MUD Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Hey all, Simple question: In your opinion, what is the best powder board? Only on the groom to get to the pow. Please state whether using hard or soft boots. I want to hear both. I am going to build a powder board and am looking at what designs to study. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chubz Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 I have never ridden them but the POGO swallow tails seem rightfully bada$$. My 4807 168 fairs very well in pow, but one of my best pow days was on a Donek Axxis 182, hard boots. Excellent float and fast. Other than that, rest of my powder riding was on burton customs softies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Burton "NoFish" 157. Surf pow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 x2 on the 4807. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 And it will still let you ripp on the groom. I ride it hard, but it's perfectly softbootable too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 the big undertaker Apocalypse Pharoah 203 Winterstick swallowtails... Either something with a tail that sinks (swallowtail / major taper) or something really big... "No replacement for displacement" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave* Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 What type of powder are you hunting? Big open bowls with deep dry powder- something along the lines of a rossi undertaker/prior powstick/178 dynastar 4807, just be carefull you dont snap off a tail if landing cockeyed ( a big swallowtail design flaw IMHO), I own the undertaker and 2 4807s ( 168 n a 178), I must say the undertaker is a pain in the butt in tight stuff and bumps, not due to length but the square tail shape. Tight Trees with 15-30cms of coastal wet stuff- Option Northshore/Burton Fish/Prior Khyber, I own a northshore and have demoed the other two, fun little boards in the tight stuff, great float for their size, they do however suck monkey nuts if you end up on hardpack, to much taper and way to soft. The average in bounds resort powder day with 10-15cms of new, and you expect to do a few bowls, tight trees, a bit of groom, and the inevitible bumps to get to the good stuff, give me a 165-175 BX style deck some favorites of mine are my custom Prior Byzik BX(almost retired), Prior 167 playas BX(almost retired), F2 169 eliminator wide, Oxygen Supercross, Prior ATV, and even my old 165 Burton Fusion(thinking of retirement). Its these things I gravitate to for most of my mixed powder days, and you can hammer them on hardpacked. The Prior Spearhead in the bigger sizes looks interesting to me, havent demoed it yet. Its design seems to bridge the gap between the last two groups mentioned. Key features being,surface area for float, longish nose profile to get on top, lots of set back, and a medium amount of taper, The spearhead is on my next most wanted list. The Spearhead and the Dupraz shaped decks are what I would seriously look at studying and or modding for a versatile powder deck. For those that want to know I weigh about 220-230lbs and ride plates on all my boards , mostly on west coast conditions so my views are a bit skewed I guess. Dave* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photodad2001 Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Burton Fish 160 or Prior Spearhead 172 look to have nice shapes and measurements for powder. Haven't riden them, but the numbers look the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crucible Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 A Winterstick 185 Swallowtail - Dmitri Milovich got it spot on in 1975- and it hasn't changed. Dave * is right about one thing- Winterstick Swallowtails need 9 plus inches of powder to really come into their own. Set it on anything less and it's not the best powder board out there. I prefer to think about it as using the right tool for the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 MUD, are you building this board yourself? Dave* explains it really well. It depends on what kind of powder: light or heavy, 20+" or 8", open or treed, steep or low angle. This year I am riding a 176 Prior Powstick, a 166 Prior Spearhead, and a 160 Prior Khyber. I ride powder in softies and I weigh 145. I consider powder riding to be fresh tracks or mostly fresh tracks. I have tried quite a few different powder boards and the ones listed above are currently my favorites. I have come to the conclusion that all of my powder boards need to handle any of the above listed powder conditions since many of the conditions are encountered on each run. I ride the Powstick when it is deep and lighter, the Spearhead for an all purpose powder board, and the Khyber for heavier or not real deep snow and if I am riding a lot of thick trees. The Powstick 176 has a very soft flex and a great long nose. It turns much tighter than you would expect because of the flex. It also floats amazingly well in the deep or low angle for a 176 due to the long soft nose that rides up on the snow. I am careful to keep my weight well balanced at high speeds because of the soft nose. The Spearhead 166 is my do everything well powder board. It has a very similar nose to the Powstick, but is much stiffer. It is long overall and has really good float, but