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good first board?

7K views 57 replies 19 participants last post by  X-raycat 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey guys,

I've been looking into getting a board and if i can get some advice i'd really appreciate it!


Experience/Location:

Last year I went boarding about 5-6 times and picked it up fairly well and i can now link turns confidently and hit a few smaller sized kickers. However, for last season i made a big no-no and purchased a board without any experience at all and now regret that so im selling it and just gonna bite the bullet one the loss of money (up on eBay and in good condition, its a dinosaurs will die genovese 151 if anyone wants to buy it.)

Anyways for this upcoming winter i'm going to be buying a a season pass on the east coast to either okemo, stratton or mount snow. With that said im looking for a board that i can grow into, not one that ill want to get rid of after 1 season because i'd imagine i will progress to a decent mid level rider by the end of this season with all the time i plan on putting in.

Size:
5'6" - 145lbs
size 9 boots

Current Equipment:
Burton Moto Boots
Burton Malavita Reflex Bindings (more of a higher level binding , but got them at a very good priced and snagged them)

Riding Style:

I'd have to say that I'm looking for a board that can do it all.
Most of my time will be spent on piste, probably 50% with 25% park as I want to start dabbling in some freestyle (may buy a jib board next summer depending on my progress) and the other 25% would be for pow.
*** dont forget the wonderful east coast ice! :eusa_clap:




As i've looked for hours on end the past two - three weeks i've found that it is very hard to accommodate all these things.

One board that i found that might not be a bad idea was the Yes. Basic but was looking for some opinions on it.

That said I realllllyy like the idea of TBT (ive surfed and go skimboarding very often) so the Bataleon whatever came to mind but i just hate the graphic lol

And lastly magnatraction is also something ive really been looking into as it gets icy over here.
(would the T. rice pro in a 150cm be too much for me? Or something i can grow into well?)


ANY help at all would really be appreciated cause at this point i'm pretty much stumped.
:icon_scratch:
 
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#3 ·
well its a flat camber and im not sure if im a fan of that so id like to get some experience trying other boards in order to become a better overall rider and learn what i like the most.
I think i should have picked either a traditional camber or reverse camber as a first board in order to see how the two main board styles ride.

also on the less important side, the top sheet seems a bit fragile IMO and the more i look at the graphic the less i like it.

So all in all id say that its not that i think the board isnt a good one its just that im looking to expand my horizons i guess :giggle:


Unfortunately I really dont know a thing about demo days where i am and since im selling the DWD I will still need a board for next season because im not really interested in renting.

thats why im sort of looking for a do everything board that i can keep for awhile while i build a quiver
 
#5 ·
I think i should have picked either a traditional camber or reverse camber as a first board in order to see how the two main board styles ride.
That's like saying you're better off learning to drive on snow tires or slicks, because all-seasons won't work?

RIDE THE DAMN BOARD YOU BOUGHT!

We see this in the sportbike world all the time. Guys start on Supersports and really have no idea how to handle a bike, but are sure they need that kinda bike. :dunno:
 
#10 ·
i dont understand why people are so quick to bite on this forum.. i did say theres nothing really wrong with the snowboard. my main reason is that i just want to try something else. ive ridden it about 5 times and have found that it is a pretty good board. i want to try another though and in order to do that itd be a shit ton easier on me if a got $100 - $200 for my old board.

also i did put it up on the easy lounge but no one seemed interested.

i could very well just keep it and ride it this season, something ive considered extensively. all i was asking was some opinions on the boards i mentioned and how they would work for me or any suggestions someone else might have.

ill say it again. i just want to try a new board and getting rid of this one will make it easier on me. however, i used one is a good idea, something i hadnt really considered
 
#19 ·
i did say theres nothing really wrong with the snowboard. my main reason is that i just want to try something else. ive ridden it about 5 times and have found that it is a pretty good board.
riding a board a few times only to sell it for another board is probably a worse idea than making a few friends on the hill and swapping boards for a few runs. maybe just keep your board and try some shit out? even if you don't have demos in your area, most shops will let you rent a "premium" board for like $25-30, and you could pick something/some shape that you're interested in and get a whole day on it. just seems a bit inefficient to just buy boards to ride a few times.
 
#12 ·
tony10;985769 And lastly magnatraction is also something ive really been looking into as it gets icy over here. (would the T. rice pro in a 150cm be too much for me? Or something i can grow into well?) :icon_scratch:[/QUOTE said:
Yes, the T Rice is too much if you're focusing on park and on piste. Look at the Gnu Riders Choice. C2BTX is an awesome profile to develop on. RC is a more playful mervin board that can still kill it when you want to go pow/big mountain and has the magnatraction you're looking for. Great midflexing board.

At your weight 151cm if you want more park and playfullness, 154 if you want to be more aggressive and if you're going to gain weight soon.

Haven't riddn Bataleon or Yes. I do want a Yes The Greats badly.
 
#13 ·
and to clarify what i want this board to do would be to be stable on blacks and ice (so some form of magnetraction would probably be good), fast, floats in pow, good pop and decent enough to get by in the park. ill probably be buying a park specific board in a year or two so thats less important.

i know it sounds like a quiver of one type of board but im just trying to get an idea of peoples opinions and maybe find a board that i looked over in my search
 
#18 ·
yea thats a good point, perhaps i am over thinking the whole thing a bit.

anyways i think the riders choice is something i may end up with if i decide to get one.

i appreciate the help fellas, thanks a bunch
Yup.

