Review: 08/09 NS Heritage and 09/10 NS Evo-R - Snowboarding Forum

linvillegorge · 04-29-2010, 01:12 PM

I figure I'll just kill two birds with one stone with this thread.

I'll start with a little background on me as a rider. I've been riding for three seasons now, but this was my first season of getting serious. Before this season, I'd just go up a few times a year. This year I got a pass and I've gotten in 59 days so far - I was shooting for 75 but I don't think I'm gonna get there. Might get in 70 depending on how long A-Basin hangs in there. Before about 6 weeks ago I was almost entirely a free rider. Then I went to Echo Mountain and started hitting some park. I'm still a total noobie in the park, but I can hit most boxes, a few rails, and any jump up to about 25 feet. I have 180s down now and I'm going to work on the trampoline this summer to be ready to start throwing down bigger stuff next season. So as far as rider ability, I'd consider myself and intermediate/advanced freerider and a low level intermediate freestyler.

First up, the Heritage...

Strengths: This thing is a freeride BEAST! It's very stiff and will hold an edge through pretty much anything. Chop and bumps are no issue at all - it'll blast right through it. The board is shockingly good in powder for a cambered board. Set the bindings back and it's a Cadillac in the pow. It being a mid-wide definitely helps it in the pow. On jumps, it has great dampening and will eat that shock right up if you don't clear the knuckle.

Weaknesses: Like I said, it's very stiff and a mid-wide. Being such, it can be tough to initiate turns in certain situations - primarily if you're trying to turn in tight spaces into the slope or in moguls and is a little slow edge to edge compared to some other boards. On jumps, it's not very forgiving to errors on the landing. With it's deep sidecut, you need to land pointing pretty straight or you're likely to catch an edge. Rails? Are you kidding me?! No.

Bottom line: If you love to freeride, it's a great board. If your game is bombing the hell out of runs and catching big air off of kickers, definitely don't pass this board up if you get a chance. However, don't expect to get too fancy on jumps. The Heritage is great for hucking those big kickers, but remember, you're gonna have to point that landing or look out for that sidecut! On those days where it's choppy and bumpy and you're watching your buddies try to ride a bucking bronco, you'll laugh as you cruise by like you're driving a Caddy down the freeway!

On to the Evo-R...

Strengths: With the rocker and camber design, the board is very playful. Very easy to butter, quick edge to edge, and you really have to botch a landing not to be able to ride it out. It's nearly impossible to catch an edge on this board. There have been many times I've stuck a landing off of a kicker and had to admit that if I was on my Heritage I would've probably ate shit hard.

Weaknesses: The board is pretty soft and while that means it's easy to initiate turns and butter, when it's choppy out, you're gonna be getting bounced around pretty good. With the rocker, I expected the board to be better in powder. Now I've only had it out on one powder day, but it was an epic one. It was last weekend with balls deep powder at Loveland. It held it's own in the untracked pow, but I had to work hard to keep the nose up when it got tracked out. When it comes to edge hold, the Evo does a good job, but the Heritage really locks that edge in.

Bottom line: This is a great board if you love riding park but don't want to be stuck there. It can do it all, but shines brightest in the park. My biggest surprise is that despite the Heritage being cambered, it wins hands down in the deep pow.

Ultimately, I think the Heritage/Evo-R combo is a near perfect two board quiver for me. If we plan on a park day and cruising some groomers, I'll grab the Evo. If we plan on bombing like hell, I'll grab the Heritage. Overall, both boards are what I expected when it comes to strengths and weakness, with the only surprise being that the Heritage was better in the deep stuff - which honestly shouldn't be a huge surprise considering it's a mid-wide and a big mountain board.

RaID · 04-29-2010, 06:54 PM

nice review,

what size are these boards?
what is your size?

linvillegorge · 04-29-2010, 07:01 PM

I'm 5'11" 180#. The Heritage is a 160 and the Evo-R is a 158.

iKimshi · 04-30-2010, 09:24 AM

Great review.

jpb3 · 04-30-2010, 11:15 AM

I have an 07/08 Heritage in 165 and agree with every thing you say about it. Great review.

