Keenan Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 23 minutes ago, Eboot said: any chance Mark and Thirst will be at Montucky? demo calling! If he's not there he will never live it down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted August 17, 2018 Report Share Posted August 17, 2018 On 5/3/2018 at 12:59 AM, Algunderfoot said: wait till you see the new "PC", then it'll be complete! @Algunderfoot (or @BLOODTYPEZX10R ) any more info/pix of the PC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted August 18, 2018 Report Share Posted August 18, 2018 17 hours ago, Eboot said: any chance Mark and Thirst will be at Montucky? demo calling! Told me he signed up same day I did--last minute, but don't bother him, as he's busy building my boards:) 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOODTYPEZX10R Posted August 19, 2018 Report Share Posted August 19, 2018 Yes I will be attending Montucky Clear CUT. @bigwavedave forgive me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted August 22, 2018 Report Share Posted August 22, 2018 Just took delivery of this SF 162 today! Second of 3 boards for me from Thirst (small, med and large). Multi-board discount and came with a board bag! This really should be in the board porn section... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted August 23, 2018 Report Share Posted August 23, 2018 18 hours ago, bigwavedave said: Just took delivery of this SF 162 today! Second of 3 boards for me from Thirst (small, med and large). Multi-board discount and came with a board bag! This really should be in the board porn section... Wew, nice. These sure are tempting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted September 3, 2018 Report Share Posted September 3, 2018 Mark just posted this video of my new Superconductor before it ships tomorrow! This is the "negative" version of the new standard topsheet for the Super. It's like I've been in the Thirst board-a-month club all summer! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 Got out on my new Super yesterday (opening day at Spirit). Normally I avoid opening day, but they had made tons of snow with several runs open. It was above freezing so snow was mostly soft, yet very fast with occasional buried icy chunks to surprise you. Such is man made snow. This board carves like you're in a dream--completely sure footed, somehow seems to smooth out the inconsistencies between the soft snow and the hard icy stuff. You feel and hear them, but it doesn't throw you off. Rhythmic turning produced snappy air-born transitions. Super lively and super fun! btw, the colors in the topsheet graphics on these boards are really cool having a sort of 3d, iridescent (lenticular print) quality that you can't really see in photos. Kind of like those tilting picture toys that change images, except it doesn't change images (thankfully). That would be dangerously distracting going edge to edge! 12/28/18 update: Just thought I'd add to this review after riding some late day, really chopped up crud (chud?) from a wet snowfall from the day before. I swear this board goes through this stuff like nothing I've ridden before, as if It had a plate, but with no loss of snow feel. As it slices through rough stuff you can feel the ends of the board moving, but it barely seems to reach your feet. The bumps just seem to get smoothed out before they reach your feet. My knees are so very thankful. There were occasional soft pockets and it seemed to magically float over, rather than dig in, even in the middle of a hard carve. At the bottom of the hill the snow transitioned to icy hard and the board handled it fine, even if I hadn't adjusted my technique yet. I'm still learning to trust that this board will handle a wide variety of conditions with an ease I'm not used to. WARP design virtual plate effect? Not that this matters to me one bit, but in the lift line I heard "look at that board" or "cool board" and on the chair, "hey mister, I like your board" quite a lot today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boardguru Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 Nice trench bigwavedave. And Great looking board, have fun with it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted November 24, 2018 Report Share Posted November 24, 2018 there's some irony in that flame snowflake 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Carvin' Marvin Posted February 24, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 After much waiting I finally got to take Mark's Superconductor through the ringer at MCC. After one run I was already speccing out an order in my head. The thing absolutely rips. I was on Mark's stock orange board 19.1 cm wide, I believe. Edge transitions were super quick and the edge grip was as expected compared my 8rw (ample). I really liked the snappiness and sportiness of it. Having ridden my 8rw almost exclusively this year I wasn't ready for how fast the Super was ready to come around and it almost took me for a ride (see turn 3 in the gif below). By the 3rd or 4th run I felt completely in tune with it and starting doing my best supermoto impressions getting the nose completely off the snow mid-turn. The stock board felt a little soft for me, but it was not easy overpowered by my 210 lb gorillaness. It's no secret, but I really like these boards. Everything is just so mindless and automatic once it clicks. This frees me up to think about things like what I'm having for dinner or making airplane noises. NEEEEEEEERRROOOOOOOWWWWWWWW. I feel like the only consideration I have to make is what kind of turn I want to make then it just kinda happens. 