Hello to everyone here. I am brand new here, although I have been following for some time.
I suddenly need a new board (favorite recently damaged badly). The last time I bought a new board (some time ago) I bought the wrong one for me and I am trying to avoid this from happening again. If you could offer any help, I would be much apreciative.
I am 6 feet, 195 lbs, size 11. I am 38, have been riding since I was 12. I ride here in New Hampshire, VT, and Maine (hardpack, chunk, occasional pow). Never in the park or pipe. I like to ride fast, steep etc. My favorite board, the one that I damaged recently, was an old 1999? Salomon 163 (they only made one board that year, sized by color--mine is blue).
Anyway, in 2004--I treated myself to a new board, a brand new Rome Anthem 163. I did as much research as possible before picking this board, choosing it based on how I ride etc. I have spent countelss hours tweaking my setup, changing bindings, changing boots--all to no avail. I do not like this board (for me) at all, and I really have no idea why. At slow speeds, it does not intiate turns well at all. At high speeds, it is stable goign straight, but it does not like to turn big, it always wants to catch and hook. This makes it squirly kind of when I am trying to pull big fast arcing turns on steep. The board hooks, chops, bites and simply, again for me, sucks.
I am now at a point where I need to try again. I am boardless right now, with a full 2 months left of riding season. I wont be able to demo. I am going on reviews alone, trting to best match what people say, to the type of riding I enjoy. This, however, is what burnt me in the past.
I am open to any suggestions, but I have narrowed my list to a Never Summer SL or a Salomon Special II (two pretty different boards, I know).
Thoughts? Others?
Sorry for the manifesto and thanks!
I suddenly need a new board (favorite recently damaged badly). The last time I bought a new board (some time ago) I bought the wrong one for me and I am trying to avoid this from happening again. If you could offer any help, I would be much apreciative.
I am 6 feet, 195 lbs, size 11. I am 38, have been riding since I was 12. I ride here in New Hampshire, VT, and Maine (hardpack, chunk, occasional pow). Never in the park or pipe. I like to ride fast, steep etc. My favorite board, the one that I damaged recently, was an old 1999? Salomon 163 (they only made one board that year, sized by color--mine is blue).
Anyway, in 2004--I treated myself to a new board, a brand new Rome Anthem 163. I did as much research as possible before picking this board, choosing it based on how I ride etc. I have spent countelss hours tweaking my setup, changing bindings, changing boots--all to no avail. I do not like this board (for me) at all, and I really have no idea why. At slow speeds, it does not intiate turns well at all. At high speeds, it is stable goign straight, but it does not like to turn big, it always wants to catch and hook. This makes it squirly kind of when I am trying to pull big fast arcing turns on steep. The board hooks, chops, bites and simply, again for me, sucks.
I am now at a point where I need to try again. I am boardless right now, with a full 2 months left of riding season. I wont be able to demo. I am going on reviews alone, trting to best match what people say, to the type of riding I enjoy. This, however, is what burnt me in the past.
I am open to any suggestions, but I have narrowed my list to a Never Summer SL or a Salomon Special II (two pretty different boards, I know).
Thoughts? Others?
Sorry for the manifesto and thanks!