Board Gurus Please help!!

long time reader first time poster!!
Im looking to get a new board,, seeing as there are as many boards as there are colours in the rainbow I would like to get some insight intop some good boards.
I am 6'1" and 185- 190 lbs.
Currently I ride a 164 sims Chaos(quite stiff board). Awesome when it comes to shredding pow but not so good at tight turns in the trees qhile quite steep. Goes like a bat out of hell on the straights though.
I am looking to get something thats going to be , im guessing, an all mountain board that is somewhat bomb proof!i ride groomers, back country, and try to pop off anyhting that I can but dont spend much time in the park .(thus all mountain choice)
Because of the size of my board now and how I find turning in the trees im wanting to try something shorter.
Some help would be awesome guys,
Cheers!!

[Boardski]

I'm a buyer for a shop and I've had the chance to ride everything out there. There are a few boards that stick out from the rest which I'll share with you. Based on your height and weight I would normaly recommend a 159-161 leangth. 164 seems a bit long unless you're riding the steep and deep.

Lib Tech TRS/skunkape. Skunkape is the wide version of the TRS. Either board is the best all around board out there in my opinion
Ride Machete
Rossignol Angus (killer snowboard for the price)
K2 Turbo Dream
Lib Tech Dark Series (if you want to spend the big bucks this board is beyond solid, it's what I've been riding this season)
K2 Slayblade
Ride Dh2

And if you wait until next season, the Ride Highlife is going to kill it.

Now I got cought up reading about the Libtech boards, i like that whole banana technology, is it true or just more hipe than anything else??

[d00bie]

Originally Posted by gucho

Now I got cought up reading about the Libtech boards, i like that whole banana technology, is it true or just more hipe than anything else??

Its a true cambered board, i ride the 09 LibTech Dark Series and its a killer board, the magnetraction is unbelievable and for a 7,5 stiffness board i get good pop and kill everyone and their mom including dogging the ski patrol down. im 6'4 and weight about 165 and ride the 158, i wanted something i could throw around as well. i love it, LibTech for sure.

compared to a freeride board how stiff is it?? fairly soft?? im a fan of hard fast boards

So im really diggin the libtechs, im really licking the dark series from what I have read, BUT i have a question that I know some of you would be able to answer for me.
Does the Banana technolongy really have a effect as for more effective turning?? I mean if the tip is elevated just beyond the plane of the board wouldnt that make for less effective turning?? because the tip would not be making contact??
thoughts?>??

Also what do you guys think of the dark series as an all mt board??
Thanks for the input guys!!!

[mrpez]

Originally Posted by gucho

Now I got cought up reading about the Libtech boards, i like that whole banana technology, is it true or just more hipe than anything else??

banana-tech is great. i just got a new GNU park pickle with banana-tech and its disgustingly easy and fun to ride. mervin (lib-tech and gnu) make great boards.

Originally Posted by gucho

So im really diggin the libtechs, im really licking the dark series from what I have read, BUT i have a question that I know some of you would be able to answer for me.
Does the Banana technolongy really have a effect as for more effective turning?? I mean if the tip is elevated just beyond the plane of the board wouldnt that make for less effective turning?? because the tip would not be making contact??
thoughts?>??

Also what do you guys think of the dark series as an all mt board??
Thanks for the input guys!!!

if you want a board thats great at turning look at the park pickle. it has a deeper heelside cut which makes turning easier. although it is designed mainly as a park board, so i dont know if it would suit your needs. this one is also very flexy, a little stiffer than a skate banana. i rode it today down some groomed and ungroomed slopes (blacks and blues mainly) and it did fine.

Yeah my main goal is to get a board that is better for freeride rather than freestyle, I like hard boards and from what I have been told the Darkside is way stiffer than the TRS. Also im a bit of a gadget/gear head so im really into the newer technology!!
is there something alongside the Darkside that you would suggest looking into??
Cheers Gucho

[Boardski]

Originally Posted by gucho

So im really diggin the libtechs, im really licking the dark series from what I have read, BUT i have a question that I know some of you would be able to answer for me.
Does the Banana technolongy really have a effect as for more effective turning?? I mean if the tip is elevated just beyond the plane of the board wouldnt that make for less effective turning?? because the tip would not be making contact??
thoughts?>??

Also what do you guys think of the dark series as an all mt board??
Thanks for the input guys!!!

To answer both of your questions, The dark series is a killer all mountain board. I've rode it everywhere possible and it excels at all. The other questions about effective edge, Yes banana allows for a more effective edge. If you think about a normal cambered board, it's cambered between your feet which means to things, the board is raised up off of the snow and you only have two contact points (tip and tail). with the reverse camber between your feet, when you put the board on edge, you're already getting full contact with the snow. Add Magnetraction into the mix and you have a recipe for superior edge hold.