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#1
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Yet Another Donek Question
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 |
#2
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Yet Another Donek Question
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 |
#3
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Yet Another Donek Question
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 I learned to snowboard on my donek wide 161. I don't think the board was any problem, in fact, I think it's been a big advantage. A more forgiving board would have been easier my first few days trying to link turns on blue slopes. However, the slight difference in flex and sidecut of the donek board compared to say a burton custom, really forced me to learn more polished technique. Once you get past the beginner stage, the difference in effort between a donek and something softer or with a tighter sidecut radius is really not a problem. As an intermediate, I definately liked the advantages the flex and sidecut gives you: stability and smoothness at higher speeds. |
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