Board Reccomendations

[icecarver]

After another hiatus from hardbooting I'm hoping to get back to it soon.  Last board I had was a Burton Ultra Prime 6.2 with carbon plates.  Never did get the stance dialed in before parting with it.

Here's my riding situation and I'd like some suggestions:  

The hills I ride are tiny.  Think 400' or less vertical drop.  I am in northern Maine so Mom 'n Pop mountains are mostly what we have(www.skimtjefferson.com).  Runs are short and fairly narrow but well groomed.  On skis, at speed, I can get 10-15 good carves linked together.  This, I'm thinking, rules out big side cuts and long boards.  

So given the riding conditions, if you had to pick a board for small mountain carving what would it be?  I'm 6', 175lbs (maybe a bit more post xmas binge ) .  Thanks in advance.

[dredman]

I would get the Coiler Classic SEJ has for sale in the classifieds!! The Classics are so friendly, fun and forgiving. 

[Corey]

Welcome to the club!  Most of my riding hits all those points.  Narrow runs, hard snow, short vertical.  Stay short, or at least with a tight sidecut.  A 12m sidecut is about the upper limit for what I have fun on locally, unless it's the rare steep run.  I have the most fun on a 9-10.5m sidecut.  At 175-ish lbs, you're right in the sweet spot so most stock boards will be about the right stiffness.  

You didn't mention budget.  My thoughts:

Low budget: Watch for older slalom boards.  165 or shorter.  They come and go on the classifieds.  I really liked a Volkl 162 (163?) Renntiger SL when I was starting, and they're pretty common and cheap.  

Medium budget:  Coiler Angry or XT-sidecut VSR model.  Ice masters.  I ride my 167 VSR most days locally, and the Angry when it's icy or I'm feeling energetic. 

High budget: The hot small board on this forum is the Donek MK.  I'm loving my Donek Rev 163, but you need to be aggressive to get the most of it.  I assume a Kessler SL board will have similar characteristics.  

[neanderthal]

Depending on your budget I would say to take advantage of the stong dollar vs Canadian and just get in contact with Bruce @ coiler. Tell him a bit about yourself the hill and what you THINK you want and he will cool up something that will probably be better than you could select. Then save money by findings bindings on the forum

 

 

[BlueB]

Really good recommendations by Corry! 

[philw]

I ride small hills, some of them made of plastic. I'd say go for a slalom board.

You're heavier than me, but check the weight recommendations from the manufacturers if you can't try the board first - in my experience they tend to be correct.

I've a 156 Kessler which rides comfortably in carves at slow speeds; as it happens it'll do resort-legal maximum speeds too. I have older slalom boards which broadly do the same thing. The Burton boards I never tried, but something more modern will likely outpace whatever you have had before. I'd avoid anything extremely long or extremely narrow. Narrow was a fashion but it sort of came and went. I would not go "custom" in that you don't really know what you want, so you're better off in my view buying something designed for mass usage - it's more likely to be right for you, or where you want to be. 

[Corey]

20 minutes ago, neanderthal said:

Depending on your budget I would say to take advantage of the stong dollar vs Canadian and just get in contact with Bruce @ coiler. Tell him a bit about yourself the hill and what you THINK you want and he will cool up something that will probably be better than you could select. 

All of this!  Long ago, I told Bruce where I rode and how I rode, and he suggested a slalom race board to maintain speed on mellow runs.  I laughed and said that I don't race, and got something else.  Many years later, I got an SL board and fell in love.  Yup, Bruce was right.  Listening is easy, hearing is hard.  

[RobertAlexander]

Had Bruce make a Nirvana 174 with a single radius 10m,  the metal flexes more , so it is like a 9.5 or even  a 9.0 glass board,  Can turn it just as tight as a few of my other 9.0  to 9.5 to 10.0 glass bds,     A   softer 11.0 will turn tight also.    I prefer freecarve with the decambered tip And tail,   its design is for carving.  

[workshop7]

I would like to offer a few suggestions but I'm not going to.  Corey already wrote what I would have.

[Beckmann AG]

Make sure you get something in mauve.

For whatever it's worth, I do most instructional work on an old FP 157. The 9.59 sidecut radius is well suited to the prevailing conditions @ Sugarloaf, and offers good maneuverability at slow speeds without 'cheating'. Also have a Donek metal FC that works very well, but the 10m sidecut is just a bit much for close quarters work.

For what you describe, I'd go with something of softer flex and sidecut under 10m. If you're on a budget, find an 'off the rack' glass FC. They come in two widths.

If you find yourself in the vicinity, I have a few possibles in the demo fleet.

Edited January 9, 2017 by Beckmann AG