first alpine puchase questions

[Guest ekelty]

I'm looking to buy my first alpine board, I demoed one a few years ago -can't remember the brand- and know its definately for me. I'm thinking of getting the donek axis or freecarve II, and would like to hear any input/suggestions from anyone out there. I'm also unsure of what length to get I'm 6' 180.

[rikytheripster]

weight, foot size are also needed as well as height, for instance i fyou have very large feet a narrow board <19cm waist would not be good.

supply these details and replies will follow

.....hopefully

[Jack M]

Welcome Center

and more specifically,

How to Buy an Alpine Snowboard

[Guest ekelty]

I read the article on this website about purchasing a board, I'm

6' 180lbs, I wear a size 11.5 shoe, and I'm very athletic- if that makes any difference in choosing a board. Again I'm choosing between an axis and a freecarve II and am unsure of which length to go with. All comments appreciated

[Fleaman]

Take a look at the sidecut radius of the different lengths. IMHO If you ride tighter trails, get the one witht the smaller turning radius. I have a Coiler 189 Pure race, it has a huge radius, and I cannot carve it across the hill properly on some of the tight trails, whithout scrubbing off some speed. My rossi alpine with a smaller radius turns fine on these trails. Generally shorter boards have smaller turning radius. If you like to go big, get the longer board, and if you like to turn lots, get the shorter one.

[Steve Dold]

I'd pick an Axis for my first alpine board if I had it to do all over again, I have one now and like it a lot, when I take it out I never worry that I may have to change boards if the conditions aren't right. It's easy to ride, carves well and handles everything except deep powder. I weigh 175 and the Axis 172 is perfect for me.

The Freecarve II is OK, just a little more specialized. I bought a 163, thinking that a shorter board would be an easier board to learn on, but I later rode a 171 and liked it a lot more. It felt more stable, which was good for my still-developing feel for hardboots and high angles.

[Jack M]

Originally posted by ekelty

I read the article on this website about purchasing a board, I'm

6' 180lbs, I wear a size 11.5 shoe, and I'm very athletic- if that makes any difference in choosing a board. Again I'm choosing between an axis and a freecarve II and am unsure of which length to go with. All comments appreciated

I'd go with either the Axis 172 or FC171. Notice that the FC171 and 179 have the same sidecut radius - so they both want to carve turns of similar size, and they both have a similar carving "speed limit". But the 179 will be less maneuverable than the 171, and this should be important to you as a beginner. You're not going to be carving <i>all the time</i> and you may need to be able to quickly throw on the brakes.

Between the Axis and FC, it's mostly a matter of whether you want the greater all-terrain capability of the Axis. Also it will be easier to learn on, but where you say you're "athletic", that may not matter. If you do go with the FC, definitely get the II for your foot size.

-Jack

[Mike T]

Originally posted by Jack Michaud

I'd go with either the Axis 172 or FC171.

As an owner of the Axis 172 and former owner of the FC 163 (and one who didn't get started in alpine all that long ago), I would concur, great choices for starting out.

Between the Axis and FC, it's mostly a matter of whether you want the greater all-terrain capability of the Axis. Also it will be easier to learn on, but where you say you're "athletic", that may not matter. If you do go with the FC, definitely get the II for your foot size.

-Jack

I started on the FC 163 and then later got an Axis 172. I did most of my early stage learning on these two boards. For the most part I agree with Jack's statement that the Axis will be easier to learn on - but there are a couple of ways in which I think the FC will be easier.

The Axis is softer, and thus easier to bend, thus easier to carve a tight turn on and easier to keep control of your speed without skidding. In that regard I wholeheartedly agree with Jack that the Axis will be easier to learn on.

However the FC has a narrower waist and feels stiffer crosswise, and that makes changing edges easier. Now I'm comparing a FC I w/ an 18 cm waist to an Axis with a 21.5 cm waist, that's a big difference. With your foot size, follow Jack's advice and get a FC II as opposed to a FC I - that's a 19.5 cm waist.

So you might not see as much difference betwwen a FC II and an Axis as I do betwwen a FC I and an Axis. Also, your bigger feet mean you'll have a slightly easier time getting the Axis from edge to edge. Part of my issue with it is that I have teeny feet - my Raichle shells are MP 25 which is roughly a size 7 - so I have to deal with a little boot underhang to achieve a stance that is in my comfort zone. (I'm actually considering replacing my Axis with something skinnier but otherwise similar.)

Bottom line - both great boards, and friendly for starting out on, I would consider both of them.

Note: I also agree with Jack on 171, not 163, for a FC. I actually found that as my skills progressed, I wanted to ride the 163 outside its envelope... it's easy to pick up a lot of speed going straight and be going too fast to ease it into a turn - it just whipped me around and I crashed. I became fearful of going too fast on it, which doesn't equate to FUN which is what this is all about. The cure was a board with a bigger radius and more edge length, that I could lay into a turn at a higher speed without whiplashing myself. Curiously I don't have that same experience on my Axis - almost the same sidecut as the FC 163. And I still haven't figured out why. Maybe it's got just enough edge length, or maybe it's because it takes me a little more effort to put it on edge, or maybe it's that my skills are to the point where I'm "good enough to be dangerous, not good enough to be good" ;)

[Jack M]

When my wife, father, and sister each expressed to me their interest in hardboot snowboarding, I started my sis and dad on my old Burton FP157, and my wife on an old Stat 5 (153). My dad now owns a Burton Coil 166, my sister has an E-deck 156 and my wife an E-deck 147. They ALL rave about how much easier these all-mtn carvers are to ride, and how "you don't have to be carving all the time". They all noted how they felt like the square tail boards would try to lock into a carve and didn't want to slide.

However if you're already carving well on your soft freeride gear, and you can do the norm, a freecarve deck is probably what you want. Unless you want all-terrain ability included.

[Mike T]

Originally posted by Jack Michaud

They ALL rave about how much easier these all-mtn carvers are to ride, and how "you don't have to be carving all the time". They all noted how they felt like the square tail boards would try to lock into a carve and didn't want to slide.

IMHO, the Axis wants to carve whenever it's on piste. It may be softer than a FC (at least in the 167 and 172 sizes) but it's still not really soft. I find it feels like a wide alpine board on the groomed (or on anything hard packed), and feels like a stiff freeride board on pow and mashed potatoes - which IMHO is great. But it does in fact want to be carved all the time on the groomed.

I haven't tried any of the decks Jack mentions but I'm willing to bet they are all softer and less "carvy" than an Axis.

Just my $0.02... which is admittedly based on less experience than Jack's $0.02!