Did I order a good Board? (Why people take too short boards?)

I've just ordered a Nitro Atlas 164 for 400?.
On the Nitro site they say it's for 155+ lbs.
I'm 165 lbs 6'2'' and with shoe size 12 and with all the gear I weight
170-175 lbs.
I will us this board for freeriding, powder and the occasional jumps (I've
been boarding for 5 years) .
When I was looking for the board and compared the specs on the various
brands I noticed that for my weight they all reccomanded 162-168 boards
(freeride boards), but when I was looking a little at the forums and what
people say I noticed that people use 155-158 boards for my weight. On the
weight specifications of 155 freeride board it says that it is from 90 - 135
lbs.
Now I don't understand did I take a too long board? Why do people take a
board that is made for less weght?

Korisnik wrote:
Now I don't understand did I take a too long board?

I don't think so.

Why do people take a board that is made for less weght?

They're afraid a longer board will be too much for them, or they think
they will spend a lot of time in the park, or long boards just aren't
fashionable - lots of reasons. Mostly people just haven't got a clue
about equipment.

Neil

Now I don't understand did I take a too long board?

Sounds about right to me. I have the same build (6'1", 165lbs, size
11) and do the same type of riding as you, and my primary board is
163cm (can't be too much difference between yours and mine). I'm even
thinking about getting a slightly longer board whenever I buy my next
one.

Eric

Korisnik wrote:
I've just ordered a Nitro Atlas 164 for 400?.
On the Nitro site they say it's for 155+ lbs.
I'm 165 lbs 6'2'' and with shoe size 12 and with all the gear I
weight
170-175 lbs.
I will us this board for freeriding, powder and the occasional jumps
(I've
been boarding for 5 years) .
When I was looking for the board and compared the specs on the
various
brands I noticed that for my weight they all reccomanded 162-168
boards
(freeride boards), but when I was looking a little at the forums and
what
people say I noticed that people use 155-158 boards for my weight. On
the
weight specifications of 155 freeride board it says that it is from
90 - 135
lbs.
Now I don't understand did I take a too long board? Why do people
take a
board that is made for less weght?

I would have recommended a board in the 157-160 range for you. The
important thing to know is that stiffness is often as important as
length in deciding if a board is too long or too short for someone at a
particular height and weight and ability level. A stiff board will in
general be stable at higher speeds, but will feel sluggish or unwieldy
when you are just cruising around because you cannot properly flex it.
A board that is too soft will be really easy to turn, but not be stable
at higher speeds (hence why beginners or people in general go for
shorter boards). That being said, higher end boards tend to try to do
both - give you stability and edge hold at higher speeds without losing
slower speed performance.

Different board manufacturers have different weight ranges for a
particular length. So a softer line of boards can be ridden at longer
lengths for a particular height (in general longer boards tend to be
stiffer). For instance Burton's Custom 154 cm is designed for 135-165
lbs. This also reflect the usage the board was meant for... a park
board should be ridden by a heavier rider since you need to be able to
manipulate the flex in certain ways when you do freestyle tricks. I'll
quote Donek master boardmaker Sean Martin he

=========
I weight about 180 to 185 and usually ride the 160 incline, but used to
spend a lot more time on the 155. Because of the stiffness of the
incline, it can be
ridden by a wide range of weights. A persons weight will often dictate
it's
functionality. A 200 lb rider might find the 160 incline very usefull
in
the park, while a 160 lb rider wouldn't. The phoenix has a softer flex
that
is closer to most other freeride/freestyle boards. I probably wouldn't
put
a 200 lb rider on a 160 phoenix unless he was used to riding a board
that
size that was similar in flex and wanted to stay there. I really hate
putting hard and fast rules regarding anything on the board as everyone
has
a unique situation.
=========

So it really depends on what type of riding you plan to do in addition
to your weight, height, and ability level for instance... I'm 5'8" 155
lbs and I ride a Donek Incline 155 a carving/freeride board (while Sean
Martin rides a 155 almost as park board). While the board is excellent
on groomers and even for straight airs in the park and pipe, because of
it's stiffness I find it not to be as versatile for spins, trees or
moguls. However, a person at your weight will find the same size board
would be great for trees and spins in the park. It really depends on
the type of rider you are and what you want to do.

"Korisnik" wrote

I've just ordered a Nitro Atlas 164 for 400?.
On the Nitro site they say it's for 155+ lbs.
I'm 165 lbs 6'2'' and with shoe size 12 and with all the gear I weight 170-175 lbs.
I will us this board for freeriding, powder and the occasional jumps (I've been boarding for 5 years) .

I'm 145lbs 5'11" and I'm now on a Nitro Saber 162. Love it, esp. for
the price - $130 brand new