Looking for the right board. Advice please!

Posted: 12 October 2011 03:18 AM

Hello everybody. Im looking to upgrade from my crappy Burton Royale 158 to a new board this season but I’m pretty torn between a couple boards. Just some riding background, I’m 6’0” and 190 lbs. I guess I’m an intermediate rider, I’ve been riding for about 5 years now in Tahoe, NV.. I like to hit everything on the mountain but mainly freeride, and hit the park once in a while. probably 70% freeride/groomers/powder and 30% park. So I’d like an All-mountain board.

Rossignol has caught my attention with their Rossi Angus Amptek and Rossi one Magtek.

Both are All mountain boards, but i dont see the difference between the two besides one has magnatraction. Am I just paying the $50 more for the magnatraction?

Other boards I like are Rossi Taipan Amptek,  Atomic Alibi Renu and Never Summer SL...?

I’m open to suggestions guys. Thanks!

-Josh

Posted: 12 October 2011 08:16 AM

Well it’s kind of like buying a 1.9 litre Audi instead of the 3litre Quattro Audi as an extra in a new car, you don’t need it as the 1.9 does all you want from it but once you’ve driven your new car you’ll kind of think to yourself… I should have paid the extra and gone with the 3.0 litre.

I rode an Angus last year and it’s a fantastic board, but there are times when the snow is very hard pack and holding a very slight edge I felt I wanted a little extra grip, because this is the point at which the cambered part of the board is engaged with the snow but the rockered tips aren’t, having that little extra grip that Magnetraction provides would have been ideal in those circumstances. I’m talking properly hard pistes when it hasn’t snowed for weeks and it’s holdiay season so the groomers are compressed into man-made concrete.

Of all the boards you’velisted there the One is probably the board I would recommend. The SL is a great board but it’s quite a price hike. The Alibi Renu is quite a damp freeride focused board… a little less all-mountain than you are suggesting, and the Taipan is a discount version of the Angus… the Angus is better.

Posted: 12 October 2011 07:52 PM

Thanks for the reply, I like what I’m hearing. Now i just wish the One came with the sweet graphics the angus has!! Loving how the angus looks. I hear everyone always referencing the MT to the harsh hard pack of the east coast. Is it much worse than the west? I’m just wondering if I really need the MT…? Does it only help on hard pack or in every condition?

Posted: 12 October 2011 08:11 PM

You only truly benefit from MTX edges on really hard snow. On fresh groomers it can sometime be a bit overkill and in powder you won’t notice a scrap of difference.

If you’re feeling the Angus, go for it. Like I said I rode around 80-100 days on mine last season and it’s still in mint condition and it worked well in the park, pipe, pistes and powder… suprisingly good in powder!

Posted: 13 October 2011 03:04 AM

What size would you recommend? I wear a 10.5 boot size i measured the boot at 31cm and the midwide ONE is at 26.4 (157, 161) and ANGUS at 26.1 (158, 162). Again, I’m 6’0” and 190 +/- 5 lbs.

Posted: 13 October 2011 03:15 AM

I don’t know what the hell mondopoint is, but for what its worth - its 28.5.

Posted: 13 October 2011 08:31 AM

The Angus 162 looks like the best width and length combo…. that or the One 161… but I think the extra 3mm at the waist of the One midwide is unnecessary as your boot size only just makes it into the Midwide category… With the One I’d be tempted to go with a standard width 159 or 163 both are about 25.5 at the waist which is big enough for a 10.5US boot.