9 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 Carvin and Bigwave, How do you find the overall stiffness of Thirst boards? Could your legs hold up riding a whole day? For a comparison I find Donek and Virus stiffer than my legs can enjoy all day long. Bigwave, now that you've had most of the season with your Thirst Armada which is your go to ride and how do you find the SL162 and when do you pull it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 On 2/23/2020 at 10:59 PM, barryj said: Carvin and Bigwave, How do you find the overall stiffness of Thirst boards? Could your legs hold up riding a whole day? For a comparison I find Donek and Virus stiffer than my legs can enjoy all day long. Bigwave, now that you've had most of the season with your Thirst Armada which is your go to ride and how do you find the SL162 and when do you pull it out? Barry, Definitely some of the easiest boards to ride. You can ride them hard, like Carvin in the above vid, but you can also just put your hands behind your back and cruise by simply leaning over into your turns, and anything in between. They are super smooth and forgiving of less than perfect form. I love that next to last turn in @Carvin' Marvin's video. Definitely one of those moments where the board says, "I got this one". I think the Super that Carvin is riding is the same one I first demoed. It was super flexy, yet performed well. My custom Thirsts are stiffer than that demo board. Still easy to ride. I kinda wish I asked Mark to make one of them really flexy (like that demo) for easier riding on ice. I'm still nursing a couple of old injuries, yet put in ten, 5 hour days in the past 2 weeks. I'm 66 yrs old and should know better. The SF162 is the best little board I've ever ridden. I have ridden it more this year at my local hill just because we've had more icy and flat light conditions where I wanted to keep speed down and be more maneuverable. It's super versatile---surprisingly steady doing large radius high speed turns when you want, and willing to change it up in an instant to make a tight turn with full edge engagement. It also comes out to ride narrow runs or when it gets crowded. My favorite ride though is the 8rw, in good conditions with grippy snow, good visibility, and enough room to make turns (it doesn't require as much as you'd think for a 185). That's only because I'm not comfortable cranking hard turns on ice. I'll just get going too fast for my comfort, and if there's poor visibility, my knees don't like surprises. I spent several full days on this board recently on great snow--it's so smooth! Those are my favorite days. The Super 175, or even the XC 171 might be the most versatile as a "one board quiver". If I only got one, I'd get a Super. Two? Then I'd get the 8rw and the (SF162)? more likely the 171XC. But there's the conundrum. Luckily Mark anticipated this and offers a one year multi-board discount. Just start with the SF162 and start saving for the the next one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, bigwavedave said: Just start with the SF162 Thanks Dave, Yep, that's my thinking! I got everything else already in my quiver..... K168 for hauling groomed ass, Swoard Dual 168 for less than perfect conditions and Moss PQ60 for tha Pow. All these boards are off the shelf stock . So Mark's boards are not that stiff in comparison to Donek or Virus?? Does his boards go by weight ranges in the build? I'm 6'2" and 229+/- too much at the moment but I typically would go 1 weight range lower or a shorter board length for a softer board (than what my weight usually would dictate) for my 63 year old legs to ride all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chouinard Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 2 hours ago, bigwavedave said: The SF162 is the best little board I've ever ridden. Spent 6 days in Aspen and split my time 60/40 between my SF and my Superconductor. Rode the SF in on and thru 6” - 8” powder piles all over Snowmass and groomed runs there and at Buttermilk. It turns on a dime and runs out as long as you want to hang. This past weekend I tried it with gecko plates yet again ...forget about it. Totally throttles the board. Keep in mind I have always preferred a GS board so I do not have an SL board to compare it against. But if I could only have one.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, barryj said: Thanks Dave, Yep, that's my thinking! I got everything else already in my quiver..... K168 for hauling groomed ass, Swoard Dual 168 for less than perfect conditions and Moss PQ60 for tha Pow. All these boards are off the shelf stock . So Mark's boards are not that stiff in comparison to Donek or Virus?? Does his boards go by weight ranges in the build? I'm 6'2" and 229+/- too much at the moment but I typically would go 1 weight range lower or a shorter board length for a softer board (than what my weight usually would dictate) for my 63 year old legs to ride all day. Mark has his method of determining proper flex for your weight and makes each board individually based on what you tell him. So, there are no generic wt ranges between models. I would either tell him you want it softer or lie about your weight by 15 lbs or so. I know @Algunderfoot might be able to chime in here since he has ridden the SF made for his wife who weighs 50 lbs less than him. Never rode a Virus. I've had a few Doneks and really liked the REVs and Inclines. I know some folks find them stiff, but mine have a deeper sidecut, so maybe they flex easier. I'd say not as stiff as Donek or SG frt, but maybe a bit stiffer than Kessler and Coiler (which I find very similar). I think Thirsts feel more like the carbon Oxess. I don't know if that helps. I've had a couple of K 162's and an SG frt163 (and others), loved them, but they were more work to ride for the same amount of fun than the SF. After getting the SF, my search was over for the perfect little board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOODTYPEZX10R Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) Quote: So Mark's boards are not that stiff in comparison to Donek or Virus?? Does his boards go by weight ranges in the build? I'm 6'2" and 229+/- too much at the moment but I typically would go 1 weight range lower or a shorter board length for a softer board (than what my weight usually would dictate) for my 63 year old legs to ride all