First up, I'm about 6 feet tall, and weigh between 140-150 pounds. I've ridden 6 days, soon to be 9, and I'm comfortable on blues. I'll be at a few shops soon, so I'll try on some different boots and see what fits right, I'm leaning to 32 Lashed in size 11, and I'll probably put them in Burton Mission bindings.
But right now I'm trying to figure out the board, and what will suit my riding. I'm not interested in park really, but I do *attempt* (and sometimes land :yahoo: ) natural feature jumps. Most of the time I'm on blue groomers, faces, and some moguled runs. I'm planning on doing some powder riding too. The last time I rode, I was on a 159 board. Is that a good size for me? It seemed to work fine. I'm tall, but also very light.
The all mountain boards that I've been looking at are:
Rome Tour (I've heard it may be too soft)
Never Summer SL
Burton Custom
Rossingol Taipan
I realize there are some pretty big price differences on the list. If there's a board (or binding or boot for that matter) that I didn't list, feel free to post it.
i'd recommend a gnu rider's choice with pickle in a 154/55....its a great all around board if you don't know....since ur new at this and really haven't developed a sense of your type of riding
It's not the best board out there, but it's the one I've been on. The NS SL is a great beginner board IMO. Very damp, smooth and confidence building. The rocker wasn't too crazy (it was my first time on non-camber). It's a good board.
there are others out there.
159 is way big IMO. At your weight 150-154 sounds good.
Another board I recommend wholeheartedly is an Arbor Coda 153. Absolutely a blast to ride.
Yeah it's all preference. You can go longer as well if you don't plan on hitting the park. But freestyle features on the slopes should be a little easier.
The other day I rode a 154 joystick and a 145 rome shank. Definite difference lol.
A little update: I saw 32 TM-Two's on sale for a good price online, so I jumped on a pair of 10.5 in white. Just got them today, and I can't believe the fit. It's amazing how great they feel. I heated up and molded them and that made the fit even better. I can already tell a major difference from what I've had before. As a bonus, they look awesome.
As far as the board, I'm leaning towards the Never Summer SL now. Just not sure whether I should try to get a good deal on the 2013 model, or try to get the 2014, which looks great. I really like the white top sheet, just not sure if I want to spend a lot when it comes out. Are there going to be any differences other than aesthetic changes?
You could also save yourself nearly $100 over the SL and get a Flow Drifter. Same camber profile, sintered base, carbon in the tips, and a rolled base between the feet. I had more fun on that than the SL.
Hm, since you're starting out, I'd almost recommend a Custom Flying V over a Custom Camber, just because its a little more forgiving, or really anything with that or a rocker flex, again, more forgiving & in some situations more useful. With that, I'm thinking either a Burton Custom Flying V Twin in 154, or Burton Sherlock, also in 154, would be good for you, maybe even a Burton Joystick 154 if you'd rather take a rocker over a hybrid camber. Funny thing, Mission bindings will actually work the best on the Joystick, so hey, wouldja lookit that.
I've heard great things about the Custom FV, and the Flow Drifter does look great for the money. I've heard the Joystick is a blast to ride too. I haven't ridden a rocker, but I'll try anything. What bindings would you guys recommend for the other boards you listed?
I'll be at Wolf Creek again for 3 days soon, I doubt their rental selection is that great but I'll see what they have to rent and try out some different boards. I may see what there is to rent in Pagosa as well. I think the main thing on this trip will be improving my skills on blues and moguls, as well as tackling some more blacks.
You'd probably be best on something around a 154 but with your foot size that gets tricky because a standard width 154 is gonna be too narrow. You don't always need a wide board with an 11 but on a shorter board the standard width is gonna be narrower than it would be on say a 159. See if you can find something 152-156 and wide.
I'm tall and skinny with a big foot too and I ride the Niche Aether.
Ok first day at WC today. They had a few inches of new snow and got some more during the day. It was my best day of riding so far, I went a lot faster than usual on more challenging terrain and still felt in control. I think the powder helped me some.
The main thing that I think made a difference is the boots. IMO the 32 TM twos I got are perfect for someone of my ability. Get them, lol.
Today I rode an Arbor System 155. I really liked it, like I said, great control for me. We spent most of the day playing in the trees on the Alberta side. It surprised my friends how fast and well I was getting down the mountain. My friend rode a Machete, also in 155, and said he thought it was great.
I really liked the Arbor so I rode it another 2 days. Spent pretty much the entire trip cruising around in the trees finding fluff. Had a great time. I may get an Arbor now, haha.
Also looked at the NS Proto. Now I'm just not sure, since I liked the Arbor, but still like the NS SL and the Proto. Maybe I'll just have to wait to buy a board until next season after I've had a chance to try all the new NS boards.
Had the Drifter out last weekend and it was awesome in a dust covered slush. Had it out again today in ~4" over hardpack and some knee deep powder in the trees. All day it performed like a dream. I echo everything said in the Angrysnowboarder review, only I couldn't find any small children to run over.
Thanks and thanks guys. I'll keep mulling it over. Hard decision but a good one to need to make!
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