barryj Posted August 23, 2017 Report Share Posted August 23, 2017 Anybody got any idea or comparison of how stiff a Kessler 185 is? I'm 225lbs but like a softer board and don't want a plank. I have the new Gen 4 Swoard EC in a Hard flex and I think that is too stiff....and also I have a Gen 3 Swoard EC in Medium which I love Any thoughts from the Sages?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted August 25, 2017 Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 It's very stiff and very straight. I have a 180 and I will only be using it for beer league racing. Linking toe-heel-toe-heel freecarves on it with no skidding has you going way too fast in no time, and you have to dig yourself out of each turn. It makes my Coiler NSR 185 feel like a freecarver. I'm not familiar with Squaw's groomers, but if you have a ton of trail width and you like to go very fast then it could be worth a try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted August 25, 2017 Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 I have a Kessler SL 156 for which I'm in the middle of the weight range and it's precisely what you'd expect it to be. What JM says sounds right - these are racy European boards. American boards are (to me) a bit like American cars used to be compared with European ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted August 25, 2017 Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 1 hour ago, philw said: What JM says sounds right - these are racy European boards. American boards are (to me) a bit like American cars used to be compared with European ones. There's an interesting bias on forums though. Many people here prefer to discuss their big bad boards as you have to be on your game and/or on wide slopes to ride them. But from what I've seen, that's the 2nd or 3rd board that only comes out when everything is right. Most people seem to go to freeriding boards with smaller sidecuts most of the time. Barry, given your description above; steer clear of the Kessler 185. It can turn surprisingly tight - if you're very skilled and/or willing to put in a lot of work. If you sit back and just tip the board, it defaults to very big turns. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonny Posted August 25, 2017 Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 Barry, it sounds like the kind of board you'd have fun borrowing but don't need to own. I'm 230 and prefer a very stout board (the Swoard Hard flex feels ok to me for instance) and for me the Kessler is fun but hard work. There's no sense that you can glide around with a light touch and rely on rhythm - you push hard every turn or it will straighten out and run away. It's fun to play with but not many non-racers will feel like it's an everyday ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted August 25, 2017 Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 Only should be ridden by someone with gorilla balls or brain damage. That stick will wear out mere mortals in half a dozen runs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted August 25, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2017 Yeah, that's was what I was afraid of! - Thanks Guys! ! I'll stick to my Swoard ExtremeCarver 175 boards this season. I did acquire a set of Gecko plates (Thanks RJ!) and excited to see what difference they might make to my riding. I'll wait until TTC this March to test a Kessler........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmetroland Posted August 26, 2017 Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 10 hours ago, big mario said: Only should be ridden by someone with gorilla balls or brain damage. That stick will wear out mere mortals in half a dozen runs So the ultimate outcome could be gorilla brains and ball damage..? Please take video! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slopestar Posted August 27, 2017 Report Share Posted August 27, 2017 I have a 185 Kessler I will probably only ride in easy groomers in the perfect day. My 174 Coiler nirvana is fantastic. I know there will come a time but I spent a year riding a long modern race board and suffered a couple broken ribs and a very bruised ego to discover that an aggressive freeride deck was the one for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nils Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 On 26/08/2017 at 1:11 AM, barryj said: I'll stick to my Swoard ExtremeCarver 175 boards this season. I did acquire a set of Gecko plates (Thanks RJ!) and excited to see what difference they might make to my riding. Hello Barry, Since almost no ones rides plates on Swoards, It will be nice to have your feedback on that once you try on both flexs you have too ! Would like to hear your feedback! ( I hated the extra weight and raised position :). Thnx ! Nils Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted August 31, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 Hi Nils, I got the plates thinking I'd put them on a Kessler, but that will have to wait....but yeah, I noticed that also, no one rides plates on Swoards but it seems most every Kessler rider I've seen has been on a plate...what's up with that? They both can carve, EC and bash gates....of course the Swoards are wider ( Swoard EC 175's are 23.1 and Kessler Alpine 171's are 195 at the waist) which makes the Swoards harder to get around gates as quick...............maybe that's it in a nutshell....plates typically on narrower board for choppy/rutted out race conditions. But why not plates on a wider EC board for the ever changing All Mtn. conditions? We will see and I will report............ Seems like a great combo to have in the quiver - ride the 175 H for hard charging on groomers and then when their all bumped up pull out the 175 M with Geckos for more hard charging! We will see and I will report............