Boardercross resources

[RJ-PS]

In an attempt to round out my carving skills and learn different ways of attacking a mountain, I am looking at competing in boardercross this year.

My only issue is that of all the sites that I have accessed looking for information there is relatively little. Even the sites with boardercross in the name of the website have very little especially in regards to board manufacturers.

The boards that are advertised of course are marketed with the typical board hype. There is no possible way to find out how a board rides unless you can ride it yourself or someone can compare it to something you have ridden.

In looking at some of the boards that riders are using on the circuit I have seen quite a wide range.

I know that palmer makes the Channel Titanium, volkl makes the Downhell, nidecker makes a Project TM and Proto, Nitro makes the Torque, etc.

I want to send a shout out to Jack Michaud (does that mean I'm hot in French?) for compiling stats (see 2003 buyer's guide) on both carve boards and boardercross boards for BOL. THANKS!

So to get to my questions.... I have two:

1. What boardercross specific boards are out there?

2. What experience have you had with any boards that would compete well in boardercross?

I'm 5'8" pushing 200 lbs of pure muscle (rriiiiiiiggghhht)

Are there any old boards worth their salt that won't break my bank as I try to enter a new category of boarding.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[mirror70]

Just a note, and something I'm sure you're aware of, but alpine boards are not allowed in boardercross. You'll need a board with a rounded off and upturned rear.

[Guest Matt D]

Hey RJ-PS,

Racing BX doesn't mean you need a BX specific board. There are certain traits of said snowboard that make it ideal for BX use though.

If your racing, you obviously want to go faster then everyone else, so a fast base is ideal. So look at the websites for whatever companies, and find their top-shelf products which will usually have their fastest base. Electra, Gallium, Indium, etc tend to indicate FAST!

So if your board does have a fast base, you want to be able to control all this speed you've got, you'll want something stiff. You must also be able to carve turns like a mad man so some torsional stiffness is a good thing too.

Its all really a personal preferance though. You know how you ride, and are the best judge of what will work for you. I believe that you should be extremely confident in your board, and very comfortable riding it to do well in BX.

Now with all that said, I think you should maybe consider that a custom board might be more for you. www.priorsnowboards.com Check out the MFR. Available in 3 different widths, and many lengths. Also Chris can customize the flex patteren just for your weight/riding style/intended use which leads me to believe that its a Win Win Win situation.

Save $25 by saying you were refered by #1178. I don't work for them, but I have my own MFR that I got all decked out to use as a BX board, and its the sickest board I've had the priviledge to ride.

[outsider]

i recently bought a new Hot blast gs board and love the performance of it, the dampening is amazing. I have heard good things about their BX board, but have never gotten a chance to ride one.

[Guest Pre School Rider]

RJ-PS,look at these boards for good handling,fast-pumping,solid edging boards; Prior Playas,Donek Axis or Incline,Coiler Freecarve,Rad-Air Reto LSD or Tanker(162,167,172,NOT 182+),Hayes Bros Pro Carbon,Nidecker's Peak or Smoke,Volkl's Coal,or IF you can find one,Volkl's Cross. Palmer's are cool,but edge at fairly low attack angles(Ride 'em Flat!),so I'd recommend going with softies on those,as tipping it up on edge tends to cause chattering.Volkl's Downhell has some flex issues,and rides weird on rollers. Burton's Fusion isn't slow,but dosen't turn enough for tighter runs.Older boards out there would be F-2's Eliminator,Oxygen's SBX,early Burton Johan,Hot ArcAngel,etc. As was noted before,DO NOT use a Flat-tail,squared-tail,or pointed/flat-tailed Asym in Boardercross! Gordon Robbins explained it simply enough-It is tough to extract that kind of tail from between a rider's ribs-So,consider it a Rule that has a Reason. In Riding technique,get used to 'sucking up' rollers,and pumping for thrust on the upper backsides of those.Airtime costs you speed.Get Launches down,be near or at the front early.Ride banks fairly base-flat in the middle,edging just enough to 'direct' your line.Between corners or jumps,used an aggresive tuck and crisp,light edging.Whoop-de-doos take planning in speed,as gapping here can make-or-break the run.Lastly,get a good set of Armor that'll ride comfortably,such as Dianese or Fox shoulder/chest/spine protection,just in case somone Lands on you.

[Guest Randy S.]

Hey PSR,

Any tips for the hole shot and making it through the first turn alive and in front? I haven't had a chance to try BX yet, but I'd like to. It seems its all about the hole shot in many races. Are there tricks/tips once you reach that first turn and are even or close to the lead? I'm thinking about ways you can / can't should / shouldn't use your arms, elbows, hips etc. to gain advantage on your competitors. It looks like a free-for-all. Are there rules about what you can do to your competitors? I'm assuming you don't want to be a total prick or you'll pay for it in later rounds, but within reason, what tips are there for gaining advantage and staying upright in tight situations.

The tips about pre-jumping rollers all make sense from a downhill ski background. You are always faster on the snow than in the air. One of my big concerns is determining when/how to double some of the rollers. I've never been a big jumper on a snowboard (other than dropping cliffs and cornices, which is an altogether different skill). As always, thanks for your great insights. I always learn something from your posts.

[Neil Gendzwill]

The old Salomon FRS is supposed to be a pretty good BX board, they show up on ebay from time to time (there was a 160 there last I looked).

[Guest Pre School Rider]

Yeah,Randy,Chewing Tabbaco.Spit it just in front of your competitor's boards about 4 seconds prior to the gun.That'll slow 'em by a bit (thanks Hobie,I wouldn't ever have thought of this myself!).Seriously,though,working on even parellel bars in a gym,and going from a swinging move to an airal departure is good.Rowing works too,but isn't as explosive in movement. In close quarters,Do Not Grab your adversaries.You can lean in,ala NASCAR Intimidator style,but not shove another racer.However,using position in Berms to cause those behind you to scrub speed is fair play.I like to run a high line Early,and dive down the berm.The issue with that is if the lower line is fast enough to force you out,or delay your pump enough to cost you momentum. It's not the best move in packs,but good if you lead a pack.Tossing shifties on jumps is a neat psych trick,as it'll cause riders near you to steer away,hopefully to a slower line. Ollieing jumps is a prerequisite for dealing with whoops and 'soft-top' rollers.I actually will ollie 2-3 ft before the crown of a roller,and land just past the top,getting me as much downhill to pump from as possible.Obviously,timing your takeoff is crucial,as is knowing how high you can ollie. With Whoops that are set tight,it's a better bet to suck up the first one or two,and go for gapping later in a set.If you overshoot,the worst then is a loss of a bit of speed and a flat landing.Boost Early,and Miss,you'll pay dearly,particularly in traffic.Loose-spaced whoops are a tactical gambit,and make for some iffy moments if you choose the wrong line.Just don't land with the next crown between your nose and front binding,or you'll wish you had handlebars to go over.Know your speed,and know your ollie height if you go airborne.If you stay on the snow,be sure to keep as straight a line as you can.Turning across the gully in a looser Whoop can mark you as RoadKill.Keep your leader to our toeside if possible in pack situations.This allows your peripheral vision to keep him/her in veiw even if you glance around at other riders,and puts you where he/she can't easily determine your whereabouts. Try to plan overtaking by looking for a good line ahead that the other riders might ignore,like between berms.Jumps are a bad place to pass usually,but can be exploited if you can see the landing zone ahead. Keep in mind that 'the holeshot' is the best place to cull victory from,but it ain't Over until the finishline.Work on that launch from the starting gate,it's important.