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Help with Board Sizing


Guest vee

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Hi all,

I was wondering if people could give me an advice on proper board sizing. I was misinformed when someone first advised me that only height mattered in sizing up a board, but I'm realizing that weight is also important to consider. I'm 5'10" but i'm fairly light, 130lbs. Currently I ride a Salomon 450 159cm

I'm an intermediate snowboarder and I have no problems with the speed of the 450. Its a great board and very stable but its very slow for me to initiate my turns. Some people say people grow into their board as they get better but I was just wondering if there is a better size for me. I mostly do free-riding but I'd like the option to go to the parks and do some light jumping.

Victor

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Victor - try freecarve.com, you are asking a hardboot community to recommend what to do about soft boot stuff, I don't think we would be the best audience to use for that kind of advice. More than likely we would tell you to lose the board and get a hard setup, your turn initiations will improve immensely! And you can still do some park duty if you really need it.

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for that board 130 is probably pretty close to the weight range for that board don't be afraid to go a little longer though in paticular if you like to go fast

having troubles starting your turns

take a few things into account lets start though with your straps make sure they do not bottom out where they meet the binding if you can tighten your straps until the ratchets hit the base of the binding(without pain) they might be a little long, shorten them a bit

2 forward lean allot of people forget about this use it, it can be uncomfortable at first but really helps with the heelsides and as a added bonus trains you to keep those knees bent

3 stance angles, width and centering lots of stuff to cover here and everyone has different needs

mess with it find what works

if you want to try a stance that works for many people myself included try +21 front foot +12 rear foot and 21 inches wide

many people ride stances that are too wide and it makes it hard for them to carve

centering really depends on the board and how much you plan to ride switch and your preference myself I set my stance back on longer boards short stuff I ride centered or close to centered

4 boots if they are too big you will have a sloppy ride and if they are too soft same thing

while working in a shop I found that most people are a size or somtimes two smaller than what they think they are and they bought boots that are too big because a boots that is too big will feel more comfy in the shop

ohh and make sure you tie them up nice and tight

if all these things are in order its gonna be a technique issue get up front to start your turns

keep the knees bent and don't be afraid to tip that board up it

its late and I could go on and on

take a look at the things I mentioned and if you tell us a little more about what you are feeling when you try to start a turn we can give you more tips

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thanks a lot for the tip. What i've been thinking is that having a longer board forces me to practice good technique, esp the forward lean.

But I still find it frustrating that starting the turn is sluggish and just wondering if getting a shorter board would make a world of difference.

I will give it a shot this weekend.

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Originally posted by vee

thanks a lot for the tip. What i've been thinking is that having a longer board forces me to practice good technique, esp the forward lean.

But I still find it frustrating that starting the turn is sluggish and just wondering if getting a shorter board would make a world of difference.

I will give it a shot this weekend.

While all of his suggestions are good, in this case I would have to disagree with Bob and say that a 159 cm is a little bit long for you based on my personal experience with Salomon boards and as a lighter rider. I would go with something 3-4 cm shorter for less sluggish turns as slower speeds - like a 154-156.

You are correct in believe that weight is often more important than height. When I was 135 lbs, I rode a Salomon 450 152 and moved to a Salomon 450 154, then a Salomon Definition 156, and finally a Donek Incline 155. During this time, I bulked up a bit and am now 150 lbs at 5'8" (so I'm more of an average weight frame now).

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Originally posted by vee

thanks for the insight. I want to stick with salomon's and I know they tend to be more stiff then other boards. I have a friend with a 156 salomon 450 that i can try out

Yep, Salomon tend to be a on the stiff side (why I like them), although it is possible to be too stiff (which I found out with the Salomon Definition).

Definitely try the 156 to compare, as it will give you a better idea whether it's what you are looking for than all the advice in the world.

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Originally posted by vee

thanks for the insight. I want to stick with salomon's and I know they tend to be more stiff then other boards. I have a friend with a 156 salomon 450 that i can try out

If you like Salomons, do try out a Donek Incline if the opportunity presents itself!

I found the Incline and its wider siblings to have all the edge hold of the Salomons with a more natural feel. I also like the slightly bigger sidecut radii in the same length board. My first Donek freeride board was a revelation of sorts; it was a freeride board that wanted to be carved and now look where it's got me ;)

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Originally posted by Mike T

If you like Salomons, do try out a Donek Incline if the opportunity presents itself!

I found the Incline and its wider siblings to have all the edge hold of the Salomons with a more natural feel. I also like the slightly bigger sidecut radii in the same length board. My first Donek freeride board was a revelation of sorts; it was a freeride board that wanted to be carved and now look where it's got me ;)

You are incorrigible Mike :D

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You guys got me hooked. I'm on the donek website now. So for the incline, I can pair it with softboots and strap bindings?

also what length would you recommend for me, 130lbs, 5'10", size 8.5 US boots

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Originally posted by vee

You guys got me hooked. I'm on the donek website now. So for the incline, I can pair it with softboots and strap bindings?

also what length would you recommend for me, 130lbs, 5'10", size 8.5 US boots

Yes, the Freeride models are mainly meant for softboots and strap bindings (or equivalent).

As I mentioned before, I own the Incline 155 and I am 5'8" 150 lbs, with size 8 feet. I think the 155 Incline and Wide are going to be too stiff for you. They will be great at higher speeds, but because of their stiffness, they will feel "sluggish" and "unwieldy" like your 450 159cm since you weight is not sufficient to flex them adequately at slower speeds. An additional problem with the Incline is that it is a very narrow board, and unless you ride steeper angles like 36/30, you are going to get boot drag, especially in softer snow (one of my major complaints about the Incline).

As such, I would suggest the Phoenix 155 as i is closer to the 450 in width and stiffness. Call up Sean Martin (owner/master boardmaker) and see if he can get a few demos for you to try (like a Wide 156 vs Phoenix 155).

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Originally posted by vee

You guys got me hooked. I'm on the donek website now. So for the incline, I can pair it with softboots and strap bindings?

also what length would you recommend for me, 130lbs, 5'10", size 8.5 US boots

Give 'em a call and ask! That's the beauty of the smaller specialty outfits like Donek, Prior, Coiler, etc - you get to talk to the people who will build your board. I've used both hard and soft boots on the Incline with very good results. If you like mellow angles w/ soft boots and like to carve hard, you might find the Incline a bit narrow... you can steepen your angles, use risers, etc... Sean @ Donek will be able to help you with this sort of thing, I know from reading and posting on rec.skiing.snowboard that he has customers on both sides of the "wider or narrower" fence...

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Originally posted by vee

I'm not sure if i should be concerned with the incline being too narrow.

I'm really a 8.0 size boot and its a salomon f-22 fusion series which is a smaller boot then a normal 8.0

The Incline is noticeably narrower than any other freeride board I've ever seen.

I ride Catek Freerides bindings which have a built in riser plate and ride size 8 ThirtyTwo Forecasts, which are a relatively low profile boot and at least for me, boot drag is still a big issue that I need to be careful about. It forces me to be less aggressive setting my board up on edge.

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