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Hovercraft-size...powder boards longer or shorter?

25K views 35 replies 14 participants last post by  RockSteady 
#1 ·
Hi,

My initial understanding was that pow decks were built longer with greater set back but then a new set of technologies develop and pow boards are built shorter, e.g Jones Hovercraft. I've followed guys like ETM on here, who are building these incredible longer pow decks but then reading that riding a pow deck greater than 155cm would be ineffective. Jones says his 156cm Hovercraft rides like a 178. Is there an actual formula? I was just reading the stats on Hovercraft, and wondered what real difference would be to the 156 and 160 sizes?
 
#4 ·
i'd say you're kind of on the line and could ride either.

if you were riding lots of steep stuff i'd say just get the 156 but most of the japan stuff i've seen looks on the flatter side, so you might want the 160 for some more speed/float on the low angle stuff... the hovercraft is a bit on the slow side.

if i were you i'd probably go for the 156, because i personally like to ride shorter boards as long as they stay up. i'm 150# and could probably ride this board in a 152 if they made it (155 Heritage is my all-around)
 
#5 ·
I am 175-180 and 6 ft tall. The 156 is perfect for me. Just cannot comment on the Japan issue. Oh yeah, I was riding some deep pow today and decided to ditch the Hovercraft for my new Yes Pick Your Line. The Yes board was very good in the Pow, but it was no Hovercraft. My back leg fatiqued and it never does with the Hovercraft. Great board choice.
 
#8 ·
From what I have seen in Japan there is a lot of riding to be done in the trees. A 156 would be great for that.

Biggest question should be what do you normally ride? If you are typically on a 160, the 156 Hover will have a ton more float than a regular 160 board. if you are riding decks that are 165ish youll probably want a 160.
 
#10 ·
Watch those hovercrafts, the inserts are forward of the centre of sidecut radius. Unless you would set up a twin forward of centre Im not sure why anybody would want that on a powder board. Its a design flaw in my opinion.

As for riding like a bigger board, they dont have the effective edge of a longer board and the only way you can increase the surface area of the board is by width. So when you cut through all the hype its just a wide board.

You have to consider if you want something that will hold a good edge on the hardpack, a board with full rocker forward of the bindings is never going to be as good as one with camber out in front like mine does, then add the long powder nose and the board is getting long, theres nothing you can do about it.
If you value the performance on hardpack as much as you do in the powder you find yourself needing a longer board. If you are prepared to have a rocker board from the front foot forward you can basically start the rocker nose profile a lot earlier and end up with a shorter board like the hovercraft. But I still dont know why the inserts are forward of centre? Id love someone to explain that one.
 
#35 · (Edited)
No. I don't agree with you.

HC holds a carve almost as well as my cambered Arbor A-Frame. And that thing can carve ice if you want to. Besides you will need it just to cut the groomer to your next pow stash or lift. You ride a pow board on powder days right?

The nose floats on flat, I can't manage to get stuck with that board, and when all is done and slashed the bigger flexy nose smashes the slashed snow like an icebreaker. you don't even notice it even with tired legs.

I don't know why they placed the inserts where they did..ask Jeremy? I'm pretty sure he knows what he's doing..All I know is that rides like a dream.

Absolutely love the HC. Got it used from this forum... best deal ever.


 
#11 ·
FWIW I recently bought a 180 birdman and it applies the same theory as I did with my board. Its a normal board with an extended nose, you dont lose out on normal riding performance to have the powder nose. Its the best of both worlds if you can handle the length, for me its no problem at all.
 
#12 ·
Now you have me thinking ETM! I'm headed to Myoko Feb 15. You are likely to still be testing your designs at that time. Im currently riding an Arbor Roundhouse 162 but very keen to get on a pow deck for my trip. Gentem's are just too expensive. Beautiful boards; hats off to Taro Tamai, but I can't shell $1500 at this stage.

Bloody snowboarding...gets us all too involved!
Cheers
 
#13 ·
If you dont mind a big board the 180 birdman is sick, also comes in a 170, and 160 but the 160 would be too much of a compromise IMO but probably better than a hovercraft I guess.
Other than that look at prior spearhead, fissile and khyber or burton cheetah (only 159 though)
 
#14 ·
short boards are awesome jvee!

