Snow and ski - K-2 Access vs Burton Clash ?

On Feb 15, 8:32 pm, "Tony Baker" wrote:
Considering a new board , I currently ride a 146 Burton Motion , weigh about
160 , 5'5" or so tall . Looking for a new board to help making turns on blue
runs at speed .
Considering a Burton Clash 151 and a K-2 Access ( last years model ) 149 . I
have short legs , so I'm really not interested in a much longer board . Oh ,
I also have Van Boa Boots 8.5 US. and Drake bindings F-60 .
Any Ideas on either of these 2 boards ?

In reality, weight is more important than height for judging board
length. At 160 lbs, you are either going to need a stiffer board or go
longer (the same board model is made stiffer in longer lengths), even
if you are 5'5" and have short legs (I'm 5'9" and have only a 30"
inseam). With proper technique, length should in general be a trivial
(unless you do lots of a spins in the air, ride rails, or do a lot of
riding in the trees) compared to flex (softer is easier to start a
turn), sidecut (shorter is tighter turn) and taper (quicker release at
the end of the turn). That Burton Motion is WAY too short for you in
my opinion (my gf is 5'0" 100 lbs and she has ridden a 146 cm mens
rental board before).

If you want the Clash, the 151 is simply too soft for you (max
recommended weight is 140 lbs) it will overflex and flap under your
weight once you start to pick up speed on blue slopes. You should go
with the 155 if anything. Realize that that's only 4 cm (less than 2
inches) longer. Similarly my quick Google search of the K2 Access
would lead me to believe that at 149 would be proper for a freerider
who weighs about 110-120 lbs (much less than you) and you need to go
longer if you want chatter-free stability at speed.

Are you on a budget? (I noticed both the Clash and the Access are the
entry-level models - actually either might be a step down in quality
from the Motion, although they are newer and might have better
construction...) If you are then I suggest getting a board that is at
least 154 cm and if they have a recommended weight that you be 5 lbs
under the max weight. That's just my opinion, but you have got to
admit that if you are riding the same length board as a 100 lbs girl,
you might be riding the wrong board.

Good luck