Donek Proteus

[b0ardski]

Got to demo a 170 proteus at NICE yesterday(thanks for sending the demos Sean:biggthump). with 11m scr it feels like a slalom with lots of spring in the tail which I love. the snow was a bit soft for it so I dug in the nose a couple times but a175 under my 200# would have been better. I'll post more after riding it again today.

Edited February 24, 2012 by b0ardski

[Corey]

I got a few runs in on the 180 Proteus at SES. I loved that board! (I'm 205 lbs and love to bend boards into tighter turns) It has that old-school pop out of the turns. Sean described it well when he said that it demands rider input, but it gives back as much as it takes. It's a snappy board that somehow still has some of the metal dampness. It felt like an old-school fiberglass board that grips like a metal board. The first thing I noticed was how the stance is centered along the running length, not set back like most modern race-based boards. The nose seems really short when looking down, but I sure didn't notice that while riding it. The board is dense though, much heavier than I expected for it's size.

My plan was to win a Donek at the SES banquet and get one of those, but that didn't work out. ;)

[b0ardski]

me got heap big smile

170 is not my long board but the tail of the snake would not let go. We had premium coldified cordoroy in the sun for early loads at NICE and Sean's little race bred with 11m scr would hold whatever size of turn I asked of it. highly reccomended for short quick narrow trail turns (if your on it)or ride that tail for run wide gs turns.

I even did some wind-pow zipper lines on it:eplus2:

ride the snake

Edited February 24, 2012 by b0ardski

[EZE]

I bought the last prototype(before production) Proteus 180 at Sean's demo sale this summer. I was expecting the ride you folks have described,

but very unfortunately my meager 155# frame cannot bend this board. I have had to adjust my stance to as forward as possible just to be able to get it to engage.

I bought this for 600+ shipping. If anyone wants this please make me a reasonable offer, only riden 3 times and not very long. Would be looking to trade for newer set of TD3.

EZE

[big mario]

I bought the last prototype(before production) Proteus 180 at Sean's demo sale this summer. I was expecting the ride you folks have described,

but very unfortunately my meager 155# frame cannot bend this board. I have had to adjust my stance to as forward as possible just to be able to get it to engage.

I bought this for 600+ shipping. If anyone wants this please make me a reasonable offer, only riden 3 times and not very long. Would be looking to trade for newer set of TD3.

EZE

Very interested, I have a profit sharing meeting next wed and I will let you knowfor certain, but I am thinking the cost of new td3's/shipping to you, I cover shipping the board to denver

mario

Edited February 25, 2012 by big mario

[powdahbonz]

EZE- If mario opts out, let me know...I did not get to ride the 180 Proteus at ECES before the powder came...I rode the 185 FC Metal 12-16 scr and the 179 Carbon FC 18 waist with 12-14scr....I think the Proteus is probably the blend I'm looking for. Thanks

[big mario]

EZE- If mario opts out, let me know...I did not get to ride the 180 Proteus at ECES before the powder came...I rode the 185 FC Metal 12-16 scr and the 179 Carbon FC 18 waist with 12-14scr....I think the Proteus is probably the blend I'm looking for. Thanks

I am out, just put 4 g's into my ride, not by choice. Just paid the damn thing off last week. Figures

mario

[Jonny]

EZE- If mario opts out, let me know...I did not get to ride the 180 Proteus at ECES before the powder came...I rode the 185 FC Metal 12-16 scr and the 179 Carbon FC 18 waist with 12-14scr....I think the Proteus is probably the blend I'm looking for. Thanks

I rode both those boards also - see my writeup in the Community thread. Proteus imo rides much more like the Carbon 179 than like the 185FC, except Proteus 180 is less demanding and less lively from the back foot to the tail. Slightly smoother as well, but not much. MUCH more prone to finish the turn than either of the other boards.

[EZE]

Sorry, sick fam and a tradeshow. Board went to Corey_dyck last week.

EZE

[powdahbonz]

Thanks-that's what I was looking for in feedback..sounds like I know where I'm heading next

[leeho730]

This board gives me pop as well as some serious g force. Sean is absolutely right when he said that this board is for expert riders. For an intermediate rider like me this board, if I don't pop it at the edge change (which doesn't happen as often as I like on steep slopes), will build some massive g force to the point of feeling pressure in my head. Hard to bend, but will store the energy and then throw (or try to) everything back. Quite different from docile animal that was MFC. Definitely an interesting board, another keeper from Donek. Will try to get more from this board next season, may have to resort to plate to tame this beast.

[Jonny]

This board gives me pop as well as some serious g force. Sean is absolutely right when he said that this board is for expert riders. For an intermediate rider like me this board, if I don't pop it at the edge change (which doesn't happen as often as I like on steep slopes), will build some massive g force to the point of feeling pressure in my head. Hard to bend, but will store the energy and then throw (or try to) everything back. Quite different from docile animal that was MFC. Definitely an interesting board, another keeper from Donek. Will try to get more from this board next season, may have to resort to plate to tame this beast.