Trying to decide on either a new 2011 Heritage, Raptor, or F1. Leaning towards Heritage or F1 as I think the Raptor is going to be a bit too stiff for my "all mountain" pursuits.

arsenic0 · 04-30-2010, 03:11 PM

Yea i bet you'd like the Heritage a lot...on top of that the new Carbonium topsheet on the '11 board looks god damn sweet if you like the carbon fiber look as i do, its subtle but there.

Its just a tad bit more of a freeride board than say a SL-R.

linvillegorge · 05-03-2010, 11:32 AM

After taking the Evo-R out on some milder powder days (less than 12"), it did great. I still feel comfortable reaching for the Evo unless it's an epic pow day.

I'll edit to add that if I had to choose one board between the two, I'd go with the Evo. I think it is the more versatile board. What the Heritage does, it does very well, but it's limited beyond that. I'm glad I have both, but if I was a one board guy, I'd go Evo.

legends6spd · 05-06-2010, 12:29 PM

can u describe the flex on the EVO-R?

how does it compare w/ some of the other boards u have written in the past?

i'm referring to ability to tail/nose press and butter...

linvillegorge · 05-06-2010, 12:38 PM

You can press the shit out of it. I'm a beginner when it comes to presses, but I can still get a nice one on it. It still has some stiffness to it and won't press like a pure noodle, but you're definitely not going to have any issue pressing it.

As far as buttering, it's easy as hell. I can't butter my Heritage at all. Not even a little bit. On the Evo, I can ride a butter for 100 yards or more.

05-13-2010, 04:38 AM

If you love to freeride, it's a great board.
nfl jerseys If your game is bombing the hell out of runs and catching big air off of kickers, definitely don't pass this board up if you get a chance. However, don't expect to get too fancy on jumps.

04-29-2010, 01:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
linvillegorge Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Evergreen, CO Posts: 4,501	Review: 08/09 NS Heritage and 09/10 NS Evo-R I figure I'll just kill two birds with one stone with this thread. I'll start with a little background on me as a rider. I've been riding for three seasons now, but this was my first season of getting serious. Before this season, I'd just go up a few times a year. This year I got a pass and I've gotten in 59 days so far - I was shooting for 75 but I don't think I'm gonna get there. Might get in 70 depending on how long A-Basin hangs in there. Before about 6 weeks ago I was almost entirely a free rider. Then I went to Echo Mountain and started hitting some park. I'm still a total noobie in the park, but I can hit most boxes, a few rails, and any jump up to about 25 feet. I have 180s down now and I'm going to work on the trampoline this summer to be ready to start throwing down bigger stuff next season. So as far as rider ability, I'd consider myself and intermediate/advanced freerider and a low level intermediate freestyler. First up, the Heritage... Strengths: This thing is a freeride BEAST! It's very stiff and will hold an edge through pretty much anything. Chop and bumps are no issue at all - it'll blast right through it. The board is shockingly good in powder for a cambered board. Set the bindings back and it's a Cadillac in the pow. It being a mid-wide definitely helps it in the pow. On jumps, it has great dampening and will eat that shock right up if you don't clear the knuckle. Weaknesses: Like I said, it's very stiff and a mid-wide. Being such, it can be tough to initiate turns in certain situations - primarily if you're trying to turn in tight spaces into the slope or in moguls and is a little slow edge to edge compared to some other boards. On jumps, it's not very forgiving to errors on the landing. With it's deep sidecut, you need to land pointing pretty straight or you're likely to catch an edge. Rails? Are you kidding me?! No. Bottom line: If you love to freeride, it's a great board. If your game is bombing the hell out of runs and catching big air off of kickers, definitely don't pass this board up if you get a chance. However, don't expect to get too fancy on jumps. The Heritage is great for hucking those big kickers, but remember, you're gonna have to point that landing or look out for that sidecut! On those days where it's choppy and bumpy and you're watching your buddies try to ride a bucking bronco, you'll laugh as you cruise by like you're driving a Caddy down the freeway! On to the Evo-R... Strengths: With the rocker and camber design, the board is very playful. Very easy to butter, quick edge to edge, and you really have to botch a landing not to be able to ride it out. It's nearly impossible to catch an edge on this board. There have been many times I've stuck a landing off of a kicker and had to admit that if I was on my Heritage I would've probably ate shit hard. Weaknesses: The board is pretty soft and while that means it's easy to initiate turns and butter, when it's choppy out, you're gonna be getting bounced around pretty good. With the rocker, I expected the board to be better in powder. Now I've only had it out on one powder day, but it was an epic one. It was last weekend with balls deep powder at Loveland. It held it's own in the untracked pow, but I had to work hard to keep the nose up when it got tracked out. When it comes to edge hold, the Evo does a good job, but the Heritage really locks that edge in. Bottom line: This is a great board if you love riding park but don't want to be stuck there. It can do it all, but shines brightest in the park. My biggest surprise is that despite the Heritage being cambered, it wins hands down in the deep pow. Ultimately, I think the Heritage/Evo-R combo is a near perfect two board quiver for me. If we plan on a park day and cruising some groomers, I'll grab the Evo. If we plan on bombing like hell, I'll grab the Heritage. Overall, both boards are what I expected when it comes to strengths and weakness, with the only surprise being that the Heritage was better in the deep stuff - which honestly shouldn't be a huge surprise considering it's a mid-wide and a big mountain board.

