FR vs FS Am I Correct...

As a new rider I am about to buy my first board. I am in a toss up
between a freeride and freestyle. I don't really plan on hitting the
pipe at all. Maybe the odd time for kicks. I plan on going down the
mt. mainly. I DO HOWEVER want to be able to get little air here and
their and also do some jumps.

I am looking at a Sims FR and FS 600 board. If I bought the Sims FREE
RIDE board would it be able to take jumps (AND NOT BUST UP) ? The
store is selling off a few older models and the FS is 156cm and FR is
157. IM 195lbs and 5'10ish and have size 10foot.

Would going with the 157 FR board be my best option?

Thanks for your advice ahead.
John

Generally speaking, freeride boards are meant for jumps just as much as
freestyle boards. As a beginner you'd probably be hard pressed to tell
the difference between them without all the marketing hype. Since I
don't know the Sims line, I can't even tell you what the difference
betwwen the two boards is, except for 1 cm in length. In general a
freeride board will be a bit more directional, a bit longer, and a bit
more stable at speed than a freestyle board. Of course, a freestyle
board from manufacturer A might be longer, more directional, and more
stable than a freeride board from manufacturer B - it can all be very
confusing.

Just stay away from alpine (skinny, stiff, must use hard boots) and
boardercross boards (very stiff freeride boards, short tails,
essentially a freeride board with some Alpine characteristics) and
you're all set.

BTW if you're 195 pounds most manufacturers' 156-157's might be a little
flexy for you. Maybe look in the low 160's? (Again, everything varies
by make and model, but the vast majority of 167-157's might be too
flexy) I'm 190 and my *shortest* board out of 6 is a 161.

Mike T

157 or 160 would the 3cm make that big of a diff? also would it not
be easier to turn on a bit shorter board?

thanks for your reply mike
john

"Mike T" wrote in message ...
Generally speaking, freeride boards are meant for jumps just as much as
freestyle boards. As a beginner you'd probably be hard pressed to tell
the difference between them without all the marketing hype. Since I
don't know the Sims line, I can't even tell you what the difference
betwwen the two boards is, except for 1 cm in length. In general a
freeride board will be a bit more directional, a bit longer, and a bit
more stable at speed than a freestyle board. Of course, a freestyle
board from manufacturer A might be longer, more directional, and more
stable than a freeride board from manufacturer B - it can all be very
confusing.

Just stay away from alpine (skinny, stiff, must use hard boots) and
boardercross boards (very stiff freeride boards, short tails,
essentially a freeride board with some Alpine characteristics) and
you're all set.

BTW if you're 195 pounds most manufacturers' 156-157's might be a little
flexy for you. Maybe look in the low 160's? (Again, everything varies
by make and model, but the vast majority of 167-157's might be too
flexy) I'm 190 and my *shortest* board out of 6 is a 161.

Mike T

157 or 160 would the 3cm make that big of a diff? also would it not
be easier to turn on a bit shorter board?

It's not really the 3 - 6 cm of length that makes such a big
difference. It's all about finding a board that is designed for your
body weight. Like I said, the same size in different models will be
ideal for different sized people... but the vast majority of 157's on
the market will be a bit too flexy for a 195 pound person. A 162 in the
same model might be designed for someone 30 pounds heavier.

Yes, it's easier to make tight turns on a shorter board in general...
although board length is just one of many factors. A tighter turning
board will be less stable when you get going fast though, and as a
heavier rider that effect will be more pronounced.

Mike T