for you with more than 1 alpine snowboard

[groovastic]

do you have one snowboard that's your favorite and you ride it most of the time? or do you take a different board every time you go boarding depending on the slopes you ride on, or the quality of the snow?

I'm not talking of alpine vs powder boards. I'm talking of two or more different alpine boards, like Madd 158 and Prior 187, or maybe a small and narrow Virus and a large Swoard.

thanks

[Mr.E]

Current alpine boards: 141 Mistral Pace, 155 Prior WCR, 164 Hot Shine, 164 Burton FP, 185 Coiler PR and a 200 Coiler AM.

I choose based on the snow contiotions, what type of riding I think I'll be doing, what hill I'm headed to and what folks I'll be riding with. I default to the Shine to teach on, the 155 to ride with my wife, and the 185 if I'm out on my own. Everything else gets hit mood dependent.

[Justin A.]

I have a 164 Burton FP, a Generics 155SL, a Burton AMP5.3, and a Coiler 184PRII. The Coiler is BY FAR my favorite. All are alpine boards, all are ridden with cateks. The Burton FP is fun to ride as well, but the coiler is ABSOLUTLEY the best board in my quiver. I ride it every chance I get, but never in soft conditions (that's how I broke my leg a few years back). In the soft stuff, the FP comes out (soft conditions meaning slushy/spring snow). I'll even ride the coiler in moguls. I took it into the trees once, which wasn't much fun, but other than that, the Coiler is my go-to board, hands down.

[Dave ESPI]

I have 7 various soft boot boards and 2 alpine setups.

I like switching up because eac hone is set for different conditions, and stance and riding styles. I'm whimsical like that, but for the longest time, I just had one board, then I decided I needed more because I got tired of the same old thing every day.

My present toy of fave is a Rossignol "THE MINI" a 121 made for a big guy. It's like a skateboard for the mountain.

[chadx]

Different boards used for several different reasons. Slope conditions being the most obvious. Others being (as already mentioned by others) who you are riding with, etc. Also, snow and slope conditions change throughout the day. Also changing is my energy level. Sometimes it's nice to have the hard core board for the morning hero snow, but after lunch, switch to an all mountain board and be a little more casual in the carves. Or go explore off-piste since the groomers are tracked up.

[bobdea]

it depends on my mood but unless I want to really haul ass I can't go wrong with my Coiler AM 173, it's a little more racey than other AM's, it's stiffer in the middle, got WCC and a SL sidecut

basically half way between a PR SL and a AM

It's by and far the most fun board I've had other than a Madd but it's way more versitile

[davekempmeister]

About the rossignol mini - I could innundate you with questions so I'll try to keep it to just a few. How many days have you ridden it? How tall/much do you weigh? Does it beg to be turned all the time? How stable is it when ridden flat and at speed? Is it flexy or stiff? Hold on steeps? Are you using your normal soft boot stance angles? Thanks for any feedback.

[crucible]

I have three alpine boards that get used on a regular basis: an Oxygen Proton 164, an Oxygen Titanal Proton 170, and a Winterstick Cirque 164.

The variables that determine which gets strapped onto my feet are:

snow conditions, type and depth of new snow in the last 24 hours, ambient temperature, and type of course being ridden.

My OS2's are preset with base kits on all of my boards so that all that is needed is to unscrew the king pin and transfer the top binding plate.

[Mike T]

4 alpine decks... 5 (soon to be 6) if you count Am carvers.... I pick based on snow, visibility, how many people on the hill and how much mojo I have that day.

I almost always take 3 or 4 boards to the hill, and on any given full day I usually ride 2 - one on a half day. (Most of my half days are as such because I ski with my little on in the PM)

The roster:

Madd 158

(soon to be) Coiler AM 172 12m scr (intended to be more of a freeride deck)

Donek FC 175 Oly "Firebolt"

Donek GS 180 Oly Tucker04 "Red Rocket"

Coiler AM 182 12.7 scr "Slushbuster"

Coiler PR 188

The Donek 180 and the Coiler 188 may turn out to be more redundant than I thought in which case I will put the Coiler on the classifieds... the Donek is more versatile and I haven't found the top end on it by any means. Need to take 'em on back-to-back runs to know for sure.

[bobdea]

a titanal proton???

when did they start doing that?

I remember Atomic putting titanium in just about everything but not titanal, I never was a fan of Oxygen snowboards but when they changed the name and construction of their softboot stuff they suddenly got good really good.

for those of you who have not been on any of the atomic softboot rides get on one, good stuff.

back in the late 90s I had a rather sizable quiver but I was always on a yellow FP 178 and burner 188 if the groom was hard and there were not many people around

[Dave*]

I have a mess of alpine decks, in the past two seasons I seem to end up most on one of two Priors either my 179 4x4 or my stiffened 171 ATV.

I like the versatility and the ability to whip off piste on a moments notice as opposed to a true dedicated square tail carver.

I do like the look of Priors new "spoon" tail WCRs and if I flog some excess gear one might be added to the pile.

Also I have a 172 proton GS about 4/5 yrs old, it says titanium speed cap on top, how much different than actual titanal I do not know.