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 (edited) On 8/25/2017 at 8:08 PM, lordmetroland said: Please take video! A few years too late. I rode Mr. Positives a few years ago. First run on spillway I had gorilla balls, or so I thought. An hour later I decided I was braindamaged in thinking I could ride that all day, and I could no longer find my balls. I just went home. Fun while I was keeping it under 40, just plain terrifying when I got too tired to keep it from running away. Had to be the fastest I have ever gone on a snowboard mario Edited August 31, 2017 by big mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 On 8/25/2017 at 8:53 AM, big mario said: Only should be ridden by someone with gorilla balls or brain damage. That stick will wear out mere mortals in half a dozen runs I've contemplated getting one in the past — how do they compare to the Worldcup UPM deck I sent you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 10 minutes ago, queequeg said: I've contemplated getting one in the past — how do they compare to the Worldcup UPM deck I sent you? The World Cup is a couple of notches higher on the badassery scale. I could turn the Kessler tighter with about 75% of the effort that it takes on the upm mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teach Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 I'll give a contrasting review. I've ridden a few Kessler 185s and found them really friendly. Very nice and easy to handle in a variety of conditions, though on uber-firm you definitely go fast. Great grip if you're willing to hold on with fingers crossed, but yes, it's just too fast for me sometimes and I switch to a shorter board with equally tenacious grip. What surpised me was how well it rides in softer, cut-up snow. It's almost as good as my 178 Nirvana (the best I've ridden in such conditions). Very different from some of the older race boards I've ridden, where as soon as it gets a little soft or bumpy, you're a goner: either you wear yourself out in one run just keeping it out of trouble, or you're catapulting through the air or off the trail heading for the trees. (These are the big bad boards Corey is referring to, I guess. Very different from the Kessler.) I'm nowhere near as skilled as the other posters, and don't ride anything very steep. I'm around 225 lbs. At least one of the boards was a custom built a little stiffer than stock. So a stock 185 would probably work nicely for you. At least, I doubt you'd find it overly stiff. I rode it using the 4x4 inserts (only one set). I've also ridden a slightly softer 185 with a Jasey-Jay plate. The plate made it feel a little scarier (tippy) but that's to be expected until you adjust to the new height, I think. The scary part was how instant the response was (leverage + softer flex). I wonder if the Kesslers the other posters are discussing are stock, or custom? There are a lot of customs out there. Mario rides boards a lot scarier than my Kessler (and rides them hard, all day long), so I suspect the one he rode was a very stiff custom. ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 When I was 210-220 lbs I found a stock Kessler 185 to be pretty easy to turn, as long as I put some energy into it. It was very VERY similar to my Coiler NSR (built for an aggressive 210 lb rider). At 175 lbs, my NSR wasn't fun to ride any more unless I was on my A-game and felt like tearing sh*t up, and I bet the same goes for the big Kessler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
queequeg Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 2 hours ago, big mario said: The World Cup is a couple of notches higher on the badassery scale. I could turn the Kessler tighter with about 75% of the effort that it takes on the upm mario Thanks - that's good info! Would be cool to pick something smooth and fast like that that can also handle a little tighter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 On 8/31/2017 at 2:27 PM, teach said: I wonder if the Kesslers the other posters are discussing are stock, or custom? There are a lot of customs out there. Mario rides boards a lot scarier than my Kessler (and rides them hard, all day long), so I suspect the one he rode was a very stiff custom. ?? Thanks for the compliment Reed, It was Kevin's 185, so I cannot tell you what the flex was, but it was a board that I saw him ride less than a handful of times, one of the few that actually gave him pause I started my day on it, in fact, I dropped spillway on it, and was all " oh yeah, I got this bitch". From there, I went over to firecut, that steepish run under reload, now ptarmigan, and proceeded to do 6 hot laps, losing a turn or 2 each lap, until I was screaming towards the bottom at over 50mph, trying to rein that bad boy in. My take on it was that it is not an all day/everyday stick, and like most pure race stock boards, as soon as your mind wandered, it would release down the fall line and you were gone. I suspect it was on the stouter end of the spectrum, it was fun while I could drive it, but as soon as I couldn't, It took me for one scary fast ride. Mario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HillB Posted September 4, 2017 Report Share Posted September 4, 2017 That one of Kevin's, which he doesn't have anymore, was a stock Kessler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colintkemp Posted September 9, 2017 Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Barryj, I'm the weirdo... My 185 KST is my go to board. It is not stock, however; and it is a bit softer than stock. (I bought it from Canada's very own Michael Lambert's in 2012/2013, if can remember right. It's a metal top (Lambert told me he preferred that (lighter, faster)) and build for ice (and thus a bit softer than stock).) It is definitely a lot of board (I totally agree with all the posts). It is tiring and takes a lot, for sure. I ride it with a Apex v2 plate. I'm not a big guy. Indeed, I'm actually just your average guy - 5'11", 170lb. It definitely makes a difference that I raced alpine in college (but I wasn't particularly good). And I have great news for you: Even if you don't buy one this season, you can ride mine -- My kids are in Squaw ski school and I just got my gold pass... So, we can meet up and you can ride my 185. (Or one of my two 180s, or my 182 NSR.) I would be fun to connect. Let's connect through PM as we get closer to the season. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted September 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2017 Wow! Really generous of ya to offer a test ride your Kessler's Colin.... I'm at Squaw most every week day afternoons for work so I'll definitely PM ya for sure! I'm up at Boreal and Northstar on the weekends if ya ride there any - - Let me know and Think Snow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colintkemp Posted December 15, 2017 Report Share Posted December 15, 2017 Barryj: we're heading up tomorrow for several weeks. Let's connect. Here is what I have in the member's lockers at Squaw. The one on far right is what you need to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skategoat Posted December 15, 2017 Report Share Posted December 15, 2017 Colin, do you need replacement Apex decals? PM your address and I can arrange it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted December 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2017 Hey Colin PM'd ya............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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