mastershake

I made a thread before, but it was too vague, I got some great suggestions out of it, but now I've narrowed down to a couple of boards and I know its hard to just ask "this versus that" because boards are for different purposes, so I will share a bit of info about myself.

Weight: 150 - 155lbs
Shoe: 8.5 - 9

Current Ride



2002/2003(no idea) 157 Santa Cruz Cranial Study - I don't know much about this board, because I barely even remember when I bought it. I'm pretty sure it's a traditional camber board with not a lot of tech, I also think it's a wee bit big for me.

What I like from my current ride:
Holds edge well, even on ice.
Keeps it's speed on flat ground.
Durable, barely has any chips (had it for 10 years now)
Pretty stable and not jittery

What I don't like from my current ride:
Feels like a boat, not nimble and hard to maneuver
Too stiff for any sort of playfulness, hard to butter or press (or even learn)
Feels very heavy on feet, not comfortable doing spins (maybe cause its too big for me)

My riding ability/style:
I am not speed oriented.
I am self taught and I like to play around on flat ground.
I am more of a relaxed rider I don't bomb or charge steep hills.
I like to ride around all over, i like to turn more than I do going straight down.
I like to hit natural bumps to get some air or any other obstacles, I am pretty adventurous.

What I am looking for from my new board(setup):
I am looking to improve my riding ability, work on my carves and get more comfortable with speed.
I am NOT looking to hit any big jumps, but may start learning rails/boxes.
I am looking at something that can handle ice coast and light pow, nothing thats knee deep.
I want to feel more connected to my board, feel light on my feet.
I like to play around while riding with my friends, some of whom are beginners so to have a less boring ride, i like to play around with the board.

Given that, I am currently leaning toward the 154 Never Summer Proto CT however I'd rather get something cheaper and have money left over for more lift tix, boots and bindings (also I pay for my gf so need more money there).

With that I am comparing the Machete or Machete GT for my needs, however if the Proto CT is much more compatible with what I want, then I will splurge on it.

I am open to any other suggestions..so far on my list are
Flow Shifty
GNU Riders Choice
Never Summer Heritage

If most of these boards are good for me and it's just a matter of brand preference, that's okay too and I'll just pick one and maybe go with the 2011 Machete and save even more money.

Feel free to throw in boots, bindings recommendations if you have any. I am looking for a brand new full setup.

hope this is less vague than my original thread

mastershake

nobody? really?

TL;DR ?

redlude97

Since the machete GT just came out not many people will have ridden one. I can tell you that just about everyone I know who rides a proto loves it, and every who rides a machete(non GT) loves it as well. However all of those people use them for riding aggressively, slashing and hitting everything possible, and just treating the whole mountain like a park. Both of those boards seem overkill for your needs. Find a used SL or something

mastershake

thanks for your input.

can you elaborate why you think Proto might be overkill for my needs ? I like both the Proto and SL and i am thinking Proto is a bit more park oriented which is the direction I want to go in. Just curious.

dreampow

From what you said I would get the proto, I own one and it ticks all your boxes.

Its a great board that you will be able to grow with for several years.

The machete could be good as well, but the machete GT sounds like too much board for your needs (too stiff).

redlude97

Just seems like you want to cruise and dink around on a snowboard. Not really what a Proto is made for. I would save your money and get an EVO, SL, Manic, or Wild Life.

mastershake

that's the thing I can easily find a brand new 2012 Ride Machete for 250$ but I can't find a 2012 Never Summer Proto/SL/EVO.. and brand new they're > 500$

dreampow

In that case I am inclined to say get the machete, I am not sure on this but I don't think its changed much so a 2011 could be an even cheaper option.

If you have the cash I say proto (or evo) all day but 300$ is a big saving.

Justin

flow era if you want to save some money. it does everything you want pretty well. They can be had for around $200 if you get a season or 2 old. Its what i ride for my smaller board.

I also have a machete, its good to, possible to have fun on, but if you are looking to start rails and boxes the era has a rolled base that will help you not catch an edge. The verve may also work for what you want (flow) but i haven't ridden one.

Another popular alternative for what you want is the arbor westmark.

jdang307

Never rode the Machete, but is the edgehold that good on ice? Is that a major concern to you? Machete is full rocker without any significant edge tech I can easily see.

Proto/Evo/SL seems about right. Find the cheapest one and get it. Evo slightly softer but less stable the faster you go.

I'm inclined to recommend for you a Coda. Great all mountain board, edge tech, fairly stable on steeps. A lot of pop. For a full rocker I was really surprised. Find any small mound of snow and launch off of it. The pop is addicting I might add. I'm on a westmark now and it doesn't have quite the same amount.