Another “board advice please” thread !

Posted: 18 July 2011 10:54 AM

Sorry for this, must be a punish…but….

So I’m looking at my first upgrade in 15 years !

Over the past 20+ years it is clear that I ride:

80% hard fast black level down hill

10% off-piste

10% powder

0% park

At 5’9 / 74kg / US10 Burton Driver X boot.

So I’m looking at the Custom X or Supermodel X

I can get a custom x 160 and a supermodel x 164 at a good price.

Soooo…...

Custom X or supermodel X?

Is 160 too big for me?

Is 164 too big for me?

Any other advice? thanks in advance bro’s…..

Posted: 18 July 2011 11:35 AM

Sorry, just noticed there is a dedicated thread for this, will post there:

http://www.snowboard-review.com/forums/viewthread/813/

Posted: 18 July 2011 11:51 PM

Wow I just wrote an enormous reply and then the forum software failed to post it brilliant! I’m afraid you’ll have to put up with a shorter version.
Custom X 160 – I love the Custom X it rails carves better than any other board out there. However I rode a 156 and my stats are about the same as yours. Usually I ride boards around the 158-9 mark but the 156 felt great but still firm. I think the 158 would have been perfect but I think the 160 would be too much board. My stats are exactly the same as yours.

Supermodel X 164 – I’ve ridden the standard Supermodel 164. I liked it but it’s a board more suited to big powder days than to hard pack piste days. For one it has a negative core profile which doesn’t give the torsional stiffess that the Custom X has, so the board doesn’t hold carves or grip hard pack nearly as well as the Custom X. Secondly the dampening in the Supermodel wasn’t up to much, with the Negative core profile I was getting chattered around the show. Thirdly the width feels really narrow and with the flex properties just makes the board feel a little unstable in comparison to other “freeride” boards.

If you can’t find a Custom X, have a look at the following boards:

Amplid Paradigma and Amplid UNW8… I prefer the Paradigma because it’s an iron hand in velvet glove, has all the power of the UNW8 but just feels mellower. The boards are the same shape but the UNW8 uses super high tech materials and is considerably lighter.

Nitro Blacklight or Prolight: Hard charging all mountain boards. The Blacklight has a slightly wider waist to accommodate slightly bigger feet.

Endeavor Board of Directors: Snappy carbon reinforced camber, directional shape and triax glass. No messing with this board, it’s firm flexing and rewarding to ride.

Rome Anthem: Another directional shaped board with all the ingredients to make a board that will rail immense carves on the corduroy and won’t give you too much bag leg burn in the pow.

Salomon Special: Sounds like your cup of tea. None of that Equalizer sidecut nonsense just a good old quadratic sidecut paired with a snappy camber profile, lightweight construction and a high spec materials.

Hope my reply helps.

Rich

Posted: 19 July 2011 02:46 AM

Thanks for putting so much time into your reply(s)....

Good advice…. now I can procrastinate more !

I’m interested in the fact that you rode 164 SMx… with stats same as mine, and usually riding 156-158. Is that because that’s all you could get your hands on, or because we can go a bit bigger in the SMx?

If money is not an issue, would you (personally) stick with the Cx (as opposed to other good brands you mentioned)?

I’ll pay more if it’s a better board and longer term option.

Posted: 19 July 2011 08:11 AM

Yes exactly. If I’m riding a directional all mountain board i’ll ride a board in the region of 158-9, if I’m riding a freeride board I tend to size up quite considerably because I don’t feel I need the feeling of a shorter board. Riding a board around the 158 mark doesn’t feel too long and ungainly in the air and the sidecut is usually just under the 8m mark so the board feels responsive. When I’m freeriding having a light board isn’t so important as I’m dropping cliffs and popping off natural features rather than riding man made transitions. I like a longer sidecut for stability at high speed and the additional length improves the boards float and has a longer effective edge for grip on hard pack or poor snow conditions. Adding taper tends to make a snowboard more manouverable in powder so if you are riding tight trees and you want to ride a longer board then the Supermodel will ride better than the Custom X. I’m in the middle of building a split board and I’m making it from an Option 174… that’s how much I like riding long boards.

All of those boards would give you wxactly what you are after…. but yes the Custom X was the best carving board I rode last year on hardpack conditions. It’s a monster, the sidecut, flex and frostbite edges are perfectly matched. Looks a million dollars too. You’ll need to invest in Burton ICS bindings too, I’d probably look at the Cartels… I rode the Custom X with the C60s to be honest they were un-necessary.

Posted: 19 July 2011 11:26 AM

Thanks so much for all your time, really appreciate it….

I spent all day researching, and took your thoughts on board too.

I went the 2010 Custom X 160 ICS with co2 EST’s.

2010 ‘cause I got a good price on a new one.

Went the 160, cause I just wanted a little bigger, little faster… just couldn’t help it !

Ok price on the bindings…..

Together with my driver x boots…. I’m excited. Australia next few months, japan next Feb.

Posted: 19 July 2011 11:52 AM

THat set-up is going to shift! It’ll take you all of about 10 seconds to navigate Australia’s ski fields.

Be sure to let us know how you get on. Enjoy the Oz season and Japan of course.