Need a tight tree powder board

[420calvin]

First, I am a board whore. Like many of us here. I think not in terms of "a board" but in terms of "a quiver" and shop accordingly (when I can afford it!).

I have some questions about filling out my quiver for you guys/gals.

My home mountain is Bachelor, and we see lots of stormy days. This means lots of tight tree riding on Northwest chair (traverse out, drop into the trees, or traverse over to smaller open bowls that feed into tree riding). I need float, but also maneuverability and "turn-iness".

I got a 160 Fish last year. It's way shorter than I'm used to riding (my go-to board is a Never Summer Titan 169, a pretty demanding board). But I am impressed, the Fish really rips! However, I just need a bit more length than the Fish offers. It is great ripping trees but holds itself back, needs about 5-8 more cm on the nose.

Now I'm looking at the Prior stuff, either a Khyber, Spearhead, or Fissile. I already have a couple swallows, a 185 Undertaker and a 168 Dynastar. Don't ride the Dynastar much, but it's fun, just a little floppy in the nose for me. I know people love them, so I'm willing to try it again, just haven't gotten the good feel from it yet because of that floppy nose. The Undertaker is crazy good when the snow is deep, open and steep. It wants mach speed before turning.

Anyone have experience with the Prior pow boards? Looking for something that rips in tight tree pow, but can also handle ripping down groomers, fast, on the way back to the chair. So it should hold an edge, at least adequately well (not looking for another Titan or anything). And it should also handle chop very well, I like riding fast through cut up pow.

Any and all help appreciated! Pray for snow!

[BlueB]

Save yourself big bucks, get a Dynastar 3800, 163 or 169. No floppy nose of the 4807, rounded kick tail for emergency switch, soft gentle rise nose for float, stiff tail to hold the line on hardpack, nimble in trees and bumps.

If you can handle a stiffer board, look into Steepwaters too, 164 or 171. They cut the chop even better and carve great, but are less nimble in tight spaces.

[420calvin]

Thanks, Blue.

Just saw the NS Summit too, looks nimble and pow-ready: http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/Summit/part_number=QUI/1742.2.1.1.10275.0.0.0.0?pp=16&

Will probably stay away from the Steepwaters, looking for more of a nimble tree board and those are pretty stiff, like my Titan.

Will definitely check the Dynastars.

[b0ardski]

I had a 169 Osin 3800 and liked it for pow in the trees & carving the groom back too the chair. However, the too wide stance and resultant sweet spot was uncomfortable for me and felt a bit unwieldy.

I sold it and got an atomic 169 radon cut tail which I liked better. It was even more nimble in tight trees and carved as well on groomers if a little softer in the tail. Even with the cut tail it rode switch OK but the progressive "tri radial" sidecut was very directional.

If I had the money I'd buy it back from MUD (traded almost new for a used madd) as he had it for sale cheap recently.

[Buell]

I love Prior powder boards and, between Rebecca and myself, we have owned quite a few. Most have also been ridden at Bachelor.

Hybrid rocker Khyber should fit your needs. I really enjoyed the cambered Khyber at Bachelor. The new one should be even better.

The Spearhead is not a good carver, even in soft snow. The Khyber was much better.

I do not know about the Fissle. I can say that I love the Spearhead in Utah powder but not so much in Bachelor powder. Too much unnecessary nose in the heavier snow and the Fissle surely has even more. I know it seems odd since they are produced in Whistler.

Edit: Rebecca has a few days on her hybrid rocker Khyber split at Willamette Pass on powder days and is loving it.

I also had an Undertaker and found it needs tons of speed to turn. Definitely an open bowl board.

[newcarver]

Will second the 3800. Have a Dynastar one after I broke my O-sin one. Have used it on cat backcountry tour. Was awesome in the deep powder. Ride it on resort pow days too. Works great in tight trees. I set the bindings in the back most holes and set them slightly forward of center in the mounting slots. No leg burn as it floats quite well. Forgot to mention the Venture Storm. It looks like it might fit this bill too. Has similar shaped nose with soft flex in the nose too. Also tapered in the tail and incorporates decambered nose and tail. A little on the spendy side though. If I break my Dynastar, I think this will be its replacement.

[tpalka]

Interesting thread. I've only ridden in Colorado and New Mexico so can't speak to the conditions elsewhere, but I've done a lot of tree riding on my Prior Powstick 180 (or 183?). It floats great and turns very tight. I was surprised at how well it rode in the trees... while being a good fast carver on the groomers when getting to the next good spot.

Today was my third or fourth day riding the Dupraz 6', which looks a lot like the Fissile, and I had a great time on it. Very surfy, turns tight, in many ways rides very similar to the Powstick though I didn't think it carved quite as well. But I'm getting used to it and it might be my new go-to board when there's less than 10" of fresh.

