Both are sick boards and would be a lot of fun. The sicksticks are also looking amazing. It basically comes down to your current quiver, your riding conditions and what you want to work towards. You said you have pure park boards now--are they noodles and mid-flex board, or do you already have some stiff poppy twins?

Ultimate ride - stiff and poppy twin, most camber of the bunch. It'll probably be a more aggressive version of your park boards, familiar but also great for piste charging and more intensity in the park. Of course you can take it out in powder, but balancing will be less forgiving, you'll lean back a bit more, and it'll decelerate in flatter pow sections.

Sickstick - You could probably fit on any of the sizes. 151 is getting a lot of attention as a short fatty, but they'll all be sick. It'll have more flex and be lighter than the others, especially if you ride the 151 or 157. It'll also have the most maneuverability in the pow, and best for freestyle there. It looks like a stupid fun board, and seems like the logical mid point if you're trying to move into freeride with a heavy freestyle focus.

Super 8 - Different than the two above, and way different than your park boards. Set back, extra wide, directional camber. It'll suit a more directional riding style, getting low and balanced on the back foot, opening your body up and flowing your turns more. You can ride it switch, but it'll charge best in one direction. You can choose to go big (160 / 163) for more speed, float and carving, or you can downsize a bit for better spins and handling in tight trees. It's damp and good at speed, but it's not a particularly demanding board. It'll be the best for carving groomed runs, surfing open pow fields and just making some turns and powder jumps.

I only have a super 8, so take my ideas with a grain of salt. As always, 99% rider, 1% board, and never trust reviews for the "true picture"--everything is in relation to your riding style, stats and local conditions.

Whatever you get, it's going to be fun!

 

Thanks for the help! My current quiver is a 153 Funslinger, and a 154 warlock. The last few seasons Ive been really into jibbing, towards the end of last season I started riding L jumps and both boards are just super sketchy on bigger features. My stats are 6'2" 180 lbs 10.5 boot, in the past Ive preferred smaller boards due to the maneuverability. I live in Utah so we get dumped on quite a bit and Im also able to ride 3-5 days a week so I get plenty of pow days each season making me want a pow board, but last season I just got an itch for going big and I want something that can handle anything I throw at it and more. I've thought about getting a pow board but the more logical decision seems to be getting something that I can get after it on reguardless of the conditions. Obv it wont handle as well in powder but I'll survive. This is why I was leaning toward the ultimate ride. I've also heard such great things about the super 8 that Im really trying to make the best decision when buying this board. Im looking to hit more natural features and getting creative all over the mountain, this sport has so much more to offer than just park and Im really looking to explore freeriding / freestyle on more natural features. I just keep bouncing back and forth between the two boards and I just need someone to just give me a bump in one direction over the other. Im sure Ill love either board I just get so caught up in the mind game of it. Thanks again!

 

I'm looking to pick up another board for just charging and sending it in general.

That says Ultimate Ride.

Southxjapan has given a decent overview, only thing I'd change is that the UR is the better carver between that and the Super 8 for sure. I own (well, now selling) a Super 8 and spent a day on the UR.

Super 8 is not a charger, it can be, but you have to be aware of it's limitations. The nose is relatively soft, it will fold if you're going mach 1 through some choppy conditions or heavy snow. Watch how Josh Dirksen rides, if you intend to use it as he does, it's the right board. Beautiful flow, yet very calm and mellow in a way.

Then watch how Bode Merrill rides. That's the UR. It's for charging and sending it, and if you're as insane as he is, apparently doing one-footed double back flips in the back country. It's an aggressive board, has a crap-tonne of camber, super energetic and poppy and the sidecut rails.

 

Thats exactly what I needed to hear, thanks man! I'm definitely not nearly as insane as Bode is in the slightest but I think that'll better suit me for the riding Im going to be doing and looking to get into.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you selling your super 8? and how do you like the feel of Salomon boards? I've been on NS the last few season and absolutely love them, I had no intentions of riding anything other than NS but its hard to cough up $650 for a new NS board when I can get a Salomon for half of that.

 

I'm selling it because I'm a gear whore and there's too many other boards I need to try :grin:

But also it just doesn't really fit in my quiver anymore once I make my next addition. I put probably 12-15 days on it last season and half of those I was thinking I'd be better off on another board, either something more playful or something more charger. It sits too inbetween for me. Not trying to take anything away from it, I think it's a fantastic board and I think it would make many riders very happy, but it's a little too much of an all rounder, great quiver killer for the guy who doesn't ride much park. Saw the term 'dad board' thrown around here recently, that describes it perfectly.

As for Salomon boards, I love them. It helps that I also get the same discount you're looking at, but I think they're very well made and incredibly good value. The Huck Knife and Super 8 would have to take my vote for best value/performance ratio in their respective classes.

Compared to NS in general, not as damp and snappier/poppier. That makes sense when you look at the construction materials used and the camber profiles as well. They do ride very differently. Your FS and Warlock overlap enough that you could sell one, and end up with both a UR for general riding and a Super 8 for powder days. I'd say 158 UR and 157/160 Super 8 for you.

 

haha funny story with that, my funslinger was stolen at one point and thats why I got the warlock. This past summer I was with my buddies headed to sonic and one jokingly said "Hey look, theres your board!" not knowing it was actually my board, as we drove past a pawn shop... I looked over and there she was! I was so stoked but I agree, they're practically the same board. My funslinger is more of my beater board between the two now.

I think Ill pick up the UR in a 158, I was on the fence between the 58 and 61 but I don't think I need that much board, especially with how stiff it already is.

If I were to pickup a second board this season I feel like it would probably be a sick stick. The super 8 seems pretty rad but I feel like it might overlap slightly with the UR as compared to a 151 sick stick which would just be a tree slayer. Thanks for your input it was exactly what I was looking for!

Also I've heard great things about the HK but it also falls into that category of overlap. Im coming to realize how fun it is to have boards for very specific conditions and Ive definitely got the park aspect covered for now.

How is the UR edge to edge? I demo'd a warpig last year and wasn't a huge fan. Partly because the bindings I demo'd with it were trash because I forgot mine at home. But it just seemed super slow edge to edge and it really turned me off to it, as I prefer a little more response.

 

Awesome you got the FS back!

I'd say the issue with the Warpig was the bindings. I own and ride a Warpig as my go to with Now Pilots. It's been too far apart for me to really do a comparison, but I'd say there shouldn't be much in it. Though, I've never been one to discern much difference in edge to edge response. I much prefer wide boards, and though I can tell when something is super quick edge to edge, I never really feel or notice other boards being 'slow'

Compared to your softer NS boards with rocker between the feet, it definitely won't feel as nimble. But as long as you can read terrain well, I doubt being a bit slower edge to edge will ever be an issue.