day. @barryj The demo boards I have are as middle of the road as I can imagine, every rider is different in respects to style, stance, angles, experience, energy, etc. The Superconductor BWD rode in the UP (softer and narrower, but not by a bunch) is not the same one as CM rode at MCC. I build all the boards custom for the rider. I try my best to communicate with the customer and get at what they want and need. I set a target Flex Index with a build and am usually within a few ounces upon completion (closest I have gotten is 1/3 of an ounce to target). After customers buy a board or two we start to communicate with flex index to determine the stiffness as the most basic modification. No two boards I have built are alike in numerous aspects, its all for the customer. I do not modify the shape of the sidecut of my models except on occasion I WARP a model to fit the customers desires, i.e. CC, CC+, X-model, TS, PC and PCjv are not typical WARP models, though I have built the X-model, CC, and CC+ WARPed. Flex, width, taper and insert location for stance spread according to the needs of the rider are some of the obvious mods I do. I cannot communicate the differences of all mfgs and models for comparison in stiffness especially since a great amount of those are custom builds. One customer that I know of has made my Flex Index comparison on a few of his boards and it was an eye-opener for him/us to put the stiffness in a quantifiable term (for us at least). Having those measurements made it made it easier to communicate what that board was to them and how we approached a target for a new custom Thirst model. Edited February 24, 2020 by BLOODTYPEZX10R duplicate sentence 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted February 24, 2020 Report Share Posted February 24, 2020 2 hours ago, bigwavedave said: my search was over for the perfect little board. Thanks Dave! Now If I can just live long enough for a SF to show up in the classifieds! 2 hours ago, BLOODTYPEZX10R said: The demo boards I have are as middle of the road Middle of the road build! Mark, that's the perfect starting place for me! Really want to try one before I commit to a full-spec-custom-for-me-build, but me and my gimpy shoulder won't get a chance to Demo a Thirst this season Mark you wanna turn loose a SF Demo at the end of season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 15 hours ago, barryj said: Thanks Dave! Now If I can just live long enough for a SF to show up in the classifieds! Good luck with that plan Barry. At a certain age, time becomes more valuable than money. Sell one of your Moss squadron and get something you can use everyday. Middle of the road build! Mark, that's the perfect starting place for me! Really want to try one before I commit to a full-spec-custom-for-me-build, but me and my gimpy shoulder won't get a chance to Demo a Thirst this season Mark you wanna turn loose a SF Demo at the end of season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted February 25, 2020 Report Share Posted February 25, 2020 7 hours ago, bigwavedave said: At a certain age, time becomes more valuable than money. I hear ya Dave.......but for me I'd at least like a clean and simple test drive or two before getting into all the custom ordering mumbo jumbo. You know I'm gonna commit........but still being on injured reserve I just got Way to much time on my hands to overthink all of this And I won't be able to use this board until Next season anyway!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneel Posted March 2, 2020 Report Share Posted March 2, 2020 Too bad your feet are on backwards, @barryj. By next season I'll have the full Thirst range in goofy. I don't need that much of an excuse to ride Loon either. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 2, 2020 Report Share Posted March 2, 2020 4 minutes ago, Kneel said: By next season I'll have the full Thirst range What ya got so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneel Posted March 2, 2020 Report Share Posted March 2, 2020 2 hours ago, barryj said: What ya got so far? Started with the 8RW early last season, SF and XC this season, a Superconductor WILL be ordered this summer. They're like potato chips... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 2, 2020 Report Share Posted March 2, 2020 1 minute ago, Kneel said: They're like potato chips... Ha! I'm getting the urge myself..................for a SF 162! How do you like your SF? What's a typical day/run when you pull it out?? How's Thirst's board stiffness.......say compared to Donek's? Can you ride Mark's boards all day?? 6 minutes ago, Kneel said: 8RW early last season, SF and XC this season, a Superconductor WILL be ordered this summer Wow! I can only say that's a huge testament to the Thirst ride and Mark's build quality! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted August 28, 2021 Report Share Posted August 28, 2021 A little something out of the Southern winter, blighted by a nationwide Delta Covid Level 4 lockdown on the day following a 40+cm dump at Cardrona (& similar over most South Island fields). Ski fields here can't operate until the Level drops to 2 or less, and that may not happen before our season is nearly over. A fortnight in new cases seem to be plateauing and much of the country will get to Level 3 in 3 days time. Think of this as a video review of the Thirst SC in typical NZ resort conditions, hard pack under cut up loose snow, getting lumpy from early in the day. The GoPro8 used had a "dead mouse" wind noise muffler so the edge bite of the Thirst is clearly audible. A range of POVs used, including 16:9 in "portrait", and a boot top mount looking forward. Just getting to grips with DaVinci Resolve 17 from BlackMagic Design, a completely free, high end video editing tool. If I could have put a music track to it, it would have been Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible"! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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