Advice All-mountain new board

Posted: 07 January 2010 06:15 PM

Hello everybody,
I am from Russia and I like to go snowboarding in Alps. I have been snowboarding for 3 years and I have been riding Rossignol One snowboard. It has been quite good snowboard, but I would like something new and better. I ride mainly on pistes but I think to try rarely go on powder. So it looks like I need All-mountain board. I made a research on such great website as snowboard-review and highlighted several snowboards, which I consider are good for me:
K2 The Zero
Amplid UNW8
Ride Concept UL
Palmer Crown LE or Honeycomb
Head Intelligence

I think all these snowboards are great, but I need to choose the most appropiate for me. I will be grateful if you help me to choose the best one for me and explain what are main differences of them.
Any new suggestions are welcome.

Here are my specs:
[*] Board
  [ ] Binding
  [ ] regular straps
  [  ] fast-entry system (Flow/Cinch/..)
  [ ] Boots
  [  ] Other

  Measurements:

  Body height:  178 cm
  Weight:  190 lbs
  Shoe size:  11.5 US

  Riding level:

  [  ] Beginner
  [*] Intermediate
  [  ] Advanced
  [  ] Expert

  Riding style: (multiple selections allowed)

  [*] Piste   [90] %
  [*] Powder   [10] %
  [ ] Park   [ ] %
  [  ] Rails   [ ] %

Thank you

Posted: 07 January 2010 08:44 PM

Hi Edgar,

You’ve got an eye for expensive rides! Ok, going through the boards:

K2 Zero & Ride Concept UL: These are all-mountain freestyle boards, a slightly directional shape and a medium / firm flex. These boards are designed to charge pistes, ride halfpipe and jumps and generally cruise and freestyle the whole mountain.

Palmer Crown, Head Intelligence & Amplid UNW8 are top of the range boarder-cross / freeride snowboards, stiff torsional and longitudinal flex these boards are made of the the highest grade materials, designed to be ridden at break neck speeds. Probably the best option if you’re interested in riding mostly piste with a bit of powder. With Size 11.5US feet, I think the UNW8 may be a little too narrow, a real shame as this board is an absolute piste slayer!

So that leaves the Head Intelligence ICT and the Palmer Crown. The Palmer is absolute exhilliration. If you’re confident riding all conditions then you should consider the Palmer. If you want a slightly more forgiving ride consider the Head. The reactive Intelli fibres and ICT chip mean that the faster you ride, the more pizo electric current is generated by the fiibres. This current is fed into the ICT chip and then channeled back into the fibres and stiffens them up (they use the technology in Helicopter blades). The result is that at higher speeds the board is stiff, at lower speeds it softens up…. probably more suitable to an intermediate snowboarder… and with a mid-ish wide waiste.

Rich

Posted: 07 January 2010 09:41 PM

Thank you for your quick reply! You really helped me. So if Head - 162 cm midwide, if Palmer - 165cm?  Do you know some good online shops where I can buy these boards?
Edgar

Posted: 07 January 2010 10:08 PM

Sure which I’m guessing you are living in Russia… are you ok buying from the EU or the UK?

Posted: 07 January 2010 10:44 PM

Yea, and the delivery destination will be Switzerland so I think this is not a problem for online shop, is it?

Posted: 07 January 2010 11:20 PM

Delivering to Switzerland you’ll have to pay tax importing from the EU as Switzerland isn’t in the EU.. I’ll have a look at Swiss board shops.

Posted: 07 January 2010 11:33 PM

Check out the dealer locator on Head Snowboards Website to find a store in Switzerland… looks like you’re spoiled for choice!

http://www.ridehead.com/find/dealers.php?region=uk

Posted: 07 January 2010 11:38 PM

Yea, thank you very much! And could write EU online shop, because I also can take it from EU country if the price is better there…

Posted: 08 January 2010 12:00 AM

Can’t find the HEAD I CT anywhere at the minute… Found the Crown for £570 which is pretty good especially considering the pound sterling is really weak aganst other currencies.

Palmer Crown LE 2010:

http://www.bargainboards.co.uk/P/Palmer_CROWN_LE_Snowboard_165cm_Black_Boardblack_Base_2010-(16302).aspx

Posted: 08 January 2010 12:25 AM

Oh, very good website, I liked it very much. Thank you very much for help!!