Erik J Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 +1 on getting to ECES (East Coast Expression Session) You'll have the chance to demo a wide range of boards and be able to compare directly what you do and do not like about each one. You'll see different styles of riding. You'll be able to talk to people that build boards and bindings. Most of all it's about having fun with other hardbooters. I realize that you want to buy before next season. I say buy inexpensive used (based on what you've said so far) if you feel you must, but get to ECES and demo, demo, demo. You can leave ECES with a board in hand, new or used, that you've ridden before buying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanci Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 What about pogo snowboards? Any good? And how much is the tax or the fee if I order the snowboard from canada to europe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guesswho Posted June 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Actually, I'd like to add Zanci's question about Pogos. What about the other smaller and less well spoken for brands out there. For example the ones available at the Bomber store like Volkl, Nidecker, and Ogasaka. What should someone know about these brands before considering them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 I only had an older Volkl Renntiger GS and didn't like it too much. I LOVE the Volkl Cross, though. High quality boards. Nidecker is another quality brand. Again, I only rode an older SL model. They OEM for Swoard. Ogasaka should be OEM by Elan (I'm not 100% sure, though), so it should be high quality and performance. It sounds like a killer deal at 275$ on Bomber sale. However, both models would be quite rocketships at 14.9m and 15.5m scr, for what you wanted to do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Actually, I'd like to add Zanci's question about Pogos.What about the other smaller and less well spoken for brands out there. For example the ones available at the Bomber store like Volkl, Nidecker, and Ogasaka. What should someone know about these brands before considering them? I have heard that the Ogasakas are good boards for lighter riders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterGold Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Actually, I'd like to add Zanci's question about Pogos.What about the other smaller and less well spoken for brands out there. For example the ones available at the Bomber store like Volkl, Nidecker, and Ogasaka. What should someone know about these brands before considering them? I bet that Pogo and Nidecker make great boards qualitywise, but if you have followed some discussions here on the forum then you should know a bit about ´newschool´ vs. ´oldschool´ shapes. A ´newschool´ shape often features metal construction (2 layers), decambered nose (and tail), progressive sidecuts (different radii blended together, often bigger radii) and some taper. That is state of the art at the moment. Nidecker only offers classic ´oldschool´ shapes. There is only a metal surface on the alpine boards. Pogo also just offers ´oldschool´ shapes afaik. American brands are already discussed in this thread. European brands (with ´newschool´ boards) - SG Apex Kessler (the new ´production´ models are supposed to be made in the Nidecker factory!) Black Pearl Oxess And maybe also Virus for 2010 (I don´t have much info there ...). (Of course there are other brands, but they are rather small and often don´t really offer ´newschool´ shapes - Tomahawk, Rabanser, Sense, etc.) It depends on what you are looking for ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanci Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 apex radiuses are a bit big ;O Anyone knows how much they cost? Can you even order a Black Pearl and whats the price? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterGold Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Apex radii bigger? They are actually a bit smaller than from the other companies. GS (183) is 17m and SL (163) is 10,7m - but numbers aren´t telling the whole story, because they all use multi-radii sidecuts! See the thread ´20m SCR´. Apex are actually a bit cheaper than most of the other brands, BUT you have to buy them together with their plate. So it depends whether you want to use a plate ... their plate system looks extremely nice! Black Pearl - just send them an email. Of course you can order them. They are around 850€ ... By the way Zanci - Sense Snowboards are from your country! I don´t know much about them, but they have a rider in the Worldcup! