nadia, i owe you a board

[tenorman]

hi nadia

sorry it took so long but it took awhile to excavate all the old boards that you were interested in. i don't think burton ever made a 165cm ultraprime so i think you must mean the next closest size of 162 cm (156 and 168 being the other 2 possible sizes.) coming from a softboot background most alpine boards probably look longer than they actually are because of the short nose and tail lengths compared to a softboot board. i will limit this info to the 162cm model since it falls within your desired 160 to 164 cm requirement.

you have to be careful when comparing ultraprimes from different years as they changed after the first year and were only produced for 3 years (97/98, 98/99, and 99/00.) after the first year the board waist increased from 18.5 cm to 19.7 cm in 98/99 and remained 19.7 cm in the third and final year of production in 99/00. for some inexplicable reason they altered the sidecut radius to preserve the length of the board as the 97/98 162 cm ultraprime with an 18.5 cm waist had a scr of 10.97m while the same length 98/99 162 cm ultraprime with a 19.7 cm waist had a scr of 11.21m. it would have made more sense to do what f2 did and altered the shape/length slightly to preserve the scr as they used to make a "wide" and "narrow" version of each f2 speedster rs model but at least they both had the same scr.

i am attaching photos of the red 18.5 cm waisted 97/98 model and the green 19.7 cm waisted 99/00 model. i won't bother with the 98/99 model as it was exactly the same dimensions as the 99/00 model. did the ultraprime that you demoed look like either of the 2 in the picture? if not then the only other possibility is it was the 98/99 model with a yellow topsheet. the boards are in relatively good shape. the red 97/98 model has a tail repair done with grayish coloured marine epoxy which has held up all year and doesn't affect the ride. the green 99/00 model developed a slight bump that disappeared with a base grind. i rode both boards last weekend to make sure they were sound and they were still good after all these years. the yellow 98/99 model (not shown) had a core shot when i hit a rock about 6 years ago which i repaired with epoxy so i would say the condition is not good on that one. also i never tested it since so i would advise against you choosing it. the 99/00 green one with the exact same dimensions is in a lot better shape but you are welcome to this 98/99 yellow one if for some reason it appeals to you more.

i've never had any nose folding issues in hardpack (but i do tail ride it in softer snow conditions just to be on the safe side) so you probably should be okay in that respect seeing that we are about the same weight. i weigh 153 pounds but at 5'11 i am 3 inches taller than you are so the extra leverage i can exert probably more than makes up for the 7 pound difference in our weights. i am mondopoint 27 so the 18.5 cm waisted 97/98 model requires about 60 degree binding angles to ensure the absence of boot drag. with your 26.5 mondopoint it is less of an issue. if you prefer lower angles then you will need the wider 98/99 or 99/00 model. if you do decide you need the wider board, then you may wish to consider another board i have.

it is not an ultraprime but a 1996 5.9 192s factory prime (which was your other choice.) it has a 19.2 cm waist which is effectively the same as the 19.7 cm waist of the latter year ultraprimes--.5cm total or .25 cm on either side of the board isn't going to allow much if any binding angle change--in other words a negligible difference. this factory prime is the gray coloured board shown in the attached pics. it's length is 159.7 cm (or 160 cm rounded to the nearest cm. so it just barely makes it into your 160 to 164 cm requirement) it is unique in that despite it's short running length it has a disproportionately large scr of 11.51 meters and was marketed by burton in 95/96 as a GS board. for some unknown reason it was only produced for the one year as it disappeared from the lineup in 96/97. probably because the 11.51 meter scr made it difficult to market as it was too big for slalom and a tad small for gs but for freecarving it was perfect. it was short enough to manuever in crowded conditions and narrow cat tracks and the large scr allowed me to open it up during uncrowded early morning large turn radius speed sessions--the best of both worlds in one board. in addition the factory prime is less twitchy than the ultraprime as well as being stiffer in the nose so there is less chance of nose folds. i think your best choice of the 3 boards in the attached photos would be the factory prime (it is also in the best condition of the 3 boards (base is good, edges still have lots of life and decent camber.)) however, the final decision is up to you--please feel free to choose whichever one you want.

i feel responsible for your original burton ultraprime/up thread that got locked so will do my best to make it up to you. let me know which of the 3 pictured boards you prefer and i will ship it out to you for free. i'll also pay the shipping charges since you are a cash strapped student. my time may be limited on this forum if i decide to pursue a different unrelated matter with the moderators so i hope you can make a decision soon and we can get this done before the end of the month. i will check this thread again in about a week as there are a few other threads i wish to contribute to in the meantime while i still have the chance. if i don't see a post from you on THIS thread by next friday (april 18th) then i will assume you made other arrangements to get a board from someone else and will consider the matter closed.

[tenorman]

hi again nadia

due to a 3 pic maximum/post the 4th and final pic of the base of the factory prime 5.9 192s GS (not slalom) board is attached.

hope to hear from you soon.

[BlueB]

Doug,

You are a class act! Donating a board to a new carver is really nice.

Please do not get yourself fired of the Bomber, it's not worth it. With your experience and knowledge you are an asset here.

Looking forward to ride with you again.

Nadia,

Take Doug up on his generous offer.

If I was you, I would pick the 99/00 UP. Mellower flex and wider waist will make it easier board for learning. Later, when you are ready for more aggressive stick, UP will serve as your all-mounain carver.

My $0.02

[nadia]

Tenorman,

A class act, indeed!

<O:p

Thanks so much for your interest in my plight, your astute interpretation of the situation, as well as your attention to the details of my post.

<O:p

However, I couldn’t possibly accept such a gift. First and foremost, I have a purchase pending Paypal approval in the works, and I couldn’t in all conscience renege on it now. Secondly, I couldn’t possibly take advantage of your kindness – I’d lose sleep over it!

<O:p

It’s wonderful to see such support and encouragement towards new carvers. Your generosity astounds me. I can only imagine how your kindness has opened doors for young carvers, and I hope you continue with this. I think we can all take a page from your book when it comes to nurturing newcomers to our sports of choice, and promoting development in all forms.

<O:p</O:p

You’ve inspired me – I hope someday I can return your intended favor by giving my unused equipment to other aspiring enthusiasts.

<O:p</O:p

Thanks so much for your kindness and generosity. It’s truly heartwarming! I hope those boards can make carving a reality for other students somewhere down the line.

<O:p</O:p

Have a wonderful summer and thanks again,

<O:p</O:p

nadia

[CarvingScooby]

I'm a nice boy:ices_ange... can I pick the new F2 :eplus2:from u...

You r a gentleman!!!

Cheers

C ya this weekend.

By the way how's Loyal. Email me.

[ruwi]

Yeah, I have a feeling Tenorman is thinking of donating his WCR 175 to me:D. It will be at Whistler anyway this weekend. Looks like at least 2 required up there, one all mountain:biggthump and a big gun:AR15firin

ruwi