[Etienne]

What's wrong with riding the Sickstick? If I hadn't bought my Pluv I would probably had gone for the 162 Sickstick... Love the sidecut on the First Call.

Absolutely nothing, quite the opposite, that's the point! It's my split so I don't ride it much in the resort, but I got the chance to again late march and it reminded me that a board that handle more mountain and is more reactive is quite enjoyable! I mean that WE we did 3/4 skinning uphills, icy off-piste, spring snow off-piste, carving groomers, wide-open face, trees, boardercross, a bit of shredding in the slush… and the Sickstick never disappointed.

Compared to the CR, yes the carves are not as beautiful, surfy and full of g-force (still no slouch in that department), yet it has both more playfulness and will handle more mountain and… yeah I really like that! So I was looking into keeping the CR soul, but with a bit more of that "spring" I find in the Sickstick. The CR can handle more than you would think by looking at it, but is not ideal in steeper more technical places sometimes (although as said, it could be the angle/stance and short tail I'm not used to).

 

[Snowdaddy]

Absolutely nothing, quite the opposite, that's the point! It's my split so I don't ride it much in the resort, but I got the chance to again late march and it reminded me that a board that handle more mountain and is more reactive is quite enjoyable! I mean that WE we did 3/4 skinning uphills, icy off-piste, spring snow off-piste, carving groomers, wide-open face, trees, boardercross, a bit of shredding in the slush… and the Sickstick never disappointed.

Compared to the CR, yes the carves are not as beautiful, surfy and full of g-force (still no slouch in that department), yet it has both more playfulness and will handle more mountain and… yeah I really like that! So I was looking into keeping the CR soul, but with a bit more of that "spring" I find in the Sickstick. The CR can handle more than you would think by looking at it, but is not ideal in steeper more technical places sometimes (although as said, it could be the angle/stance and short tail I'm not used to).

By the video you posted of you riding the CR I'd say if that's the kind of riding you like, then the Buteo would absolutely work. Size depending on weight. I weigh 100kg and ride the 162. it's excellent and confidence inspiring in carving. Edge grip is really nice. The tail grip on the Buteo is certainly very good and the board is super stable on edge.

I just haven't ridden it enough to say it's good in technical steeps. I would totally assume it is since it's made for freeriding and the guys designing it are professional level riders and ride real backcountry.

But it's a very different ride from the Pencil plus. For more powder oriented or playful riding I would pick the Pencil plus. Free riding in various conditions and high speed carving it would be the Buteo 162. If I could have only one board for carving and powder I would pick Buteo over the Pencil. I'm sure lots of people would disagree, but for me the Buteo is like a mix between the Bullet Train and the Pencil.

It's difficult giving good advice when you're a fan boy like me. I love both Korua and Tur and maybe not always objective enough. If you get a Tur, odds are that no one else would have one where you ride

 

[MrDavey2Shoes]

It won't be my only board and I'm not looking for a full-on FWT deck, but riding in the Alps I come across a lot of things in the same day/half day and I just won't pass on a good off-piste if it's on the way. I am super glad with surfy/turny style of the CR, I want to keep that kind of board. Just riding my Sickstick in and around the resort reminded me that it would be lovely if I could have a CR that can handle just a bit more mountain and be a bit more lively. (Which could be a Tur Buteo you mention a lot!)

Simple Pleasures 156. Less aggressive than my CR 159 but way more versatile. You give up maybe 10-15% on the upper end of aggression but gain so much more versatility.

 

[Etienne]

Well thanks for the inputs, food for thought for next season…SP/NP were definitely on my list when buying the CR and seem to have that "soul" I want to keep. Whatever deck it is, I'll probably keep both for a while and round out the quiver later (I know, that means never…).

It's difficult giving good advice when you're a fan boy like me. I love both Korua and Tur and maybe not always objective enough. If you get a Tur, odds are that no one else would have one where you ride

Yeah I'm a fanboy too, there's a lot I love about this board, that's why I try to convince mysefl to try another Korua. And only saw two other Koruas this season (a TF and a Dart)… but at least ten people asked me "Is that a Korua?".

 

[Eric L]

Simple Pleasures 156. Less aggressive than my CR 159 but way more versatile. You give up maybe 10-15% on the upper end of aggression but gain so much more versatility.