Good move, but if by chance you decide to drop down to something looser in stiffness do let me know and if it's the 180 I'll likely take it off your hands. I loved the one at ECES and will be ordering one like it once I have the funds set aside. At my weight (220) it's actually really smooth all the way through the turn, and the huge pop some riders have experienced is much less pronounced for me. I actually found the 170 to have more bounce at transition.

[leeho730]

Good move, but if by chance you decide to drop down to something looser in stiffness do let me know and if it's the 180 I'll likely take it off your hands. I loved the one at ECES and will be ordering one like it once I have the funds set aside. At my weight (220) it's actually really smooth all the way through the turn, and the huge pop some riders have experienced is much less pronounced for me. I actually found the 170 to have more bounce at transition.

Sorry to disappoint you but it's 170. At my weight (150lbs) it's hard to bend but not impossible. And I did say to Sean that I was an intermediate rider when i ordered the board. God knows what kind of flex Sean has in mind for better and heavier riders than me....

[lonbordin]

I bought the demo 170 Proteus from the Donek sale at the end of last season. It's been my primary board this season when conditions permit and it's been my primary board I've used through the gates when racing NASTAR. My review is long overdue.

This is my first modern decambered nose metal board.

I'm a larger guy 6'4" 245 lbs. (1.94m 111kg).

I ride with a Bomber 4mm plate and CATEK OS1's.

I wear 29.5's (Indy's) and ride with 57 front and 54 rear (in soft snow my rear toe grazes the topmost snow while in full carve).

If I'm not in the race course I'm facing very challenging conditions at my local bump (Soft snow, no groom, bumpy, choppy, icy, crap, Crap I said.)

My times are the lowest they've ever been.

The board seems capable of both tight turns and larger GS turns.

I'm confident in challenging whatever is thrown my way.

It just flows with power from turn to turn.

It's hard to believe it's a 11m SCR and not a VSR. Cross-unders are completely fun, even with the weight of the plate.

If I had magic powers I'd make the board wider (21-22cm) so I could run lower stance angles and up the SCR with a wee bit of VSR so it runs with the fall line through the gates. But then it would be a REV wannabe or some such. If it was that wide it would be my quiver killer. I'd own the Proteus and a race board and that would be it.

If I lived somewhere where it's colder and I didn't have such a thing for racing I'd leave it as is (OK, I'd make it a wee bit wider (20.5cm or so))...

Conditions at my local bump are more snow cone (think warm) than hero snow and so I'm not able to ride it all the time... which sucks as it is awesome. I'm so happy when I do get to ride it.

Sean has done a great job engineering the Proteus series.

[Corey]

Digging this one out of the archives.  I just had my first day on a 170 Donek Proteus that I bought from the classifieds here this past spring/summer.  I fell in love with it's big brother (180) a few years ago.  It's a great board but has too much overlap with other boards I own so it might be up for sale soon. But the 170 fits in a nice gap in my quiver between a 167 Coiler XT AM board and the 175+ boards.  

 

Snow: Decent hardpack manmade groom, but with numerous height changes.  A few soft spots.  No ice to be found.  

Me: 210 lbs, like stiffer boards in general, like putting a lot of energy into the board to decamber it into tighter arcs.  

 

The 170 Proteus delivers exactly as expected - lots of pop and excitement, and it is surprisingly eager to do a variety of turn shapes despite the single-radius sidecut.  It was very fun changing between this board and a 160 Coiler Angry at a tiny ski hill.  Both boards reward you with lots of energy back at the end of the turn.  The Proteus makes slightly bigger turns but gives more of a kick at the end of the turn.  As stated above, the Proteus feels heavy even in a 19cm waist width.  I'd like to try a wider one, but worry that some of that rapid edge-to-edge change magic would be numbed by extra width.  

 

My 170 is quite stiff - about perfect for me at 210 lbs and aggressive.  I suspect someone much lighter would struggle to bend it into an arc.  Get Donek to soften the flex a bit if you're less gravitationally-blessed than me.  

 

It almost stopped turning in the really soft spots.  Luckily these spots were small.  The core at the tip/tail is easily 50% thicker than the 160 Coiler Angry and even my stiff 182 NSR board.  Maybe that's what adds this behavior as well as the excitement on hardpack?  I did not get to ride it on any ice/firm so I can't comment on that.  

 

All in all, I continue to be impressed with the Proteus line!  In contrast to the modern race boards that can feel a little numb, the Proteus has a little something special that makes you smile.  You're kind of flirting with danger with this board.  Not in a terrible way, but it's eager to turn hard under you and toss you over the highside if you're sloppy.  At the same time, it rewards you greatly when you treat it with respect.  It's filled a need I didn't know I had.  Nice work Sean!  

[workshop7]

My main ride since 2008 has been a Donek FC2 179 19.5 wide 11 scr. The stance on this board was set very far forward, more so than any board I have riden before or since. This made the tail of the board wider than usual and as a result it was extremely lively, so much fun to ride but exhausting. If you don't pay attention, it's going to throw you off. I love this board, its edge hold is awesome.

