timbox18

@dhamann@Neil Gendzwill So I took out the 163 Pantera to Belleayre Mountain in the Catskills, NY this past Saturday. Absolute crap spring conditions. Push mounds, and ice... I mounted my SG Performance bindings with 45F, 33R, 50.5cm stance width, centered, and rode with my UPZ RC11 boots with medium flex tongues and free flex spring box... Really fun, but loud board. It sounds like you are listening to Pantera when you are carving on ice. Factory edge was meh, but was enough for the conditions. Easy turn initiation with the larger radius towards the front, and then it exits the turn really quickly and easily with the smaller radius towards the rear of the board. Good edge hold... The board felt really natural for me, and I didn't really notice the wider width. The shorter length also made the board easier to maneuver... It was very quick from edge to edge... We were mostly cruising around on blue runs, with a few black runs, and trying to avoid dirt spots and rocks... I'm curious to see next season whether it is still a loud board on better snow... The Nitro Dinghy arrives today after 16 days in transit from Auburn, CA, and the Nitro Squash return is being prepared for delivery in Yakima, WA also after 16 days in transit from NYC...

@dhamann Well, after 16 days in transit from UT to NYC by USPS Ground Advantage, the 163 Pantera has arrived... It is really stiff compared to my other 2 Coilers so maybe for me, it should be fine for me with hardboots. It doesn't really flop... I sent the 159 Squash back due to a huge gap between the p-tex and edge at the nose... This was sent back on 3/14/2025, and spent 5 days getting from Manhattan to the USPS Regional Origin Facility, which is also in Manhattan before moving on to the next facility wherever that is... I also have a 155 Dinghy coming which is somewhere between CA and NYC by USPS Ground Advantage, which is a garbage shipping method... Packages spend a lot of time in the "Moving through Network," "In Transit to Next Facility, Arriving Late." This is government efficiency at it's finest... It was shipped on 3/18/2025... The Pantera also has 2 tiny gaps at the nose corners between the p-tex and edge. The gaps are considerable smaller than the gap on the Squash. The shop said that they have seen this on boards from major manufacturers, but in this case there shouldn't be much of a problem due to the amount of epoxy in there already... Have you noticed this on off the shelf boards? Dave Redman says this is common, and that I've been spoiled by the quality and attention to detail on Bruce's Coilers... Apologies for the USPS rant...

@Neil Gendzwill Nice meeting you at MCC this year! @dhamann I found some specs for the 2018/19 Nitro Pantera: https://www.snowcountry.eu/nitro-pantera-45192.html For the sidecuts, difference between the front and back radii is 2m, the front being the larger radius, and the setback is -25mm The specs for the 2024/25 are here: https://nitrosnowboards.com/products/pantera-snowboard-25 They changed the difference between the front and back radii to 1.7m, the front being the larger radius, and the setback is -15mm for this current version... @Neil Gendzwill @dhamann This is for me just an effort to add some variety to my "quiver" if you will without going custom, so I have some options when I don't want to be on a "carving" board all day, or at all... The Squash looks fun, I liked the pretty colors, and got a really good deal... The Pantera also looked interesting, and again, I got a really good deal on the last one I could find online from a shop in the US... Both boards should be arriving this week, so I can do a flop/flex test to compare with my Coiler BX, and Contra...

@dhamann Noted. From all the reviews I saw on YouTube, ie: Angry Snowboarder, they said it was really stiff for softboots… I wonder if what is considered stiff for softboots is just regular or soft for hardboots… I also don’t ride that hard either… I got 163 cm and weigh between 165-170lbs… I will give it a go at Belleayre in the Catskills if it arrives before the weekend… My boots aren’t all that stiff, UPZ RC11 with the free flex spring box, and the SG Performance bindings… I also have the soft tongues for the boots too… Since you have ridden it before, how did you find having the larger sidecut towards the front and the smaller sidecut towards the tail? Alpine boards with dual radius usually have smaller radius towards front, and bigger radius towards tail… I also have a Nitro Squash 159 arriving early next week too…

@mobeent I got it from a shop in Utah online... It was the last one... There is a wide one from a shop in the Netherlands available in a few sizes: https://www.snowcountry.eu/25-nitro-pantera.html?artikel_maat=65321&country=US&curr=USD&gQT=2 Another board that looks interesting, and I would have considered it is the Ride Deep Fake... I seems to have a single radius sidecut, some titanal in it... https://ridesnowboards.com/en-us/p/deep-fake-snowboard-2025

