Help me pick my first great board

Posted: 14 February 2011 08:40 AM

So, I have been boarding for years—around 14 years (starting at ~15 years old).  I would consider myself an intermediate boarder (skill-wise).  I’ve always lived in Utah, but I’ve never lived near a resort, so I would just go one, two, or maybe three times a year.  I’ve owned three boards, and I would always just pick out a budget board that looked decent, because I couldn’t justify buying an expensive board.  I’ve owned two House brand (www.the-house.com) brand boards, and I currently own a 164cm Head Defiance I (that was made in 2006).  I’m 6’2” 180lbs with a 11 size boot, and the Head felt a lot better than the 152cm House brand board I replaced with it.  This weekend I went boarding with some friends, and my buddy let me ride his Rossignol Experience (I’m pretty sure it was the mid-wide version).  It felt SOoooOOooOoOoo much better than my current board, and I was even riding the Rossi backwards (he is regular and I’m goofy)!  I felt so much more stable and confident; with all my previous board I’ve had to work so hard all the time to keep it under control.

Anyway, I’ve recently moved and I’m less than 15 miles to three great resorts and I’m in the market for a new board.  For the first time I want to get a board where I’m not just trying to find the cheapest board that I think I could live with.  I would like to get something nice, without worrying too much about the cost (nothing crazy of course).

My style is freeride, I guess.  I love power, I don’t like the park, I’d probably hit small jumps if I could land them.  Like I said, I’d consider myself intermediate, I’m pretty comfortable tackling about any trail—sometimes on a steep choppy hill I’ll fall on my butt when turning heel-side.  I’ve just never gotten comfortable jumping.  I’m not really a speed demon, I just like enjoying the ride.

So anyway, I’ve been googling and reading a ton, but I haven’t really found the perfect board for me.  I found this list that has some interesting boards:

http://www.snowboardgo.com/2010/01/top-5-freeride-snowboards-of-2010/

but nothing I’ve read about them have convinced me that they would be perfect for me.

I would appreciate any help or recommendations that I could research further.  I am kind of leaning toward the Rossi Experience mid-wide or the Jones Flagship (but I’ve read bad things about the topsheet chipping/bubbling/peeling); they just seem to be the best fit size-wise.  The only thing I didn’t like about the Rossi Experience that I rode is that it felt harder to initiate turns (but that may have partially been due to the fact that I was riding it backwards :P).

If I had to summarize my ideal board it would be one that would handle groomed trails and power, but not get me killed on the ice.  It would also be maneuverable enough to head off into the trees.  I want something I can just relax on and enjoy the ride; I don’t want to be constantly fighting it.

Thanks so much in advance.

Tips on bindings and boots are also welcome; I’m pretty clueless there, too.

Posted: 14 February 2011 09:02 AM

Hi bean,

You’re right, Jones seems to have some problems with their topsheets indeed. Should be fixed by next.season, though!

Next to the Rossi Experience you should check out the Atomic Banger and the Amplid Creamer, both really great freeride decks!
For boots and bindings please check our buying guides on the main page here at SBR.

Hope this helped, cheers Tobi

Posted: 14 February 2011 11:32 PM

So I’ve pretty much got it whittled down to the following, with the following concerns about each:

Never Summer F1 Premier - May be too much board for me?  Sure I’ve been boarding for 15 years, but it’s been pretty casual.  I read warnings about this board only being for advanced riders and I wonder if I would have trouble making this puppy obey my will.  Also, a review I read said that it is “squirrely in the flats,” which I don’t think grooves too well with my desire to have a board that I can relax with.

Never Summer Heritage - Pretty much the same concern.

Rossignol Experience - The reviews I’ve read seem to indicate that this is pretty-much a quiver board for powder.  I’m not yet to the point where I can justify a quiver board.

Posted: 15 February 2011 09:25 AM

Two boards that I would look at is the Rossignol One Magtek and the K2 Turbo Dream.  Actually 3, add the Salomon Answer.

The One Magtek is a great do-it-all board.  Has a nice profile with stiff core that makes it playful yet ready to haul ass.  The edges take some getting used too but it was a fun board to ride.

I fell in love with the Turbo Dream…  more of a freestyle all-mountain board but it was just so fun to cruise around and has a fantastic dampening system with the harshmellow.

I own the Salomon Answer (need to due a review on it, getting lazy)...  more of an all-mountain freestyle board but very playful and poppy.  I’ve worked the sucker over some HEAVY mogul fields and it was more then happy to snap around them…  definitely not a board that I need to fight in order to get it pointing in the direction I need to go.