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanci Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 I have never seen a Sense snowboard at the slopes here yet... Almost first time hearing of it ;P Not interested into the Apex plate... So I should go for the Black Pearl or the Sigi? Viruses are a bit too much for the budget :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Just looked at Sense site! Looks like hot stuff. Yup, lots of good stuff right at your doorstep... Goltes, Elan (which is OEM for SG too), Sense... Probably no point oredering a board from Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanci Posted June 6, 2009 Report Share Posted June 6, 2009 Goltes is good,rode a few of their boards but wasn't impressed with their titanal one... Anyways I'd like to buy sth metal Don't know about sense never seen one of those on the slopes ... Also where can you buy a virus? At the virus shop there are only bindings ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Bruce has stepped up production at Coiler without compromising quality. So there are new & used metal Coilers out there. Email Bruce about your physical specs, riding style and where you carve. He can advice you on the model and specs for your location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterGold Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Goltes is good,rode a few of their boards but wasn't impressed with their titanal one...Anyways I'd like to buy sth metal Don't know about sense never seen one of those on the slopes ... Also where can you buy a virus? At the virus shop there are only bindings ... Just because you haven´t seen any Sense boards, doesn´t say much. Contact them and tell them what you want. I don´t know them, but having a shaper near you who can build the board especially for you is a big advantage. Virus - you have to contact them. Most boards are customs especially made according to rider´s wishes. SG or Black Pearl - I think you can´t go wrong with any of those, although you won´t get much feedback from the Black Pearls at the moment, because they are fairly new. It doesn´t get much better than SG at the moment in the race sector! Plates - I bet you will get interested sooner or later :D ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willow 15 Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 I love my SG 163 and would totally recommed to any one, even if you ain't racing. But if price is an issue I would go for Prior. €623 new or you could get a demo for €592. If you wanted to do a McDonald's, "go large" there's 183's for €530. I am also looking for a new board around the 180ish size, would love an Sg but can't justify the price when a demo Prior is nearly half the price. I am keeping a close eye on the new Donek's (looking super nice) but I really think the Schtubby is going to be my new baby. Trouble is, by the sounds of love:1luvu: for Coiler's on this site the waiting list is probably HUGE. Is that last statement correct Bruce? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapster Posted June 7, 2009 Report Share Posted June 7, 2009 Bobdea's 11scr Stubby sounds really tempting for the east coast! How much do you know your own board preferences already? My Silber's were decent boards. Nice construction and quite a bit of snap. Still, I ultimately decided I was more comfortable with a slightly wider waist--at least to learn on. It took a season devoted to research, trial and error to figure that out. My current ride has a slightly smaller scr than I'd like, but it turned out the waist was more important to me at this point. So, I guess I'm saying, it all depends on what you like, and if you even know what you like! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guesswho Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Hey All, Sorry for not replying for a while, Ive had computer issues the past couple of days. Scrapster, you bring up a really good point. Seeing as how Ive only ridden one alpine board I probably am not familiar with what exactly Im looking for. At this point Im looking for something half way. By half way I mean medium flex, not short but not long for stability and maneuverability, medium scr, etc etc. I do know that Im leaning towards narrower widths because I like the lightning fast edge to edge transitions. The board Im currently on is very narrow at about 18cm so that should be a problem. I would like to demo a load of boards but I dont know if Im going to be able to make it to the ECES this season and thats pretty much my only option for demo'ing boards. As for the other brands I think that I'll be sticking with the Prior WCR metal unless I can get a good deal on a used coiler, silberpfeil or donek. I would, however, like to reiterate my question regarding side cut and length. The two priors Im looking at are similar in size to other boards on the market and Im not sure which size I want. One is a 169 with a 11m scr and the other is a 173 with a 12m scr. My current board is a 163 with a 9m scr. If all else is identical (brand, stiffness, etc) what can I expect by upgrading to one of those two sizes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterGold Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 173 with 12m sidecut is a very good allrounder! In comparison to your 163 it will be more stable at higher speeds and it will provide you with ´more´ time during your carved turn. 9m is very tight - such boards are fun to play around with. You will lose some of the agility and you will need a bit more space. But even 12m is not really a ´big´ radius, so the board will work in a wide variety of terrains. Personally I would not go for the 169 - neither fish nor flesh - but that is only personal taste ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapster Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 That's a tough question. In all honesty, there probably wouldn't be much difference in feel between an 11scr and a 12scr. And