Mike,

I know you're looking for advice from customers, but I did want to let you
know that we have a mail order demo program which will allow you to try
before you buy. I don't have a lot of models available for demo, but from
what you've said, I probably have something that will work for your needs.
Give me a call.

I'm gone til Friday for SIA in Vegas, so give it a couple of days.

Sean Martin
Donek Snowboards Inc.

http://www.donek.com/
phone:877-53-DONEK

"Michael G. Matola" wrote in message
...
Yes, I've googled and read many posts to this board about Donek
snowboards.

My question is this: Would the Donek Incline be a suitable board for me as
a
relative beginner?

I just started riding in the past two weeks. I've gone 4 times (including
2
1-hour private lessons) and have made (what I think to be) pretty good
progress.

I think I'm enjoying the sport enough that it makes sense to get my own
equipment. Problem is I don't really seem to have much opportunity to demo
equipment before buying. None of the shops around here (southeastern
Michigan -- yes I've been learning on one of our local "is it slag pile or
landfill?" "mountains") offer rentals or have any sort of demo programs.
None of my friends do snowboarding, so there's not any opportunity for
trying stuff that way.

The shops around here seem to be in a major push the remaining merchandise
out the door because it's the end of the season mode. So I realize I could
pick up something cheap if I knew better what I was looking for. But I
don't
want to end up with cruddy equipment I'm going to want to replace in a
year.
Also, as someone new to the sport I just don't feel confident in my
ability
to judge equipment. I've tried to pay some attention to the feel of the
rental boards I've used, but so far it's been more about learning the
basic
skills of the sport rather than evaluating the performance of the
equipment.
I weigh 170 pounds and have had 4 different rental boards -- 155 cm, 158,
160, and 162. Frankly, I couldn't tell much difference at all between the
different boards I used because each time I went out I was getting better
and doing different things. Trying to make sense out of what the
salespeople
in the shops say is hard too -- I get into this mode I call "feature blur"
where they're talking on and on about all these minute and terribly
important distinctions that I have no way of understanding or appreciating
at this stage.

Anyhow, that's where this newsgroup comes in. Sounds like there a lot of
people here very satisfied with their Donek boards. So I wonder, does it
make sense for me to just get one of those too. My concern and reason for
posting is that I wonder wheter an Incline might be too "advanced" for me
at
this stage. So what do folks think? Is such a board suitable for someone
who's ridden only a few times but thinks he's making great progress? I'm
thinking I'll be able to go again maybe 10 more times this season. (Maybe
a
weekend or two to a bigger hill in northern Michigan or elsewhere, but
nowhere serious yet this season.) I'm not interested in the park or tricks
or stunts -- just cruising down the hill and learning to turn better and
having some fun.

Thanks for any input!

Mike Matola