snowboard length? a story from the other day

[Guest]

I was at a local ski/snowboard shop tent sale yesterday and I was engaged by one of the employees in a discussion about board lengths. Long story short, I revealed that I was looking for a powder board for my girlfriend for trips out west, and was looking for something in the 154-156cm range (she's around 135lbs? i never know exactly haha/lacrosse player type). He looked at me like I was crazy. He thought that 156 was waayyy to big for her.

Once he said that, I told him I ride a 163cm powder board (dynastar 3800, but he didn't know what it was) and he looked at me like I was even crazier. He literally couldn't believe that I would be riding something "that big" in the powder when I could be having "so much more fun" on something like a 155-157 (I'm 5-9", 150lbs)

Thennnn I told him my "normal" board was a 171cm alpine board, and I think his brain decided to selectively ignore that because he didn't even acknowledge what I said.

Oh, and then he said that he normally hates anything Burton, but he tried a board with the EST binding system and it was incredible. I asked why. He said it eliminates the flat spots on the board that are normally where the binding inserts are, and so you feel much more in tune with the snow and the board.

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Am I really crazy to put my gf on a 156cm fish? Anyone tried the EST system that can comment? I can imagine that his bias was probably for the park, not for carving (ya think?)

I guess this is another one of those typical ski-shop stories, but they entertain me

[Guest]

This will be her fourth year snowboarding, she rides a 149 twin-tip now. Mostly bowls and more open trees, nothing crazy.

[kieran]

wonder what shop dude would make of a tanker 188 or longer.

[Allee]

These make me laugh too. She should be fine on a 156 Fish - I'm pretty sure Two Ravens (who's only a little thing) rides a 156 Fish no trouble.

I got a (used) 158 Rome for a park board this year and got told I was crazy too. The guy at the shop told me I should be on a 154 max, and 158 is way too long. But I stand on a 154, and it looks (and feels) like a skateboard to me. He asked what the board I was riding now was, and I kept a straight face when I told him anything from 167 to 173 - I think his brain broke at that point.

I don't understand why they insist on putting girls on such tiny sticks. I mean, okay if all you want to do is skid down the hill, but if you want to actually ride, the extra length is a huge bonus at speed, and for float in pow.

[Guest]

wonder what shop dude would make of a tanker 188 or longer.

I think Allee said it well, his brain would explode

Thanks, guys and gals - I feel vindicated

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

He lives in a different world.

Let him.

If he is polite and asks good intelligent questions you may allow him to

briefly peek into ours.

[Guest]

Bryan, I think that's a really good way of putting it. I made a comment to my gf as we were leaving about how the employee said and thought I was just flat-out wrong, and how there was no dialogue along the lines of "Wow, that seems like a really long board, what's it like riding that?"

I guess what bothered me the most was his lack of an attempt to understand someone "from a different world."

[piusthedrcarve]

Bryan, I think that's a really good way of putting it. I made a comment to my gf as we were leaving about how the employee said and thought I was just flat-out wrong, and how there was no dialogue along the lines of "Wow, that seems like a really long board, what's it like riding that?"

I guess what bothered me the most was his lack of an attempt to understand someone "from a different world."

I once visited local shop with a split ATV to get tuned, the self-claimed 20 years experienced technician refused to do the waxing job on a broken board.

[softbootsurfer]

Bash Bash Bash Bash.... would you ask a Fish what a surfboard is for? :D

[davekempmeister]

a tech at a ski shop in MD that I called a few years ago insisted that I had made a mistake when I asked about getting a couple of boards sharpened and I referenced my Tanker 187. he kept saying " that can't be the length .....what is the length? it should be on there."

on the other hand, when I took the same board into the shop at Loveland after the lifts closed one day for an overnight stay, it was like watching bees to honey. I said that I wouldn't be back until 10 a.m. the next day and they could ride it if they wanted to. the next morning it appeared some had gotten the chance and others had not , based on the disappointment when I came to retrieve it. I let everybody ride my Tanker, I don't care. they'll make more.

[kieran]

i think it might be partly due to how mainstream (non custom) manufacturers tie rider weight to board length for their mass-market offerings.

we participate in a world where that guideline isn't necessary.

[Neil Gendzwill]

The guy at the shop told me I should be on a 154 max, and 158 is way too long.

Was he actually looking at you as he said that, or did his brain just register "girl"? You are definitely capable of powering more board than some 5'3" teenager. Mind you, some shop idiots think 158 is too long for anybody.

[Allee]

Was he actually looking at you as he said that, or did his brain just register "girl"? You are definitely capable of powering more board than some 5'3" teenager. Mind you, some shop idiots think 158 is too long for anybody.

The guy I bought it off was the same height and probably about 10lb heavier than me, and he found it too short for serious AM use. I told him I wanted it for park and he though it would be fine. I did my first park weekend on a friend's old POS 158 Rossi, and didn't have any problems.

Shops around here seem to have a problem with long. Try finding a padded board bag in Calgary that will fit a 173 - the shop boys all look at you like you've got two heads.

[two_ravens]

Ha ha! I'm not that little - 5'7" and I weigh more than 100 lbs most days! ;) Actually weigh in around 115-120 in the winter, with mondo 23 feets. Yes, I do ride a 156 Fish. The length is no problem, used to ride something skinnier and 160 cm for backcountry pow, so 156 feels shortish. The only thing I don't like about my Fish (and this is an older one) is that it's so wide in the nose, if I'm riding resort pow that's gotten chopped up or is shallow enough to feel old tracks underneath, this board is just a bit hard to control - but again it's the width that bums me out, not the length. For untracked deep snow this is a super board for me. I've noticed that the Fish design seems to have changed substantially the last couple of years, so I can't comment on performance for recent models.

