Anther season of board hoarding, and eternal look out for the perfect daily driver...
And again, calling for help from the mighty forum. 😁
Ride profile:
Female, 162cm tall, 60kg
Mondo 23.5cm boots
Burton Lexa Size M bindings
Current daily driver: Yes Hel Yes 152cm (previously on Rossi Diva 152cm, essentially similar boards, both camber dominant rcrs with mag traction)
Local Terrain: variable snow condition, icy, rocky, crowdy, pow is a dream that almost never come true.
Riding preference: all mountain free ride, love to venture out when snow permitting to explore the whole mountain, into carving (still learning), forever trying to perfect the turns (long way to go), have 0 interest in park
Thanks to Burton Custom X 150cm (in my collection but obviously not a daily driver for me), for past 2 seasons the impression just deepened - I love camber... the locked in feeling, ease to get a clean edge, the precision, pop, stability, just feels right and comfortable.
I know it's limitations full well too, tiring and lifeless in soft slushy snow and possibly in pow (only that I didn't get any of it to test, but can easily imagine). Also due to custom x's stiffness faster is better, slowing down is just painful, moguls, narrow steeps, dodging crowds on overpopulated runs, where quick turns needed at slow speed, it's not gonna to do it for me. What kept me away from making it my daily driver... but a super fun and satisfying deck to ride from time to time, definitely a keeper just not quiver of one that does everything anytime.
I hope I could have settled for Yes Hel Yes as daily driver, but somehow, just love camber and that love is growing more and more.
Yes is OK, it does everything as a daily driver should, but there is no fun factor in riding it. Maybe due to skill that I no longer know how to find the sweet spot of the hybrids? Or change in personal preferences? But whenever I am on Yes, I kinda really miss the clean edge only camber provides, I miss that locked in feeling and the precision only camber has, well to me at least. Maybe camber dominant hybrids can have the same locked in, precision feeling too, not shy away from true camber, I just don't know how to unleash it? Or camber is just camber, nothing beats it in it's game?
This becomes more apparent after I managed to demo Ride Benchwarmer 147cm (short, but they only have it), it's kinda of true camber too. So easy to get on and hold a clean edge, feels so nice. Bit too soft for me though, lack stability in higher speed which I feel I can't push it. Cruising is OK, but can't ride it too hard. Would worry a bit if snow was hard and icy and having more speed, but other than that, quite enjoyable ride, and nimble enough for me even at low speed.
So got me thinking, maybe I could make true camber a daily driver... just need to be a tad softer than Custom X, yet more aggressive than Ride Benchwarmer.
Now seriously considering to move to true camber as daily driver next season, have following on my list to consider, and wish to get some thoughts and recommendations from you lovely people whom might know or actually ridden those boards especially the Nitro Team/pro. Would be even better to hear from someone rode both, but not putting my hopes high as they're male and female boards, don't think guys would ride girls board, girls might as we have less to choose from (the special girl out there whom rode both boards would be the magical answer to my payers in this question 😍):
And again, calling for help from the mighty forum. 😁
Ride profile:
Female, 162cm tall, 60kg
Mondo 23.5cm boots
Burton Lexa Size M bindings
Current daily driver: Yes Hel Yes 152cm (previously on Rossi Diva 152cm, essentially similar boards, both camber dominant rcrs with mag traction)
Local Terrain: variable snow condition, icy, rocky, crowdy, pow is a dream that almost never come true.
Riding preference: all mountain free ride, love to venture out when snow permitting to explore the whole mountain, into carving (still learning), forever trying to perfect the turns (long way to go), have 0 interest in park
Thanks to Burton Custom X 150cm (in my collection but obviously not a daily driver for me), for past 2 seasons the impression just deepened - I love camber... the locked in feeling, ease to get a clean edge, the precision, pop, stability, just feels right and comfortable.
I know it's limitations full well too, tiring and lifeless in soft slushy snow and possibly in pow (only that I didn't get any of it to test, but can easily imagine). Also due to custom x's stiffness faster is better, slowing down is just painful, moguls, narrow steeps, dodging crowds on overpopulated runs, where quick turns needed at slow speed, it's not gonna to do it for me. What kept me away from making it my daily driver... but a super fun and satisfying deck to ride from time to time, definitely a keeper just not quiver of one that does everything anytime.