Wich one float better in pow ?

 

[Snowdaddy]

Yeah I'm a fanboy too, there's a lot I love about this board, that's why I try to convince mysefl to try another Korua. And only saw two other Koruas this season (a TF and a Dart)… but at least ten people asked me "Is that a Korua?".

How different is the Pencil 164 classic going to from the Cafe Racer 159 though? 5 cm is basically the fins on the Pencil's tail. Unless the core is different I don't see how much difference the tail can make. Maybe the very slight nose rocker makes a difference. On the plus model you can quite clearly see where the core ends and excess material continues in the tail. At least on my year's model. I suppose the nose rocker makes for a slightly calmer turn initiation. I wonder if the tail rocker is different between Pencil and Cafe Racer?

Decided to weigh the camber on the Pencil plus and snap pictures of the profile. Took some of the Buteo 162 as a comparison.

 

[Etienne]

Thanks for the pics! Yeah, that's a lot more tail than the CR (which is very close to the Buteo shapewise, but insert are much way back I think)… but after the contact point anyways? And sure, the specs are close enough between the CR and the Pencil… but at the same time I don't want to move too much form the CR either, maybe a bit more tail and a bit more rocker are just what I'm looking for. Or maybe it's Souly Grail/Niseko Pleasure/Tur (for different reasons…).

Time to think… I have till November! Also I have to really consider the fact that riding +/+ on short tailed board was new for me and that I encoured super treacherous snow anyways. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by how easy it is to charge the whole mountain with the Slash Straight and expect every board to be same, while it's an outlier. It's easy to blame the board, but problem is often above the boots 😅

 

[MrDavey2Shoes]

How different is the Pencil 164 classic going to from the Cafe Racer 159 though? 5 cm is basically the fins on the Pencil's tail. Unless the core is different I don't see how much difference the tail can make. Maybe the very slight nose rocker makes a difference. On the plus model you can quite clearly see where the core ends and excess material continues in the tail. At least on my year's model. I suppose the nose rocker makes for a slightly calmer turn initiation. I wonder if the tail rocker is different between Pencil and Cafe Racer?

Decided to weigh the camber on the Pencil plus and snap pictures of the profile. Took some of the Buteo 162 as a comparison.

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A 164 Pencil for example is the same as a 159 CR in the specs that count, so going from one to the other within the same size should be a pretty noticeable difference.

@Eric L the Simple pleasures will float better. It’s wider and has rocker in the nose and tail

 

[Snowdaddy]

A 164 Pencil for example is the same as a 159 CR in the specs that count, so going from one to the other within the same size should be a pretty noticeable difference.

@Eric L the Simple pleasures will float better. It’s wider and has rocker in the nose and tail

Yes, so tail shape wouldn’t do anything on piste or hard snow. There’s no extra length in the board other than the fins maybe provide a very slight steering effect in powder. And unless the core material is actually different I don see how much different the torsional flex can be in the tail. The swallow tail adds material, not like in the Dart where material is removed.

I assumed we were talking about the CR 159 and Pencil 164.

The new TF has less taper btw.

 

[Etienne]

Yes, so tail shape wouldn’t do anything on piste or hard snow. There’s no extra length in the board other than the fins maybe provide a very slight steering effect in powder. And unless the core material is actually different I don see how much different the torsional flex can be in the tail. The swallow tail adds material, not like in the Dart where material is removed.

I assumed we were talking about the CR 159 and Pencil 164.

On paper, I would think the same…

Someone mentionned sizing up on the Café Racer too. That's totally an option. More stance, more tail, less taper, but same board…

 

[Snowdaddy]

On paper, I would think the same…

Someone mentionned sizing up on the Café Racer too. That's totally an option. More stance, more tail, less taper, but same board…

... more clunk and less liveliness?

 

[Etienne]

That too 😅

 

[MrDavey2Shoes]

@Snowdaddy if comparing a CR to the next size up Pencil there should be no difference in flex if comparing a CR to the same size Pencil the CR will be stiffer and ride bigger

 

[Yeahti87]

Rode the Pencil 164 and Cafe 159 on the same day. The difference is barely noticeable. At somepoint owned both CR 159 and 164, rode both for the whole day to test them and the difference is huge. Almost like another model from Korua with their DNA in there.

