In the market for an All-Mountain Freestyle Board

[WS6Dream]

I understand that there isn't one perfect board, and I also believe you know what I mean when I say an all around board that won't limit me. It may not be the best in everything but it is useable. That being said, I'm not mainly in the park or half pipe, but will go there every once in a while. Everything else is just groomers/thru trees, etc.

Would u recommend the SL for that, and what size?

Thanks!!

[Banjo]

I would strongly encourage you to look at YES. snowboards. They have 2 great all mountain freestyle boards in the Jackpot and The Greats. They are well made with top of the line tech and materials. I got a YES board last year (the Big City now discontinued) and it was miles above my previous boards (arbor, burton, option). i loved it so much, I got a Pick Your Line this year, pow-slayer!

[redlude97]

Originally Posted by WS6Dream

I understand that there isn't one perfect board, and I also believe you know what I mean when I say an all around board that won't limit me. It may not be the best in everything but it is useable. That being said, I'm not mainly in the park or half pipe, but will go there every once in a while. Everything else is just groomers/thru trees, etc.

Would u recommend the SL for that, and what size?

Thanks!!

Define "limit". Are you a strong and burly 125 that can aggressive push the board around, press it out etc? Are you comfortable at speed on a noodle? Everyone's definition of an all around board differs depending on their riding style. One of my friends uses a Ride Crush as his all arounder and I can barely keep up on the SL, whereas other friends use stiff cambered decks in the park occasionally. The SL isn't a bad choice if you are picking blindly, but you should go demo a bunch of boards first. Are you sure you want camber/rocker/camber instead of camber with rockered tips? They ride very different.

[WS6Dream]

Originally Posted by redlude97

Define "limit". Are you a strong and burly 125 that can aggressive push the board around, press it out etc? Are you comfortable at speed on a noodle? Everyone's definition of an all around board differs depending on their riding style. One of my friends uses a Ride Crush as his all arounder and I can barely keep up on the SL, whereas other friends use stiff cambered decks in the park occasionally. The SL isn't a bad choice if you are picking blindly, but you should go demo a bunch of boards first. Are you sure you want camber/rocker/camber instead of camber with rockered tips? They ride very different.

I appreciate your help a ton. Really hoping you can bear with me and point me in the right direction. You know a lot and I see that, and I don't know a lot and I know that.

Here is more about me and my background:
I went to Colorado for Thanksgiving and went snowboarding for a day, where my friend taught me (he has been snowboarding for 10 years). I rode his mom's (so a women's) 146cm snowboard, don't even know what brand. By the end of that day, I was sore but was building my confidence up, doing good going down blues.
Then I went back to Colorado the first of January and snowboarded for 6 days, basically full days each day. I was on a 151cm Burton board, it was a true twin, and thats all I know about it. I am a very athletic person, and I ride better than my 2 friends who I went with, who have been snowboarding for a few years. I had zero problems running anywhere. Blacks, blues, off through the trees, etc. In the terrain park I hit jumps, but didn't try anything fancy because I didn't want to faceplant on a rail.
I would classify myself as intermediate on normal runs and a noob in the terrain park, but I want to be able to do some in the terrain park, eventhough that isn't at all my main focus with this board.

Thanks for taking your time to respond! Also demoing boards probably wont happen because I won't be able to on the next trip (spring break March 16-23).

Also I am going to go research the difference between the NS R/C/R and camber with rockered tips.

[tj_ras]

I think your best bet might be to buy a board dedicated to one area of your interest now, mainly decide what your most interested in doing most the rest of the season, then when you get more $$$$ buy another board for another area.

Like others said finding a board that is good "EVERYWHERE" is most likly not going to happen, so sacrifices in some areas will have to be made.

I use my flow i metioned before as a strictly freestyle/park board, but now that my friends are starting to ride and would rather do mtn's and trails more im going to be buying a couple more boards dedicated to suit each area instead of settling for something that is sub par in multiple areas, ie: buying one board for mountain rideing, another for pow days and so on.

[redlude97]

NS SL, Proto CT or even an EVO would be okay for an intermediate rider.


Other suggestions that may be a bit more reasonably priced if you can find them are the Ride Machete or Buckwild, GNU RC or carbon credit

[WS6Dream]

I appreciate your two replys. I considered a Proto CT, but thought it may be a little too much sided toward park. And I can probably get a new Never Summer SL for $385 shipped, which doesn't seem bad when retail is $510.

Looking at SL vs Proto CT vs Evo, I definitely think Evo would be out of it for me, from looking at the stats on "thegoodride.com" of the three. Is that even a reliable source? Because it seems very user friendly for comparing flex and its ability for groomer, powder, speed, etc.

You guys are helping more than you know!

Edit: who am I kidding, I cant decide at all between SL and Proto CT lol

[WS6Dream]

Redlude, what is the difference between Never Summer's Rocker/Camber/Rocker and the camber with rockered tips that you spoke of? I can't find any good information searching google.