Rider's Choice is a really great board. It was one of the best sellers at our shop this past season. Honestly, any of the boards you have mentioned would be fine for you. Some are going to react differently to certain situations, but in the end they are all pieces of wood sliding on frozen water. Your skill level will dictate how well each board rides for you, not the other way around.
 
#21 ·
So you want a board that is fast, good on ice, floats in pow but has good pop and also rides park? Dude, I've got 2 boards and looking for a third just to fit all those needs. Point being, it's hard to get all that in one board...yes it's possible, but some things are a give and take. Stability vs. Speed, Ride vs. Park. You can't have it all sunshine! Don't get me wrong, I take my park board outside the park but I also have a board for speed that I won't take in the park to get all beat up. And I'm currently looking for a pow board, most pow boards are longer in profile. SO, like I said...it isn't advised to take a pow board to the park since I previously stated, most park boards are a small(er) profile and pow being longer. So give your board more than 5 rides and then decide. Don't take to heart some of the comments made here. There are many seasoned riders here with tons of knowledge...after all, ask and you shall receive.
 
#25 ·
yea i know its gonna be harder to find a quiver killer than a specific board i mean thats pretty obvious.
although from what ive heard the rossignol one magtek is a pretty good all around board.. anyone ever give it a spin?

and as for friends, well they mostly ski:thumbsdown:
and the ones who do ride have boards much bigger than would fit me
 
#29 ·
I'm fairly new boarder, used to go to skiing and boarding all the time when I was little and just picked it back up this season, I put in 15 days on rental boards and decided to pick up my own. I tried to do as much research as I could and this is what I chose OP.

2013 Arbor Formula 148 with the mountain system.
I have a similar build to yours, i'm 5'6'' and weigh 115-120lbs
Medium flex, directional twin, parabolic rocker, and GripTech (similar to magne-traction except instead of 7 contact points GripTech has 4) since living in Southern KY forces me to ride Ice Coast

Im pairing it with a pair of FLOW NX2-SE since the closest mountains to me (4 and 5 hour drives...and even then its southern Indiana and Southern Ohio...) are really small and I have a lot of skier friends the rear entry system is a must.

Anyway. That's my story.
 
#31 ·
Too soft to ride in pow?

Maybe I don't have enough experience riding powder, but I seem to remember it being soft and fluffy. One of the best riding in powder splitboards I took out this season was a middle of the road flex.
Stiffer boards or great for stability, steep stuff, but in powder it isn't such a huge issue.

I would get a board for what you do the most which sounds like park. Just get something with some sort of rocker profile so you have good float. Maybe size it up a little.

People seem to forget that snowboards are the original powder guns, not skis. Sure some are better at it than others, but they pretty much all do it well.
 
#48 ·
There are some whiny little bitches in here crying over people being blunt on the Internet.

Rider> Board.

If people would get over the whole being gear whores and thinking they need to have all this shit and just fucking ride their experience would be 10 times better. Pretty sure I've ridden everything under the sun and I mean EVERYTHING and I still have a quiver of 1.

You need a middle of the road deck that isn't too soft you over flex it but not too stiff it rides you, camber option doesn't really matter at this point, sidecut needs to carve but not be aggressive and lock you in, sintered vs extruded you won't notice the difference.

That being said here's what I would recommend. K2 Raygun, Rossignol Templar, Arbor Formula, Flow Era, and stuff like that.

Now someone come in here with a big can of douche and blast all the sand out of your fucking munts.
 
#49 ·
i do appreciate the help and all but i dont think you guys are understanding me. obviously switching gear isnt gonna improve the rider. this is like anything, i play drums for example and have for about 13 years. i recently got a new set and the set didnt make me better but since i have a shit ton of experience i am able to utilize it to its best potential. now during those thirteen years i have played A LOT of different sets and seen a lot of different set ups which allowed me to figure out which one i liked best.
my point is that trying new shit out, IMO, aint gonna hurt me, in fact it will make me a more experienced rider. I get the point youre trying to make with not wasting money, however if i have it and want to try a new board and dont have friends who snowboard whose board i can borrow, it kind of leaves me with less options.
with that said i hope you'll understand that i am not naive enough to think buying a Trice pro is gonna make me ride like travis, its merely to better culturize (if thats even a word) myself with different boards, riding styles, etc. and yea spending unnecessary $ does suck but i know for a fact i will be snowboarding as long as i am able to so i dont see it as unnecessary if it makes me happy.
 
#50 ·
and yea spending unnecessary $ does suck but i know for a fact i will be snowboarding as long as i am able to so i dont see it as unnecessary if it makes me happy.
There it is. Do what makes you happy. Who gives a shit if others approve. If buying and selling boards makes you happy then go nuts. Just be prepared to take some shit for it now and then (esp. when you put it out on a public forum) and know that the only thing that will make you a better rider is putting the time, blood, sweat and tears into it.

It's human nature to covet gear you haven't tried. Most people have that compulsion to some degree. If you are dedicated to snowboarding you will most likely wind up with a modest quiver of favorites that makes you happy. Nothing wrong wit that.
 
#58 ·
Jeez guys.... poor dude is only asking for some board recommendations, not your life story's.

Obviously he has cash, wants one, will get one so help him out.

Im similar stats to you, 5'9, 150lbs, size 9.5US

Dude I picked up 2012 GNU Metal Guru well happy with how it rides in and out of the park.

IMO its got all the tech you need, for a reasonable price.

I use 2013 Union Atlas, Burton restricted rulers.

Thats my two cents, many wont agree, but there it is.
 
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