Dupraz D1 5'5" (165 cm)

[gdboytyler]

So has anyone tried out the shorter Dupraz D1?

I like the way my Tanker 172 carves on groomers. But in powder, moguls and chopped up snow, I prefer my Osin 4807 168. The Dupraz looks like it will carve as well as the Tanker and handle powder as well as the Osin.

The Dupraz D1 6' (180cm?) just seems too long for me. It also looks like it would be hard to handle in the moguls.

At 5'7", 135 lb, the shorter Dupraz seems like a better fit for me.

[snowboardfast]

The Dupraz is a superb board for riding in powder and all mountain. I would imagine that the 5'5" would be good for you. I have the longer one but I weigh 185 and am 5'10''. the board is easy to ride and turny when you need it to be. I would reccomend using soft boots on a Dupraz. I rode mine yesterday for a couple of runs with plates and will never ride plates in powder again.That is not the fault of the board I just don't like riding hard boots off piste as they are too stiff and the ride is harsh.I think the Dupraz is more fun with soft boots anyway. I have ridden it both ways a lot and soft boots are the way to go. The board also carves well on groomers with soft boots. I will always have one of these boards as I really really like the way it rides! It allows you to ride with equal weight on both feet even in powder. No more loading your rear leg to keep the nose from sinking. Bola at all board sports in Boulder CO sells these boards. Give him a call at 303-415-1600.

[bumpyride]

The Dupraz is a superb board for riding in powder and all mountain. I would imagine that the 5'5" would be good for you. I have the longer one but I weigh 185 and am 5'10''. the board is easy to ride and turny when you need it to be. I would reccomend using soft boots on a Dupraz. I rode mine yesterday for a couple of runs with plates and will never ride plates in powder again.That is not the fault of the board I just don't like riding hard boots off piste as they are too stiff and the ride is harsh.I think the Dupraz is more fun with soft boots anyway. I have ridden it both ways a lot and soft boots are the way to go. The board also carves well on groomers with soft boots. I will always have one of these boards as I really really like the way it rides! It allows you to ride with equal weight on both feet even in powder. No more loading your rear leg to keep the nose from sinking. Bola at all board sports in Boulder CO sells these boards. Give him a call at 303-415-1600.

You might not have liked riding plates and hardboots depending on which ones you're using. Personally my sloppy 3 buckle Raichle 123's in the walk mode are almost like softboots except with way more control. Also have some flexy bindings. Kind of like going from a high test race board to a soft freecarve. I even use my hardboots on my O'Sin 4807 Swallowtail. I believe that Jon Dahl is using hardboots on the Dupraz also.

[newcarver]

I plan on getting one of these next winter. Do you think the 6' one is too big for 165lbs 5'10"? Looks like most of it is nose and it still has a pretty short effective edge? I think the D1+ or ++ is designed for H/Bs with a stiffer nose. Have you tried riding it on groom with plates?

[snowboardfast]

Yes the Dupraz will work on groommed snow with plates but I don't see the need to ride it with hard boots although it is designed to be used with either type of boot. My soft boots are 5 pounds lighter than my hard boots which is another reason for using them. I don't feel like I need the extra stiffness and weight of a hardboot setup to ride in powder and or soft snow. I use bts on my hardboots so there is no walk mode. there have been posts about riding in walk mode and breaking your boots by doing so. Go read them. You are asking for trouble by doing this.

[surfinsmiley]

I`ve seen lots of these look a likes on the slopes in Japan. Built for the Japanese market, they`re in a similar range to the small Dupraz.

http://www.gentem.co.jp/gentem/gentemstick/lineup.pdf

They`re fairly popular and everyone I`ve seen and/or spoken to LOVES them, not to mention the riders all seem to ride at a higher level than the majority of the skidders who are all decked out in Burton everything..

The only down side of the Gentem sticks would be that they cost twice as much as a Dupraz.....

...... Don`t really know, but from what I see of that style of board at work on the snow, they look like they work better than a standard snowboard shape.

[gdboytyler]

I finally found a review on the shorter D1:

http://www.accumulationzone.com/dupraz.html

[mrjamie]

does anyone know the waist width on either of the boards?

thanks - -

[Guest tigger]

i just spend some days on my new D1+ 6´, its easy to ride for a 178 board but you can really carve it hard, thats no marketing blahblah. i rode it with soft plastikplates and my raichle sb123, the perfect setup to me. my walk mechanism is always open since many seasons, no matter if im carving or if in powder and my boots are fine, i will detach them completely because they often close if you walk in powder. the waist of my d1 6´ is 26cm wide. really a great board even if ther is no pow, and the perfect board if you dont know what to expect on the montain.

[mrjamie]

thanks tigger -- anyone know the width of the shorter board?

[newcarver]

World Boards has the 6' at $599. Wonder if they can get a 5'5" for that price?

[D.T.]

thanks tigger -- anyone know the width of the shorter board?

i'll measure Shelly's when i get home tonight

[D.T.]

World Boards has the 6' at $599. Wonder if they can get a 5'5" for that price?

You might try calling All Boards Sports @ 303-415-1600. Bola has both sizes in stock.

[D.T.]

thanks tigger -- anyone know the width of the shorter board?

The sidewalls are tapered

~24.6cm on the topsheet

~25.6cm on the base

[Snowboard_Museum]

[mrjamie]

The sidewalls are tapered

~24.6cm on the topsheet

~25.6cm on the base

cheers D.T., I appreciate it. With D1s available so cheap, I wonder if I can justify buying one. Probably not since my tanker rides fine. Oh well.