04-30-2010, 03:11 PM	#6 (permalink)
arsenic0 Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Hillsboro, Oregon Posts: 2,106	Yea i bet you'd like the Heritage a lot...on top of that the new Carbonium topsheet on the '11 board looks god damn sweet if you like the carbon fiber look as i do, its subtle but there. Its just a tad bit more of a freeride board than say a SL-R. __________________ '09 151 Never Summer SL-R '10 K2 T1 DB Bots '09 Burton Cartel Bindings

05-03-2010, 11:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
linvillegorge Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Evergreen, CO Posts: 4,501	After taking the Evo-R out on some milder powder days (less than 12"), it did great. I still feel comfortable reaching for the Evo unless it's an epic pow day. I'll edit to add that if I had to choose one board between the two, I'd go with the Evo. I think it is the more versatile board. What the Heritage does, it does very well, but it's limited beyond that. I'm glad I have both, but if I was a one board guy, I'd go Evo. Last edited by linvillegorge; 05-03-2010 at 12:33 PM.

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04-29-2010, 06:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
RaID Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Hakuba, Japan for the 2011/12 season Posts: 218	nice review, what size are these boards? what is your size?

04-29-2010, 07:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
linvillegorge Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Evergreen, CO Posts: 4,501	I'm 5'11" 180#. The Heritage is a 160 and the Evo-R is a 158.

04-30-2010, 09:24 AM	#4 (permalink)
iKimshi Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 378	Great review.

04-30-2010, 11:15 AM	#5 (permalink)
jpb3 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: dubV Posts: 255	I have an 07/08 Heritage in 165 and agree with every thing you say about it. Great review. Trying to decide on either a new 2011 Heritage, Raptor, or F1. Leaning towards Heritage or F1 as I think the Raptor is going to be a bit too stiff for my "all mountain" pursuits.

05-06-2010, 12:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
legends6spd Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: VT Posts: 333	can u describe the flex on the EVO-R? how does it compare w/ some of the other boards u have written in the past? i'm referring to ability to tail/nose press and butter...

05-06-2010, 12:38 PM	#9 (permalink)
linvillegorge Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Evergreen, CO Posts: 4,501	You can press the shit out of it. I'm a beginner when it comes to presses, but I can still get a nice one on it. It still has some stiffness to it and won't press like a pure noodle, but you're definitely not going to have any issue pressing it. As far as buttering, it's easy as hell. I can't butter my Heritage at all. Not even a little bit. On the Evo, I can ride a butter for 100 yards or more.

05-13-2010, 04:38 AM	#10 (permalink)
8nfljerseys Guest Posts: n/a	If you love to freeride, it's a great board. nfl jerseys If your game is bombing the hell out of runs and catching big air off of kickers, definitely don't pass this board up if you get a chance. However, don't expect to get too fancy on jumps.