Sizing and new board help

[sil3nt]

Looking at getting a new board. Currently ride a 158. Wanting an all mountain board.

I am roughly:
5ft10in
180lb

Having ridden smaller boards I love how playful and easier to manoeuvre they are. Thinking of getting a 156. Is this going to limit my riding in anyway? Don't get much powder where I am so not worried about that. Don't ride park much but would like to get into it. So its pretty much groomed runs and whatever little powder I can find off to the side and starting to hit the park for the first time. Like the idea of a softer rather than stiffer board. Any recommendations?

A very open question I know.

So far on my list I have
K2 Turbo Dream 156
K2 Raygun 156
Lib Tech Phoenix 157
Lib Tech Skate Banana 156 (one board I have demo'd and loved but unsure of how well it stacks up against the rest for all mountain)
Am i way off the mark or on track?

Can't demo any boards which is a major pain in the ass!

[david_z]

2cm isn't going to limit you in any noticeable way so don't worry about the size if you get 156/157 etc.

Where do you do most of your riding? East coast/midwest if you're not getting very much powder?

[sil3nt]

New Zealand

Which also limits my choice of brands somewhat.

North Island of New Zealand is mostly hardpack and ice.

[david_z]

The only one on that list that I've ridden is the Banana. I will send Leo over to this thread he owned a Turbo Dream and I think he has also ridden the Raygun so he might be able to help you out!

[Leo]

I'm pretty much your same stats. 5'9 180lbs. I use a size 9.5-10 boot.

Out of your list, I have not ridden the Phoenix.

I own the 2011 K2 Turbo Dream 156. I would personally cross the TD off my list. The Skate Banana and Raygun are both better for park because they are softer. I would choose the TD for jumps though. Also keep in mind that the TD is the fastest board out of those. If you're into speed, this board rips.

For hardpack/icey conditions, the Raygun gets noisy and washy. The TD does well though thanks to its Harshmellow dampening tech. The Skate Banana is the best board for this condition. The magnetraction works really well on those conditions. Some people find it to be grabby and if you feel the same way, you can use and edge tool and go over the edges. You'll still get the edge hold on hardpack/ice without the grabby feel on softer conditions.

Given that you want to learn park and ride on cruddy conditions, I would recommend the Skate Banana out of your list. It is a mid flex true twin with rocker which is ideal for freestyle. The magnetraction, as mentioned, is going to help you ride on the hardpack/ice.

Sizing-wise, the 156 is fine. Don't worry too much about length. One board's 158 could be another's 156. Yes, the less board you have, the more control you'll experience. However, you will usually be sacrificing speed and stability. In all honesty, unless you are sizing down like 3-4cms, weight plays a bigger role. I'd rather be on a lighter 158 than a heavier 156.

By the way, another reason to get the Skate Banana is because you already demoed it and know you love it. Why take the gamble on one you have not demoed?

[sil3nt]

Thanks for your reply very helpful.

Got a chance to demo a GNU Park Pickle the other day. Hard to judge though as it was in a snow dome and only had a few runs on it.

Am also considering a 2011 K2 Fastplant.

After seeing a few reviews on the Fastplant i would like it although i know not many people around here seem to think the same.

It really comes down to what i can afford in the end.

I think i have the list down to Skate Banana and Fastplant with whatever i can afford in the size i want winning.

[david_z]

I rode the Fastplant but unfortunately we rode like 15 boards on demo during 2 days back in February it is the only board for which I have misplaced/lost my note card... It is also one of the few boards which I rode, but Leo didn't, although I think he rode the 2010 last year and it is basically the same board. Maybe he will chime in on that...

As soon as I realized that I didn't have my note card (later in the day) I tried to scribble down a few notes from memory but all I have basically says it was agile, held a good edge, and was a pretty solid all-mountain deck. I think I gave it 4 starts out of 5, recommend for intermediate riders & beyond.

That said, Leo makes a good point that if you've already ridden the Skate Banana & you liked it, you might be best-served to buy that one, rather than gambling on another board which you might not enjoy as much.

[Leo]

Do not go with the Fastplant unless you try it first. I say that because you already demoed and love another board.

Bamboo is not for everyone. It has an organic flex. The best way I can describe it is that it rides stiffer than it flexes. When you go to flex a bamboo core board, it will flex as much as you want it to. At the same time, it has this tension to it because it wants to snap back into place (well, all boards do actually). It's really hard to describe and that is why I always recommend demoing bamboo core boards first.

Also keep in mind that not all bamboo boards are created equal. The bamboo fusing process in an intricate one so one company's bamboo board will feel different from another. You might love Arbor snowboards, but hate K2's bambooyah speaking in terms of bamboo performance that is.

I find bambooyah to have a nice pop to it. It's very consistent. I personally like it.

[sil3nt]

So my mate is selling his 152 Burton Hero with Cartels for next too nothing. Seems like the way to go as i am spending too much money as it is.

A lot shorter than i would have liked but should be a good entry into park riding.

If i could try the bamboo core i would. But it will be next to impossible to demo one before the season starts. I am not overly fussy and will ride whatever i have so if i did go for the fastplant i doubt i would be disappointed.

[Leo]

It's not really an issue with you being disappointed with the board per se, it's an issue with you thinking "man, I do kind of wish I got the Skate Banana".

But more power to you bro. Snag up that Hero if the deal is that good. I rode the 2011 one. Great board. Softy.