Fast freeride?
 

Hi,

My trusty old Gnu Haulin' Oats doesn't have enough base left for another
grind, so I need to find a new board...

I want something suitable for aggressive freeride (that's such a bull****
term, but hey...), so it needs to be good in powder, fast carved turns on
hard pack - oh yeah I also have size 11 feet (tried a K2 recon riser and
still got toe/heel drag, so needs to be a bit wider) and I weigh 85kg's.

I've been riding for 15 years, and reckon I'm pretty OK, so I don't need a
particularly forgiving board. I kind of like Lib Tech, K2 and Palmer, but
I'd really welcome any suggestions!

Cheers

Ian

Fast freeride?
 

I want something suitable for aggressive freeride (that's such a bull****
term, but hey...), so it needs to be good in powder, fast carved turns on
hard pack - oh yeah I also have size 11 feet (tried a K2 recon riser and
still got toe/heel drag, so needs to be a bit wider) and I weigh 85kg's.

I've been riding for 15 years, and reckon I'm pretty OK, so I don't need a
particularly forgiving board. I kind of like Lib Tech, K2 and Palmer, but
I'd really welcome any suggestions!

Sounds like you're looking for something with excellent edge hold, and
reasonably stiff. I'm about the same weight as you and also consider myself
an "aggressive freerider" - carving, powder, steeps, trees, bumps... my
favorite soft-boot boards are the Doneks (www.donek.com). I've written much
about them on this newsgroup in the past, even to the point of being accused
of advertising for them. These days I ride hard boots for often than not
but when I'm on my soft boots it's on a Donek Wide. I highly recommend
these boards for anyone who wants a nice, stable ride with good edge grip
and prefers carving performance and speed to park and pipe.

I also have personal experience with some of the Salomom models from a few
years ago. They share many of the properties of the Doneks - especially
edge hold and stability - but they have a more synthetic feel, and IMHO a
less friendly flex to them. The current names for the models I liked are
the Fastback, Definition, and Forecast.

Based on hearsay, some other models that are worth looking into if you like
to ride the way I do:

Prior MFR
Rad-Air Tanker or LSD
Voelkl Downhell, Cross, or Coal
F2 Eliminator, Eliminator LTD

The latter 3 are hard to come by in the US. The Rad Air LSD is available
new as a Buy It Now on eBay as we speak:

http://stores.ebay.com/snowboardsand... playZ2QQtZkm

The Voelkls can be had he

http://www.oobsnowboards.com/oob_04_boards.htm

Prior's website:

http://www.priorsnowboards.com

Hope this helps,

Mike T

Fast freeride?
 

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 14:01:39 +0000, Mike T wrote:

I want something suitable for aggressive freeride (that's such a bull****
term, but hey...), so it needs to be good in powder, fast carved turns on
hard pack - oh yeah I also have size 11 feet (tried a K2 recon riser and
still got toe/heel drag, so needs to be a bit wider) and I weigh 85kg's.

I've been riding for 15 years, and reckon I'm pretty OK, so I don't need a
particularly forgiving board. I kind of like Lib Tech, K2 and Palmer, but
I'd really welcome any suggestions!

Sounds like you're looking for something with excellent edge hold, and
reasonably stiff. I'm about the same weight as you and also consider myself
an "aggressive freerider" - carving, powder, steeps, trees, bumps... my
favorite soft-boot boards are the Doneks (www.donek.com). I've written much
about them on this newsgroup in the past, even to the point of being accused
of advertising for them. These days I ride hard boots for often than not
but when I'm on my soft boots it's on a Donek Wide. I highly recommend
these boards for anyone who wants a nice, stable ride with good edge grip
and prefers carving performance and speed to park and pipe.

I also have personal experience with some of the Salomom models from a few
years ago. They share many of the properties of the Doneks - especially
edge hold and stability - but they have a more synthetic feel, and IMHO a
less friendly flex to them. The current names for the models I liked are
the Fastback, Definition, and Forecast.

Based on hearsay, some other models that are worth looking into if you like
to ride the way I do:

Prior MFR
Rad-Air Tanker or LSD
Voelkl Downhell, Cross, or Coal
F2 Eliminator, Eliminator LTD



Thanks Mike - I saw a downhell yesterday, and came really close to buying
it, although I reckon I'd still need a set of risers.

