Hello everyone...my name is Alvaro and I am from Costa Rica. I am more of a surfer, as that is what is readily available in my country, but I have also done snowboarding (about 2-3 weeks per year in Colorado or Lake Tahoe) since I was 15 years old. I currently live in Germany, so I'm very pleased to be so close to the Alps and I have been doing a lot of snowboarding for the past 2 and a half years. I typically have rented my gear at whichever Resort I happen to go, but after this past weekend's snowboarding trip to the "Bovec-Kanin" Resort in Slovenia and the Sella Nevea Resort in Italy, I decided that it's time for me to buy my own setup. The reason is that obviously I will be snowboarding more now since I live a stone's throw away from the alps, but also because I felt that having poor gear was setting back my progress and exposing me to accidents. In several occasions this past weekend I had to really apply myself to avoid falling because the board would chatter too much at high speeds, would not respond well in variable snow conditions and it could not hold an edge very well when carving.
Therefore, I have been researching a lot about snowboards, bindings and boots for the past few days and I need your advice on choosing the right board. I am 6'1, 195 pounds, my skill level is an advanced intermediate and I am an aggressive rider in love with speed. The board I am looking for is an all-mountain board, as I only want one for trips all around Europe and I don't frequent the park too often. I don't have any problems with budget, but I don't want to spend 800€ on the whole setup.
As far as brands and models, I have been looking at Burton (Custom Flying V, Bullet, Barracuda, Custom X and Clash), K2 (Raygun, The Zero and Turbo Dream), Ride (Machete), Lib Tech (Banana Skate and Banana Magic) and Salomon (Man's Board). These are all in different categories and prices, but these are the ones that have caught my eye in terms of flex, responsiveness, price, quality and graphics. I am looking at spending around 400-500€ for board, bindings and boots, so your advice is highly appreciated.
Thanks! :thumbsup: