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Newby On Site Needs Help

4K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  Wiredsport 
#1 · (Edited)
So I have spent the last week or so looking all over the place. Different recommendations come from all over but I think it would be nice to get some information from someone on the hill all the time.
Been on a board about 4 times Mt Washington Vancouver Island. Rental boards all times. Kinda hard to decifer which boards im liking better then the others as Im so new and not sure what to totally expect. I know this year im gonna be up there a lot so I feel its time to stop renting. Ive looked around at a few. Flow, Rossignol, Forum, Burton, 24/7, LTD, K2, Ride. Should I avoid any of these companies. Basically looking for tips on better then others or what people think I should begin at. Im more the all mountain/freestyle rider, riding goofy. weigh in about 195, standing 5'8 and a bit, and wear a size 10 boot. Not fat as most would think but pretty stalky. Charts recommend between 160-170 but I feel thats a little long. I have been leaning around 157-158. Looking for size tips and maybe board ideas. Comments on the 2010 Flow Strike 158.?
Thanks in advance
 
#2 ·
Hi Deroy,

Stoked that you are loving the boarding and are ready for your first setup. You are very smart to ignore the sizing calculators. They are the quickest way to easily find the wrong board :)

Could I ask you to do one thing before we suggest?

Please measure your foot using this method:

Kick your heel (barefoot please, no socks) back against a wall. Mark the floor exactly at the tip of your toe (the one that sticks out furthest - which toe this is will vary by rider). Measure from the mark on the floor to the wall. That is your foot length and is the only measurement that you will want to use. Measure in centimeters if possible, but if not, take inches and multiply by 2.54 (example: an 11.25 inch foot x 2.54 = 28.57 centimeters).
 
#4 · (Edited)
Got it. Glad we checked. 26 cm is technically a size 8. That will have a big impact on the board you select. It will be very important that you do not not get a board speced for a rider with a size 10 foot as that would be almost a full inch wider.



As a mid priced all mountain board, the Flow Merc 153 will be a great choice. The Flow Infinite Pop Cam in 153 will be an exceptional upgrade.

Interestingly enough, there are no 160 or above boards that would be in your range that I am aware of.

Thanks!
 
#5 ·
my friend let me ride his flow merc (which happens to be a 153) and i happen to weigh 180 lbs. its a solid all mountain deck. dont believe the B/S about getting a 160 and up, because the 153 was just right for me. a 160 seems just obnoxiously long for a board that was stiff enough at a 153 to be a hard charger.
 
#6 ·
FWIW, I had a burton custom back in 2003 when I weighed about 190-195 and I'm also 5'8. It was a great all mountain board. The only time it gave me a hard time was when I caught a storm in Utah with 8-12 inches of powder each day I was there. Manageable with a fresh wax though. I'd only go bigger if you were getting a powder board. I had a ride timeless that was a lot stiffer that was size 155. If it's a stiffer board you can go 155 and softer go 158.

I've never seen anyone use a foot size to choose how to get a board. I think weight and muscle density is more improtant IMO. I bet we can use the same size board I use and I weigh 225-235 and I have a size 10.
 
#7 ·
I've never seen anyone use a foot size to choose how to get a board. I think weight and muscle density is more improtant IMO. I bet we can use the same size board I use and I weigh 225-235 and I have a size 10.
Hi Magnum,

I appreciate your comments. Weight and shoe size are the two basic factors in sizing a board. Height is not a factor. Boards are designed with a specific weight range in mind and being well ceneterred in that range is optimal. Typically the range is ~ 50 lbs. Foot size is very important as it (along with stance width an stance angle) will determine an appropraite width. Weight will effect the appropraite stiffness (for the riding style) running surface and effective edge. You are correct that shoe size alone is not enough to determine the correct board. Both weight and foot size are required.

We wrote this back in 1993, and even with all of the tech changes that have occurred since then, it is still accurate:

Where your nose is, does not determine what size of snowboard you should ride!

...or your chin, ears, shoulders or any other body part for that matter. These are the silliest rules for sizing boards that could possibly be imagined, and yet they persist. We hear new ones everyday, "my friend told me that a board should come to in between my chin and my nose." Why, are you planning to nibble on it? These generalities are good ways to end up with a completely inappropriate board. Why do such rules exist, you ask? It is due to the fact that finding the right board takes a bit of research and knowledge. The easy way, however incorrect, is much quicker. A snowboard reacts to only two factors, how much pressure is being applied to it (weight), and where that pressure is coming from (shoe size). Boards are designed around riders of a certain weight. The total weight range for a given board will be around 50 pounds (although manufacturers tend to exaggerate this range to make their products sellable to a wider variety of customers). Two men who stand six feet tall and have their noses at identical heights, may be separated by 100 pounds of weight. This would change the boards they should ride by two entire categories of stiffness, and length. You will also want to make sure that the board is appropriate for your shoe size. One half to three quarters of an inch of overhang (yes, overhang) off the edge of your board is ideal (when wearing snowboard boots, and measured at the stance angle that you will ride). We will discuss this more below when we address width in detail.

There is no best level of stiffness for a board!

At least five times a day we hear,"the guy at mountain told me that I want a soft board." This is the part that we were discussing above that relates to weight. Snowboards react to pressure that is applied to that hourglass shape (sidecut) that they have. This shape, when flexed, creates an arc on the snow. You are planning on turning on that arc. If you can't flex the sidecut into the snow (because the board is too stiff for you) you simply can't turn well, or not at all. If the board is too soft for your weight, it will constantly be overflexing, and "twisting off" of the edge that you are relying on to carve. In this scenario you will have a terrible time on hardpack and ice, because the "effective edge" (amount of edge that should be in contact with the snow) will be twisted out of shape, and not doing it's job. Softer flexing boards tend to be better for lighter riders, while stiffer boards are needed for the big boys. Only for extreme freestyle, or extreme race applications, should this rule be broken (and in those instances, a second board will be needed for all mountain riding).

Buying by length is the hardest way to end up with the right board!

"My last board was a 156, and I liked it, so tell me about the 156's that you carry." The trick here, is that two boards of identical length, may be designed for completely different riders and types of riding. For example a 156 may be a "big mountain board" for a small woman, or a "park" board for a big guy, depending on the manufacturer's design plan. Those two boards, however, would never be appropriate for the same rider. Length is often discussed in terms of: longer equals faster, and more stable, while shorter equals more maneuverable. This can also be deceptive. The "running surface" of a board (the base area that contacts the snow) is a useful measurement, because this is the amount of board that you actually are riding upon. The overall length (the measurement usually considered) can be misleading, as it also contains the raised tip and tail, which do not contact the snow, and have only nuance differences in affecting your ride. Your best bet is research. Look into who the board was made for, and for what type of riding. Leave the rules of thumb to the rental guys, who are trying to get through the line of renters as quickly as possible, and get on the slopes (can't blame 'em for that).
 
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