-relk-

I will give a bit of background before I lay out the board choices I have so far. I am 5'11", ~170 lbs and an intermidiate to advanced rider, only about 10% in the park, probably about half and half with steeps/trees. I am currently in university, and my plan is once I graduate to move to a resort town and bum around for the season. I am trying to plan out a quiver for that season.

So far, I would like to have: a powder board, a big mountain board, and an all mountain fun board that I can take into the park too. My first board (and my current board) is an 2010 Artec Novus. It had been a gift from family and I didn't really have any say in buying it (but it was a free board so who's complaining right ). I won't be doing this for another couple of seasons, but I have some money for a board this season and want to pick one up that I won't just turn around and sell. I understand that a lot of it is personal preference, and I do plan to try and demo as many boards as I possibly can, but this thread is to try and get some initial info before I head out and do that. For this year, I want to get a board that can: handle powder well (would like surfyness if possible), can handle groomers well, and I can grow into.

So far here is what my research has come up with:

1) Jones Flagship
Pros: bomber capability (when I get there), big mountain board, appears to handle groomers well
Cons: Heavy, average in powder?, I have heard its not very damp when goign through crud?

2) Yes Pick your Line (this would be my powder board for the bum season, but my main board this year)
Pros: very good in powder, surfyness in powder
Cons: Average on groomers?

3) Burton Barracuda
Pros: Handles powder well, don't know much else about this one
Cons: Average on groomers?

4) Saloman Powdersnake
Pros: Good in powder, cheapest of the 4
Cons: Average on groomers?

My budget is around 900 for both board and bindings, so probably around 600 max for a board. Size also comes into question, and that depends on what type of board I get, but I am thinking around 160-163 would work (my current board is 158). Thanks for any help!

Lstarrasl

How long have you ridden and where at?

CMSbored

never summer heritage

walove

you want a surfy pow board that can "handle" groomers.
in my opinion any board can handle groomers.

next what do we mean when we say "surfy"
surfy to me means it is easy to transfer you weight front or back, to change the angle of the board is in the the snow. Boards with center rocker, taper, and a softer flex with give a board a surfy feel. I have a lib tech snow mullet 2 cm of taper and its a really surfy board, compared to a charlie slasher also with 2cm of taper doesn't feel as surfy. The difference between these boards is the mullet has center reverse, the charlie is flat, and the mullet is softer. Both these boards can comfortably be rode in any conditions, the stiffer flex of the charlie makes it a nice freeride board.

if i was you i would be a lib tech la nina

__________________
SHRED HAPPENS

Sick-Pow

You only have one board on that list that is more "all resort", the YES. YES does not really have a pow specific board, and your other 3 are basically pow specific.

Board to hold up for the next few years= none of the above.

Get a Never Summer EVO or something like that. Reasons? Durability, the rocker is more all mtn and NOT directional like the three except the YES) and it will perform everywhere. Made in the USA is huge these days for Karma and the 3 year warranty is pretty baller.

-relk-

Well I want the board to be fun on groomers too. This board will be my main board for the year, so for the majority of days that it is not snowing or good conditions, I would like to still enjoy it. I think I worded surfy wrong. I want it to be a lot of fun in the powder, and not get that dreaded leg burn. I got the word surfy from some reviews I read, which sounded like it would be fun. I guess I won't know till I try.

I have been riding for about 4 years now, but only "really" started riding last year. I went from having trouble on groomed black runs at the beginning of last year, to seeking out 10-20 foot cliffs and natural features on the double blacks. I am up in Canada and mainly ride Castle with some trips to Louise and Kicking Horse/Revvy.

That is weird, my initial thinking was that the Flagship was a good all mountain board. Why do you say there is no board to hold up over the next few years? Am I missing something? If that is the case, I would want a board this year that can do everything, but I would want it to be a lot of fun in powder as that is when I will most likely be hitting up the mountain. But of course still be lots of fun when the conditions aren't there.

Sick-Pow

Flagship is awesome. But it is directional and directional rocker ( zero v type rocker)and more of a singular ride. The Jones Mtn twin (banana or v rocker)would be my choice for you based on your writing. That is why I was thinking never summer twin too. The Yes is also cool.

You want more than one board if you are worried about pow days. Most bums either have skills to rail their poor ass around the mtn with one quiver killer type board or are trust fund dudes and have a quiver. I was assuming the former.

snowklinger

There are several NS boards that sound like they would serve you well, however the EVO is probably not one of them. At the noodliest/parkiest you will want to look at the SL, but the Heritage would be even better (for your style). The Premier F1 and Raptor deserve a look as straight up pow boards.

kaloprofile

Barracuda is definitely on my list for pow. Barracuda 500$. goodluck

wrathfuldeity

wut...quiver and you are planning to get 1 board for the next year and no hill selected to bum. Its a bit premature. Get an all mtn board, then determine where you are going to bum and based on snow conditions and terrain then add to the quiver.

Example from last year; tried to give 2 tourist the tour, they had their all mtn boards abt 158/160's, about your size and reasonable riders, it was a good poo day...told them their sticks weren't big enough, they spent a good part sinking and swimming...I left.

anyway imo, a cambered big powder board will handle better on groomers than a rockered powder board and a cam-flat-rocker will do nicely on both.

__________________