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Board question about the camber/rocker combinations out there

6K views 24 replies 14 participants last post by  t1snwbrdr12 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey,

been reading through this forum trying to figure out best combination of camber/rocker/camber or rocker/camber/rocker for me. let me say, everything has changed so so much since i was on top of snowboarding stuff.

i started out on a 158 ride mountain board, about 12 years ago or so. got stolen, so bought a (now 9-10 year old) ride mountain again, in 161 wide.

i really dislike the effort/slowness of switching back and forth on the newer board i have, so i started researching new or newer boards to see if i want to upgrade. back then when i got my newer ride mountain, they said going wide would be no difference, all the new tech. would make it un-noticable, but i have never got used to it.

being an "all-mountain" rider now, what combination of camber and rocker is better?

-195-200 lbs.
-6'3"
-12 or 12.5 boot
-never ride switch for more than a hundred or so yards just to goof off
-don't care about the park anymore now that i'm older and married, just hit jumps as i see them on the trail...still love big jumps but i don't go out of my way for them or anything, no trickery either just big air and boring stuff
-live in Maryland, so i'm riding alot of hardpack, fake snow, and ice. don't think i've ever been in more than an inch or so of powder even when i go to Snowshoe, WV or places in Vermont

is rocker/camber/rocker better, or camber/rocker/camber?

how old of boards can i look at that will still have this technology? or should i just stick with new? any specific boards you recommend would be appreciated as well.

thanks ahead of time for any advice you guys can give. i have read the forums and searched and googled...not trying to waste your guys' time but so far haven't found a debate on camber/rocker/camber vs rocker/camber/rocker.
 
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#16 ·
what does banana rocker type mean?

are lib tech attack banana's this style? they were recommended by a local shop when i went to buy a helmet tonight.

they weren't so much helping me determine what combination of camber and rocker is better for me, but basically pointing out a couple boards they like...attack banana, ride machete gt, and gnu rider's choice.
 
#3 ·
Hey, welcome to the site.

Can offer some ideas, from myself and from what people I ride with (that have more experience than me) say about camber vs rocker vs alt cambers/mixed rocker/camber etc in regards to jumps and freeriding.

Jumping-wise you probably don't want anything too washy. Kinda rules out straight-up rocker... so you either got straight camber or rocker/camber combo left to choose.

Camber is least washy and has most pop. I know a guy who still rides camber and loves it. He also pops biggest of anyone i ride with. Cant think what his deck is but its from last season. Imo camber grips best on hardpack too.

Another friend of mine that jumps a lot went through a couple boards after changing from camber, found rocker too washy not stable for jumps. Rode a Yes camrock deck and liked it. Has camber between bindings and rocker at the tips. He now rides a Forum double dog, i pretty sure it's rocker between bindings with camber out at the ends, like a neversummer. He's keen to grab a second of the same deck so i'd take that as he likes it.

My 2cents: I learned on a stiff camber board and had my ass kicked plenty catching edges etc. When i could ride decent I got a neversummer evo and found it super playful, still pretty stable but really forgiving of landing wrong. I feel like i get away with quite a bit i wouldn't on a camber deck. Its fun to press and fool around on too.

Hope that helps. There's a good stickied thread at top of the boards section too.

For what it's worth, i'd say hybrid tech is fun but don't rule out camber. It has it's place imo
 
#5 ·
+1

I personally prefer traditional camber of all the camber profiles, it's what I learned on and I like to ride aggresively so it suits my riding style. But If I were to recommend a board to someone who is just starting out or someone who's content with cruising the mountain, I'd recommend a cam-rock hybrid. They're more versatile and fun to ride. The different variations typically accomplish the same thing, each with its own feel.
 
#6 ·
I rode traditional camber decks for 10+ years and love them. I've also rode rocker which I don't care for and will probably never buy a strictly rocker board. Currently I'm riding a Forum board with the DoubleDog profile which is actually camber under the feet and rocker at the nose and tail. Really like it. More playful than a traditional camber board with slightly less control/edge hold.
 
#8 ·
Grafta, you have summed it up very well.

I am riding two decks; 159 Rossi One Magtek and a 160 Lib Tech Lando Phoenix. Both have MT, the Rossi being more aggressive. Same size, but not the same ride at all.

With the Rossi, Camber between the feet, tip and tail rockered, it is the shorter "riding" deck. Is is the more stable deck, (MT hard at work here ) but rides easy and is great on the hard stuff.

The Lando is rockered between the feet, cambered under the feet ( per your diagram) This deck is a little "looser" in feel, still quite stable, but loves a powder day. Nice Float

Both offer something similar, but a little different in the delivery. OP, given the type of riding you have described, you will not go wrong with either choice. If you have the opportunity, demo each profile and see which one feels best.
 