Last spring, I got in touch with Sean for something new. He suggested a Proteus 180. I bought one with all stock specs. I put in 15 solid days on it this year. I am 6' and 210 lbs. I ride TD3, 3 front & 6 rear can't discs in line with the binding angles. So, all heel lift on the back foot and mostly toe lift (with a bit of inward can't) on the front foot. 58/54 and 20.5".

This board is a beast. So much more damp than the FC2. The first day was spent getting used to it. After that the board just did whatever I wanted it to do. If I want to ride relaxed, no problem. If I want to get aggressive or push it on steep trails, it really comes to life. It may be damp but if I get back on the tail it'll pop. Edge hold is fantastic. It has certainly become one of my favorite rides.

Edited April 23, 2016 by workshop7

[workshop7]

 

Before I get into this review, here are my updated specs.

Stance width: 20.5"

TD3 Standard

Front foot: 6* toe lift set in line with binding at 58*

Back foot: 6* heel lift set in line with binding at 54*

Blue elastomers

I'm still 6 feet tall but my weight is now 195

The board is a stock dimension 180 Proteus

 

I have been on the MK all season with two exceptions - anytime I spent on soft boots (which wasn't much) and one day last week on my FC2 with PSR.  I have not been on my Proteus since last season.  This past Monday I went to my local hill and took only the Proteus.  It was a perfect day - four days after a storm that dropped 16", 25 degrees when I arrived, firmly packed powder that had been groomed the night before and no one on the mountain.  

I took one run on a blue to warm up the legs and get a feel for the board again.  I then took to my favorite black trail.  It took me some time on this trail to dial in my technique.  After so much time on the MK this year it was refreshing to be on a board that gave me the time in each turn to control rather than react.  It took 3-4 runs but once I had adjusted my technique to the Proteus I found myself whooping out loud at the bottom of the steeps.  I had forgotten how smooth, stable and predictable this deck is.  I was dragging my hips on both toeside and heelside turns.  Again, after getting used to the MK, being on the Proteus was like sitting in a comfortable easy chair while in the middle of the turns.  My speed was high but it didn't feel that way.  Everything slows down and you feel that you have forever to move and adjust your body for the most efficient carve.  

I am sure that there were many factors involved in this day's success.  Consistent snow and groom and time spent with a great coach less than a week before were a few of them.  However, I truly believe that the Donek 180 Proteus was the most significant variable involved with the turns I made on Monday.  I have never, not in my 27 years on hardboots, had that many runs in a row in which I made consecutive turns that I would consider near perfect.  It was one of those days in which I felt like an outside observer, watching someone else rip up the trail.

The 180 Proteus is my favorite board...again.

Edited March 22, 2017 by workshop7

[Corey]

59 minutes ago, workshop7 said:

It was one of those days in which I felt like an outside observer, watching someone else rip up the trail.

Nice!  Sounds magical.  

[Jonny]

Two days in on my new, old stock Proteus 180 (I snagged it during the BoL sale) and my level of stoke is matched only by the pain in my thighs and left (front) buttock. I fell in love with the design during the 2012 ECES and my impressions then have been confirmed - it's just so smooth, solid and powerful, with outstanding pop out of the turn and it just pretty much ignores ice. I think Sean now ships these all tuned up but this one is older - serial 3907 - and the board came with nice base structure but no bevel. I spent some pleasurable time getting it to 1° Base 2° side with no de-tune. Used a Ray's Way tool to wax it but I think I'll have to hot wax also which always scares me a little, even with the bindings removed.

First day was a  bit of a struggle inasmuch as I've hardly been on snow at all since 2012 (took a job in Florida) and no part of my body was in proper carving condition. So although the board was doing everything it ought to have done, it was mostly just overpowering me - big fast turns which I couldn't tighten so I was constantly doing little speed-checking skids just to stay on the trail. Even so, the board held in crunchy conditions where other boards would have sent me sliding. I had set up just as I had with my old Coiler Racecarve 180 - 19 5/8", 63/60 with toe/heel lift and a little inward cant -  but I did a little stance tweaking towards the end of the day and then after some hard thinking and reference to many of your posts (Thanks Workshop7, Beckmann, Michaud et al...) I went wider and shallower than before so I'm now around 20 1/4" and 60/57, still more or less centered on the inserts but with my back foot slid back towards heel side just a bit.

The difference was kind of amazing. The stance feels awkward on the carpet but much more natural on snow, with much more power available to me and much more control over the tightness of the turn. The board responds instantly to almost any degree of tilt and if I do still need to tighten mid-turn I can stand hard on my back foot and it'll crank around really quickly without any sketch at all. I've never felt really comfortable on VSR rigs but the 13m constant radius on the Proteus suits my preferred style better than the 11.5 on the Coiler - it's much easier to make a really big turn and the construction makes variable surfaces just as smooth without a plate as the Coiler was with plate. The board is still a real workout for someone not in riding shape, hence the leg pain, because it is very stout and is just throwing Gs at you with every turn, but it's a nice problem to have and I'll have a few more days to get acclimated before I have to head back down south.

I'm not much for hollering on the trail - trying too hard to catch my breath - but the people on the chairlifts were doing lot of hooting which was nice and confirmed that the ride looked as cool as it felt.