I've been trying to follow a lot of the short fat snowboards this year...
Here's what I've gathered from the best reviewed boards:

K2 Party Platter: More freestyle oriented than other boards, carves well and well rounded. There are several reviews of the board being a bit unstable in high speed or chundery conditions.

Yes 420: Wider than many other short fats, really aimed for deep days and wide pow fields.

Yes Optimistic: Strong focus on good carving, is not as short as others (151 being the shortest)

Salomon Derby: Stiffer side of the short fats, does very well in pow trees and also carves well.

Ride Warpig: Similar to derby? It also seems like a well rounded, stiffer short fat.


I still can't decide between Hcraft, Derby, and Party platter.. They all seem great, but derby is a lot cheaper...

 

If you wanna get looser and surfy the Party Platter, if you wanna be able to charge it a little bit and ride park, War Pig. Derby sits between the two. And those three are my favorite as short fat everyday boards.

 

Hey Nivek, I'm along the same lines as lin but I weigh 220. Any idea which of the short fat sticks would hold an edge best while carving at my weight? Cheers.

 

Basically what I'm looking for is float for days with good pop and good enough stability to handle quite a bit of typical resort chop. When I say switch, I basically mean just landing 180s, riding them out and popping right back to regular.

So basically...

FLOAT, pop, and stability (talking about edgehold and dampness here). Not looking for a dead fish, but don't wanna be riding a wild bronco either when things start tracking out.

My concern with the Derby is that it basically looks like a short, fat Sick Stick on paper and I never cared for the Sick Stick all that much. Not sure if that comparison is apt or not though.

 

From that description, I'd recommend something with a bit of camber(or at least flat) and may be a touch longer. Say Hovercraft or Darwin. Possibly a Fish.

 

420 Powder Hull

I've seenit and that thing looks dope. I would really really want to try one of those on a deep day.

 

Yeah, definitely intrigued by the powder Hull concept, but not sure I wanna spend that kinda cash. I have a pretty sizeable credit at backcountry, but not seven bills worth.

 

420 for better float, War Pig for more versatility.

 

Where do you find the War Pig more versatile? Or maybe,l just as importantly, where do you find the 420 lacking?

Any thoughts on the powder hull stuff?

 

I feel like BA's review of the powder hull was very informative

 

I have a 420 and I find it fun as hell. Got some Now Drives mounted on it. I find my self riding it a lot like a surfboard slashing and carving every wave like feature I can. It's got unreal float that you really notice when you hit the flats. Riding groomers is surprisingly better then I expected.
Only complaint is in hard pack steeps I found the tail seemed to wash out. But riding it in the deep it was meant for is just so damn fun.

I don't have much experience with other short fatties. But the 420 is definitely a blast. Having said that I would have bought the 420PH if I had a choice.

 

The 420 was designed as a Japow deck. That was it's intention first and foremost. It's still good outside of that, but it's best in deep no question. The War Pig was more of a freak board designed for everything. All mountain versatility with crazy float was its goal. A deck shaped in a way to get crazy good float but ride in a way that it rips every condition on the mountain.

If I was looking for a short fat pow deck it would be the 420. If I was looking for a surfer it'd be the Party Platter, and if a one board quiver in short fat shaping the War Pig. Ride's team has been riding the War Pig in Japow, Park Comps, and Danimals has been destroying street rails and summer camps on it.

 

Ya, that Brandon Davis kid on Shredbots. He's been on the WarPig for the past yr I think, and has been destroying the park with it. That is the Warpig ya, yellow fat board from Ride?

 

The Derby is not all that great in deep pow. You can easily get that nose up but a bit difficult planing on top of it. Ultimately I'd go for my regular 155 when I want to go fast in soft snow, but the Derby in 147 is just super fun. I primarily use it as my play around board and since it was so cheap, as a rock board. Not sure it's very close to a Sick Stick.. I thinkl it's torsionally a bit stiffer and has that ever so orgasmic skate pop with the short stiff tail. I'd really want to try the Optimistic, but think it wouldn't initiate such playfulness as easily and would actually be closer to my 159 FA. Could be wrong.

For switch landings, everything here apart from maybe the Warpig is somewhat doable but having to be on point each time.

 

Pretty much between the War Pig and the 420. Leaning a bit toward the 420 simply because this is going to be very much a quiver stick. It'll probably see most of it's use on pow leftovers to be honest. Not sure it'll replace a more traditional pow stick on most pow days. More like a stick for mining the trees for stashes, but we'll see. Maybe it will become my primary pow stick.

 

Yeah that 420, Fish or Darwin.
My buddy got a Darwin end of last season, and for the price that is a solid choice.

 

Definitely not looking for any of the no tail boards or swallowtails. I want a legit tail.

 

420.

Thread closed.

 

For these short fat boards to evidently be all the rage, no brick and mortar stores actually carry them. Even if I wanted to buy this thing locally it wouldn't be an option.

Shop local they said! Can't find shit I said! LOL!

 

MSO in Silverthorne will have War Pigs, Party Platters, and Derbys. No 420 though.

 

Thanks! The Christy Sports down in Littleton has a 420. The War Pig was the one I couldn't track down.

 

No luck at MSO. I was up in Summit anyway so I swung by.

 

They haven't had a bunch of stuff ship yet. They ordered it.

 

What would be women's equivalents of short fat pow specific boards these days? Besides Hovercraft, that is.

 

Cool Bean comes in a 38, Salomon Pillow Talk, I think United Shapes makes one or two, Burton sorta makes one.

 

The more I think about it, the more I lean toward the War Pig. Every other pow specific deck I've had, no matter how much I love it in powder, eventually ends up getting sold because I just don't ride it enough to justify keeping it. I already have some a powder oriented deck (NS 25), so I better go with something that has a little versatility to it or two years from now someone on here will get a great deal on a barely used 420.

 

Must admit War Pig is growing on me. Took a hard look at the Optimistic at the shop, and I'm sure it will be fun to carve but I have enough fun carvers. As for pow, I'm in the same boat as linvillegorge. War Pig looking the most versatile so far.

 

154 Ride War Pig it is. This will be the first board that I've bought that wasn't a NS or Capita (or either CRC or RCR) in quite awhile.

 

Out of curiosity, how did you like the 154 War? I'm 6'0'' 200lbs with 11.5 boots. Looking for something versatile as well.

 

Awesome. Be sure to let us know what your take is.

 

Everyone's thoughts on the K2 Cool Bean? I've picked up a 161 Burton Fish as a 'deep day' board for my Japan trip in Jan/Feb, wondering if a 150 Cool Bean might feel like kinda the same, although it is quite a different shape/concept. I'm 36, 200lbs, 6ft, riding 20 years, zero interest in park or spinning anything, I generally go straight, fast, through tight spaces

 

Cheers Nivek - legend!

 

Thoughts on the type of ride of the 4/20 v Cool Bean?