#10 ·
thanks for the responses guys.

i have read through alot of the stickied thread about camber and rocker and wasn't really getting a clearcut answer. i believe you all that say there isn't really a clear cut answer and i should go ride them all, but i've never heard of a demo day around here. our local mountains suck, they are more of hills, and i doubt they do demo days but i'll look into it or contact them to see.

i feel like i can't trust ski shops just due to my past experiences with them saying how great stuff will be (my new-er ride mountain, wide) when in reality it turned out to be, at least in my opinion, slower handling. didn't know if it was because i went from a regular width to wide, or because of the extra few cm in length, all of the above, etc.

given i pretty much need a wide board though...would it be wiser to go camber/rocker/camber or rocker/camber/rocker?

just visualizing it through the pictures i've seen everywhere, it seems camber/rocker/camber would benefit on hardpack where you fight to hold an edge at times.

maybe i'm mistaken, though, because i read board specs when i search boards and many all mountain boards seem to be rocker/camber/rocker? but some are camber/rocker/camber and all mountain as well.

any best bang for the buck type sites/boards/models to look at? seems like neversummer is pretty nice. i've never had an issue with my ride's (duarability wise), but i don't like their taking to tons of graphics all over the boards now.

gotta get up on helmet tech too...argued with the wife about that but i guess it does make sense to wear one. i wear one for every other sport.

thanks again for all the comments...keep em comin if you have more.
 
#15 ·
just visualizing it through the pictures i've seen everywhere, it seems camber/rocker/camber would benefit on hardpack where you fight to hold an edge at times.
Camber will have the best edgehold. For proof of this look at every race board ever built!

Honestly if you're not catching edges and having issues on your current camber board, and you're never going to ride DEEP powder, why not just stick with a newer camber board? Get something with the right width for you (there are some calcs on this forum to help with that), not wider than you need, and you should have a good time with it.

The new board I've got is camber for the most part, but the nose is lifted for about the front foot. Designed to have lift in deep powder, but not necessary for riding mainly groomers.

The other thing you could do if you're looking for just a cruiser board is buy one with a flat base. It's the middle between both extremes. :D
 
#11 ·
i am thinking Never summer legacy or cobra x, both wide 161 or 160cms

that camber sticky is hard to understand lol i didn't get it too good too

yea nothing ever exciting happens in the east coast, stuff usually happens in CO, or west coast
 
#13 ·
Never Summer, Ride, and Capita are the best boards, durability wise, feel, and customer service. I would look into Never Summer Heritage or Cobra, Capita Black Snowboard of Death, and the Ride DH. I'm not sure you'd like the DH because Ride hasn't changed their profiles that much.
Capita the best board durability wise? Not like the DH? Are you retarded?
 
#19 ·
I see why Attack Banana may not be the best...guess I shoulda seen lib tech's site before asking that. I haven't been on their site in particular yet and it's nice that they have each of their board's diagramed. They do have couple that are ideal for hardpack/ice it says...btx enhanced banana. They're still called banana though. Is that just their name? It's just a combination of rocker/camber with a special name, isn't it? Or is all their banana stuff different somehow? Just trying to figure out what boards to rule out...

Neversummer's seem nice.
Some Jones boards?
Ride Machete GT
 
#22 ·
i take my word back saying nothing exciting ever happens in the east coast,

hey burton event is this weekend in mountain creek, i am there tomorrow :) hope to get my hands on some 2013 burton's, maybe this will help me to get a board
 
#23 ·
Jones Mountain Twin would be a good one to look at. Arbor's full rocker boards hold great on east coat hardpack too if you were open to a full rocker board. You could look at the Coda or Element. Griptech works just as well as magnetraction I have found. You can also look at Smokin', they are similar profiles to Lib and have magnetraction as well. I have ridden a couple of their flat camber boards but have heard great things about the KT22.
 
#24 ·
I'm pretty sure it all depends on what you prefer, its a mental thing more than anything. I only started recently, on a Ride camber board. I was pretty crap at the time but didn't like that board much, then got a rocker and loved it.
Rockers are a lot more playful, always wanting to turn so I find them to switch edges really quickly. I also seem to find way more edge grip on a rocker, but that could be the magna-traction?
I've got a TRS now, not had any problems with stability (but it does turn so easily you can trip yourself up), couldn't be happier with it. But I never really spent much time on camber boards...
 
#25 ·
So I guess I should correct myself. I have been messing with my board for a quick trip to the slopes to see if I still dislike it. I found that its a ride Yukon 164. It is apparently the wide version of a ride timeless. That's about all I found by googling a bit. It's an 2005 model it looks like by image search. Apparently intended for powder and free ride and supposed to be stuff but by what standards I don't know, nor do I know how it compares to what I've been looking at online.

Still want to get something new, but I ride so seldom anymore that I'm not in a huge rush. I may wait for the big discounts in the offseason.

If me correcting this makes you guys think of what I may like better please chime in again, but you all have been a great help regardless. Thanks.
 
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