JayZee008

Hi everyone,
Im in desperate need of some help in choosing a new board. I would rate my abilities as intermediate, am confident on intermediate runs, cautious on advanced runs and can link turns easily. Im looking for a board that will help me grow as I want to start doing some small rails, jumps and boxes but also something that I can speed down the mountain on.

Here are my stats
5"11 (1.79cm) so quite tall for a girl
145 lbs (65kg)
Boot size 9.5 US
Will mainly be riding groomed runs and from the southern hemisphere so it gets rather icy aswell.

After doing some reading on here have found that I have been riding the wrong size board, brought a board off my friend just to see if I liked snowboarding and that was a 149 but I prob need something longer, any reccommendations?

Also because I am so tall would it be beneficial for me to check out some mens boards aswell??

Have had a wee look at some ladies boards and heres a few I liked;

Rome Vinyl
Gnu B-Nice (have never riden a rockered board before so not sure how I would go on this)
Arbor Eden

Would any of these be suitable for me or are there any others that you would recommend??

Thank you in advance for your help, you rock!!
Zarn x

Wiredsport

Hi JayZee,

Height is not a consideration in board sizing and with size 9.5 women's feet (men's size 8) you will be way better off sticking with a female specific model. The B-Nice (NOTE: I am very biased because we love and sell Gnu) is hard to beat. Good Wood winner, rocker between the feet to near flat out to the twin tips, magne-traction BTX will help your edges bite in on those harder days. You will want the 154.

Happy riding!

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aiidoneus

My girlfriend is probably just below you on skill, not quite intermediate. Last season she rode a Rome Jett. She liked it, except in ice. Rome has quickrip tech that helps with turns and ice, so i am not sure if the tech sucks or it was her skill level.

other then the boards you looked at i'd add these to the mix:

NS Infinity(ordered one for my gf), more all mountain but will be fine in the park
NS Pandora, more park oriented
Arbor push, more of an all mountain board, directional, but awesome board.

For size, I think between 151-154, depending where you will spend your time, shorter for park. Most women specific boards are just a little softer. So, keep in mind a 154 men's board is expecting a bit bigger rider then you. But that isn't a huge deal, just something to keep in mind.

pibimbap

I'll have to second the B-Nice. My girlfriend has been riding the B-Nice last season, and she loves it. Rockered boards tend to just be super playful, which helps a ton when you're trying to progress in the park (at least until you start hitting huge jumps).
And yeah, the MTX will help with the ice. I've been using a Smokin' Superpark, and I ride east coast ice most of the time, and it kills it even as a rockered board.

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syphabiscuit

Magnetraction is AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING for grip on Ice. My Skate Banana has NEVER let me down (literally never slipped out from under me) and I have a Never Summer which has Vario Power Grip - supposedly the next best thing and it doesn't come close for grip on ice. That said I freaking love the NS board as much as the SB....so....

My lady has a Pandora 140 and is 5'3" and 120 ish lbs. It is super super fun and so easy to press and butter and trick about on but is not good for charging - it throws her about at high speeds - but her Infinty will be arriving in the next few days so that should eliminate her problems .

That said, I will be persuading her to get a board with magnetraction for those icy days as well.

Just get loads of boards......

If you want to learn ground tricks then get something soft
If you want to learn to carve hard and rocket about get something stiffer

I'd say choose one of those for this season and then get one to do the other stuff next season. I think you will learn better on a specific board rather than trying to find that ever elusive 'do it all' board which will just be not quite soft enough for really pressing and not quite stiff and damp enough for big wide carves and choppy conditions.

(loads of boards)

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JayZee008

Thanks so much for the feedback really appreciate it, I think im sold on the magnetraction Im from New Zealand and ride mainly in the north island so there is always ice about!
Pibimbap what bindings does your gf have on her b-nice?
Syphabiscuit love your idea of loads of boards, think i will get something with magnetraction this season as am sick to death of the ice but if i find it throwing me round a bit at higher speeds I can get something stiffer next season.
I thought the 154 would be a good fit for me thanks for confirming.
On another note have any of you snowboarded in Austria? looking at doing a trip there in Jan!

syphabiscuit

I reckon 154 might be a tiny bit long if you are going for a flexier board like the b nice - maybe the b pro at that length for your carving and charging but I'd go to 151ish if were your weight and were getting a more park oriented board - put it this way I am strongly considering the NS Evo 151 at 180 lbs

Great bindings I have researched are

Burton Lexas - quite stiff i think
Rome Madison - again stiff, very customizable (my gf has)
Flux GU30 - - extremely comfortable and quite flexy - maybe suit a flexy board with magnetraction for a really fun forgiving and playful ride. (my gf has)

Don't know many more really but ladies really seem to like those 3 most of all!

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lilfoot1598

NS Infinity, Roxy Eminence, Gnu B-Nice

FYI: Rome Madisons and Burton Lexas are not stiff bindings

syphabiscuit

My Bad,

The Lexas and Madisons must be mid flex binders where the Flux GU30 are pretty soft

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