I hope I could have settled for Yes Hel Yes as daily driver, but somehow, just love camber and that love is growing more and more.
Yes is OK, it does everything as a daily driver should, but there is no fun factor in riding it. Maybe due to skill that I no longer know how to find the sweet spot of the hybrids? Or change in personal preferences? But whenever I am on Yes, I kinda really miss the clean edge only camber provides, I miss that locked in feeling and the precision only camber has, well to me at least. Maybe camber dominant hybrids can have the same locked in, precision feeling too, not shy away from true camber, I just don't know how to unleash it? Or camber is just camber, nothing beats it in it's game?
This becomes more apparent after I managed to demo Ride Benchwarmer 147cm (short, but they only have it), it's kinda of true camber too. So easy to get on and hold a clean edge, feels so nice. Bit too soft for me though, lack stability in higher speed which I feel I can't push it. Cruising is OK, but can't ride it too hard. Would worry a bit if snow was hard and icy and having more speed, but other than that, quite enjoyable ride, and nimble enough for me even at low speed.
So got me thinking, maybe I could make true camber a daily driver... just need to be a tad softer than Custom X, yet more aggressive than Ride Benchwarmer.
Now seriously considering to move to true camber as daily driver next season, have following on my list to consider, and wish to get some thoughts and recommendations from you lovely people whom might know or actually ridden those boards especially the Nitro Team/pro. Would be even better to hear from someone rode both, but not putting my hopes high as they're male and female boards, don't think guys would ride girls board, girls might as we have less to choose from (the special girl out there whom rode both boards would be the magical answer to my payers in this question 😍):
- Burton Feelgood 149cm - advantage is female specific, also only one I've actually tried. Proven to be good, but didn't manage to get it in right size and right price for the last 2 seasons, kinda forever on my wishlist to watch out for. But have never been keen enough to get it at higher price for the reason it was less exciting and responsive to ride compared to Custom X. Yeah, quite manageable, but for a daily driver, I remember it was quite tiring riding in deeper softer snow (down South Island where snow is better than local resort) even with some setback. I blame Nitro Drop, rode it the same day in the afternoon when snow softened, way too much fun. 😅 Maybe too clear of a comparison just not fair to Feelgood. In the morning when snow was hard Nitro Drop sucked though, Feelgood was the way to go.
Now re-thinking, after riding Ride Benchwarmer (camber too) on soft slushy snow, float was quite OK, didn't experience the constant pull from front leg. Not too sure if it's the build of the boards causing the difference, or I wasn't comparing it with Nitro Drop, so not putting it on spot with a harsh eye...? Maybe Feelgood could be OK re float?
Overall, like it, but just didn't care it enough, though it's a woman's specific camber board. Kept it on list to watch out for a good deal.
- Nitro Team/Team Pro
More leaning towards pro, as both are of medium stiffish flex, just pro is faster with more pop. Interesting new find, have a feeling it might be the right daily driver for me...?
Only concern is, it's man's board, a little wider.
The smallest I can get is 152cm, being a man's board 246mm wide.
Feelgood is 242mm wide, my old daily driver that's quite comfy was 244mm wide, Ride Benchwarmer I rode was 245mm wide which wasn't a problem for me at all, easier to get on edge even compared to my daily driver, in fact I wished it to be more aggressive, though it's 5cm shorter, will adding 5cm in length in combination change the story...? Or this is indicative enough as I normally ride 152cm stiffish boards. Anyway was kind of thinking that little added width for Team/Team Pro should be quite OK?
No chance to demo, that's why asking you wonderful people.
For a daily driver, I don't want it to compromise on nimbleness, has to be better or same as my current daily driver in other aspects (speed, stability, edge hold on ice), just be TRUE CAMBER. Slight reduction in float on softer snow is OK, that's what camber is, I am OK with it, can't ask it to be perfect in every aspect.
The tapered, the tail shape, the setback and the nose width do most of the work.
