Coiler SL C 165

[bigwavedave]

I was really missing having a short turny board since I sold my 163 SG. I told Bruce I wanted something similar, but with a near radial sidecut. Something for riding when space is tight or crowded, or when I just want to ride slower, like when visibility is bad with flat light.

We emailed back & forth over a couple of weeks discussing design variables─essentially Bruce educating me as to how (especially with a smaller board) all the variables (scr, taper, camber/decamber, relative stiffness between nose, mid and tail) affect each other and that it's a challenge to find the right balance between all these things for the board to ride well.  

Thinking about it later, I suppose I could have simply asked for an Angrry, but instead I asked for a short, turny board that would have similar qualities to the 179 REVelation (race-board inspired) he built for me a couple of years ago. Keep in mind that I wanted to start with a "race" board design because the conditions here in Minnesota are often hard like a race course, ie;  groomed hard pack snow (often man made),  not uncommonly with an underlying ice layer, and less commonly natural packed powder. This covers 90% of my riding.  

According to Bruce, since he wasn't working from a set pattern,  the final dimensions evolved on the bench.

It ended up being 165cm long; 20.3 waist; nose 27; tail 25.4; 1.6cm taper; 9-10m scr; ; built for a 185lb rider.

I've been riding this board a lot this season─sometimes all day, which is unusual for me, as I often like to switch boards to keep it interesting when riding at the local small hills.

This board is very well behaved. It will do sharp, whiplash-inducing turns or more drawn out across the hill, or quick slalom-like linked turns. I can get hypnotized by how it likes to do rhythmic medium sized turns, using half the width of the hill as my other boards, so it's always good to change it up.  It has enough camber and stiffness in the mid section to catch some air in transitions when you  want it. It's very smooth and quiet and absorbs terrain variations (like it's bigger brother) and has exceptional edge hold on ice.

Bruce has a gift! He has a knack for deducing from conversation about what you think you want and creating something you're sure to love...and thankfully he shares this gift with us all. Another very enjoyable board...

I like this view of the flex pattern...lots of camber under the feet, large decambered nose and slight decamber in the tail.

Edited January 29, 2018 by bigwavedave

[digger jr]

Nice Dave,

Ive been thinking about a board like this. I want something pretty turny to stay in a tight lane when it’s busy, but I don’t want to work my ass off either. Sounds like you can take it easy on it and still works good.

would you change anything? Have you ridden it in any softer type snow yet?

Edited January 27, 2018 by digger jr

[bigwavedave]

Hey Ron,

I have really enjoyed riding this board this year. It's been on almost exclusively groomed hills, anything from "Minnesota firm" (½" deep trenches) to "Aspen plush" (4-6" deep trenches) and it rides really smooth, even on the hard stuff when it's getting chopped up─surprising for a relatively short board.

My first day on it last spring was on a sheet of ice covered by 2" of groomed, loose sugar snow, and (careful to use my best technique) it held an edge like there was no ice.

It has a pretty wide nose and it seems to be soft enough to bend into a carve in soft snow. I would be more comfortable in really soft snow if the nose were not so blunt. I recently went over the nose on my Rev (similar blunt nose) when it drove into a soft spot, mid carve, and then came to a stop in a hard spot. I think a more rounded nose might ride up over those hidden hard spots.

It is a lot easier to ride than the SG163 full race, I think mainly because of the near radial sidecut, which makes it easier to complete turns. I like to take my time, doing "C" shaped turns, bleeding off speed─I know you like to relax a bit when you ride too Of course this board can change it up and do some nice quick linked slalom'y turns.

Not sure I would change anything. I have learned to trust that Bruce has the ability to deduce what board to build for you when you give him enough information about what conditions you mostly ride and what qualities you like about other boards you've ridden.

I wish I was able to try some of the different side cut variations he offered for this board, like the 8-10-9 for a bit turnier feel, but I went with what Bruce recommended (9-10), and it's pretty nice.  I can ride it all day without getting tired or bored.

Dave

 

Edited January 29, 2018 by bigwavedave

[AcousticBoarder]

Love that flex profile picture!

Have you by chance ridden a nirvana? How does it compare? I love mine but am also considering getting another board probably for next season for when it is crowded that is easier to ride.

