Dan, sorry I missed you up there...too busy riding or parenting...
Short update on the boards:
Rode the Donek freecarve 1 Sat morning on soft pack at -2 degC on the Morrisey side. Setup felt too far fwd at the default stance and setback...forgot to bring an Allen key to adjust though, so just rode til around 11:00. Back leg was pretty fried from fighting to get more wait on the tail.
Then I took the SG 185 out in the afternoon on the Sundance chair. Conditions had warmed to above freezing, and that side of the mountain was actually pretty awesome. That board rocks. Default setback is 60mm and it all felt much more balanced. 3 runs in, and the board and I were finding the groove. Good thing the SunPeaks is not too busy. Getting to know the board was like riding an untrained race horse. There were times I was so committed to a carve, I had trouble unlocking it. Good news was, after 3-4 runs I had it about 90% figured out and had the best afternoon ever. The board is very predictable (once the honeymoon...or shall we say the wedding...was over). It blasts through the crud powerfully and with authority. You need speed and to ride very aggressively...go too slow and you'll look like it's your first time on a board. The board is also VERY finely built. Fit and finish is definitely top shelf.
Day two had me back on the Donek to figure out the setup. After I dropped off my 5 and 6 year olds at their first day of ski race training with the SunPeaks Alpine club, it was off to the Sundance chair armed with an Allen key this time. Had already moved the front binding back 3/4 inch,and then moved both back about another inch half way down the run. I did not take measurements, but I'd estimate a 19" stance and about 35mm setback on top of the default. What a difference that made. Only had time for three runs total. Very nice ride. Board definitely feels softer and more forgiving when not in a carve...easier to ride if you want to do more moderate carving. Nice and nimble for cross under or cross through type turns. This board requires a little less real-estate. At 175cm it should. Does not seem to hold the edge as solidly as the SG, and one would not expect it to. Also, it does not hammer through the crud as well...got launched a couple of times at high speed.
Sure is fun to have two great boards with different personalities.
One additional note. Before heading out, I stopped in and picked up a neck brace at a local medical supply store. One of those soft ones you velcro in the back. Fits under the jacket collar, so it's not really noticed. Good thing too...I can just imagine the chairlift talk "look at the guy with the neck brace ridin that hardboot board like a mad man - moron!" That extra support softens the whiplash on the high speed crashes. I always tell people if you don't bite it at least a couple of times in a day, your not pushing your limits. Hurts more as you get older though