my money buying one of them when the medium cost would benefit me more?
Thank you
Tom

Posted: 18 January 2011 09:28 PM

For sure if you like the look of them list them and I’ll try and help you through the list.

Posted: 19 January 2011 01:19 AM

ok the others from the high cost list are:
Never summer sl 2011
k2 the zero
ride concept ul 2010

They are the six i have picked out of the high and medium cost lists. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated and thank you for your help so far.
Tom

Posted: 19 January 2011 09:28 PM

Ok here’s a run down of pros and cons for each board

K2 Zero - So this year the Zero went from being a traditionally cambered board to being rockered… I say rockered all K2 boards are flat between the bindings and rockered at the tips. I rode the cambered version of the Zero last year and absolutely loved it, it was probably the best all mountain board I tested all week. It was light poppy, easy to ride and damp enough for going super fast. With the addition of rocker and can imagine that it is loosing a bit of grip and liveliness, but gaining playfullness and float in powder. I would say that it is now like a high spec Turbo Dream… a very nice board. The is an intermediates dream board, so easy to ride all over the mountain but also great in the park.

Never summer sl 2011 - I found the SL was a bit of a power house. More suited to aggresive freeriding than freestyling and the float in powder was suprisingly good. I found I got the most out of this board when I pumped hard into turns and really worked it hard. With only 2 months boarding experince this board might be a little too much for you.

ride concept ul 2010 - It’s not that I didn’t like the Concept UL last year, it’s just that I prefered the Zero as it was lighter and livelier… and it didn’t have the Urethane sidewalls. In general it’s a good board but I think there are better boards out there for that kind of money. If you’ve seen it for a good price… then it’s an option.

burton process v-rocker 2011 - A great park board that’ll handle a bit of freeriding too. I’m not sure if you’ll find plates for your flow bindings that will fit the ICS channel binding system that all Burton boards (more expensive ones) are dialled for.

k2 raygun - Probably the most beginner/intermediate board you have listed. If it’s edge hold you are after rather than forgiving playfullness then I’d give this board a miss. It’s a medium flexing board designed for those riders who are more interested in progressing with a freestyle bias. That said if you want to push your freestyle jibbing and want a board that’ll ride ok on the rest of the mountain… why not?

palmer pulse 2011 - I’m afraid I haven’t ridden the Pulse but the Palmers I have ridden were well put together. The FLF Rocker looks like a good option for you blending the benefits of rocker and camber… it’s very similar to Atomic’s Pop Rocker… you should probably check out the Atomic Hatchet too.

Rich

Posted: 20 January 2011 01:12 AM

thank you very much that has helped so much, and from your reviews it looks like the k2 the zero or the palmer board. Sorry what was the FLF rocker you were on about? didnt quite understand that?
Again really appreciate the help, madei t so much easier for me.
Tom

Posted: 20 January 2011 11:09 AM

The FLF Rocker is the profile the 2011 Palmer Pulse uses. It’s essentially pressure initiated early rise tips. When the board is unlade it appears like it has camber. When the board is loaded with weight the tips rise moving the contact points towards the feet, making turn initiation easier and with the rockered tips, float that little bit easier. If you go on the Palmer website there is a good video explaining the technology. I read somewhere recently that Atomic actually lisences the Palmer brand and builds their boards, this is something I heard and it certainly isn’t gospel but it would explain why the Pop Rocker and FLF Rocker arev so similar.

Posted: 20 January 2011 08:30 PM

Thanks for the explanation, i watched the video as you advised and feel that with the palmer i am gettin the best of both worlds. I want the board to be more focused on the piste then in the park as i know i am never going to be good in the park and just want to have fun on the mountain. Now looking on the site i really like the look of the burn but do you think the k2 the zero would be more for what i want?
Sorry to drag this out im just so indecisive, and also i would like to ask the question about size as i always been told that board should go from your feet to about your shoulders, just want to check is that correct or is there a better way of working out the best size?
Thank you again
Tom

Posted: 21 January 2011 11:39 PM

I think the Burn is quite firm flexing deck, I’d be careful not to buy a board that is too stiff. Thinking back through the boards I’ve owned, the stiff boards have been a right laugh but they’ve always been the boards that I’ve progressed the least while riding them. I really think you’d enjoy the Zero too, it’s just a shame it costs a packet. The Zero has a medium flex maybe 6.5/10, but because of it’s weight and snappiness you get so much back from the board. It’s like putting a grand into premium bonds then winning the jackpot. Big investment but pays back big dividends!

Posted: 22 January 2011 01:07 AM

ok from what your saying i really like the sound of the zero and i think that is what im going for, do you know if the 2010 version and 2011 version are similar, im guessing the 2011 is going to be the better one.
Thank you for you help once again

Posted: 24 January 2011 05:13 PM

The 2010 version was cambered and the 2011 version is rockered. I rode the 2010 version, and it was amazing with camber it just gave the board so much life. They will be different but if the inards of the board are similar the board will be amazing regardless of the profile.

Posted: 31 January 2011 09:03 PM

i want to thank you so much for your help. Just got the choice of 2010 or 2011 now, hehehehe. Again thank you for the help, you have made this so much easier to find a board for me.
Tom

Posted: 31 January 2011 10:35 PM

sorry to post once again but i am really struggling on selecting the correct size board for my height, weight and boot size. I have inputted this info into a couple of calculators and also checked the sizing chart but i keep getting different results. Is there a size you could suggest for me at all?
My height is 5’10
my weight is 175 pounds
Thank you
Tom

Posted: 31 January 2011 11:39 PM

If it’s the Zero, I would go for the 159. I’m a little shorter and weigh a little less than you and the 159 was ideal for me. Yep definitely the 159.

Posted: 02 February 2011 12:13 AM

just like to say thank you for all the help on choosing this snowboard. I would never been able to decide or get the advice you have given me from anywhere else and how swift your replies were. I have ordered the board and so hopefully will be able to have a look at it in the next week.
Once again thank you for the help, i really appreciate it.
Tom