33549

Hello guys,

I'd like to buy my first board. I've done a fair amount of research but the variety of boards is just so overwhelming so I am looking for some help.

I found the Rome Crail, Nitro Team and possibly the Burton Clash (though I am not really sure about Burton) as well as a few other boards (like NS - what about them?) to probably be the most suitable for me.

The thing is: I DONT REALLY HAVE A CLUE ABOUT BOARDS. Please share some thoughts and experiences with me.

I am 6'1", weigh about 160ish and have spend about 15 days on rental boards so far. I was also taking lessons with an instructor several days so I can ride any slope and prefer carving at higher speed rather then jumping in the park but I'd also like to do some backcountry boarding if conditions allow it. I suppose I am looking for an all-mountain board which is a little bit more on the stiff side yet still quite soft because I am pro (yet ;-)). I am not so sure about the length. Should I rather go with a shorter (158?) stiffer board or a more flexible longer (maybe 162cm?).

I hope thats all you need to know to make some suggestions on what I should get. My budget for the board would be 500$ (or 500 Euros) but I wouldnt mind spending a little less. I heard Ride bindings are supposed to be pretty good so if you have some thoughts on that, too, let me know...

Please disregard any spelling/grammar mistakes as I am not a native speaker.

From Berlin. Julian

zakk

Rome makes some solid camber boards. Probably the best I've ridden. Burton Sucks. Never Ridden a Nitro. I didn't like the SL-R, but you might. 161 would do you better for an all mountain.

__________________
-zakk

The most amazingly terrible snowboarder of ALL TIME!

33549

Thanks, one more question for the guys who ride Nitro: Whats the difference between the "regular" Nitro Team and the Team Gullwing, is the Gullwing stiffer?

hanzosteel

the team is a regular cambered deck. the team gullwing is dual-cambered - rockered in the middle between the bindings and cambered under the bindings. you should read BA's review on his website...

The Angry Snowboarder Blog Archive Nitro Team Gullwing with Raiden Blackhawks my take

33549

Since I like to go fast at times I guess the rocker shape is not meant for me, thanks for the explanation.

Rome Crail or Nitro Team? Any other suggestestions in a simillar price range?

Snowfox

Is that budget just for the board (i.e. you have more money for bindings)? And if you don't mind, which country are you currently in?
There's some boards that have a combination camber and rocker like the NS boards that are actually very stable at high speeds (from reviews anyways). If you can find one in the price, the NS Premier sounds close to what you might want (stable and supposed to be able to handle pow as well). Ride also offers the Yukon or Concept TMS (Yukon is the wide version) which is supposed to be able to handle just about anything as well (don't believe it has a rocker). Ride Slackcountry would be more if you want to focus on backcountry.
If you're in Europe... I'm not totally sure... sorry mate.
Also, $500 is not close to 500 Euros... sad state we're in lol

Edit: Ride makes their bindings out of metal, which I kinda like (although I haven't gotten a chance to test out my new EX's since my Rome United's broke/got recalled.

33549

Thanks man. I live in Germany, Berlin to be exact.

The NS Premier looks great. Whats it sold for (I found it for 499 Dollar on amazon.com)? Is it also meant for beginners (I am not really new to boarding yet I would still call myself something between beginner and intermediate). It sounds like it might be a little to stiff for me as I am light for my height (I guess its really hard to tell this by the reviews).

Of course you are right, 500 Euros arent 500 Dollars but I always feel you get a lot less for your money in Europe (the NS Premier is sold here in Germany for 880 Dollars for instance). Anyways if the dollar keeps on being this weak I might as well fly to Colorado and buy my stuff there (this is a bit of topic but I always wanted to go to the rockies can anyone suggest a good site to find last minute deals for lodging/resorts?). Unfortunately most of my friends dont have the money to fly over and I am hesitating to go boarding all by myself.

AND budgets are meant to be adjusted (or should it be readjusted?). The 500 Euros/699 Dollar were meant for Board + Binding. I wouldnt mind spending more I just really dislike to pay for the name (yet these charaters are typed on something carrying and apple as a logo so...whatever).

One more question: When does the big sale on boards start? If I'd come over it would be late February or late March. Can you mostly test run boards at the bigger shops?

Camor

I'm new to the forum, but i'll chip in my experience.

No comment on Rome since I never rode it.

I learned snowboarding with a 2000 model NS Premier. The board at the time was too much for me to handle. But once I got better, the board flies. The basic speed for this board was fast, faster, and fastest. Its built like a tank and very stable at high speed. The ultimate downfall for me at the time was the weight of the board and the board was too aggressive and unforgiving. I wanted a more rounded board.

I moved on to Nitro Misfit after that. Misfit was a great all mountain board. It was lighter then NS, super maneuverable yet stable at high speed. I prefer the misfit in the trees more then the Premier. Another selling point was the width of the board. I wear size 8 us boots, and its hard to find a board with a narrower width (especially every year the board seems to get wider for whatever reason). Nitro does have regular and wider boards which was a big plus. You also can't beat the brass knuckle they have at the bottom of the board. I did demo Nitro Team. While it rode amazing in the trees, it was not stiff enough for me on the groomer and chattered the whole way down.

Now I'm moving back to SL-R 155 for my powder stick and Evo 151 for my everyday. Love the board, but I wish they made the SL a little narrower. Although the width is amazing in powder.

I demoed a few other companies in between. While they were good, I just loved Nitro Misfit and Never Summer. You can't go wrong with those. In retro spec, I would not have learned snowboarding on Premier. It was too big of a leap and a constant edge catch. But the R.C. tech is amazing so starting on the Premier-R might not be so bad now.

For bindings, I love my FLux (older model....because frankly, the new model graphic is just bad...)

Big sales IMO starts in Mid-March. But as far as I know, NS this year is going to sell out. Evo and SL are almost already gone completely.

33549

If I would go with the SL-R which length would you recommend (6'1" - 165 pounds)?

Thanks again for all the help, I was posting on several different German forums which are just as big as this one and not a single reply was helpful at all. I appreciate it!

Snowfox

If it helps, I'm 6' 190 pounds and I go with a 162cm for my Ride Control. I think the general rule of thumb is that if you're just starting you can go a bit smaller though (it'll help with learning turning).
So... maybe a 156-160cm?

Board demos are a hit or miss depending on the shop. I know my area doesn't do them, but I imagine a lot of them out near the rockies would.

Edit: If you look around on the forums, I believe there is a faq or sticky about sizes.