unists (Barry Dinglehopper) wrote in message ...
Im looking into buying a snowboard in the next few days. Ive been riding on and
off for a few years now and I would say I'm pretty decent. I want to get more
into park riding, but I would still like a board that can perfrom well on
downhill, in powder, etc... Right now im looking at burton's because i've
always known them to be some of the better boards. Anyone have any other ideas?
Im definitely getting strap-in bindings as clickins are a joke for freestyle
riding. Right now as far as
bindings go, im leaning toward the Burton "mission"'s. As for a deck and
boots, i'm not quite sure. What variables should I look for in a deck,
bindings, and boots? I've heard some talk about "flex", and I understand that
how much a board flexes has a bunch to do with its freestyle capabilities. All
in all, I am an intermediate rider looking to gain knowledge on riding before i
simmer down and buy a board soon. Do you guys know of any good deals on good
products lately?

Boots:
I recommend choosing boots first as if you're feet hurt, are too cold,
pinch, blister, etc... you aren't going to have fun. Find a boot that
fits you foot perfectly. Salomon boots are good for people with
narrower feet and have a great quick-cinch lace system. Vans boots
have the nice BOA cable system. Northwave boots are also good. I'm
currently trying out DCShoes boots which have an inflatabled liner...
they were super nice on rails and seemed ok in the pipe... but I want
a few more days before I make an opinion.

Bindings:
Good brands are Burton, Ride, Drake, Salomon and Flow. I rode the
Burton Missions 01-02 and they were a very nice bindings... except
they didn't fit my boots well... you actually might consider buying
the same brand bindings as your boots as they tend to fit better
together. I threw in Flow bindigns as they have the convenience of
step-ins, but work with regular boots. Personally I haven't tried them
myself as I'm leary of theri design... but a LOT of ppl like them a
lot... so I'm probably being superstitious. BTW... step in bindings
are not categorically bad for freestyle persay... but since there is a
limited boot selection... you might have better chances with straps.

Boards:
Sounds like you want a basic freeride/freestyle board for "power
freeriding" or "all-mountain freestyle." Think of it like on-road
performance SUVs for the "urban jungle."

Unless you are a total jibber, you probably want a medium/high
stiffness board (gives you much more stability at high speeds). You
want a shorter sidecut and a narrow waist to make you edge to edge
transitions quick so you can line up for a jump quickly. Don't go too
short on the edge because that will also affect stability at high
speeds. You will want a bit flex between the bindings for ollies.
However, in general flex pattern is a matter of preference, some
people like a stiff nose (front) section so they get good nollies and
feel for the snow... others like a softer nose the dampens out the
crud you blast through.

I've ridden the Salomon 450 (now called the Forecast) and liked it.
The Salomon Definition (550) might be a little too much for your
experience level right now although it is on sale at a lot of places
for 50% off. I've also ridden the Ride Timeless and it is a nice
board. I haven't actually ridden a Custom myself as I'm not a fan of
the boards, but a good friend of mine has one and he likes it and I
trust that it is a decent board (maybe overpriced). I remind you that
I might be a little anti-Burton and somewhat pro-Salomon at this time.
That might be due to the fact that I've had issues with Burton sales
reps before. This season I'm going to try out the Donek Incline and
see how it is (although it is more of a freeride board). Oh, I also
have a Neversummer Evo, which is a great park board... but really
crappy out of the park (Neversummer says it is for park/pipe *only*) -
so much so that I wouldn't recommend it unless you have two boards.