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The Ultimate FreeRide Hardboot Board?


newcarver

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What specs would you have to create the ultimate hardboot specific freeride board? I want to get or have built a board that will do it all. Something that will charge on groom, steeps, powder that can easily manuver through tight trees, bumps, etc. I have found a few boards that fit this criteria. 1. SG Cult 2. Dynastar 3800 3. Durpraz. 1 and 2 are no longer made unfortunatelly and the Dupraz is expensive and on the heavy side.

What length, shape, specs would you use if you weighed 160 lbs and have size 26.5M boots? I'm thinking something in the 164-168 length with a sidecut around 9-10M. Softer flexing nose that comes to a point. Short tail in case you need to ride switch. 23 cm wide with about 1 cm of taper. I wonder if a modified flex and shaped Incline would fit the bill with the new VSR and decamber? Just would want it to be more floaty for powder days. Really like a big softer nose that will just go over anything.

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Doing it all in one board means that it won't be optimized for any one thing. Just like a car: you won't find one that can go 4x4ing with the big trucks, give great fuel economy, and be a blast on a paved racetrack.

That said, I'm continually impressed by my Coiler 167 VSR AM XT. I haven't been in untouched powder with it, but it handles tracked-out knee-deep piles better than any board I've experienced, while still freaking railing on hardpack/ice. Chances are that it sucks compared to a true powder board but I'll take the tradeoff given that I never see deep powder.

It's not too hard to make something that works well in a couple areas and is OK in the other, you just have to pick what you want as a priority.

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I think I'm looking more for a freeride type setup that will carve decent. The Cult 169 I have is pretty darn good for everything. It is just a little on the long side for tight and steep stuff. It carves well and is great in powder. Just wish it was a little shorter and narrower. It is a 23.8 cm wide board. Plus they are getting hard to find since they haven't made them since 09. The 3800 is better suited for softboots for me due to the width. I'm thinking Hard Attack type of riding.

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I agree with corey and philw. In fact, I think that the major problem with the freeride boards I've had is that they compromised away the carve in order to be able to say "it will float in pow..." Great, when have I encountered powder? Never. If I get lucky I'll happily buy a powder board. Lots of really nice ones out there, it looks like. Until then, I have hardpack, ice, crud and slush.

I do like the idea of freeride with hard boots, simply because to ride a board other than the 30.5 cm waist beast that a BOL member is having Donek build, I need high angles, like over 40 degrees. This is not really what soft boots were made for. So I have the same question as you, except for the powder part.

I am starting to think long is the way to go for crud. 180 cm +. Can you make a flex that's good for crud that's also good for ice? I think maybe those are two different things.

As for width, I like 19.5 cm boards with hard boots, but maybe wider is better for iffy snow. I think I'd need about 25 cm to get to 45 degree angles. That might work well if I could convince myself to ride it like a soft-boot board.

That brings up the question of what boots, bindings? What do people do to use hard boots at lower angles, like 40 or 45 degrees? Red springs in the BTS?

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The Cult does perform very well in pow up to about 18", and is a decent carver. I"ve been wondering if a metal version would improve it. You'd still get that desirable flex for powder and a little more lateral stiffness for carving.

I just ran this idea past Bruce and got this back:

"Galen:

I have done a few of the softboot carve models and one specifically to replace a Cult. The rider did find it did exactly as you mentioned with good grip and versatility. I think its a good plan!

My press does not allow for the real long nose but I will be modifying tools this summer to allow for more flexibility in regards to that.

Details can be sorted out at convenience but I will get you down on the list for an over summer assembly time.

BV"

DROOOOOOLL!!!:1luvu:

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What specs would you have to create the ultimate hardboot specific freeride board? I want to get or have built a board that will do it all. Something that will charge on groom, steeps, powder that can easily manuver through tight trees, bumps, etc. I have found a few boards that fit this criteria. 1. SG Cult 2. Dynastar 3800 3. Durpraz. 1 and 2 are no longer made unfortunatelly and the Dupraz is expensive and on the heavy side.

What length, shape, specs would you use if you weighed 160 lbs and have size 26.5M boots? I'm thinking something in the 164-168 length with a sidecut around 9-10M. Softer flexing nose that comes to a point. Short tail in case you need to ride switch. 23 cm wide with about 1 cm of taper. I wonder if a modified flex and shaped Incline would fit the bill with the new VSR and decamber? Just would want it to be more floaty for powder days. Really like a big softer nose that will just go over anything.

You live here in CO. Why do you want just one board to do it all? A jack of all trades is a master of none, and we have days here where you will want one board or the other. You can get a board that will do it all, but it will excel at nothing.

What is your current setup? And what do you want that is different from it?

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Current setups.

Softboots: dynastar 3800 33 25

dupraz D1 5'5" 33 20

Hardboot:

SG Cult 169 with Nidecker freecarve bindings 40 32 (My favorite all mountain HB setup)

Oxygen Apex 165 with Blax 45 35 (very fun board that I use for my rock AM setup.)

