Does snowboard racing influence your buying decision?

[Sultan Guy]

NOPE. Could care less.

There is no races in my area and I have never seen one except for the Olympics.

Prior, Donek, and Coiler brands all serve up everything I could ever want for boards and Bomber has the rest.

[Dan]

I'm aware of the brands they're using on the World Cup, and always happy to see one of "our" manufacturers succeed in international competition (Bomber, Donek), but I don't want to ride race gear for freecarving, so it doesn't have much impact on what I actually buy. E.g., I have zero interest in a Kessler race board for freecarving.

[*Ace*]

That is, unless they were racing on Skwalls.

No way...have you ever seen Skwal racing?

[Puddy Tat]

they were racing on Skwalls.

No way...have you ever seen Skwal racing?

Only when two were being used at once. ;)

[jburrill]

Carving boards are for kitchens.

[xy9ine]

I have zero interest in a Kessler race board for freecarving.

i picked up a couple custom sticks from a wc racer, and though i don't have a huge depth of experience to form a comprehensive analysis, i've found them to be surprisingly forgiving & fun in a variety of conditions. great freecarving machines.

[BlueB]

i picked up a couple custom sticks from a wc racer, and though i don't have a huge depth of experience to form a comprehensive analysis, i've found them to be surprisingly forgiving & fun in a variety of conditions. great freecarving machines.

I find that to be true when you buy a board designed for at least 20lbs lighter racer and/or shorter then the racer of your size would use.

[ExcelsiorTheFathead]

I find that to be true when you buy a board designed for at least 20lbs lighter racer and/or shorter then the racer of your size would use.

Exactly. I bought a near-new Kessler custom made for a racer of my (light) weight, rode it once, then sold it to a guy who weighs 20 pounds more than I do. He will probably have a great time on it. Current GS race sidecuts that tighten in the tail are not for me either. Rather than dabble with plates and other things that just make my setup heavier, I have been trying Ibex bindings to make things as light as possible. At 135 lbs, I doubt that I will break them. If I buy another used Kessler, it will be from a 110 pound girl.

[xy9ine]

I find that to be true when you buy a board designed for at least 20lbs lighter racer and/or shorter then the racer of your size would use.

indeed. though the designed weight of mine are only 10lbs lighter than i, they are the shorter lengths. a stiff 185 would probably kill me.

[orser506]

try to base my buying decisions on what the folks here use. And usually end up buying used equipment anyway because of the very short season we have( looking out the window right now watching the rain melt the measly 2 or 3 inches of snow we had

[ursle]

i picked up a couple custom sticks from a wc racer, and though i don't have a huge depth of experience to form a comprehensive analysis, i've found them to be surprisingly forgiving & fun in a variety of conditions. great freecarving machines.

I find that to be true when you buy a board designed for at least 20lbs lighter racer and/or shorter then the racer of your size would use.

I feel that way also, all I want is edge on ice, the better, the better.

I also agree about a board that's built for a lighter rider on ice, it bends, a stiff board plows.

And if you get caught in fresh snow you have a better chance then a stiff board.

Speaking of which I have a 175 Kessler in excellent shape in the for sale section;)

http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=35742

[BlueB]

...I have a 175 Kessler in excellent shape in the for sale section;)

That would be at least 50 lbs underweight for my fat a$$...

[ursle]

That would be at least 50 lbs underweight for my fat a$$...

:), it's more stable then that yellow Volkl in a recent pict, (was that the one from me?) actually, on hard ice it would be a perfect board for you, he was hand building them then.

I wonder who builds them now? I have one from last year in my hands and it's much different.

[BlueB]

Ah, yellow Volkl, one of the original stubby nose boards. Yes yours, long gone to someone else, just recycled the pic...

Not sure who builds the stock Kesslers now... Nidecker?

What is that hard ice you are talking about? We, westerners, are so ignorant :D ;)

[philw]

...Does snowboard racing influence your buying decision?

... but as far as BRAND awareness, does what is under their feet effect what you buy?

I don't think so, but then I'm probably outside the target demographic and close enough to the business to understand that what I'm riding isn't what they're riding anyway.

I do use the "race" concept though. When they ask me about my board at a resort, I just tell them it's a race board. That's *precisely* the image I have for my piste gear, it's designed to ride pistes well because it's made for racing. I'm not a "carver" or any of those marginal things, I'm a snowboarder who rides race gear. So my "brand" is "racing", not the manufacturer's label.

That said I heard, for example, that no significant race has been won on glass boards for some time - that's one reason I switched to metal (I could not test ride first). I'm also aware that my binding choice is popular on the race circuit - that gives me confidence that I'm not missing out on anything.

Brands are subtle though - probably everyone would claim to be unaffected by brand placement, but the fact is we're not. So I may claim to be unaffected, but I have a Kessler and I'd consider an SG because those are common European race brands; F2 used to have more power there.

So I voted "no, I'm not a sucker", but the truth may be more complicated.

[davekempmeister]

i pay no attention to racing. I think the stills that Jack posts are interesting with regard to form and body mechanics but I am not trying to dissect what's under the feet.

That said, I LOVE big GS boards and to a lesser extent, SL boards. It's the geometry/shape and the resulting ride that i am so enamored with. Like others that have commented, freeriding those boards is what i am after. On small, icy mid-atlantic hills (during mid-week), i get a lot more miles out of a short hill.

IMO, Most raceboards are surprisingly forgiving. Most, certainly not all.

[darko714]

Absolutely. The racing style (fast, with a blend of carving and skidding) works best for me, and I enjoy the challenge of racing. While it's not worth it to me to have the newest top-end gear, it isworth it to me to know what the pros are using now so that I know what to look for.

[davekempmeister]

I find that to be true when you buy a board designed for at least 20lbs lighter racer and/or shorter then the racer of your size would use.

All respect to BlueB - this should come with a caveat. A metal board designed for someone lighter and smaller that is in the aftermarket, recreational/amateur hands of a larger and heavier rider may fail. I don't necessarily mean folding the nose, either. Any board may start to come apart, obviously, but some circumstances (like the one described) invite it.

[BlueB]

All respect to BlueB - this should come with a caveat. A metal board designed for someone lighter and smaller that is in the aftermarket, recreational/amateur hands of a larger and heavier rider may fail. I don't necessarily mean folding the nose, either. Any board may start to come apart, obviously, but some circumstances (like the one described) invite it.

Good points...

It's all about compromises... Want more (or rather easier) performance or more durabillity? The later is certainly a bit of hit and miss with metal boards, especially with metal tops. I had a kessler 185 built for a racer of my weight. It was demanding but rewarding to ride, yet it exploded on me :( I also have a WCRM metaltop 173, of the 1st gen notorious for problems, built for a much lighter guy. It's been one of my fav boards for many years and still kicking strong. It's bigger sister, 177 owned by Scooby (a bit stiffer) was brought to near failure (few more rides I guess) by our joint efforts...

[SEJ]

I used to years ago, but that was before I found out that Burton wasn't building the Burtons that were winning the races. I do believe in the trickle down theory however. Racing is a great place for R&D, and we benefit from it.

Hopefully there will come a day when racers need step ins. (Get the hint Fin? )