Planning an upgrade for next season (kinda long).....

[NMU Alpine Boarder]

I am planning on a new board for next season, and have done some homework, and have reached a stalemate so to speak. I am stuck between Donek and Coiler. Both of their race models have gotten rave reviews from what I can tell, and I really can't go wrong with either one. Whatever board I get is going to be babied. The only action it will see will be either training or racing. Anything that can help me make a choice one way or the other is appreciated. Here's the specifics on me and the boards I have narrowed it down to:

ME:

6'2" 175 lbs, somewhat-aggressive rider. Ride mostly on older snow here in the MidWest, boilerplate is common. Also run on some tighter skier intended courses.

Donek:

Model Length Effct. edge Radius Widths Flex

175 GS 175 164 13.24m 23.6/18.5/23.3 7.0

172 Marley GSa 172 156 13.00m 23.2/18.5/23.2 5.2

173 Behan II GS 173 156 13.24m 23.1/18.5/23.1 6.7

175 Drayton GS 175 164 13.235m 23.6/18.5/23.3 5.0

175 GS_18.5 175 159 13.00m 23.4/18.5/23.4 7.0

175 Brown Crv 175 159 13.00m 23.4/18.5/23.4 8.1

178 Jongshin GS 178 162 14.00m 23.7/19.0/23.7 7.8

Coiler:

178 Pure Race 160 13.2m 18.3 cm

I am probly looking way too much into this, but the snow is gone, and I needed something to occupy my time:rolleyes:. Thanx for the help.

[bobdea]

here is what it comes down to in my eyes

coilers are a tad cheaper and much cheaper if you go full custom or even if you adjust the width

coilers =damp easy going ride thats super stable at speed and holds a edge like no other on ice a real weapon if you race

doneks= very lively boards that have a ton of snap and are quite torsionaly stiff but still hold a edge very well on ice that ads up to a board that is super fun to ride

I have limited experience with both brands I have ridden only two coilers(18? PR and my board a 190 PR custom) and three doneks (a little FC II in the biggest Axis and I own a sasquatch 170 ya I know thats a soft boot setup but hey we all need a powder ride)

I have put in a order for another Coiler so I guess I prefer those but doneks are great boards as well you can not go wrong with either

[bobdea]

or the PR 188

the 180 RC looks good as well

I love the ride that bigger boards give and they demand a bit more from the rider but in my opinion thats a good thing so long as you have a quiver

[Guest Todd Stewart]

keep in mind if you order a coiler today you would probally get it in about a year

[Mike T]

I've had great times on both boards.

Coiler - PR 184

Donek - Axis 172, FC 163

You're probably a better rider than me but if I were planning on racing it would be on a Coiler. The dampness and edge grip make it simply easier to ride. I've commented a few times how I like to learn new skills on my Coiler and then when I think I've got it the true test is, can I do it on my Donek.

Maybe when I've got a lot more mileage under my belt I will appreciate the way Doneks ride better. Actually, I *really* appreciate the way my Donek freeride board rides with softies... I just find their alpine boards a bit demanding in mediocre conditions, which is what I ride on all too often.

[D-Sub]

Originally posted by Todd Stewart

keep in mind if you order a coiler today you would probally get it in about a year

not a year, but "next year" meaning next season. My order was in in march and will be done by november or so. plenty of time

DEFINITELY get your order in quickly.

I say coiler, since Bruce works with you personally to build the board specifically for you.

I think Donek does to a smaller degree?

[Guest Randy S.]

I think its going to come down to a couple of things. First, can you get a coiler delivered in time for next season. I just received on Monday my Coiler RC 180 that I ordered in October. Its my first coiler so I'll update this posting on Monday after I've had a chance to ride it this weekend. Only problem with that is I'll probably be riding in spring conditions which aren't much of a barometer for how it will perform for you.

The other issue is how will the board perform on ice. I've lived in CA for the past 5 years and we are totally spoiled. What we call ice out here is what you'd call hard pack. If it is scratchy here, people think its ice. I've never seen conditions in CA where I couldn't get an edge. As mentioned above, Bruce at Coiler will tune your board to your riding conditions. With Donek your options are limited to what's available. The good news is there are now enough custom board options to pick from that your list pretty much covers enough that you won't need a custom Donek.

