Guest thefishinmagician Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Hi all. I've been on a 155cm Prior 4X4 for about a year and I've been thinking about getting a longer board. Though a new Prior or Donek is more than I can afford, I can get a Proton (GS or SL) for $120 + shipping. Any comments/criticism of that board? Also, any recommendations on board length/style? I'm 5'9" and about 135#. Most of my carving is at Mammoth and June. I was thinking the 164cm GS might be what I'm looking for. Or maybe the 168? ~Adam~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gawdzira Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 I have a proton sl which I think is 161 (maybe 162?). This is only my second carving board. My other board is an Alps 169. I have demoed a Donek fc2 which was something like 172? I also do most of my riding at Mammoth. One drawback of the gs board is that Mammoth allows other people on the snow when we want to carve. I really like the sl short board because it is easy to turn fast. When I was on the Donek 172 I really needed to work (possibly due to the major change in stiffness from the Alps board I was on). On most days at Mammoth you can get a few nice wide turns on Stump Alley or chair 5 or 25 but most of the time there are a lot of people to avoid hitting. Also, the sl board is a bit easier navigating bumps or heading up to the steeps. I like my proton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishinmagician Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Originally posted by gawdzira I also do most of my riding at Mammoth. One drawback of the gs board is that Mammoth allows other people on the snow when we want to carve. I really like the sl short board because it is easy to turn fast... Good call and good point. The Prior turns fast too and that's definitely an asset at Mammoth. At June it's not such a concern. How tall/heavy are you? Sounds like you think the 164 would suit me well. Thanks for the response. ~Adam~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gawdzira Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 I am 5-9 and about 175#. I have never ridden at June. What is the terrain and crowd situation like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishinmagician Posted December 10, 2004 Report Share Posted December 10, 2004 Originally posted by gawdzira I am 5-9 and about 175#. I have never ridden at June. What is the terrain and crowd situation like? Crowds are nonexistent. Terrain is mostly easy stuff and there's really not much variety. Not many blacks if you like the steeps, but some cruiser blues and a really long green that carve up nice. Not as wide as Mammoth runs (stump alley, broadway). The beauty of June is the lack of crowds. Having a wide-open run is not unusual. The cheaper lift tickets never hurt either. ~Adam~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamran Posted December 11, 2004 Report Share Posted December 11, 2004 I was looking for a Proton 172. But at the time, I could only find a 178 for sale. I took the advise of bunch of good carvers at tahoe and bought the 178. In the beginning, the length and the difficulty of turning it in the crowd was really scaring me. But as the Tahoe carvers crowd pointed, I just needed to tilt the board more and work on it. Now I can turn it sufficiently in crowded areas. It's a very carving friendly board and my carving definitely improved thanks to this board. I was so convinced, that I bought another oxygen (Oxygen Limited Edition 170). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted December 11, 2004 Report Share Posted December 11, 2004 ehh I think they are way over rated I much prefer even some of the burton factory primes or F2 speedsters I put a few days on one in a trade and gave it back if it is in good condition $120 is a good price they are not bad boards but really I dont like cap construction(explodes and does not hold a edge as well) decks and the ride was just okay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdboytyler Posted December 11, 2004 Report Share Posted December 11, 2004 I've got a 149 Proton SL ($50 on Ebay) and 164 Proton GS ($150 on Ebay). I think both boards are great. I'm 5'7", 135 lb. My previous carving specific board was a Burton Alp 157(?), which paled in comparison. If I had known the edge hold of the Protons were so much better, I would have gladly paid retail years ago. I had demo'd some PJ's, but couldn't really tell the difference between the PJ's and Alps. I had gotten the 164 GS first. I liked it so much that it bumped off my Donek Incline 160 as my most ridden board. My only problem with the 164 was riding it in the chopped up steeps at Mammoth. The extra length seemed to be giving me back pains when doing jump turns. I then got the 149 SL and now that is my primary board. It's more conducive for riding the smaller resorts in So Cal and the jump turns in the steeps at Mammoth were easier on my back. The Protons were more versatile than I expected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamran Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 check out the new proton 04/05 at bluetomato. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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