Fast freeride?
 

Sounds like you're looking for something with excellent edge hold, and
reasonably stiff. I'm about the same weight as you and also consider
myself
an "aggressive freerider" - carving, powder, steeps, trees, bumps... my
favorite soft-boot boards are the Doneks (www.donek.com).
Speaking of Donek, what's the score with their new board model(s)? I was
aware of a couple of names for it/them - Phoenix, I think? - but I haven't
heard anything for a while, and the website doesn't mention them.

Keith

Fast freeride?
 

Thanks Mike - I saw a downhell yesterday, and came really close to buying
it, although I reckon I'd still need a set of risers.

Give the Donek Sasquatch a looksie - 28 cm waist! They have an
all-inclusive price including shipping and duties for European customers.
(I failed to notice your .uk address the first time around - sorry)

Mike T

Fast freeride?
 

"Mike T" wrote in message news:7D8jc.42686
I want something suitable for aggressive freeride (that's such a bull****
term, but hey...), so it needs to be good in powder, fast carved turns on
hard pack - oh yeah I also have size 11 feet (tried a K2 recon riser and
still got toe/heel drag, so needs to be a bit wider) and I weigh 85kg's.

I've been riding for 15 years, and reckon I'm pretty OK, so I don't need a
particularly forgiving board. I kind of like Lib Tech, K2 and Palmer, but
I'd really welcome any suggestions!

Sounds like you're looking for something with excellent edge hold, and
reasonably stiff.

Donek
Salomon
Prior MFR
Rad-Air Tanker or LSD
Voelkl Downhell, Cross, or Coal
F2 Eliminator, Eliminator LTD

The latter 3 are hard to come by in the US. The Rad Air LSD is available
new as a Buy It Now on eBay as we speak:

Hey Mike, that's the same list I came up with, relatively stiff and a
longer than typical sidecut radius. All good boards with excellent
reputations. I'd add:

Nitro Torque
Steepwater Plow

I've ridden the Volkl Cross (167), Rad-Air Tanker (192), and the Prior
MFR (162 mine, 165 demo, 168 demo). The Prior is by far my favorite
(sold my Cross this season, will sell the Tanker when the snow flies
again). The Steepwater looks really nice; quite stiff judging by the
shop flex I did. I'd be concerned about support from the company as
they never responded to my inquiries about the boards. I've been
really tempted by the Rad-Air Project LSD on eBay, just can't justify
*another* board.

You're right about "hard to come by in the US", especially the Volkl
Cross (out of production).

It's pretty ironic that the smallest manufacturers in the list (Donek
& Prior) will be the easiest to actually buy.

Fast freeride?
 

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 15:05:04 +0000, Mike T wrote:


Thanks Mike - I saw a downhell yesterday, and came really close to buying
it, although I reckon I'd still need a set of risers.

Give the Donek Sasquatch a looksie - 28 cm waist! They have an
all-inclusive price including shipping and duties for European customers.
(I failed to notice your .uk address the first time around - sorry)

Mike T

I noticed the Sasquatch - that is a seriously wide board! My Haulin' Oats
is 27cm, and is just right even without risers. The Donek's do look easy
to buy, but I've never even seen one, nevermind tried one...

Fast freeride?
 

Hey Mike, that's the same list I came up with, relatively stiff and a
longer than typical sidecut radius. All good boards with excellent
reputations. I'd add:

Nitro Torque
Steepwater Plow

I've ridden the Volkl Cross (167), Rad-Air Tanker (192), and the Prior
MFR (162 mine, 165 demo, 168 demo). The Prior is by far my favorite

How much use has your MFR had? Would you consider it to be pretty robust?

Fast freeride?
 

Fast freeride?
 

On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 18:34:45 GMT, Ian
allegedly wrote:

I noticed the Sasquatch - that is a seriously wide board! My Haulin'
Oats is 27cm, and is just right even without risers. The Donek's do
look easy to buy, but I've never even seen one, nevermind tried one...

I'm on my second Sasquatch now, having moved from a Canyon. The extra
width works for me personally. They don't like the rocks much, and tend
to strip to the core easier than my other boards have done, but that's the
price you pay for a top performing board at an incredible price.

Where are you based Ian? Next time I go to a snowdome I could bring one
of them with me.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
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