@Deuxdiesel I’m actually gonna put my plate bindings and ride with my hard boots so narrower is better for me. I will possibly swap the medium stiffness tongues with the soft ones… So I can probably use lower angles than with soft boots because of the short footprint of UPZ boots… I have soft bindings and boots, but still afraid of using them because of an ankle fracture in 2021… Also have a 159 Nitro Squash that will be arriving soon… I’m justifying both purchases as birthday presents and I got them on sale… Hoping to ride one of the boards this season, but they have really added to the quiver for next season…

@Deuxdiesel I stupidly bought the 163 in normal width today…. I got a great deal on a new 2024/25 one… That’s how I’m justifying the purchase…

Yep... I too have done this with great success and fun... I get between 10-15 days a season, and have been doing about equal time on boards and skis... Moguls and narrow east coast runs (NY and VT) with crap snow/ice are way more fun on skis than boards... Also, I find that skis are better for touring unfamiliar resorts... And I seem to be able play until last chair on skis easier than on hardboots...

Think of it as a one-time purchase... If you get the RC12 it's $720/$750 and add the free flex spring box for $143.00 that will be $863 to $893... If you get the 2025 RCR, it's $840... (This one comes with the stiff tongue, which you probably don't need unless you are racing, or ride really hard) If you get the 2025 XCR, it's $790... So if you are OK with orange boots, I'd get this one... (This one has the soft anthracite tongue) And there isn't free shipping, so you will have to pay for that too... And if you don't like the liners, you will have to buy new ones too... and new insoles because the stock ones suck anyways... It's a money pit...

The 2025 RCR in yellow, and the XCR 2025 in orange on the https://upzboots.com/product-category/snowboard-boots/ website are the ones with 4 buckles. The 2022 RC12 Shoxxter in Anthracite as you have pictured, and the 2025 RC12 Shoxxter in black have the 5 buckles and the swing-out pivot tongue.

This is correct. Also the RC12 has the swing-out pivot tongue and 5 buckles. I would get the newer 2025 boots with the 4 buckles and new tongue style. You don't need the 2 buckles over the top of the foot... RC has the ride/relax spring box, and RCR/XCR has the free flex spring box... Yes, I meant it... My boots are from 2018, so RC11 was the number they were on at the time. I was coming from Burton Reactor boots from the 90's which cracked after 20 or so years... So I had to buy new boots... I still have the RC11's. I replaced the original ride/relax spring box with the free flex ones when they became available, and they are on their 3rd set of liners. So far, still good... Yes that sounds correct. My larger right foot is 283mm, and my left foot is slightly smaller so I chose the 28.5 MP size...

They include all the hardware to mount the bindings to the board. I was only speaking about buying extra mounting screws as we always seem to need extra... I'm sure you can use washers if you cannot get the OEM screws that are supplied with the bindings... Also they use the pozi-drive screw driver... So an extra tool to carry around... Basically the SG Performance binding is an improved F2 binding... The RCR 2025 Free Flex, and XCR 2025 already includes the free flex spring box. If you get the RCR12 Schoxxter or the AT8, you will have to replace the included spring box (has forward lean lock) with the free flex one... I was told that the plastic for the RCR boots is of better quality than the AT8. I have the RC11 from 2018 with the included medium black colored tongues... They are not that stiff. I also have a set of the anthracite colored soft tongues... Those make the boot actually floppy... Maybe even softer than soft boots... I don't ride that hard, so the medium tongues should be fine... I am 5', 10" and between 165lbs to 170lbs... and wear size 28.5 MP UPZ RCR11 boots with free flex spring box.

@cruiten I would also recommend UPZ RCR boots. I have a wide forefoot, and narrow heel. Also, I would recommend getting the version with the free flex spring box. It makes things so much more comfortable... The stock liner is OK for a season or so, but you will probably want to change it to a wrap style when it is no longer comfortable... And you could also consider the SG Performance bindings. Like the F2 bindings, but you don't need to get the special 7.5mm posi-drive screws from them to mount to board. They are beefier, and very simple to adjust using a 4mm allen socket. I have 2 pairs... I get replacement screws from belmetric.com . Both are available from UPZ boots in North America. Also replacement parts are readily available for the boots. Tim

@Atom Ant Bananas isn't it... I can't decide whether it would be awesome, or just another way to injure myself... I think in this case, it would be the latter...

Imagine "hanging ten" in hardboots... @Atom Ant In continuing with your Korua Shapes post, have you seen their "Noserider"? It has the option for freely slidable binding while riding... You can theoretically "hang ten" on it..." @Corey Maybe this might interest you if you are looking for a new sliding experience... Korua Shapes Noserider