Arjan de Jong

I got a 168 in black version. In mint condition, and only used on an indoor slope for 1-2 hours. It does not come with the vist plate and bindings though.

I owned an Allflex H-type plate (soft), so i can compare with the Vist Flex. The latter one is quite heavy (2,7 kg) compared to the H-type (around 2 kg). But with the Vist flex you can set the flex of the plate by adding or removing a washer. I ride the plate with two washers (soft setting) and really like tthis setup. If you take out all washers - the manual says that's the aggressive setting - the board becomes extremely stiff and really demanding to carve. It gives me extra edge grip - during the first initial runs it feels like you are on rails -, stability and it makes my SG Grabner 163 Full Race Pro Team a bit stiffer regarding the flex. Futhermore, i noticed that the radius becomes a bit bigger due to the plate. It's quite hard to ride short radius (need lots of power in your legs). Also, it smoothes out any bumps on the slopes and does give some nice rebound if you pressure the board during the carve. On the other side, riding a Vist plate (plastic like in my Kessler picture), is less demanding on your legs compared to the Vist Flex, and you have more feeling about what's going on underneath your feet. In my opinion, riding a plate like Allflex or Vist Flex is best when you have icy conditions and preferably on a GS board - the plates were originally designed for GS boards). When the snow becomes softer, the board will digg a lot, so then i switch to my normal Vist plate. Hope it makes sense to you guys

Correct, you can't flip the plates since they won't fit in the holes anymore. I agree it looks like they are build for Goofy riders...heheheh Regarding the black bar...i have been riding the Vist Flex for a while now and you just have to be aware of the black bar while in the lift, so you don't put your back foot on it. During carving, your boots are in the bindings, so no problem there

Sure, here are the pictures.

Here's my quiver :-)

I prefer the H-type (Hex cut) soft since i am not a heavy rider (75kg). The performance it gives me, is increased edge grip on icy slopes, damping and taking away vibrations. I am riding SG Grabner Pro Team & Full Race Titan 163 with Allflex and Vist. Yes, i also own a SG Race Plate and if i compare it to the Allflex, the SG Plate allows the board to bend more (midsection) since it's only attached to the board at two places (no anchors in the middle). Furthermore, the SG Plate feels more stiff than the Allflex H-type (hex cut) soft. Downside of the SG plate is the feeling with my board (less than with Allflex) since it 'floates' above the board and is not connected to the board like a Vist or Allflex plate.

Well, i have heard several stories about WC riders breaking plates and breaking boards. In the end, everything will break at some point ;-) On another note; it took me a while to go through the entire thread of 46 pages. From all the i have read, i draw a few conclusions and wonder if you guys feel the same: 1) As alpine boarders - including myself - we are on a constant quest to find the ideal material (board, boots, bindings, plate) combination. Looking for the holy grail sort of speak 2) We want to test all combinations, but due to lack of money, test possibilities etc we fall back on the experience of others, read about reviews, discuss experience in forums like this one and so on. In the end, doesn't it just come down to personal preference? For example, my trainer/coach is very positive about OES boards for several reasons. So, i bought an OES WC board, rode it and came to the conclusion that it's not MY ideal board. Another example; in this thread there is a discussion about whether or not using a plate for free carving is the best choice. Personally, i am no racer anymore and love free riding with an Allflex plate attached to my board, others do not. Third example, many people are very positive about the Mountain Slope .951 boots, so i bought a pair and just don't like them over my UPZ RCR boots.

Made me think; how far/much can you flex the midsection of a alpine board without a plate on it? I did notice that the radius of my board increased when i used the allflex plate, so it does limit the maximum flex of the midsection of the board. On the same board with a Vistplate i was able to carve much shorter turns...

Well, i have measured the middle anchors and it's much more than 6.4 mm. I will unscrew it from my board and make a picture of it to show how much/far they can extend. The hinges on the edges do extend to a max of around 6 mm. So, can we conclude from this that an allflex plate should be able to bend, since it extends to around 6 mm on the edge of the plate and much more in the middle of the plate? or can we conclude that the plate allows the midsection of the board to flex more? I believe the latter one. The 'magic' of allflex to me it that especially on icy slopes it creates tremendous edge hold. Much more than with a plastic/normal vist plate. On sloppy conditions, the allflex plate does not work for me as described in my earlier post.

Hi Pokkis, Correct. that's why i posted two pictures of the plates i am using and have tested. Arjan

In addition, one bad side of the allflex are the hinges. In snowy and cold conditions sometimes they freeze, thus not doing their job as supposed. So, the plate can trick you in a way you don't want (crashes).

In addition, one bad side of the allflex are the hinges. In snowy and cold conditions sometimes the freeze, thus not doing their job as supposed. So, the plate can trick you in a way you don't want (crashes).

Hi Guys, I have been following this thread for a while and would like to share my experience on the subject. I have been riding both the Vist and Allflex plate (H-type, hex cut, soft). Over the last few months i have done extensive testing with both types of plates. My experience is that with a Vist plate the board bends more in a normal way and much more compared to my Allflex plate. The latter has those anchors in the middle of the plate which extend to 6,4 cm max. So, with my Allflex plate the radius of my board is much bigger than with a Vist plate. Futhermore, on icy slopes i prefer to use the allflex since it gives me more edge grip. On sloppy and soft conditions i prefer the Vist because of two reasons: 1) the board does not get limited in flex compared to the Allflex plate so it can more easily flex in sloppy conditions independently from the plate. 2) with the Allflex plate i have less feeling of what the board is doing compared to a Vist plate. Especially in sloppy conditions i want to have extra feeling of what the board is doing so i can react better. My trainer/coach is in contact with many WC riders and heard that many are breaking their Allflex plates, so i assume they do flex (but should they flex?) and eventually break due to fatigue. Although i ride a soft H-type version of Allflex i don't believe it flexes (have not noticed it so far). Arjan

Here's my quick-and-dirty review of the SL 162 Worldcup with Vist plate: Yesterday i rode the OES 162 SL World Cup edition with Vist plate. The World Cup edition has a progressive stiffness. It starts less stiff at the nose and ends very stiff at the tail. The advantages are: 1) easier initiation of the turn and (2) better exit and speed out of the turn. The first few runs i had to get used to the progressive radius (7-12 meters) compared to my SG Grabner Full Race Titan 163 (11 meters). When you shift your weight back and forth you can easily influence your radius, but i don't have to tell you this. After a few runs i became more accustomed to the progressive radius, so i could really start to test the board. The edge grip of the World Cup edition is great. This is also due to usage of a different sidewall compared to the Titanal edition and more advanced materials in the board, besides good torsional stiffness. The board feels very lively and gives great feedback. It has some chamber, so you can get a real 'pop' if you ride the board more aggressively. The white top sheet finish is beautiful (nice, shiny and really white) and the board comes with a aluminum tail to protect it from delamination and people with skis scratching your board while waiting in line behind you ;-) OES offers a range of different base options. I choose the M base. This base is perfect for - 4 to -12 degrees Celcius, since i ride the board mostly on indoor slopes during the year. You can go a base for colder conditions or choose a base for warmer conditions. Compared to the Full Race Titan, the OES nose is more snub. This results in more effective edge length, thus more grip. To end my short review: i would not advise to use the World Cup for freecarving. After one hour on the board, my legs were quite exhausted. So, for freecarving go for the Titanal edition, which does not have the progressive flex. This is less demanding on your legs.

I have been riding the SL Worldcup and Titanal for one month and just love the boards. Very lively, nice rebound, good edge grip...and the white version looks beautiful! Keep up the good work, OES!