supposedly the metals bend nicely, so you can still get tight turns with a bigger sidecut. (Not that 12 is big, by any means.) I jumped from a 9ish sidecut to an 11.3 recently. On the plus side, it felt more stable. On the minus, doing quick turns along the trail edge , which I like to do, produced a few more "oh ****!" moments--especially when the snow conditions varied and the edge would suddenly bite hard. Then again, it was a wide waisted freeride board, so that may account for some of the slowness changing direction--along with my questionable skill set . Some considerations might be: 1.) if one of the lengths is a better fit for your weight, and 2.) how much you plan to travel outside of the east coast with the board. If we're talking 95% Mid-Atlantic and New England riding, the 11 would likely be great given our crowds and little trails. The 12 would obviously make any trips to Europe and out west a little more fun, and it would still handle the vast majority of east coast conditions without making you think twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guesswho Posted June 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I am about 160 lbs so Im thinking weight isnt really an issue for 169 or 173 and its not really a factor. Am I right? Since I live in NYC I dont make it out a LOT. Only about 10 times a year (aiming for more). The past few years Ive been doing one major trip per winter so a week long vacation with 5 days of riding can be up to 50% of my riding for a winter. Wintergold, Im with you . The "neither fish nor flesh" philosophy makes sense to me. The 173 sounds like a better bet. But, what do you mean "more" time during turns? Does that mean what it sounds like or do the quotations you used mean something different? :P Scrapster, I think I'd be willing to sacrifice a little bit of flickability by going to the 173. Im also banking on the fact that it will be just all around easier to use because my new board will undoubtedly have a softer flex than my current board. 11m scr would definitely be better for our local mountains, but I want something that would be good for anywhere as I dont see my self expanding my quiver past 2 any time soon. When you say "freeride board", do you mean a regular softboot setup or was it an all mountain alpine board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterGold Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 The ´more´ time means that the timing changes and you have more time to concentrate on your technique - correcting body position or pressure distribution, etc. Of course it depends on how much you push your board ... If you keep your 163 than the longer board is a no brainer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0815-fahrer Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 Hi Zanci, (and others in Europe) why don´t you try to be there at the season´start in Europe to do some serious testing? I assume that, at the weekend of the first of november, there will be quite some possibilities. Last year we started off, had about 50+ people on hardboots there and some companies came to enlighten us with new stuff to demo:eplus2:. There were: - Doneks, Alpinepunks (represented by www.Freecarve.de) - Oxess (represented by Oxess themselves - Goltes (represented by Jani Goltes himselves) - Virus (represented by Virus themselves) I assume they will be there too again, at the least to my last status. It was there where I fell in love with my new toy, that served me 50+ days the last season already. Most of us have privately several boards which you could test too. (Lots of Virusses, Oxess, Pogo) It will take place on the glacier in Sölden, Austria. So probably best conditions too ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrapster Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I think you're on the right track. And good point above about keeping the 163--going for 172 makes much more sense then. My freeride board is a Steepwater 164 that I've mounted with plates. Although its becoming my rock board, its as comfortable as an old pair of sneakers. Good luck! I think the 172 will serve you well. Now I have to figure out how to take a week-long snowboarding vacation overseas next winter too--so maybe I can justify an new ride :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdyno Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Last year I was on a 177/16scr and this year I bought a 172/10.5 Coiler. Being that most of my hill time is on small, icy hills, the 172 was a blessing.(it is metal) I did find it a little slower than I liked on the hills in Aspen, it also is alot more work as I was turning quite a bit more often. The smaller sidecut is great on small runs, but I am not good enough to let it run out of the turns yet. This coming season will be on a170something with a scr of about 12-13, I might try one of those fancy VSR dealys, they are supposed to be the new toy to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helmut Karvlow Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 Listen to Bordy, just don't buy MY bsquared.......I'm still picking up cans out of the ditch Billy, a couple hundred more LBS. and I'm golden :p:p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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