[gdboytyler]

Between the reviews I've read of the D1 5'5" and the videos I've seen of the Dupraz 6' in action, I'd gotten the burning desire for a new board.

So I ordered the Dupraz Wave 5’5” on Saturday from AllBoardSports, and received it today (Thursday).

I’ll be using it with plates and hardboots. I really want to ride it this Sunday, but the surf is suppose to be 5-6 ft on Sunday and I haven’t surfed in a few weeks. If I do ride the D1 on Sunday, there won’t be any powder.

Here’s a photo of a D1 Wave 5’5" (not my actual board, but my board looks just like the one in the photo).

[D.T.]

Shelly finally got out in ~6" of fresh on her 5'5". She loved it. She said it was very surfy; her normal ride is a 160 Khyber. The board definitely looks fun. I think am gonna have to try a 6' + or ++.

[Snowboard_Museum]

cheers D.T., I appreciate it. With D1s available so cheap, I wonder if I can justify buying one. Probably not since my tanker rides fine. Oh well.

The D1 will run circles around the Tanker. Quick edge to edge, rock solid on the groom and probably the best Powder board availble currently. Yes that will get reactions but it out rides and out handles Wintersticks and all of the rest of the swallowtails.

[mrjamie]

The D1 will run circles around the Tanker. Quick edge to edge, rock solid on the groom and probably the best Powder board availble currently. Yes that will get reactions but it out rides and out handles Wintersticks and all of the rest of the swallowtails.

That may be, but riding the tanker is a sublime experience, especially in deep powder. It's straight up fun. I'm sure the Dupraz is just as fun, and maybe more surfy, and may very well run circles around the tanker...but the tanker still bombs down powder slopes and carves groomers. :p Anyone know a place where I can demo a dupraz in Hokkaido?

[surfinsmiley]

Mr Jamie___I think I know someone who`d give you a run on the Dupraz (either size) in Hakuba..... Pm me.

[svr]

The D1 will run circles around the Tanker. Quick edge to edge, rock solid on the groom and probably the best Powder board availble currently. Yes that will get reactions but it out rides and out handles Wintersticks and all of the rest of the swallowtails.

I would say that it depends on your riding style and where you want to ride. I have ridden the dupraz and the tankers and while i would say there are days i would like to have a d1, the majority of the time i would rather be on my tanker. I know both Harry and Paul (the founders of Rad-Air) and through them have met Serge (original founder of Hot and now Dupraz) as well and they are all great guys who just love to ride and it is awesome that they give us excellent gear that is different to meet our different styles and needs...if you can afford it i would get both a tanker and a dupraz, but if not, try to ride one of each before you buy because they ride very differently.

[gdboytyler]

I got 3 straight days of powder on the Dupraz 5'5" at Mammoth Mountain. I rode the Dupraz with hard boots and plates.

The first day had 22" of accumulation at the top. We even had an in-bounds avalanche just before my first run. The snow felt kind of wind packed. I hit a rock and some ice on my first run from the top. After the avalanche , the top got closed.

The second day had 17" of CO style, fluffy powder. The third day got another 17" of heavier, but still fun pow.

The board is as good as the hype! Easy to ride centered in the pow AND it carves well on the groomed runs.

In open powder, the Dupraz was just as good as my O'sin 4807 168. In a big open powder bowl, I doubt I could tell a difference between the two boards.

In the trees and moguls, the Dupraz was just as nimble as a Burton Fish. I didn't think the O'sin was as agile in tight spaces.

On the soft groom runs, the Dupraz is head and shoulders above the O'sin and Fish. I'd say it's close to matching my Tanker 172 for carving on the groomers. I didn't get enough carving in to tell for sure. The O'sin carves better than the standard softie board. I thought the Fish pretty much sucks on groomers.

Here's my ranking of the powder boards I've owned:

Dupraz 5'5" > O'sin 168 (still have) > Burton Fish 156 (sold) > Tanker 172 (will sell) > Burton SuperModel 161(gave away)

Now here's the big question: "Is it really worth spending $750 on the Dupraz instead of $100 to $200 on an O'Sin?" If you're looking for best bang for the buck in a pow stick, then the O'sin on Ebay is still king. If you're looking for a great all mountain board, and didn't blow all your cash on hookers and beer, then definitely get the Dupraz.

[newcarver]

Sounds like an awesome board! Will be demoing one this weekend:eplus2: How did you end up setting up the bindings? Any different than other boards for set up? How stiff did it feel? I weigh 160 and was wondering which size to get. I will probably be using it for both plates and softies if I get one. Might have to sell ever other board I have to afford one:mad:

[gdboytyler]

..,How did you end up setting up the bindings? Any different than other boards for set up? How stiff did it feel? I weigh 160 and was wondering which size to get. I will probably be using it for both plates and softies if I get one...

I copied the binding settings from what I used on my Tanker 172 (except the angles): centered on the binding inserts, stance width at 19 5/8", and 36/30 for the angles. I used a slightly flatter stance on the Dupraz, because the Dupraz has a wider nose than the Tanker.

The Dupraz has a soft flex. Flex feels similar to the O’Sin 168, softer than the Tanker 172.

I’m 5’7”, 133 lb. My friend that rode with me over the weekend is around 160 lb and he had a great time riding his O’Sin 168; I doubt that he would prefer a longer board. We did a lot of tree runs.

My guess would be to go with the shorter board; easier handling in the trees.