Dice Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 I used this board with bindings and soft boots. I was in the market for a FAST, true directional free ride stick, so I grabbed it while it was on special! Heard so much about Kessler boards and I just could not pass on this one. SPECS: Kessler Ride 168 Without further due, it really is one of the most amazing boards I've been on! Carves hard, STEADY without any chatter and ultra fast to say teh least. I took it out 2 days this weekend and I was honestly someking everything within sight!!! Took it into 3 or 4 casual races with speed buff (skier) freinds! Had to be very careful twice as the skiers ahead (had a head start too) just did not expect anyone to be passing through, let alone a snowboard passing them at blazing speed. :flamethroThis thing is a dream at speed and stability! Speed aside, this board is just rock solid in any condition. Rides easy and smooth and can carve tight or wide trenches if you want to push it. And most of all, it's soooo easy to ride with minimal pumping of the knees! I've taken it into green & double diamond runs and everything in between. Had the most fun ever over any board I've demoed or owned. So much so that I'm think to clear my quiver and maybe just keep one board for the ugly rough early season, spring days. Other than that, I can honestly see this as my all-mountain everything, everyday board! Detaile dreview below... To start with, I think (personally) this board has the same techs as the Palmer Platinum LE had before it was discontinued! So, Kessler (who was making it for Palmer) probably decided to use/seize this and make it under their label with a few minor shape and look tweaks. It's really high end construction board from tip to tail. I've hit a couple of things and thought the worst! Only to see nothing underneeth the board. Well built & IMO the ultimate freeride & all mountain board! For fair comparison, here's a list of boards I owned or been on as demo to give perspective: Burton T6 Burton Custom Never Summer Titan Nidecker Megalight Salmon Mans Board Burton Method Burton Custom X Ride Highlife Ride Machete Nitro Pantera K2 WWW Lib Tech Travis Ride 1st and formost, this board grips on ice like nothing I've seen. I have a Travis Rice board with mange-traction (Lib Tech C2 BTX), which I thought was the best there is on ice. Until I got the Kessler Ride into some ice! It literally grips on ice like glue! So much that I initially thought either the use is stick, or my board base is completely burned out of wax! None of the above. The KST seems to place the entire board edge into the ice creating the ultimate grip. Once you learn that, you just point the board down and shoot! You can slow down by simply putting the board on a slight (or hard) edge deepening how much you want to slow. 2nd most impressive was how damp this board is! I could be cutting into moguls or charging a double diamond (ice or no ice) and this board just holds steady as a tank though it all. Yet it always feels super light and nimble. With all that in mind, I thought if this board can do it in the park, we are game! So, I took it for some park jumps and boy was I ever impressed how it takes off and lands. Super steady and very predictable. I ever took into into some boxes (no rails) just for fun! We also have a BX trail at my resort that I will be taking this into next time around if I get the chance. Although it's a directional, set-back free ride board, I could ride it switch with ease. As a matter of fact I found it it to be a great for my progressing switch riding with the shorter back! Like skies riding switch you could say. Turned and carves easier than my twin. But that's just me... Haven't (and won't) try switching on jumps for the record! But I could drop a 180's off the ground or off pitched sides NP! The board has an amazing pop of rollers when coasting through the snow. It's a hybrid so it's super easy to ride on catwalks and flat as well as relaxing your feet. It requires MINIMUM effort to manouver and carve into snow. A beast that's super easy to ride. I also took it into some powder and it floats like a hovercraft on the white stuff! Could carve in and out tree lines and side POW banks with ease. Though turning it at 1st will take a little getting used it at 168 (vs my other board 156-164 max). Overall, the best snowboard I ever had my hands on to date! In summery: Ultimate ice grip Smooth Damp Ride Super fast Rock solid in any condition Awesome pop Great for jumps & landing Ultra Hybrid camber (KST) Rides easy on flats and catwalks Minimum effort to ride & carve Floats great in pow Ride like a tank - point & shoot downhill Rides switch ABSOLUTE KILLER BOARD Cheers... Last edited by Dice; February 27th, 2012 at 09:07 AM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted September 19, 2012 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 Too bad you don't like it. I'll take her off your hands... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dice Posted September 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 haha!!!! I know eh?! Can't wait for season to kick in cause I only got late last season! Cheers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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