Flash Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Wondering if anyone has a board they think is the perfect weapon for carving in softies? I have been riding my soft-boots more often than my hard boots over the last few seasons as I really enjoy the versatility and I am not skilled enough to ride bumps with hard-boots (but I am getting good on the bumps in the softies!) I am looking to add to my quiver and am wondering what boards you all have had success with. I know the Donek Freeride line is excellent, Palmer makes some good stuff (Crown - crazy expensive though) and I keep hearing that Rad-Air rocks. My preference would be for a board between 160 and 170 CM. Thanks in advance, Flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonerider Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Originally posted by Flash Wondering if anyone has a board they think is the perfect weapon for carving in softies? I have been riding my soft-boots more often than my hard boots over the last few seasons as I really enjoy the versatility and I am not skilled enough to ride bumps with hard-boots (but I am getting good on the bumps in the softies!) I am looking to add to my quiver and am wondering what boards you all have had success with. I know the Donek Freeride line is excellent, Palmer makes some good stuff (Crown - crazy expensive though) and I keep hearing that Rad-Air rocks. My preference would be for a board between 160 and 170 CM. Thanks in advance, Flash Well you already have a Donek Phoenix... AND a Madd 158, how about the Madd 165 BX board (only in prototype stage right now though). http://www.catek.com/forum/read.php?f=1&i=1919&t=1919 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted December 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Don't have the Madd 158 anymore and it can't be ridden (well) in soft boots. The Phoenix ihas been a blast so far as an all-mountain board, but not sure I would think it is optimal for hard-carving on East Coast hard-pack because it is alot softer than the Donek Incline. Don't know too much about the Madd BX. Might be what I am looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terekhov Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Originally posted by Flash Wondering if anyone has a board they think is the perfect weapon for carving in softies? I have been riding my soft-boots more often than my hard boots over the last few seasons as I really enjoy the versatility and I am not skilled enough to ride bumps with hard-boots (but I am getting good on the bumps in the softies!) I am looking to add to my quiver and am wondering what boards you all have had success with. I know the Donek Freeride line is excellent, Palmer makes some good stuff (Crown - crazy expensive though) and I keep hearing that Rad-Air rocks. My preference would be for a board between 160 and 170 CM. Thanks in advance, Flash f2 eliminator ltd '02-'05 santa cruz tbx '01-'02 PS wide doneks is a whole another lower class and cannot be compared to these BXers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonerider Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 Originally posted by Flash Don't have the Madd 158 anymore and it can't be ridden (well) in soft boots. The Phoenix ihas been a blast so far as an all-mountain board, but not sure I would think it is optimal for hard-carving on East Coast hard-pack because it is alot softer than the Donek Incline. Don't know too much about the Madd BX. Might be what I am looking for. Yea, I just meant to say that if you took the all-mountain ability of the Phoenix and combined it with the tenacious edge grip of the Madd 158, then you would get something like the Madd BX. What do people think about the Prior freeride/BX boards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark.Andersen Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 I rode one of these with Flows for a year while healing from an ankle injury that prevented me from riding in hardboots. The board rocks. Good stiffness, kinda between a good stiff freeride board and an allmtn alpine rig. 25.5cm waist allows for guys with bigish feet to ride reasonable angles without bootout. 9.5m radius allows for some nice carves. They are tough to find, but I heard that a shop in Colorado found some old stock and is selling them off for a reasonable price. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateW Posted December 25, 2004 Report Share Posted December 25, 2004 It's hard to find a freeride board with a sidecut radius over 10 meters, which IMO is pretty tight for carving, and it's pretty easy to get going fast enough that it will not carve at all. Steepwater makes freeride boards with the biggest sidecut radii that I know of, I think they go up to 11.5 or so... they're worth investigating. Or you could call up one of the custom builders and ask for something with a sidecut around 12-13 meters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Posted December 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Thanks for all the responses. What are the the top BX riders on these days? Is there a brand that stands out in that discipline? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJ-PS Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Mark, I have heard similar comments to yours that the Volkl Cross is about as close to a race board as you're gonna get and still be able to rock softies on it. Bola at Allboardsports said he got some NOS, but with the demand for an old production board like this, I don't know if there is any left. http://www.allboardssports.com/ I had to choose between a Rad-Air LSD and the Volkl Cross, it was a tough decision but the LSD won out because of versatility. Plus there are few people that I would trust on recommendations more than PSR, and he said the MADD BX is unparalleled. Good luck with your decision Flash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 26, 2004 Report Share Posted December 26, 2004 Originally posted by terekhov f2 eliminator ltd '02-'05 santa cruz tbx '01-'02 PS wide doneks is a whole another lower class and cannot be compared to these BXers. I've never ridden the F2 or Santa Cruz you mention, but I do find the Donek Inclines to be an extremely capable board for carving in softies. The Inclines are 24 cm at the waist, I can't imagine most would want to go much narrower on a softie board. I've ridden the 160 and an older 168 as well as the Wide 161, which I still use for an occasional janut in the park as well as days of deep, heavy snow when low speeds are required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave* Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Boards ridden with plates n soft hardboots that I have been happy with that should work well with softies 165 solomon FRS 165 santa cruz tbx Prior playas BX 167 Prior one off bx stick 25 waist 4x4 shape Prior custom 172 23 w 12m cut 168 f2 eliminator ltd wide 164 oxygen supercross 165 burton fusion most of these arent made any more all of the above are great for all mtn riding in my opinion, sidecut not to much of an issue as these are what I ride in crowded conditions I have a palmer channel ti (the old orange /blue one), cant put my finger on it but I just dont like it, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 Originally posted by Dave* 165 solomon FRS That was a fun board! Very, very stiff though - I found it to be a whole lot of work to ride it off-groomed in softies; better w/ plates when used as an all-mountain board IMHO. Unfortunatley mine had issues w/ top sheet peeling off and easy base damage... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pcogan Posted December 27, 2004 Report Share Posted December 27, 2004 nidecker's have an unsual sidecut: 7.6 on a 166 board i know of no other manufacturer that has boards with these specs. if you like a quick turning board, check'm out. i'm a huge fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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