will turn amazingly tight due to the taper and very short effective edge. I find it very stable at high speeds due to the stiffness. The Prior Khyber is super quick turning and agile. It has a lot of taper. It is fairly stiff compared to the Burton Fish and will handle higher speeds better but does not float as well. With the taper it certainly floats well for a 160, but definitely rides the lowest in the snow of my powder boards. If I were going to have one powder board, it would be a slightly softened Spearhead (I have not tried the Dupraz). The Spearhead's gentle, long nose works beautifully in the soft snow. I find that it does everything well. I am looking forward to trying some company's rockered (reverse camber) powder board for next year though and if someone were to build a directional reverse sidecut, rockered powder board I would love to try that too! Enjoy the project! Buell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Yup, Dave is right, it depends a lot on the conditions you ride... As I said, 4807 rules open freshies. If im somehow tricked into riding trees, I would much rather be on 3800 169, and probably on softies... It's a great blend of manouvrable floaty board "Fish" type, and packed carverd "BX" type. This baby below, I still have to try in real deep open pow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoom Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Powder! Oooo! I love to talk powder! I'm 135# and ride softies. Prior's pow boards do rule. I stole Buell's original Pow Stick 176, and it's incredible in deeper powder, even in trees. If it's not super deep (18" +) I turn to a tapered shape. I have a 156 Khyber as well. I second Buell's opinions there. It's also really fun in heavier snow. All of Prior's boards will absolutely rip a carve when you hit the groom, and (sorry, guys!) I prefer any of them to the 4807 - better float and more playful. The Never Summer Summit is a really fun mid-size tapered deck, too. It's a fun compromise that allows for big open turns and quick, slashing turns. If you love to ride tight trees or you want to get more turns out of limited vertical, the Fish is a super fun board. Floats far bigger than its size and can turn on a dime. In my opinion, a big ol' soft nose is key to a good powder shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dredman Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I picked up a 176 Prior Pow-Stick with a 23cm waist this season. I ride it with TD-2's and a 20inch stance 54/48. It feels short and playful in the tight trees, long and stable at speed, and carves very well on the groomers. It floats like a dream! I am very impressed with this board and would highly recommend this board! It would be hard to out design that Prior design. Thats my 2 cents! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Mmmmm, 23 waisted? How that happened? Custom order? That would be very close to my idea of One board to rule it all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted March 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 MUD, are you building this board yourself? Yup! It is even going to have wood sidewalls! I have been leaning toward a Winterstick copy, but I like to hear other peoples opinions. I need it to be more of a versatile powder board, or I could build a few I guess. It is just for fun since I don't make it out west very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcarver Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I would think the Dupraz would be great in powder. I demoed a 5'5" D1 and rode it with plates. Worked real well in the trees. Ran it through some steeper sections with chopped up semi soft snow and it would just float through everything with no effort. You just keep a centered stance. It carved pretty well on groom too. Would like to try the 6' in pow. I think it would be great for open bowls with plates and softies for trees and tighter stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted March 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 I would think the Dupraz would be great in powder. I demoed a 5'5" D1 and rode it with plates. Worked real well in the trees. Ran it through some steeper sections with chopped up semi soft snow and it would just float through everything with no effort. You just keep a centered stance. It carved pretty well on groom too. Would like to try the 6' in pow. I think it would be great for open bowls with plates and softies for trees and tighter stuff. I have heard GREAT things about the Dupraz, only problem is I can't find any specs, almost Kessler like secrecy. I am starting to lean toward the Prior spearhead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Ive been itching to bring my Pogo Longboard out again, but the powder's just not coming down around here! Perhaps i'll get lucky at stowe next weekend. The 175 is great for powder (length, setback, and nose), and i like that its hardly tapered, only 2mm, so its not too hookey. I ride it with hardboots. Under softboots, it feels kinda stiff, but under hardboots its a big softie (or says a 155 lb kid who rides the thing like an angry bull would). It's pretty perfect by my perspective, especially since i dont want something huge like a tanker or a swallowtail to take in the trees, and i definately need