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When to upgrade?

12K views 30 replies 13 participants last post by  novokaine 
#1 · (Edited)
So I have been boarding for about 25-30 hours total. I can go down blacks some with moguls. I go down the hills typically with dynamic skidded turns. I am riding a Burton Clash. I am noticing that I can't hold my edge very well on steep terrain. And I sometimes catch an edge when riding flat or getting lazy. You could say I am still a beginner maybe close to intermediate. After tracking my speeds on my android app I have a sustained speed of about 25mph and high speeds of 35 mph. I don't ride in the park and I am east coast so there is no powder.

Money isn't an issue. But I want to know is it too early for me to upgrade?

I have been doing research and it sounds like a freeride/all mountain would be good? Or is it too early for me to be upgrading to that stiff of a board?

The snowboard shops in my area the people just seem to BS and try to sell me the boards they have on hand so I need some professional(unbiased) advice.
 
#4 ·
If you can really do short radius dynamic turns, going with a more advanced board shouldn't be a big issue. Otherwise, you may find turning pretty challenging, particularly making tight turns, when it's steeper. You should be prepared for the new board to be less responsive to foot/torsional steering - which can be compensated for with good dynamic riding.

IME, the board can make a huge difference in edge hold, but if you can't turn it, that doesn't help you.

If you really are doing dynamic skidded turns (especially if you can do them on blacks), I wouldn't call you a beginner. If you are using pivot turns/windshield wiper technique, you should probably work on 'real' dynamic skidded turns first (easier to learn with your floppy board).

But if money is not an issue, you always have your old board to fall back on. Or you can try to find a rental shop with decent equipment and try a few different things...
 
#6 ·
If you really are doing dynamic skidded turns (especially if you can do them on blacks), I wouldn't call you a beginner. If you are using pivot turns/windshield wiper technique, you should probably work on 'real' dynamic skidded turns first (easier to learn with your floppy board).
Hmm, How do i know if I am doing "real" dynamic skidded turns and not pivot turns/windshield wiper technique?

I watched the video of snow wolf doing the dynamic skidded and I feel like that is what I do but it is hard to tell because I cant really watch myself.
 
#11 ·
says the dude who rides an ironing board.

OP, if money isn't an issue, demo if you can. Seriously, no one can tell you what you will like but you.

Also, when I upgraded to a nice board from my crappy beginner board I was a LOT more confident on steeper terrain. Part of it was getting a board with magnetraction, It helped a LOT. A lot more then I thought it would...while new and better gear might not make you a better rider it would give you more confidence and that will help you get better. Esp since you said you're on the ice coast...


if you can get quality instruction, sure that's good too, but if you have the money why not have nice gear?
 
#10 ·
So I have been boarding for about 25-30 hours total.

I am riding a Burton Clash.

I am noticing that I can't hold my edge very well on steep terrain. And I sometimes catch an edge when riding flat or getting lazy.

You could say I am still a beginner

is it too early for me to be upgrading to that stiff of a board?

Your not being able to hold an edge is not because of your board, you can see if sharpening your edges help but my guess is that its technique. In fact I will tell you with confidence that a softer rocker board can be easier to navigate in moguls than a stiffer camber board, it is just easier to throw around. It's also easier to catch an edge on flat on a rocker becuase they tend to want to pivot/wash out so just keep an edge at all times and don't get lazy. Your board is fine, infact I'd say its a pretty decent board to learn on and changing it now could actually hurt your riding.

For the life of me I can't understand why people associate quality with stiffness. Stiff boards are a preference, not an upgrade.

I ride all terrain on a 157 Ride Kink, 4 or 5/10 flex, soft boots barely tied up and med/soft bindings with my board heavily detuned for park and yet - I can hold an edge on steep terrain 45-55' pitch with no issue, I can charge moguls and ride pretty sketchy windblown hardpack. Its all in your technique. Just keep riding.
 
#13 ·
So I have been boarding for about 25-30 hours total. I can go down blacks some with moguls. I go down the hills typically with dynamic skidded turns. I am riding a Burton Clash. I am noticing that I can't hold my edge very well on steep terrain. And I sometimes catch an edge when riding flat or getting lazy. You could say I am still a beginner maybe close to intermediate. After tracking my speeds on my android app I have a sustained speed of about 25mph and high speeds of 35 mph. I don't ride in the park and I am east coast so there is no powder.

Money isn't an issue. But I want to know is it too early for me to upgrade?

I have been doing research and it sounds like a freeride/all mountain would be good? Or is it too early for me to be upgrading to that stiff of a board?

The snowboard shops in my area the people just seem to BS and try to sell me the boards they have on hand so I need some professional(unbiased) advice.
You think that's going to be better with a stiffer board? A stiffer board will punish you for whenever you are lazy, so if you catch an edge with being lazy with a rocker board, be sure to have 2 pairs of underwear if you're going to buy a stiff board.
 
#27 · (Edited)
East Coast Clash rider here. This is my 3rd season, have no problems with blacks and started riding doubles recently. My Ski tracks app for my iphone has me topped out at 48.8 mph and I generally ride in the mid 30's.

I haven't caught an edge this season (knocks on wood) and haven't lost an edge on ice, although I do panic and slow down. I plan on upgrading to a Burton Custom this spring and just trying to decide if I want Cartels with (2014) or without (2013) the hinge.

Edit: I demoed the Custom with the Cartels and really liked it.
 
#28 ·
i say go for it. the libtech TRS is a great board which will last you a long time.

i started on a wide powder board and after my first season got an elan vertigo, which is as stiff as it gets and for advanced riders. sure it punished me. but i learned to carve.

i've recently switched down (ok 5 years in now) to a libtech trs and am amazed at just how much fun i can have hitting everything on the mountain... an all-round mountain board is great for many levels.
 
#29 · (Edited)
really, if $ is no problem, get a series of private lessons from a good instructor and ask them if its time to up grade and to what.

yes your technique will improve over time....but how much time...good instruction can make the time shorter.

at you level of time on the hill, i doubt that you have developed a preference of your style or type of riding....and the hill...is very important and a huge influence (where do you ride?) that you ride has alot to do with that....thus your preference will determine the board...btw freeride, freestyle, park, jib, all mt fr, all mt fs, big mtn fr, big mt fs, twin, directional twin, camber, rocker, cam rock, shovel nose, pintail, rock/flat/cam, c2 vs c3, different types of mag, differences in sidecut and radius...etc. get familar with the different design tech...they are made for doing different things in different conditions. If you get a board...get one that is going to take you to your preference assuming you have the hill for it.

IMHO at this point, invest in more time on the hill and lessons

my 2 cents
 
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