Apo BC Flatcut and BC Powder Rocker - 2011

Snowboard Review:

When I heard APO was replacing the Amanite for the 2011 season I was mortified. I like many European snowboarders of my age and perhaps a little older have grown up with David Vincent’s Mushroom Clad pro board, in classic movies like Day Tripper and Odd Man Out. I was eager to find out what board would be replacing such a legend and whether it could fill the enormous boots of the Amanite.

May glacier riding usually consists of mornings of bullet proof ice, an hour of what most would consider to be perfect snow conditions (normally this occurs whilst you’re enjoying your lunch), followed by an afternoon of slush. The BC pulled the short straw and got the first runs of the day. Any board that performs in those conditions has my vote.

The BC comes with an option of two profiles, standard camber or Powder Rocker; a rocker camber hybrid in the same vein as Rossignol’s Amptek and Nidecker’s Camrock. I opted for the second version impressed that APO were choosing to put more into the BC’s design than a standard tip-to-tail rocker. The construction of the BC is rugged; the board looks like it can take a few rocks or tree roots. The shape, although slightly directional rides well switch and the rockered tail certainly helps with tight switch turn and carve initiation. Where the BC really works is on an edge, and although it may upset APO a little to hear that their Powder Rocker rides almost identically to arch rivals Rossignol’s Amptek, it’s the truth. Both APO and Rossignol use slightly more camber between the feet than Nidecker’s Camrock, when stood flat on the board my weight was loaded directly through the bindings and not though the middle of the board. In a carve the Powder Rocker uses four main contact points instead of two, the start and end of the effective edge and the transition between rocker and camber at the inserts. The BC carves hard even on icy pistes, and then you have the added bonus of the rockered nose for float in powder. Although by no means is the BC a park board, jumps were fun and there was plenty of pop from the tail, with these characteristics it’s a dead cert that the BC is going to work off backcountry kickers.

APO have really hit the jackpot with BC Powder Rocker, it’s an all mountain board for an advanced rider who wants to ride everything the mountain has to offer. Although it’s a shame the mushrooms are no more, the BC is definitely a worthy successor to the legendary Amanite.

Posted by Rich Ewbank in • Apo