something that i can ride switch. its very comparable to the Dupraz D1, although i believe the D1 has more taper and a longer nose than the longboard, making the longboard slightly more piste-friendly. If I ever move out west, a longboard 200 will be the first thing i buy after the house. for the east, the 175 is pleanty of board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Finally got my 4807 out. Not that there was any powder. I just wanted to get a couple of runs on it to see how it feels. All I have to say is "yikes". It's gonna take some getting used to, at least on the groom. The width really throws me. I'm used to tipping the board just a bit and feeling the edge grab which gives me a sense of security. With the 4807, I feel like I'm running flat all the time. I expect you really have to commit to tipping it over to get an edge. I have ridden my 160 Fish in the pow and it floats beautifully. The only problem is, once you get on any groomed runs, the lack of tail means you really can't carve. Still waiting for that perfect powder board. Tempted to buy a Dupraz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Hey all,Simple question: In your opinion, what is the best powder board? Only on the groom to get to the pow. Please state whether using hard or soft boots. I want to hear both. I am going to build a powder board and am looking at what designs to study. Thanks, in the trees taper boards like the burton malolo, fish or prior kyber but if it's wide open I like swallows NOT the 4807s they are too small and don't have the same feel as the rossi undertaker and the nitro swallows. in the end I ride tankers though as I spend so little time riding the deep when I am in the east so I just try to keep something long on hand that can still ride hard pack like a champ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Yup, Dave is right, it depends a lot on the conditions you ride... As I said, 4807 rules open freshies. If im somehow tricked into riding trees, I would much rather be on 3800 169, and probably on softies... It's a great blend of manouvrable floaty board "Fish" type, and packed carverd "BX" type. This baby below, I still have to try in real deep open pow. holy crap, what board is that boris? Spec? I bet it's gonna be a BLAST in the deep. The 4807 is such a weird board, it's decent on hard pack and is pretty nice in the fluff but other swallows are way better in the fluff but are next to unridable on hard snow. If they made the 4807 in a 200 model I'd probably think it was the hottest thing since sliced bread as it would fit my needs better on hard pack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 It's a A200SWT, Regis Rolland's legendary swallow. 200cm long, good part of that being supper long gradual rise nose. Radius is something huge too, I didn't calculate it. Makes no difference - I can not bend it on hard pack, to carve. Bloody thing is soo stiff, every time I tipped it high on the edge it just carried almost straight and I fell on my back... I can only ride it at low edge inclinations. Real toy for a big boy. Talking about big boys and 4807s, I agree, a 200 version would be great for 200+ lbs riders. For us medium sized boys, 178 is plenty. I'd take it anytime over my Tanker, for pow. Few weeks ago I started scearing myself with the speed the board could take. That was fine while the pow was fresh, but few hours later when it got all tracked and bumped, I simply couldn't make myself go any slower - like a drug... Yup, I agree, a bit wierd, stiff tail as oposed to the soft tails of the majority of swallys. But that's what makes it so versatile. Henry, Don't be shy with that thing, it likes to be carved hard. Just tip it high right at the biggining of the turn by aggressive cross-under. You'll be surprised. Just, don't jump on the nose to initiate, more centered stance is reguired. At the last part of the turn hold it with your rear foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUD Posted March 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 It's a A200SWT, Regis Rolland's legendary swallow. 200cm long, good part of that being supper long gradual rise nose. Radius is something huge too, I didn't calculate it. Makes no difference - I can not bend it on hard pack, to carve. Bloody thing is soo stiff, every time I tipped it high on the edge it just carried almost straight and I fell on my back... I can only ride it at low edge inclinations. Real toy for a big boy. Here is the modern version done by APO, Regis' new company. http://www.apo-snowboards.com/uk/snowboards/swallow_freeride.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdboytyler Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Dupraz D1 5'5" is the best pow board I've owned. Equal to the 4807 168 and better than the Fish 156 in open bowls. Equal to the Fish 156 and better than the 4807 in the trees. The D1 outcarves both the 4807 and the Fish on the groomed. I ride all my pow boards with hardboots and plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pow Posted March 2, 2008 Report Share Posted March 2, 2008 Decided to take a picture of the board out of boredom (and wouldnt this thread be useless without pictures?) so here it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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