Burton Custom Flying V for a Newbie?

Posted: 22 August 2011 02:56 PM

Hey there,

So i have recently started snowboarding and am fair hooked. I have been riding a hire board Ridehead up at Buller recently. I have riden a 140cm and a 146cm. I stand at 5 ft 3 and weight 60 kg’s (130 lbs). I have picked it up rather quickly i would imagine for someone who has never snowboarded before and am having fun linking turns down runs (doing some intermediate runs).

I now plan on getting a set up of my own, and was looking at the ever popular skatebana or park pickle, however i think these would be to flexi for what i am after. I mostly see myself doing runs and possibly jump into the park ever now n then, but no where near as often.

I want something i can def progress with.

Would the Burton Custom Flying V be a good choice board, n if so what size do you recomend?

Cheers,

Posted: 24 August 2011 07:23 PM

To be honest, I think the Custom - even in the flying v shape - maybe a bit too much board at this point for you.

What you don’t want is something that you find to be difficult to the point where it puts you off boarding.

With your weight I would say that only a Signal Park Rocker or an Endeavor Colour would feel too flexy.  If your technique is still developing, and your turns are skidded then you may want something with a bit more flex than the custom would give.

I would urge you to learn and spend the first year/season on a cambered board - rather than a hybrid - as this should make you more technically sound and be able to handle most terrain in an easy way.  Then, when you want to progress in the park, you will find that a rockered/hybrid camber board feels so much easier and less difficult to initiate etc.

With a number of companies moving away from camber - K2’s 2012 line up is all zero camber or reverse camber - then your choice of company is a bit more limited, but I think you’re doing right by looking at Burton.

Because of that, I think you could be looking at grabbing the traditional cambered version of the Process.  Burton has been throwing a lot of tech behind this board, and it could last you as your all mountain board for years.  Last year’s version seemed to replace the Mayhem as the do-it-all mountain board for beginners to intermediates and I’ve not heard anything bad about it.

it only drops down to a 152, but this could work for you for booters, for jumps, for groomers and for all round fun and once you’re up and running then you could always think of adding a shorter bendy jib stick to your quiver.

Posted: 27 August 2011 07:48 AM

I totally second milly with the Process cambered version.  Would be a fantastic all-around board with camber.

That being said I would tend to put a noob on a mild cambered or flat-kick board as a starter board.  Traditional camber has a tendency to catch a lot if your technique isn’t great and that is what throws most people to the ground.  A reverse camber board lacks control somewhat making the process of turning a bit more washed out.  A mild camber/flat-kick board strikes a nice balance…  you have better edge control then a complete reverse camber yet not as “serious” as the traditional camber.

I was out last season with my buddy at a small hill.  He was brand new to snowboarding and bought a ridiculously soft Technine Lucas Magoon board that is traditional cambered…  the thing was so soft that buttering was dead easy.  I ride a K2 Parkstar which is stiffer yet has the flat-kick camber that K2 is really pushing.  We switched boards midday and he was having a much better time turning on my board then his, even though his was a noddle compared to mine.