Gtanner Posted March 10, 2009 Report Share Posted March 10, 2009 While in Whistler I also got to spend two days on Bordy's shape, the PGS (pretty good stick) 183. This particular board didn't get sent to Hardbooter because it has slightly less camber than Chris and Bordy were targeting for. 183 PGS (or GPS as is written on the board) – dual sidecut – 15.5/17.5m Two fun-filled days on this one. Width: I loved that this board was a bit wider. It suited a race-driven riding style, but also responded very well to cross-under and EC riding. I’ve never ridden a board that was so apt to “slarving”…I could let the board drift and lock up without feeling like I was going to take-off across the hill or get thrown over the front. Stiffness: Nice cruiser. The decambered/rockered nose allowed the nose to track through all sorts of crud, as well as hook up wonderfully on hard-pack and cord. I had to make a mistake on my body position in order to lose an edge… The nose also allowed the board to ride shorter between the end of one turn and start of the next turn before the nose completely hooked in. This made for a great combination, nimble and maneuverable, yet solid and stable through the turn. The board did feel a bit “dead”, meaning that I couldn’t get any air-edge changes as the mid-tail was softer and damper than the 177 WCRM, but I was able to maintain speed through the turns and still accelerate through turns as I varied body position. Shape: Love the nose shape and feel. I’ve been converted to rocker/decambered noses. The extra length combined with rocker just let the nose bounce around and absorb chatter, thereby allowing the edge between my bindings to track like there is nothing wrong. The dual side-cut was very interesting. I spent the entire day wishing that I could find some gates to bash around. At the later third of the turn, the board would straighten out and point you at a 45deg angle down the hill (i.e. setting you up well for the next gate)…awesome fun. In order to complete nice ‘C’ carves, I really had to keep my weight on the front foot (i.e. ahead on the sidecut). In some cases, this resulted in the tail of the board washing out slightly. It remained carving throughout, but the tail didn’t feel engaged for the later part of the turn. Overall: Very fun board, quite maneuverable and shorter-feel than I expected, but was tough to let it lose in the late afternoon crowded runs of Whistler/Blackcomb. It was nice that I was tired at the end of the day, but my legs weren’t completely dead….and believe me, my legs should have been screaming all afternoon. The “slarving” capability and rockered nose allowed the board to ride rather well in the bumps…I had to pay attention, but I wasn’t nervous about getting ejected over the nose. If /when I go back to training/coaching racing, I’d pick up one of these PGS sticks or wider WCRMs for sure. Good race board, lots of fun - Great design Billy!! -Gord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey, nice reviews, Gord! I rode a prototype (still old version, metal top sheet) of what later became Hardbooter PGS, or maybe Berube Pro board. It was very soft, too. Basically similar impresions as yours - nice and smooth, super easy to ride. Didn't notice the unwillingness to finish the C, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gtanner Posted March 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hi Boris, From what I understand the dual sidecut became more dramatic this year (15.5 tip and 17.5 tail), and I believe that the Berube is a consistent sidecut. Eitherway it was a fun ride with an ugly green topsheet that was so offensive to the senses that it was great! -Gord Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skully Posted March 11, 2009 Report Share Posted March 11, 2009 Hey, nice reviews, Gord! I rode a prototype (still old version, metal top sheet) of what later became Hardbooter PGS, or maybe Berube Pro board. It was very soft, too. Basically similar impresions as yours - nice and smooth, super easy to ride. Didn't notice the unwillingness to finish the C, though. The Berube and the Pretty Good Stick are different designs, with different specs. The Berube was designed by Phil Berube, I don't know if Billy had any input. The Pretty Good Stick was designed by Billy. I haven't had a chance to ride the Pretty Good, but the Berube is definitely an excellent ride... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordy Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Glad you liked it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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