MLY Signature 167 with Proflex Freecarve bindings 58 48 (rock board for carving)

Coiler AM titanal 172 wide w/ SnoPro Race bindings 55 48 for carving. (haven't had it out much yet as conditions haven't been the greatest until now and its powder) I don't think I want to tackle the double black steeps and tight trees on this yet.

All time favorite for ripping up the entire mountain is the Cult on HB and the Dupraz on soft. Might need to try a D1+ with HB setup but those boards are expensive. Got the D1 by trading my Incline straight across. Unfortunatelly, as stated previously the Cult is no longer made. Would like to get a board that is a cross between the Cult and short Durpaz. I really like the Dupraz but the width at the front would probably be a bit of problem with my HB size. That, in my mind would be the ultimate. Haven't tried an ATV or 4x4 yet though.

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Current setups.

Softboots: dynastar 3800 33 25

dupraz D1 5'5" 33 20

Hardboot:

SG Cult 169 with Nidecker freecarve bindings 40 32 (My favorite all mountain HB setup)

Oxygen Apex 165 with Blax 45 35 (very fun board that I use for my rock AM setup.)

MLY Signature 167 with Proflex Freecarve bindings 58 48 (rock board for carving)

Coiler AM titanal 172 wide w/ SnoPro Race bindings 55 48 for carving. (haven't had it out much yet as conditions haven't been the greatest until now and its powder) I don't think I want to tackle the double black steeps and tight trees on this yet.

All time favorite for ripping up the entire mountain is the Cult on HB and the Dupraz on soft. Might need to try a D1+ with HB setup but those boards are expensive. Got the D1 by trading my Incline straight across. Unfortunatelly, as stated previously the Cult is no longer made. Would like to get a board that is a cross between the Cult and short Durpaz. I really like the Dupraz but the width at the front would probably be a bit of problem with my HB size. That, in my mind would be the ultimate. Haven't tried an ATV or 4x4 yet though.

So are either the MLY or Cult pow-specific boards? Because it sounds like you have everything else covered.

As an idea, I just got this in the mail. Sadly I have a bum knee and can't ride it, but if you like Dupraz, this is Prior's newest pow stick, the Fissile (in 178cm length). I got a custom 24cm waist and reinforced inserts for hardboots. The nose is 42cm long, and it has a super tight 6.5m sidecut radius. Suffice it to say, it was built for resort pow of all kinds, especially tight trees.

post-329-14184233835_thumb.jpg

post-329-141842338352_thumb.jpg

post-329-141842338354_thumb.jpg

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That is a nice looking stick! A shorter version of that would fit the bill I believe. The Cult isn't pow specific, but was designed as a hardboot all mountain freeride board. It does do well in resort powder. Deepest I've used it in was 23" of fluff. Was great in that. The Dupraz is a tight radiused board too with a lot of nose with decamber. It pretty much is perfect except for the width. I have underhang on the front foot with softboots at 33 degrees. I have the toe ramp pushed all the way out on it. No way to run the hardboots with enough angle and still be on the edge.

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That is a nice looking stick! A shorter version of that would fit the bill I believe. The Cult isn't pow specific, but was designed as a hardboot all mountain freeride board. It does do well in resort powder. Deepest I've used it in was 23" of fluff. Was great in that. The Dupraz is a tight radiused board too with a lot of nose with decamber. It pretty much is perfect except for the width. I have underhang on the front foot with softboots at 33 degrees. I have the toe ramp pushed all the way out on it. No way to run the hardboots with enough angle and still be on the edge.

Give the guys at Prior a call. They have shorter lengths, and can do whatever you want with it. Because they just released this board, they don't have any in stock at the moment, but I'm sure they'll have some for next season.

Also, you keep talking about an "all mountain" board. Why not just get a pow specific board? The only time you really want to ride the entire mountain is when it is soft out, so why not get something that specifically will float over the soft stuff?

As soon as I get out on it I will post a review on it.

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Nice looking stick Jim. Would you mind measuring how much nose rise it has when pushed flat on floor, tip to floor? Also did you measure the nose length yourself? Finally what are the nose and tail widths with the 24cm waist? Thanks. Hope the knee is healing ok.

Ron

I measured it myself, yes. The nose is 29.5cm wide, the tail is 28cm, and the nose rises 7.5cm off of the ground.

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Jim, how is the weight on the fissle? My Durpaz is pretty heavy due to the added nose length and width. Surpisingly, it launches off anything with ease. Just works on your leg if you don't have a bar on the lift. Weighs you down hiking too. I wonder if a PowStick might work with beefed up inserts for HBs?

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Jim, how is the weight on the fissle? My Durpaz is pretty heavy due to the added nose length and width. Surpisingly, it launches off anything with ease. Just works on your leg if you don't have a bar on the lift. Weighs you down hiking too. I wonder if a PowStick might work with beefed up inserts for HBs?

The thing about the powstick is that it is meant for wide open, deep, untracked pow. It is more of a backcountry board. The Fissile, with its tight radius, is more of a resort pow board, super-flickable and meant for the trees.

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