Donek metal FC 171 first impression

[PointBreak]

I was lucky enough to demo a new metal Donek Free Carve 171 X 11/13 X 20 at the ECES and I thought it might be helpful to share my impression of the board.

<O:p</O:p

First, a little about me. I have been riding for about five years and in hard boots for only about a year and a half. I have however, had a chance to ride some high quality boards from Coiler and Kessler and Madd as well as a few not-so-hot mass produced decks.

<O:p</O:p

I demoed the FC on Friday at ECES at around 1 pm. Conditions that day started quite good with lots of corduroy and sunshine in the morning. By 1 pm things were still okay but some areas were getting skied off and there were piles of loose snow scatted about.

<O:p</O:p

I was really surprised how easy the metal FC was to ride. The decambered nose / tail and hammerhead nose made the board easy to skid around in traffic when needed and then initiated smoothly and carved with ease no matter did. When I leaned over the nose it was fine, weight 50:50, no problem and even when I found myself in the back seat it didn’t seem to mind. The ride was quite damp similar to my Kessler yet if you shifted your weight back at the end of the turn it still responded with enough pop to lift the nose and launch the board into the next turn.

<O:p</O:p

I was particularly impressed how well it plowed through the piles of loose snow without flinching and just kept carving over the scratchy sections and rollers without any problems. No matter what I did the board never lost edge hold and the larger tail radius released cleanly and allowed me to decide if I wanted to scrub speed caving across the hill or stay on the gas changing edges closer to the fall line. Overall this board was super easy to ride and made me feel like a better rider than I really am. All I can say is WOW.<O:p</O:p

[Ian M]

Great review, Pointbreak!

I rode the longer 185 at ECES, and felt a lot of the same things. I found the edge grip incredible, the turn shapes easy to vary, and that the board cut right through crud effortlessly. My friend said at the bottom of the run "These bad conditions are killing me"... to which I said in astonishment "the conditions are bad?"

This was the first Donek I've ridden, and I was amazed how different the ride felt from my Coiler Stubby. (The only other metal boards I've ridden are Coilers) On the FC I felt much more clearly where the center of the board was and that it was a good thing for me to stay there :) Edge grip was G-narly too! I was shopping for a 'soft snow' carving board (not all-mountain) and this seems like a great choice. This was also the longest board I've ever ridden, and I really liked the long feel!!

Background

16 years dedicated free-carving, 170lb 6'2". Favourite turn shapes - long and fast, closely followed by sharp and low. Favourite snow - one notch softer than 'shiny'

[DrSvend]

Pointbreak & Ian M,

I have been talking with Sean Martin at Donek about boards, and this was the one he's been recommending. Your thorough reviews just sinched the deal. Can't wait to get on one.

Thanks!

[Ian M]

I'm sure you'll enjoy it... it seemed like a great board. I plan on ordering one for myself in a few months :D

[PointBreak]

DrSvend,

Good call on the FC. I think it would be hard not to like this board.

Ian,

I'm realizing that we rode together with Eric B. on Friday morning at ECES. I was the other guy on the stuby with the same topsheet. Glad to hear you liked the FC too.

PB

[Miltie]

Location: June Mountain, CA

Conditions: Groomed packed powder, fresh powder (4”)

Bindings used: Bomber Sidewinders

Boots: Raichle SB225 with RAB and stiff race tongue in the front

Rider weight: 155 – 160 without gear

Rider skill/experience/style: Average / 20 plus years on alpine gear / race carve – upright

Additional background: Have been riding a custom Donek Freecarve 165 Metal (traditional shape) and a custom Donek Freecarve 173 Metal (traditional shape) for the last 2 seasons. Both boards ride well and I especially like the Freecarve 173 due to 13 meter sidecut. I do have longer and shorter boards but these seem to be my “go to” boards.

Was looking forward to trying Sean’s new shapes (clothoid sidecut – sorry I am a geek) and revised metal construction (with rubber).

Report: My initial impression is that the 171 seems a bit more versatile and able to soak up variations in the terrain a little better than the traditional shapes. It can also be squeezed into tight SL type turns easily but can handle bigger GS style turns with composure. Suspect this is due to the sidecut but regardless it responds well to whatever type of turn you want to do. This board is also very stable at higher speeds giving me the impression that I was on longer board.

The nose seems to bounce around more than my other boards but this did not affect performance. Also, I immediately noticed increased set back of the new shape but no ill effects.

The stiffness of the board was about perfect for my weight and was easily controllable without need of constant attention. Never stuffed the nose and was able to find a good balance on this board in all conditions. My other boards have narrower 19 cm waists so I was a bit concerned that the 20 cm waist might feel wide – not so. Edge to edge transitions where similar and edge hold was strong as expected.

Conclusion: The 171 is my new “go to” board and will hopefully see many more days on the mountain this year. It handles most conditions well and is very versatile. Definitely worth consideration if you are looking for a freecarve board. Nice work Sean!

[Ian M]

Ian,

I'm realizing that we rode together with Eric B. on Friday morning at ECES. I was the other guy on the stuby with the same topsheet. Glad to hear you liked the FC too.

PB

Cool! You wouldn't happen to have a photo, would you? I'm better at faces than boards :)

[loupa5]

Great review, Pointbreak!

I rode the longer 185 at ECES, and felt a lot of the same things. I found the edge grip incredible, the turn shapes easy to vary, and that the board cut right through crud effortlessly. My friend said at the bottom of the run "These bad conditions are killing me"... to which I said in astonishment "the conditions are bad?"

This was the first Donek I've ridden, and I was amazed how different the ride felt from my Coiler Stubby. (The only other metal boards I've ridden are Coilers) On the FC I felt much more clearly where the center of the board was and that it was a good thing for me to stay there :) Edge grip was G-narly too! I was shopping for a 'soft snow' carving board (not all-mountain) and this seems like a great choice. This was also the longest board I've ever ridden, and I really liked the long feel!!

Background

16 years dedicated free-carving, 170lb 6'2". Favourite turn shapes - long and fast, closely followed by sharp and low. Favourite snow - one notch softer than 'shiny'

I rode the 163, 171,175 and 185 at ECES. I have to agree with you on the 185, incredible edge hold. I remember bringing the 175 back to the demo tent and getting ready to call it quits. Then Todd recommend I try the 185 before I'd leave. I'm glad he talked me into it. I didn't think I could handle it but I was able to control the board with ease.

[Ian M]

I rode the 163, 171,175 and 185 at ECES. I have to agree with you on the 185, incredible edge hold. I remember bringing the 175 back to the demo tent and getting ready to call it quits. Then Todd recommend I try the 185 before I'd leave. I'm glad he talked me into it. I didn't think I could handle it but I was able to control the board with ease.

That's very interesting! I didn't ride anything shorter. Wait.... were the shorter boards fiberglass?

[loupa5]

No, they were all metal boards.

[Ian M]

Huh... I didn't see 'em. Too bad, I would have liked to ride the 175 for comparison.