[Buell]

Interesting thread. I've only ridden in Colorado and New Mexico so can't speak to the conditions elsewhere, but I've done a lot of tree riding on my Prior Powstick 180 (or 183?). It floats great and turns very tight. I was surprised at how well it rode in the trees... while being a good fast carver on the groomers when getting to the next good spot.

Today was my third or fourth day riding the Dupraz 6', which looks a lot like the Fissile, and I had a great time on it. Very surfy, turns tight, in many ways rides very similar to the Powstick though I didn't think it carved quite as well. But I'm getting used to it and it might be my new go-to board when there's less than 10" of fresh.

I had the 6' (178) Dupraz and found the 166 Spearhead to float almost as well and handle much quicker. If you rounded the pointed nose on the Dupraz, the 178 is a close match to the 166 Spearhead. I am pretty light and found the Dupraz to be heavy (they might be lighter now).

We have owned two different years of the Powstick. The 176 definitely handles much quicker than would be expected and goes through trees easily in Utah. It is Rebecca's deep day board. At Bachelor, it would ride bigger and might have issues with its softer flex and the heavier snow on deep days. Great board though and it is a great carver on soft powder day groom.

The Venture Storm is a great board, except, both Rebecca and I found it has too much tail rocker and it did not react predictability when you sank the tail for speed control. Not a good tendency in a tree board. It is very well made.

[svr]

Buell,

Did you get your hovercraft yet? I am curious to hear more feedback from guys/gals that have ridden it and can't wait to hear how you feel it performs.

cheers and happy holidays,

sandy

[Buell]

Buell,

Did you get your hovercraft yet? I am curious to hear more feedback from guys/gals that have ridden it and can't wait to hear how you feel it performs.

cheers and happy holidays,

sandy

Yes, but we are still on the Oregon coast surfing and working on our house . We will be in Utah just after the new year.

What would you do with it anyway? It is only a 156. ;)

I am looking forward to trying it. It is short but has a relatively big sidecut and very little upturn in the tail (cuts off 10cm?). Unlike the Fish, it has very little taper. It could be an option 420calvin. I have had both the 156 and 160 cambered Fish and the Hovercraft seems nothing like them. I need to ride it though. It is cheap too, $400 I think?

[Jim]

First, I am a board whore. Like many of us here. I think not in terms of "a board" but in terms of "a quiver" and shop accordingly (when I can afford it!).

I have some questions about filling out my quiver for you guys/gals.

My home mountain is Bachelor, and we see lots of stormy days. This means lots of tight tree riding on Northwest chair (traverse out, drop into the trees, or traverse over to smaller open bowls that feed into tree riding). I need float, but also maneuverability and "turn-iness".

I got a 160 Fish last year. It's way shorter than I'm used to riding (my go-to board is a Never Summer Titan 169, a pretty demanding board). But I am impressed, the Fish really rips! However, I just need a bit more length than the Fish offers. It is great ripping trees but holds itself back, needs about 5-8 more cm on the nose.

Now I'm looking at the Prior stuff, either a Khyber, Spearhead, or Fissile. I already have a couple swallows, a 185 Undertaker and a 168 Dynastar. Don't ride the Dynastar much, but it's fun, just a little floppy in the nose for me. I know people love them, so I'm willing to try it again, just haven't gotten the good feel from it yet because of that floppy nose. The Undertaker is crazy good when the snow is deep, open and steep. It wants mach speed before turning.

Anyone have experience with the Prior pow boards? Looking for something that rips in tight tree pow, but can also handle ripping down groomers, fast, on the way back to the chair. So it should hold an edge, at least adequately well (not looking for another Titan or anything). And it should also handle chop very well, I like riding fast through cut up pow.

Any and all help appreciated! Pray for snow!

I have a nearly-new condition 165 Prior Khyber that I can sell cheap.

toofarr68 at hotmail.com

[digger jr]

Are you using hardboots and how much do you weigh?

[Jim]

Are you using hardboots and how much do you weigh?

I average 170lbs. It will handle much more. Just got another pow board this week. I think it is an '05. PM me.

[digger jr]

Sorry Jim, I was asking the O.P. about his weight, ect.

[Gtanner]

Tanker 172.... sickness on groomers if you add some palmer or burton risers...

[Buell]

My rockered Tanker 172 is my go to powder board but I would not want to ride it in the trees he is riding. They need a quick handling tapered shape.

[Mike T]

I haven't tried the rockered decks yet, but I'm going to suggest the Dynastar 4807. It's my tree board of choice, I have an older one, when they still were labeled OSin rather than Dynastar). Love it in the West Bowl trees. Perhaps we'll hook up @ Bachelor, I am there often.

[softbootsurfer]

at 165 lbs. at 6 ft. I use a 163-09 or 166-10 Burton Supermodels and they work outstanding!

[digger jr]

I've been testing some rocker modification the last couple of years and since the op has a 4807 I thought I'd show what worked for me.