I ride a 152 con artist and it's great. Hovercrafts are good too. They ride hardpack and gnar just like a regular board. It's got a sick profile.

I've even used a 150 nug in the deep stuff no problem.

Whether to get a 56 or a 60 hover, for your weight, I'd be leaning towards the 60. It will handle like your arbor but give you crazy float.

oh, I've got a 160 fish that's just lying around if you're interested.
 
#15 ·
It's pretty obvious ETM has never ridden a Hovercraft because his theories about them are completely wrong. I have one and it feels like a full camber board on the hardpack, it holds an edge on ice and floats great in the powder, it's also very fast on the groomers. I'd rather have a 156 in a steep chute or in the trees than a 180 any day. Don't get me wrong, I'm also a fan of the LibTech Birdman, but the Hovercraft is a little more versatile in my books. I've ridden it on a groomer/hard pack day and I've ridden it in waist deep powder and it's great for both.
 
#16 ·
Sorry for the Ot; I ride a 164 arbor abacus and I'm 6'4 and 260 lbs; i want to try some powder rocker I was looking for a 166 epic signal but doesn't existe or a flagship 168 or 163 W. do you have suggestion for powder rocker board under 170???? The hovercraft 160 is to short for me??
 
#19 ·
If you look at a Hovercraft you'll see that there is camber about 6 inches past your front foot, and the inserts are pretty much dead center on the camber portion which really is your effective edge. I don't understand how you think the inserts are forward of center. Ride one and you'll see it's basically a camber board with a big rockered nose. I like how much camber is past your feet because it actually makes the board feel like a camber deck and not a hybrid profile.

 
#21 ·
i know for a fact that the hovercraft can rip the hardpack like a cambered board...because it is one. Check out jeremy jones on Kaerazu at the beginning of Further.

In fact, the hovercraft has an interesting shape. It's totally what I expected the flagship to be (which was in fact flatter).
 
#22 ·
Its definately an interesting shape, I love it to be honest. Ive said before if they made it in a size that suited me I would definately own one, but I would be drilling new inserts into it to get me to at least centre of sidecut radius. Then the board would suit me a lot more.
I dont know why people take this personally, Im sure if you get out your tape measure you will see that its forward of centre.
 
#30 ·
Yeah the metal piece on the tail basically came off mine, but they gave me a brand new board so that was alright. The new board seems to be holding together so far. I heard a lot of stories about inserts in the wrong place last year, and other manufacturing issues. This year I haven't heard much other than my own warranty story, and it wouldn't stop me from buying another Jones board.
 
#32 ·
FWIW, I've been riding a HC for 2 year now & loving it! Since, pretty much thats I all ride now. I'm a few years shy of 50. I'm 5'7" 150lbs, I've ridden pow boards that are 164cm long, they're great in pow but suck in the trees. That is where the HC kills it! I have the 156 and it can float like styrafoam in 3-4ft of pow and turn on a dime in trees. I ordered mine from Salty Peaks board shop in Utah, they're an awesome small shop with a great selection of pow boards. Give'em a call, they have an 800 toll free number, very knowlegeable and friendly!
 
#33 ·
Etm you should do a birdman review after a couple of days on it. Its a skatebanana with a extra foot of nose. The nose doesn't touch the snow so it should ride groomers like a fun freestyle board. Switch too. I am very interested. I have a 165 snowmullet which is the best board I've every rode. With rocker between the feet it pivots from the middle in pow making it more nimble than shorter cambered boards. Switch pow butters for days. Then cranks turns and pops ollies on the firm. Its funny that tapered boards get a bad for groomer rap, where I think they rip groomers. I'm sure that the hover keeps the nose out of the snow, but in 3D snow that tail helps out when you lean back coming out of the turn, a longer pow board gives a more surfy feel, short board is more slashy.
 
#36 ·
I'd personally roll with the 160 for your size, your a lot bigger than Jeremy so it would make sense that you ride a bigger board. A 160 in pow is so easy to throw around still and you won't have to worry about float with the bigger size.
 
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