Considered opinions requested.

[davekempmeister]

I'm looking at getting a new soft setup and am looking for any helpful commentary. I'm well over 6 ft, 210-215lbs and size 15 ft - mondo 31.5 . Want a board that I can also put plates on and get benefit of. I considered a Tanker or Glissade Big Gun and am now intrigued by an Elan El Grande with a wide 28cm waist. I'm told the longest El Grande is 171cm and if I recall correctly sidecut is about 8.5 =/-. ANY thoughts welcome - usually no shortage of those, present company included. Thanks and all the best.

[Mr.E]

Donek: 182 Kirchoff, 29.50 waist, 10.35m sidecut and a $630 price tag. Or the 180 Tucker, with a longer sidecut but a bit narrower waist. Either way, let Sean know how big you are and he'll do right by ya.

[Phil]

If you have never ridden a board with a waist width that size, make sure you try one first. I am similar in size to you and thought that super wide boards would be the way to go for my size 15's. I ended up spending a lot of money on boards that I did not like. It was not that they were not good boards, it is just that they are so cumbersome and feel slow edge to edge. Not to mention that you have to rethink how you are going to ride the bumps (if you are into that). Riding the troughs with a super wide stick is often not possible because the board does not fit, causing you to catch an edge on the outside mogul.

Now I am back to riding boards with waists under 27cm.

BTW, boards that wide generally cannot handle the stress of plates. I believe that is what Sean at Donek will tell you about his boards as well.

The Tanker seems to be a tried and true choice for what you are looking for.

Good luck.

EDIT: I just saw that you were from MD. I apologize if we have met and I am not remembering.

Feel free to try one of my boards sometime if you can make it up to Bear Creek.

[alexgforce]

Currently we are developing with Sean a "soft boot carving board" concept. Although we haven't finilized the specs yet we are looking at a 25.5 waist. This board will behave like like a soft carving board allowing the rider to use soft boots or to slap on a pair of plates.

We will probably have the specs down towards the end of September and we are concidering a name like RAZOR in regards to BLADE.

Will be good to hear your comments

[Phil]

Currently ..."soft boot carving board"....25.5 waist......

For a size 15 foot???

Oh, you little guys. You'll never know our pain.;)

[alexgforce]

OK 15 may be too long but I am prety sure you can ride steeper angles with softies.

[Jack M]

1, Phil's opinions are to be respected here.

2, hard to go wrong with Donek.

[Phil]

I'm blushing Jack.:o J/K

OK 15 may be too long but I am prety sure you can ride steeper angles with softies.

Anyone w/15's already knows about riding high angles (if they are a carver). On a 25.5cm waist, you are talking about riding well over 45 degrees if you want to carve hard. Even on a 28cm waist the lowest I can get is 33 degrees:( . IMO, over 45 degrees means lack of performance. Many would argue that even lower (30+) lowers performance.

In any case, it sounds like a great board and I wish you the best. You may want to post it in a thread for normal sized people, though.

BTW, as far as Donek and softies go, my Incline (Sasquatch) is about the best carving softy board I have ridden. If you blow out on that thing, it is nobody's fault but your own.

[Jack M]

Even on a 28cm waist the lowest I can get is 33 degrees:( . IMO, over 45 degrees means lack of performance. Many would argue that even lower (30+) lowers performance.

I have size 11's, and on my softies I ride 33/24 and love it. I tried 45 once as an experiment and hated it.

[SEJ]

I used to ride my asym alp at almost 45 degrees with softies. It was however a very stiff soft setup. Burton comp boots and torque bindings. Went to hard boots and never looked back.

[C5 Golfer]

If you have never ridden a board with a waist width that size, make sure you try one first. I am similar in size to you and thought that super wide boards would be the way to go for my size 15's. I ended up spending a lot of money on boards that I did not like. It was not that they were not good boards, it is just that they are so cumbersome and feel slow edge to edge. Not to mention that you have to rethink how you are going to ride the bumps (if you are into that). Riding the troughs with a super wide stick is often not possible because the board does not fit, causing you to catch an edge on the outside mogul.

Now I am back to riding boards with waists under 27cm.

BTW, boards that wide generally cannot handle the stress of plates. I believe that is what Sean at Donek will tell you about his boards as well.

The Tanker seems to be a tried and true choice for what you are looking for.

Good luck.

EDIT: I just saw that you were from MD. I apologize if we have met and I am not remembering.

Feel free to try one of my boards sometime if you can make it up to Bear Creek.

I would agree -- I tried several "wide" boards with my soft set up. I am a little smaller foot size that 15 thank god.. but anyway they are cumbersome and slow edge to edge just like Phil says.

I finally settled on a wonderful soft set up in the Arbor Munoz 170 with a 25.4 waist... Rides great but still not as nice as a hard boot set up on a Prior 4X4 179. My 3 cents - adjusted for inflation and the fall of our US dollar.

[davekempmeister]

Many thanks to all for the insightful comments. I have used positive angles always, even with a soft set-up (+15 front, +6 rear) due largely to foot size. Employing gas pedal/toe risers and any trick conceivable to get my toes out of the snow. Riding duck is incomprehensible to me. Irony is that when I ride alpine my stance is so forward that I can ride any waist width I want +18 cm no problem. I'm so smitten with hardboots and snaky race boards I'm concerned that even if I drop big $ on a really good-fit soft setup, I'll discover that I just don't like it anymore. This making any sense? Foot surgery, some Lortab......yeah, I like roast beef.

[Hugh]

I have size 11's, and on my softies I ride 33/24 and love it. I tried 45 once as an experiment and hated it.

Hey Jack,

What kind of binding system and boots do you use?

I've found that higher angles with my bindings (Burton high back) makes my ankles hurt, so lower angles are what I am stuck with...plus my soft boots are super soft - not a good carving combo.

--Hugh

[BlueB]

I'm so smitten with hardboots and snaky race boards I'm concerned that even if I drop big $ on a really good-fit soft setup, I'll discover that I just don't like it anymore.

Get a Tanker, mount the plates, go happy ;)

.

[bobdea]

I'm blushing Jack.:o J/K

Anyone w/15's already knows about riding high angles (if they are a carver). On a 25.5cm waist, you are talking about riding well over 45 degrees if you want to carve hard. Even on a 28cm waist the lowest I can get is 33 degrees:( . IMO, over 45 degrees means lack of performance. Many would argue that even lower (30+) lowers performance.

In any case, it sounds like a great board and I wish you the best. You may want to post it in a thread for normal sized people, though.

BTW, as far as Donek and softies go, my Incline (Sasquatch) is about the best carving softy board I have ridden. If you blow out on that thing, it is nobody's fault but your own.

I'm in line with the above statement and Jack's as well, much above the 30 degree mark with softies and you really start to have issues.

I like the tanker 177 the best as far as wide boards go being that it's the most versitile and will carve up a storm if you get on it. the doneks need to be pushed a bit more and require you to be more on your game in bad conditions but are really edgy boards that perform really well when you ride them with authority and precision.