 

[Etienne]

Rode the Pencil 164 and Cafe 159 on the same day. The difference is barely noticeable. At somepoint owned both CR 159 and 164, rode both for the whole day to test them and the difference is huge. Almost like another model from Korua with their DNA in there.

Confirms the specs then. Then I totally pass on the cheap 64 Pencil! Thanks the input

 

[Winterzahn]

Last turns of the season on the CR... See you next year! A board that has its short comings, but hands down the most influential I've ever ridden!

(Haven't looked at myself riding for like 15 years… it's painful as ever 😅 ).

Have recently ridden the Cafe Racer as well.
It carved well, but nothing exeptional outstanding. In direct comparison CR 164 versus Ride Mtnpig 164W the Cafe racer at same day had similarities but it carved a bit worse than Mtnpig. The Mntpig was more stable and more agile while providing more edge hold. From flex/stiffness both felt about the same.

Have also ridden the Dart, the Dart can be pressed into a circle carve, eurocarves both can do, CR and Dart. With same effective edge the Dart is shorter and feels a bit more agile, but also a bit less stable in tricky conditions.

Tranny Finder and Bullet Train are two boards I want to test as well. For the Bullet Train I expect it to be a top carving reference for soft boot carving and being better than the Mtnpig. The CR 164 disappointed a bit compared to the Mtnpig, was probably also having too high expectations due to some Carving Hype reviews.

Did anyone recently compare one of the Capita BSOD wide boards with CR or other Korua boards in general?

spec wise from effective edge the BSOD looks promising. But stil having time until I retire my old Mtnpig.

btw Rome Stalefish is also a nice board when you look into Carving and Powder. Carves a bit less precise than the Korua Dart, but is a lot of fun to carve and has a wider warning range before it throws you off. Dart has a narrow limit range at high speed, less warnings, it might you throw off out of nothing. Never.the less in good carving conditions I liked the Dart a lot

 

[Etienne]

I don't know for eurocarves, I hardly do any except fire the gimmick once in a while, but for cruising the Café Racer (and I expect all Korua) really has an incredible flow and beautiful trajectories.

It's not that it grips better, is more precise or charges harder than my other boards-my Straight or a BSOD are just way better for all that. But I ride the mountain so differently with it, in the good conditions it's utterly satisfying. Hence my wish to have to have the same but more versatile and make it a daily driver... But that might just not be possible and I should just keep it for the perfect days (Or change for one of suggested boards... We'll see)

Envoyé de mon H8324 en utilisant Tapatalk

 

[MrDavey2Shoes]

@Etienne im thinking about trying to consolidate my daily driver (Tom Sims pro) which carves amazing for a traditional snowboard and my Cafe Racer into one board. Looking at the K2 Instrument, Nerd Super Position and Korua Otto right now. I’m hoping to strike the middle ground between usability and flowing turns on edge. Probably adding a Moss to the quiver too.

 

[Snowdaddy]

I keep coming back to the Pencil plus. This season I rode it once. I took it out because I needed a board that would be nice going fast in powder and also do some higher speed carving. It was an absolute blast. The thing with the Pencil isn't the awesome edge grip, but it has enough grip.

It's not a board you can just lay over and expect it to just hold on. At least not at my weight. It's the same with the Tranny Finder ofc. It is, however, one of the most fun boards to carve on that I have tried. It's not the most stable and easiest ride though. You can't even compare them with the Bullet Train. The Bullet Train has a lot more edge and has a lot more tail grip. Easier sidecut and much more stability.

The Pencil plus is sometimes like riding a stampeding Spitfire.

 

[Etienne]

@Etienne im thinking about trying to consolidate my daily driver (Tom Sims pro) which carves amazing for a traditional snowboard and my Cafe Racer into one board. Looking at the K2 Instrument, Nerd Super Position and Korua Otto right now. I’m hoping to strike the middle ground between usability and flowing turns on edge. Probably adding a Moss to the quiver too.

That's a what I'm debating too and definitely looking at the same boards (also the Slash Vertical, amplid Souly Grail and the ones I mentionned above). The other option is too keep the CR for good "CR days", ride it a bit less often and change my freestyle board (Asymulator) for something more backountry… Time to think.