I've ridden both a Freecarve I 171 (18cm waist, 11.2m radius) and a Thorn GSb 182 in GS courses. As I mentioned above, I haven't ridden my Coiler yet. Assuming you are going to use this one board for both SL and GS (this is what it sounds like), your size choice is probably a good one. If its just for GS, 175-185 is probably a good size for you. I really prefer the 18cm waisted boards. Curiously, lots of the WC riders are riding wider boards now. I like the quick edge transition that I get with the narrow boards. That's the reason I sold that Donek 182 board, it was wider than I liked. Basically my choice has been to ride the FC in tighter courses and the GS race board in more open, smoother courses.

The board with a softer flex will probably give you more grip on ice. As such, the Marley/Behan/Drayton options you list might be the best choices for Donek on ice. Coiler will just tune to what you tell him. I think you'll find both boards to be plenty stable at high speeds. One other note. If you run near the back of the pack, or after a bunch of skiers have run your course, a damp board will be nice. Being able to cruise through chatter/ruts is pivotal in situations like that. You can control a lot of it by picking the right line, but sometimes you just have to ride the chatter. The Coiler is supposed to be more damp. Unfortunately my only day on a coiler was in a white-out at Mt. Bachelor. The snow was pretty soft so I can't speak to the dampening issue. Maybe this weekend I can find something hard to ride on and will be able to comment. That day was on a PR 184 and it was fast and smooth. I liked the board until Mike T and I both nosed over a small cliff that we couldn't see through the snow/cloud/fog. He was on my Donek 210 and sprained his ankle and blodied his nose. I survived to ride the rest of the day, but it limited my ability to test out that board.

Anyway, I don't think you can go wrong with any of those choices. Call Bruce at Coiler to see when you'll get the board if you place the order now. That may make the decision easier for you. You can also speak with Sean at Donek to see what board he'd recommend. Both are great guys. I'll post my thoughts on the PR 180 when I get back from this weekend's riding.

[Guest Pre School Rider]

NMU,skip the "Marley" and " T.Brown" boards.Todd turns very aggressively at super-high edge angles(has been known to hit lift-towers from The Downhill side!)and likes to 'hang out' in an arc. Marley,while powerful and fast,is,um,quite a bit lighter than you.I doubt that what works for her will do well under your feet. The 'Drayton' (just knowing how fast Martin is!) probably would be good,even though Martin is a bit shorter/lighter than you are. As for Coiler,I really like the calm speediness that Bruce has built into the boards,but I don't find my friend's Coiler to be as nimble as a Donek.(it could be just That Board,as it's a custom-made ride) In Edge grip,the nod goes to the Coiler,but the 'pop' off the tail is where the Donek can get speed.So,if you ride calmly,with a fluid style,Coiler is it.If you 'pump' turns and want to work a little for your next 1/100th,go with a Donek. Not to confuse things any,but this year's crop of Priors have taken a few of my riders to the podium,and are worth looking at IHMO.

[k_t]

Originally posted by Todd Stewart

keep in mind if you order a coiler today you would probally get it in about a year

I just got on to the build list 7 to 10 days ago for a Coiler and the estimated ship date is December '04. This will be my second.

[Kent]

I think we're forgetting the most important part.....

What are you going to be using this board for? Racing? If so, what type? GS? PGS? Midwest only? Etc...... What don't you like about boards that you currently ride? What/who do you want to ride like?

I think you would be doing yourself a dis-service by not adding Prior to your list.... Chris has built more race boards than Coiler and Donek combined. Also, there are other builders out there with some great products. Not trying to say one brand is any better than another....but I wouldn't base your purchase soley on the majority opinion of the message board. Call these builders up and chat with em about the above. It's very likely you'll end up where you started, but with much better piece of mind and knowledge.

K

[D-Sub]

good point. this isnt the be-all end-all.

[BDZal]

yeah, prior may not get the rep that donek and coiler get here, but the only prior i ever rode (188 splittail) was a great ride...

I think it was a newer one, but it was last year that I rode it so.....

i'm no expert, but i think that was a badass board. It might be worth looking over his used and demo boards at least, and maybe that way you can get two instead of one if you plan on racing some different types of courses.