Dave*

[BlueB]

I count AM deck in alpine boards, so I have 5:

Nidecker Extreme 156 - Almost never sees the snow. Great for flatter crowded runs.

Hooger Booger 168 - My first alpine board. Great soft flexing take-it-easy board. Will carve at very low speed and ok in crowds. Good AM board too. Was always in the car as 2nd board, but will probably be kicked out by 4x4. Serves as a loaner right now.

Renntiger 168 - I'm still experimenting with this one. It's intended to be my ice board, but I'm not too sure that I like sub 19 waist. I like the soft flex, but am not sure if there's enogh torsional stifness.

Generics IQ 170 - Rip-stick! Very fast and versatile. I like 19.7 waist, stability at speed, edge hold. I even rode it in powder, kind of ok. No problems on softer snow, but a bit too stiff for slush. Ok on softer smaller bumps, to much on steep big bumps. Horrible for trees. A tad too stiff and longish scr for ice.

Prior 4x4 174 - Do it all. I like my new toy. I doesn't have the superb edge hold of a real race stick, but it can rip on hard cord. Bumps, soft, slush - no probs. Super easy to stick a full blown toe side EC on it. Didn't like it in trees (but I do not like trees, period). Still have to try it in more than 6" pow.

If I had to have only one board, it would be 4x4 or Hooger.

If I had to have only one piste board, it would be Generics.

[bobdea]

different beast all together from what I understand titanium was in allot of atomic's skis it worked but from what I understand about the two is that titanal is usually used in a totally different way and lends for a different feel

Atomic was using titanium tubes that made the skis feel springy and alive

no clue how it was used in the protons

[Dave ESPI]

About the rossignol mini - I could innundate you with questions so I'll try to keep it to just a few. How many days have you ridden it? How tall/much do you weigh? Does it beg to be turned all the time? How stable is it when ridden flat and at speed? Is it flexy or stiff? Hold on steeps? Are you using your normal soft boot stance angles? Thanks for any feedback.

I have always been a rozzi fan. I have 6 boards tha are rozi, and love them all to death ( well close enough, but I take care of them too).

THE MINI I got at the end of last season was a prototype demo board. It is Black and White. I got the pre-production HC1000 bindings for the 07 season, and really felt they were super comfortable. I honestly have to say that the mini is one of the single most fun boards I've ever been on. Super snappy, light as a feather, you can snap spins and manual with tail kicks forever, it is super ! It literaly is a skateboard for snow. No problem with edge transfers, or riding flat at all.

I took it in the 1/2 pipe, and rolled a 540 on the surface of the wall with ease, and it is fairly stable since it is wide enough for us big guys to ride. It is not flippy and has a good stiff deck that has lots of pop despite it's small size.

I'm 6'2 150 #s size 12 boot, and it is set up ducked out so I can ride switch with it. I've taken it on the steeps and experience some issues with a small bit of toe drag in the heavy sloppy spring snow, but the rest of the year it is a blast ! you really need to be centered on your board while riding it, and going off of jumps or landings, you need to be on-spot as ther is not any nose or tail to help slap down the rest of you and the board. It took an hour or so to get really comfortable on it so that I felt I could start taking on boxes and kickers with it, and once I did, It was awesome. I felt like Tony Hawk !

The drawback: high speed stability. If you like to go fast, and are not comfortable riding smaller boards (like a 152 or less) then you may be pushing your luck with this if you go faster than 20 or 30 MPH. I was clocked with a radar gun doing 40 and it was freeken scary on that lill whip in eastcoast icy conditions, but I was comfortable cruising along because I have had aprox 40 hours or so on it to date. If you get ahead of it, or behind it off jumps and bury the nose of the board, or are landing on your back; you will be either eating ****, or doing a belly slide if you are not careful. Other than that, it's awesome

Well worth the $ IMHO !

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[D.T.]

On average, I take three boards with me; Coiler 177 AM, Volkl RT178 and a 182cm Tanker set-up with softies. As my mood changes through the day, I will switch to a more appropriate board.

Soft snow - Tanker or AM

Deep pow/trees/bumps/hiking the ridge - Tanker

funky groom - AM or RT

good groom - RT or AM

wide open slopes - RT

busy slopes - AM

One too many times I have been on the slopes wishing that I was on a board that I had left at home. I have vowed that will never happen again and with my current quiver, it won't. ;)

As far as favorites, the AM is great, but if the corduroy is great, nothing beats the RT.

[LeeW]

I got several alpine boards, but Im always taking out my Madd 158.

[RJ-PS]

I've quit trying to figure out board choice based on conditions, I could never seem to get it right. Now I go by mood and my life is much simpler and satisfying.

Now if only my moods coud match up to what wax I need to use :rolleyes:

[groovastic]

I have two boards, but I never ride my Nidecker. It feels too short after riding a Coiler.

In fact I asked this question because I think I'll have to sell my both boards to get money for a POGO IMPACT. Selling only a Nidecker won't be enough. And I really wanted to keep my custom made Coiler. Then I'd have Coiler for mornings and Pogo for afternoons, but I'm afraid I'll have to let my Coiler go :( That's how crazy about the Pogo I am!