I also used to ride a 149 in softies for skidding about in very tight steep trees on the King - that worked fine, but was useless on anything but packed snow. I just couldn't go fast enough to float in it in powder.

OK, good luck getting her on a real board!

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Well said ladies!!!

Another reason Bomber RULES!!!

[scrapster]

Reminds me of when a local shop employee told me the mountains in New England were too small for riding an alpine board :p

It's one thing if they're clueless, which is understandable. It's another if they're just trying to sell you what they have in stock, which is unconscionable.

My resort pow board is a 159 SG Soul and I'm 5'4" and 140lbs. It's super easy to ride. Remember that total length means almost nothing, especially when your average mass market board has a deep sidecut and a short effective edge. Like Two Ravens, I've had more issues when a board was too wide, which made it less manageable and annoyingly heavy.

[softbootsurfer]

Ha ha! I'm not that little - 5'7" and I weigh more than 100 lbs most days! ;) Actually weigh in around 115-120 in the winter, with mondo 23 feets. Yes, I do ride a 156 Fish. The length is no problem, used to ride something skinnier and 160 cm for backcountry pow, so 156 feels shortish. The only thing I don't like about my Fish (and this is an older one) is that it's so wide in the nose, if I'm riding resort pow that's gotten chopped up or is shallow enough to feel old tracks underneath, this board is just a bit hard to control - but again it's the width that bums me out, not the length. For untracked deep snow this is a super board for me. I've noticed that the Fish design seems to have changed substantially the last couple of years, so I can't comment on performance for recent models.

I also used to ride a 149 in softies for skidding about in very tight steep trees on the King - that worked fine, but was useless on anything but packed snow. I just couldn't go fast enough to float in it in powder.

OK, good luck getting her on a real board!

Fish to Wide...yep I totally agree unless you like to stay completely on top :D

Both the Supermodel and the Malolos I have had are better at least here in Colorado snow with the Malolo the best in deep pow as well as chop pow of those two...

The Barracuda from Burton which is new this season is a combination of a Supermodel and a Malolo and comes in lengths from

149 up to 169 and though I have not tried one this combination should be a good ride in a lot of different conditions...

Really to make a good choice, where, what and how you ride always needs to be defined first in my opinion

[Guest]

great feedback, everyone, thank you. I think she is finally taking the sport seriously, and I should have her up on her edges this year consistently.

The guy recommended a K2 turbo dream? But she's like me in that she would prefer to have something obscure that people would at. At least the fish has that unique shape. I am keeping my eyes on the for-sale section....

[kieran]

great feedback, everyone, thank you. I think she is finally taking the sport seriously, and I should have her up on her edges this year consistently.

But she's like me in that she would prefer to have something obscure that people would at.

time to call up your custom board manufacturer of choice.

[b0ardski]

He lives in a different world.

Let him.

If he is polite and asks good intelligent questions you may allow him to

briefly peek into ours.

enlightenment:biggthump

[alpinegirl]

So I am naive as to whatever qualifies as powder and simply would like to pose the following question: what is more important? Overall surface area and its distribution or board length and stance set back affecting those two things? The 150 fishcuit and 156 fish offer the same surface area. The fish was designed to allow riders to downsize 3-5 cm from their regular board length. It's unfortunate that the salesman disengaged. There was a lot more left to discuss than just board length.

So what do you think of the powder nug? That's even shorter and the feedback I have heard about that was that it is the most surprising ride yet and completely trumps our understanding of what should work in powder. There are a surprising number of similarities happening on both the Freestyle and alpine side s of deck construction

Food for thought.

[www.oldsnowboards.com]

Alpine Girl. The shape and setback of the fish type boards are definitely a plus. If you are relatively light , then they will be excellent!! Your choice of riding style is also a determining factor. If you want to ride centered and flow the deep fluff I suggest more surface area then less. If you are heavy, there is NO replacement for DISPLACEMENT. On a PNW 2-3' pow day the only way I could get away with riding a Burton Fish 156cm is if I had one on each foot. The Tanker 200cm is my ride of choice. There are a few days a year I want an even bigger board.

Moving my stance back is NOT going to get it. I very much enjoy flowing big surf turns past those stuck in the deep with their 150cm boards. Watching them riding the back foot and "Pointing" doesn't do much for me. They are just tracking out good pow with inadequate equipment IMHO

Burton Nug/ Long and drawn out. Sorry, not quite convinced.

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[BobD]

It works to our advantage sometimes. I was browsing a local store after their tent sale last season, and saw a board rising way high above the stack of unsold boards. It was a Burton 185 Frontier in hardly used condition for $100. I was given a lot of dire warnings about it by the sales people :lol: The thing just rocks in soft boots.

One night in the ski school, Crocodile Dundee came up, pointing at a guy's 158, I grabbed the 185.... That ain't a snowboard - This is a snowboard.

[Jon Dahl]

I love those conversations...I think. Over at a board shop in Kennewick on Friday, just looking to see what they had for shorter (for me) boards. Sales "dude" says I should be on a 155, 158 "max" , I say, "Well, I've already proven you wrong. My go to board is a 192 Rad-Air Tanker..." Brain immediatly fried. Had a nice talk to the older guy that did all the tuning though. His brain was intact.

[scrapster]

Uck, the current state of mainstream snowboarding... The majority of the freeriding public could be riding either longer boards, or boards with more edge, and having an absolute blast! But these days everything other than alpine (and maybe BX) is just different shades of freestyle.