[bigwavedave]

Acoustic,

I had a 174 Nirvana FC with p-tex top and 12-14scr. I loved it in soft snow in Aspen where I demoed one, but liked it less on the "Minnesota firm" back home. I prefered the more lively ride of the REV I also demoed and brought home that year. Bruce later told me the Nirvana FC was a more carve oriented version of his All-Mt board─very easy to ride, mellow and versatile.

This board, based off of Bruce's race board design, is a bit more lively than the Nirvana. Lively when you put the energy into it, yet very smooth and well behaved and great on everything from soft groom to hard pack and ice.  I feel like I can push it harder than the Nirvana and I like the way it responds─rocketing into a turn with smooth aggression. My larger version (the 179cm) has a very slight delay as it fully engages and rockets off into the turn─FUN!

Probably a small turny version of a Nirvana might be the ticket for the conditions at Mammoth. I'm imagining typically soft wet snow? At least that's what I've experienced on my few west coast trips, including Mammoth. Bruce would know what to build!

I've been very pleased with the results when I've let Bruce do his thing after telling him what I think I want from a board and in what conditions I want it to perform best.

Unfortunately, looks like Bruce's calendar is full for awhile, what with his upcoming knee surgery.

Dave

 

[AcousticBoarder]

Thanks for the info!

Yeah, wishing Bruce a safe and speedy recovery! I would be looking earliest end of this season, but probably next season anyway. The snow is usually on the softer side here for sure, but depending on weather, we can have some hard pack days too, especially as the wetter snow freezes over.

I also am thinking about something to push my riding a little more too. The Nirvana is awesome a lot of the time here, and has definitely helped me to nail down technique better, but a short turny board with some energy potential, that can still ride relaxed (both for how I ride and so that I am not overly nervous on crowded days), I think would be a fun next board with a good contrast to it. :)

[AJCdice]

I like that board.  Similar to mine.  I asked him for a SL/AM hybrid for crowded and crappy/variable NE conditions.  Mine is also 165, 20.5 cm waist, same 16mm taper, 8.8/10.8/9.8 and 7.1+ 5 for my weight.  I love the quick turn ability as you said, using half the width and it has great edge hold.  There are times I want it to accelerate a bit faster, but I always remind myself I have longer boards.

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2018 by AJCdice

[digger jr]

On 1/30/2018 at 11:29 AM, AJCdice said:

I like that board.  Similar to mine.  I asked him for a SL/AM hybrid for crowded and crappy/variable NE conditions.  Mine is also 165, 20.5 cm waist, same 16mm taper, 8.8/10.8/9.8 and 7.1+ 5 for my weight.  I love the quick turn ability as you said, using half the width and it has great edge hold.  There are times I want it to accelerate a bit faster, but I always remind myself I have longer boards.

 

 

 

So you would like a little more top end? When you get going too fast can you do a couple hard turns to slow down or do you find you have to skid off some speed?

Same question for you too Dave. Thanks for the response. 

Edited February 4, 2018 by digger jr

[bigwavedave]

I find it pretty easy to keep speed under control compared to the SG or Kessler SL boards. Easy to do nice round turns and bleed off speed or get bigger faster turns by not railing the board as hard, much like a single radius board.

I often had to skid to slow down on the SG & Kessler SL boards if I didn't stay on top of them (wt. forward). The faster they go, the more likely your balance gets back on the tail, and the faster they go.

So, I think the answer to your question is yes, it's pretty easy to kill speed with a big turn. Of course it all depends on the snow, like ice might be a different story, but you don't ride on ice, do you?

 

[AJCdice]

My reference to wanting it to go faster/top end is not so much when making turns on the "real" parts of the trail, but rather flying through flat areas or "places you might tuck" where on other boards, I feel I can sit back and blow by people/catch up to my group, etc... and track really straight.  I do realize it is only 165 and really tight, so you can't have everything.  :)

Edited to not "talk for Dave".  Sorry.

 

Edited February 5, 2018 by AJCdice

[bigwavedave]

2 hours ago, AJCdice said:

It is not hard as Dave said to control speed--doesn't have to be skidded off. 

I didn't say that.^

Can't say that mine is any more difficult or slower than any other carving board when riding flat and straight, but then straight line speed is not a quality I'm really looking for in a board.

 

[digger jr]

On 2/4/2018 at 3:23 PM, bigwavedave said:

 Of course it all depends on the snow, like ice might be a different story, but you don't ride on ice, do you?

 

I’d rather have ?  ? on ice. ?

Thanks for the comments.