is this board ok for a beginner?

Posted: 07 August 2011 05:55 PM

hello,

i will be a total beginner at snowboarding the beginning of this season. i am planning on taking a 3 days session lesson, and so i was wondering if the board i just bought is good for me or too advanced:

i just bought a Lib Tech Skate Banana BTX (Grey/Black) Narrow Snowboard 2012 (145cm)

i am 5.6 feet (1m70), about 120lbs (55-60 kg), total newbie :P

i also bought a lamar mission 144 cm but after some researches, it seems that it is not really a good board. (well i don’t know anything about snowboard, so i decided to buy a better one)

which one should i use?

Lib Tech Skate Banana BTX (Grey/Black) Narrow Snowboard 2012 (145cm):

http://www.evo.com/snowboards/lib-tech-skate-banana-btx-grey/black-narrow-snowboard.aspx

Tip Width:277mm (145), 280mm (148), 285mm (151)
Waist Width:239mm (145), 242mm (148), 245mm (151)
Tail Width:277mm (145), 280mm (148), 285mm (151)
Ability Level:Intermediate - Advanced
Core Material:Wood
Effective Edge:1110mm (148), 1140mm (151)
Rider Weight:60+lbs (145), 65+lbs (148), 80+lbs (151)
Rocker Type:Rocker
Sidecut Radius:7.9m (145), 8.1m (148), 8.2m (151)
Stance:20.25” – 26”/0” setback (all sizes)
Warranty:1 year
Width:Narrow

or lamar mission 144:

http://www.the-house.com/9844lami9zz-lamar-snowboards.html

All mountain performance: This free ride shapes are designed for the performance oriented free rider. Snappy tail for great ollie power and softer nose to get you through the fluff
Bulllet cap construction
VersaFlex full wood core
Radial Sidecut geometry
E.T.F. (Energy Transmission frame) Technology: Exclusive technology that uses a combination of top sheets, cores and glass to create custom flexes
3-D Impression Top sheet
Triaxial fiberglass
4 x 4 (16 pk.) insert pattern
Extruded 3400 base
Laser-lock diecut Technology: A precison cutting system that cuts base material using a laser-guide drag knife, the result is a super sharp base graphic
Specifically metallic ink and UV mirror finish: Specially formulated metallic top sheet inks that create a killer visual effect in the sunlight
Lamar Mission 154cm Snowboard Specs: Eff Edge 123.00cm, Nose/Tail 29.20cm, Waist 25.00cm, Sidecut 9.0m.

tks for any help.

Posted: 08 August 2011 05:09 PM

Hi Ediway,

To be honest both look very small for your stats. Granted you’re not heavy but for somebody who is 5’6” a 145 is absolutely tiny for anything other than rails perhaps, but then it’s also small. Also what is your boot size? The waist is 23.9 which is very narrow, you’d need a boot smaller than a US7 really to not get any overhang. I appreciate it says 60lbs+ but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good fit foe somebosy twice that.

The Lamar is definitely the board you should put on ebay. Cap construction isn’t very durable all it takes is a pump to the edge and you’ll end up with water in the core. Also at 145 with a sidecut of 9m this thing is going to feel very unresponsive, I have an option 174 which has a tighter sidecut!

Rich

Posted: 08 August 2011 08:59 PM

well i wear 7.5 us.

when i made some researches, it said that the board should be around my chin. barefoot, 145 cm is just under my lips. so with shoes, the board is around my lips.

the 145 cm seems also to fit my weight.

i saw some calculator charts where you can enter your weight, height…., and it recommend me to choose a board that should be around waist 240. well i don’t really know anything so i just went with it.

moreover, it was extremely hard to find a good board (for men) that is around 144 or 145. actually the banna narrow was the only one i found that seems to fit my characteristic.

all the other board i saw was either for young boys (but i heard that their board was in plastic and not in wood), for women, or too big (151 and up which will be way above my chin)

so i had almost no other choice that to buy the banana.

Posted: 08 August 2011 09:05 PM

i meant with shoes the board is around my chin.

also i heard that for beginner the board shouldn’t too high or too wide because it will make turns harder to execute.

Posted: 08 August 2011 09:35 PM

With a 7.5 boot size you won’t get too much overhang so you don’t really need to worry about that. I’m 5’8”-9” and a 158 comes upto my nose. 3 inches is just over 7cm so take 7cm off 158 and you are at 151 for an all mountain board. Granted if this board is for riding rails then you’ll be ok on a 145 but it is really too small for all mountain riding and with your weight it will feel particularly soft.

The Skate Banana is a little out of the sweet spot but it’ll still work for you. The Lamar is definitely the wrong size, a freeride board for you should be around the 156-158 mark.

Posted: 08 August 2011 10:10 PM

ok tks for the advices, i ll take that in notes for the next board i will buy. right now i m a total beginner, but i was thinking about hitting the park once i know how to ride well. i make take this season to learn how to ride, and i try to hit the park next season.

tks again.

Posted: 10 August 2011 12:05 AM

Have you ever been on a board? Do you have to have your own to learn on?

If you said no to both of those I would advise you to hold off on buying your own - particularly as Skate Banana’s aren’t exactly cheap!

Another point is that if you’re an absolute beginner then you are more likely to catch an edge, and while Magnetraction - the bumps on the side of the board to put it plainly - on the Nana may help the more experienced rider on icier conditions, it may leave you digging in and falling on your arse or worse. If you do insist on getting some gear, you should be looking at a pair of boots first as comfy feet will make the whole experience more enjoyable.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that you will even enjoy boarding - though that would be surprising - so you could be stuck with gear that you no longer want and that you will take a significant hit on when looking to sell it.

I don’t wish to rain all over your parade, I’m just hoping to help.

Posted: 10 August 2011 08:15 AM

well i already bought all my gears and board, it was kind of expensive (over 1000) but well, what is done is done. i am a total beginner, never skied or touch a board before. i just have to do with the banana i guess, even if i eat the snow a few times (or a 100 times :P ). if the banana really doesn’t fit me, ill change it next season, but i was thinking to hit the park next season, and heard that the banana was good for rail and jibs. so we’ll if i like it or not.

well i bought 2 pair of boots: a DC Judge 2008 Snowboard Boots Mens Espresso 7.5 and Flow Rival BOA Coiler Snowboard Boots 2011.
the dc boots have more angle so it seems to be easier for me to bend my knees and leave my back straight, but the flow boots are super comfortable (but after reading some reviews it seems that the flow boots are not that durable).

and i really think i will like it. when i chose to do something i always try to put everything i got (if i need to go 5 times a week to be able to ride properly, i will. :P may be not five time because i have classes, but least 2 times a week, saturday and sunday).