The extra rocker and nose rise make the board turn much easier and quicker at slower speeds. We had the opportunity to ride some pretty heavy snow last week and it worked great. My wife (this is her board) was cruising right through the "tapioca", while I saw many people nose diving, front flipping getting stuck ect. It also effectively stiffens the nose so it goes through the chopped up stuff smoother. It also eliminates the "nose flop" of the 4807, which may be the best part as I found that to be incredibly annoying when I rode one.You can adjust the amount of rocker to suit conditions We've been running quit a bit (more than in the pics) when it's deep and light, less when your riding 10'' or less. So I'd just drill a hole in your 4807 and rope up! I used some windsurfing downhaul stuff for hardware.

[420calvin]

Digger JR - I am 180 pounds and ride soft boots, but the stiffest available. Prefer that feel for powder, personal preference.

Great thread guys!

[420calvin]

Mike T - I also have a Dynastar 4807 and have ridden it quite a bit at Bachelor. The thing that prevents me from loving it is that floppy nose, really bothers me. But I love the way it planes and flies through powder.

We should hook up at Bachelor tomorrow, I'll be out at Northwest either on my Fish or Titan depending how much snow we get with this storm. Tuesday should be even better.

I'm definitely looking to the Khyber hybrid rocker board thanks to Buell's advice.

It's silly, I want so many boards.... my wife thinks I'm insane. She just doesn't understand, lol.

[420calvin]

I had the thought (this is me way over-thinking things) that Bachelor's terrain really is split between open bowls (Pine Marten and Red Chair, old Black Chair and Outback, Northwest) down to tight trees. This is on most days, when the top is closed because of storms (when Summit is open, that's a whole different discussion). So the board needs to ride fast in open bowl powder as well as react quickly in tight trees. And it needs to traverse well, something we all do way too much at Bachelor! And it should handle the chop well on runs getting back to the chair, that is the least enjoyable/important part of a powder day but can actually be a very big part, especially out at Northwest.

The Khyber looks like a great option. But with the above thoughts, is it not quite the right board for all the open terrain that we hit before tight trees? It's not big open powder bowls like Utah, totally different, but it is significant terrain.

I guess if I was less wordy, I'd just say: can the Khyber handle open bowls fast, or is it sacrificed there? In which case maybe the Spearhead would be better, since it performs pretty well in tight spaces from what I've heard.

(Sidenote: we've had a crazy storm at Bachelor the last several days. From about 1 foot of heavy fresh, to 9 more inches of very cold blower, incredible riding!)

[Buell]

I have been watching the storm. We have been surfing a ton but I finally have the full on snowboard bug and cannot wait to get to Utah next Tuesday!!! And I am really tired of the rain over here on the wet side of the mountains.

I have not ridden the rockered Khyber so I cannot assure I am 100% correct. I am pretty sure it will be correct though. Rebecca does have the 160 rockered Khyber split and I really like the looks of it. Rockered boards have changed a lot of board comparison equations and the Spearhead predates most rockered boards (The Khyber had full camber when the SH was released.

The 166 SH is a pretty fast board. The rockered 172 Tanker is faster. The SH does handle quicker than the Tankers in tight spots.

I am going to offer my thoughts on the the 165 Khyber compared to the 166 SH. I have ridden the SH a lot but think the new Khyber design makes a simpler, shorter (overall length) board that does everything as well or better.

The rocker on the Khyber makes the extra long nose on the SH unneeded. I really think the SH will get pushed around more in chop, handle about the same in tight trees, and just have more overall swing weight for effective edge (slower edge to edge and pivoting in tight spots). The tail rocker on the Khyber will free it up and give you another type of turn that the SH does not have. This and the additional taper will probably make up for the 10cm longer effective edge on the Khyber (less quick handling in trees).

Looking at the specs, the 165 Khyber should be a faster board (more stable at speed) with its almost 10 cm more of effective edge than the 166 SH. The sidecuts are the same. The Khyber will carve better than the SH on groom.

Whew, I am about out of thoughts and that is hard to do. ;) Back to packing.

[420calvin]

Buell, you're the man! Truly thankful for your expert opinion. Hope you get some ripping days in Utah soon, an who knows maybe we'll meet up at Bachie some day.

Thanks again. Khyber 165 soon to be added to the quiver (after I pay for the Tanker!)

Adam

[Buell]

We come to Bachelor sometimes in the spring to carve. We can let you know if we are coming over. We almost always ride with Don Richter (noschoolrider) and Etsu Toyoda (lurker ;)). If you don't know him, Don just absolutely rips and rides most days. He is also a top notch hardboot instructor.

The rockered 172 Tanker is, hands down, the best powder board I have ridden. Goes through trees fine for me, just not tight conifers.

I am light though (145 pounds), if you are over 180 (170?), it will quite possibly do anything you want and still float you just fine.

My tight tree, playful powder board right now is a 168 K2 Gyrator. Really fun but definitely not fast like the Priors or the Tanker because it turns too tight and has too much rocker. It has a great turn though and works great in chopped up snow. I usually ride the Tanker though.