Good point...ran into similiar problems when I started mountain biking..Got crappy equip to start and basically threw it away after a month. Problem is with baby on the way and a serious mountain bike race addiction the wife might not like the idea of getting a pricey setup.
Sounds like the Prior, Donek Axxess, or Coiler are the way to go. Now for some size questions? I am 5'9" 175 lbs, and based on how I rode the soft setup I rented in Big Sky, I am pretty much as good as I was back in the day..looks like board tech has changed a bit since then. My Rossi is a 159 i think. Should I be looking in the 170 size range?
Please excuse the stupidity of my questions..kinda funny how outdated you get after taking a little break from the sport.
thanks again