Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums banner

Longer boards for riding pow?

16K views 93 replies 14 participants last post by  TLN 
#1 ·
I am thinking of buying the Burton Fish 160cm ( for Rider Weight 160-210+lbs)or Burton No Fish board 159cm(for Rider Weight 150 - 190 lbs) .

I will be mainly riding open bowls. A longer board gives more speed and stability?

i'm 5'9" and 155lbs(with ski wear and other stuff it would be around 160lbs).
 
#6 ·
RE: the burton fish, I am under the impression you typically downsize when you ride a true powder board, and being 155lbs a 160 fish seems a tad large. If you were grabbing a standard board, then upsizing would be the move.
If anyone can confirm or correct me that would be great.
 
#7 ·
I had to google "a true powder board" because I think a lot of peoples interpretation of a true powder board differ. Back in the day, that just meant huge but not any more.

The very first hit, Powder Snowboard Reviews. I start reading & low & behold there's my new deck. The Slackcountry.

Instant Adrenaline rush & It's pukin' on the local hills. This is killin' me, I gotta get out there.

TT
 
#14 ·
Hey Nivek, sorry to theard jack OP BUT, at my size (big) would you recommend a 171 nitro slash or a 172 ride higlife for my pow board? or maybe rossignol experience. Just been thinking which one to splurge on when i go to japan in Feb.
 
#15 · (Edited)
oops I thought the powder no fish was a regular board.

normally I ride a salomon 156pulse. but I am getting a new board for riding wide off-piste slopes like in Chamonix or Verbier and all of them are above the tree line. So instead of maneuverability I should consider more on speed and stability? Thus getting a longer board at 159/160cm?

Would the 164Rome Notch Swallow Tailed one be good for my weight/height and the type of terrain i'm riding?
I wont be riding switch nor going to the parks with this board, and 10% of the time will be on groomers to access the off-piste area.
 
#19 ·
I hope you're going to take precautions if you're doing off-piste in those areas.
If I were you I would get a Rossignol Experience. Other choices would be the jones flagship or hovercraft, or the ride berzerker. Stiff boards with nose rocker to help with pow. Riding above the tree line won't be all wide open bowls where a long swallowtail would rule. You're going to find boilerplate icy wind scoured ridges where edgehold could be the difference between life and death.
 
#17 ·
ETM I've seriously considered buying a big ass board like the highlife and making it unit a DIY swallow tail, I'm assuming it makes a massive difference compared to a non swallow tail? And at my size (6'11. 125kg) would I even need that? Ideas?
 
#26 ·
When it comes to pow the shape is as important as the size. The shorter ones on my list have more setback and more taper. If where you're going is flatter definitely go for the less tapered and longer ones. If you're worried about speed in the deep then that Slash will keep you going a little better than the shorter ones. Basically they will all keep you up, the bigger they are the better they'll deal with lower grades.
 
#27 ·
Thanks for that, i think i'm going to pull the trigger on the slash, i like the board, its a good length and as you pointed out it will keep some more speed which is what i was actually concerned about. As Japan is deep and can be quite flat i think it also suits that type of terrain. Appreciate the reply.
 
#32 ·
Ahhh good question, i pretty much rode mervin till this year when i switched to a berzerker and i am so fucken sold on their hybrid shape, i seriously looked into getting the highlife and making a DIY swallow tail like you did.

Since i dont believe they come any bigger than a 171 i figured it wasnt worth doing that. SO anyways in answer to the question i was kinda hoping flat based or slight camber, i think i might be done with rocker. But could look into hybrids also
 
#33 ·
#42 ·
True.
In Pow it doesn't make much sense. Check out furberg boards, they have radius like 20m on a 176 model which are for 170-210lbs or so. And people say it's easy to turn and fun to ride.
And keep in mind, once you have enough skills, you can turn shorter then specs says.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Ok Yep understand it now, smaller the number the tighter the turning and more nimble it is, correct?

Will look into donek as well, I have sometime I really do some research as I'm not going till late jan 2013, ETM you'll be there then right? Fairly certain I'm going Niseiko and Rusustsu for 10 days.
 
#45 ·
Ok Yep understand it now, smaller the number the tighter the turning and more nimble it is, correct?.
you got it


Will look into donek as well, I have sometime I really do some research as I'm not going till late jan 2013, ETM you'll be there then right? Fairly certain I'm going Niseiko and Rusustsu for 10 days.
Yeah I will be based at rusutsu from jan 21. Ill have a decent quiver of boards so you can test out what Ive been playing with.
 
#46 ·
Ok Yep understand it now, smaller the number the tighter the turning and more nimble it is correct?
Smaller radius - tighter turns, less stable at higher speed.
Bigger radius - bigger turns, super stable at high speed.

Keep in mind that that radius is true for non-drifting turns in hardpack or so.
You can turn any board in tighter radius with some drifting(i dont know exact term, hope you understand what i mean) and with losing some speed, and moment of force.
In powder you can turn tighter that listed and it'd be fun.

So don't avoid bigger radius. For example boardercross decks have 14m with 163 cm length.

I have checked the furbergs out, not a fan personally.
The radius doesnt matter in pow but you do spend a fair amount of time bombing groomers to get to the pow so its handy to have a board that handles well on hardpack aswell.
true =)
That's why i got my donek. You can check the quiver on a last page in "12-13 setup" thread =)
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top