grafta

I got a true twin because I aspire to be able to ride switch. I find it much easier to wrap my head around going the 'wrong' way if things are symmetrical.

What's wrong with someone giving their opinion who can only just 180?

You saying people who are less skilled than you are liars? Sorry, I just think the way you write sounds condescending. But whatever, it's teh interwebz

NJMurtagh

Hey, thanks for the response, you've cleared things up a little. Like I said, I'm still learning but would like to get to the park so I wanted to have a board that would be good for that, without spending a whole lot.

Here is the description for my board:

The new SIMS Pristine is designed specifically for ladies and features a true twin tip freestyle board with a women's progressive side cut and SIMS EZ rocker flat for a responsive yet catch-free ride. Not to surpass the durable yet forgiving SIMS ABS sidewalls and full tip to tail Poplar wood core, this board promises an epic ride experience at a reasonable price.

Anything else you can get from that?

thanks again!

NJMurtagh

I'm not sure I can even do a 180, so opinions from beginner or intermediate park riders are just as helpful!

Slush Puppie

In that case, don't worry about it. Come back and tell us when(if) you notice the limitations or advantages of the board. Until then, enjoy!

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poutanen

I've done a lot of switch riding on a very directional board. If I were really looking to improve my switch riding for a day I'd probably swap the bindings over and ride with my back foot at the front.

I don't think Lonerider was saying directional was better than true twin, he was just offering the contrast to what dynaweb was saying:

Yes, dynaweb was right that a true twin will be much easier to ride switch in the powder. The tradeoff is that it's much harder to ride regular in the powder. Take a look at home many powder boards are true twins!

I hate to put board styles into boxes, but here's a quick breakdown for the OP (BTW, you already bought your board so kinda late to get this info now! Enjoy the board and enjoy the sport don't worry about the details).

A directional board (all else being equal):
- carves better, easier
- floats better in powder
- can have more pop out of turns and off kickers
- can possibly blast through crud better

A true twin board is worse than the above while riding normally, and better than the above while riding fakie. I would buy a true twin board if I was going to spend 50%+ of my time in the park, ride very little powder, or if I was just a cruiser who spent a significant amount of time on sidehits and riding fakie.

I'm willing to bet that the average snowboarder only spends 10% of their time riding fakie (and that includes the park rats in the total average) so I imagine true twin boards have a significantly smaller market.

lonerider

No, I'm not saying that... read the exact wording my post (it's quoted in your post):

There is nothing wrong with sharing your experiences with other people - that's why this forum exists. The problem is when people are not being truthful about themselves and "where" they got the information they are giving.

If you didn't get this information from firsthand experience, you should say "I was told that twin boards are better for switch riding" instead of saying "If you ever ride switch, you need to get a true twin" In the second version, you are passing off someone else's experiences/knowledge as your own and that' is not being truthful. It gets worse over time, because the advice gets mangled over times as it get passed on from person to person - like a game of telephone.

I used be much more mellow in my advice... but I found out that my voice gets crowded up by people who I frankly think don't know what they are talking about sometimes (they might mean well, but they are wrong). Just recently one person was suggested shorter park boards for better spins to someone just starting out in park, but later admitted they never go into the park and were just repeating something they had heard. I found I need to take a much stronger stance, otherwise I think people just randomly chime in with random hearsay.

See if everyone gave the full details like you just did.... I'm totally fine with that. I might disagree with it... but then it's just a straight up debate of opinions. However, I'm pretty sure you get a little lazy writing post and just shorten it to "get a twin to ride switch" a lot of the twins, and I think is not beneficial to the OP.

I try to be very clear about who I am, what I can do... so that people can make a fair judgment of whether to trust what I'm saying as true. This is the interwebz and someone who has never snowboarded before (or has limited firsthand knowledge about what they are talking about) could post anything and a lot of novice snowboarders might believe them.

So back to my original point to NJMurtagh:
If you are just starting out in park... just ride and not worry about your board so much. Eventually you will get good enough to develop your own preferences. A 180 is a 180 pretty much any board, switch riding is switch riding on pretty much any board. Once you get better and decide that all you want to do is park.... then go for the true twin at that time.

Alex B

Out of interest, what is the advantage of a directional twin?

Alex B

bcasey

Good post Poutanen,

If I could only own one board.. it would be something slightly directional. Completely symetrical setups are not going to make you a better switch rider, a directional 1-board-quiver is going to serve you a lot better.

To the OP, don't be discouraged by your purchase and the advice... if you get into some nice snow, just set your bindings back an insert and you will do just fine! If you love snowboarding and ride a ton.. you will probably find yourself owning a shorter twin and a longer directional later in life.

For what it is worth.. I have owned some of the so-called "quiver-killer" boards and nothing beats actually owning a good 2+ board quiver IF you ride dynamic conditions.

Enjoy your new board bud!

__________________
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poutanen

It's essentially another compromise. It'll carve better than a true twin (though not as good as a true directional), and ride fakie better than a true directional (though not as good as a true twin).

Clear as mud?!?

+1 although a true park rat would probably only need a 1 board quiver and that would be a true twin. Methinks the average rider is best served by a mid-flex, directional, all mountain board.

Also, I find most people only ride their first board for a short period of time. Best to buy something in the middle of most specs and then once you determine where you want to take your riding, get something more specialized.

I'm a big proponent of a quiver-killer but that's because my RUNS let alone my DAYS can include copious amounts of powder, followed by some high speed groomer bombing, to a kicker, then into the glades, finally back out onto a groomer/cat track for some carving and side hits. The elevation changes here can mean that the top of the mountain has 1 foot of light powder, with the middle section in ice/hardpack, and the bottom is slush. That was last May at Lake Louise and it had me guessing a few times in one run!

dreampow

For most riders out there its just splitting hairs IMO. Probably doesn't make much odds until you get to upper intermediate.

Yes, a directional twinish deck with a slight setback is probably the 1 board quiver I would recommend.

Having said that twin decks can do everything very well, so just enjoy your new board OP.

I spent most of last season on a 161 Volkl zenit. It has setback (which I set all the way back for pow days) a touch of taper and is stiffer in the tail. Posi camber.

Then I bought a 157 proto CT specifically for all mountain freestyle and because I like riding switch (at least 30%) and want to ride more. I ride a lot of switch in pow and the twin profile makes it much easier. As long as its not too deep a C2BTX type profile gives plenty of float going either way.

I just like the idea of using my body and muscle groups in a balanced way left and right.

I was actually very pleasantly surprised with how well I could carve on the proto, takes a little more fore aft movement, but with effort it carves really well (not as well as the Volkl but pretty damn good).


I still have the volkl and no doubt I will be riding it a fair bit this season (when I want to bomb flat out).
I'll be on the proto most days though and I guarantee I'll be flying past people on their freeride sticks on the steeps and powder sticks in the pow because I know how to ride it.

If people like twins let them ride them, its slightly disadvantageous for carving and powder but its minimal and the limiting factor here is almost always rider ability not board.