Craving for new board --- Donek MK? Proteus? 180, 175, 170?

[Comapedrosa]

Hi trenchers,

I'm craving for a new board, and can't get everything i'm hearing about Sean's MK out of my head. At the same time, I'm still very curious about the Proteus (which i tried very briefly in Stratton in 2014). I know that this is a bit of a generic question and that i *should know*... but i don't :-). I'm confused. And i won't have a chance to try them anytime soon.

So I'm looking for a new everyday ride. A more turny and lively than my current Coiler Stubby v2 (172cm, 21cm, 13/14m vsc)... that makes me think of a Proteus with 20cm waist and the standard 11m constant radius. I'll be using it mostly in Tahoe and a bit of Utah. Here're my questions:

• What length? I read most good things about the 180cm, yet a priori i was looking for a sub-170cm board this time. I'm 180 lb and old - I don't necessarily press hard in each turn, nor do i want to (been carving for 26 years through)
• What about the siren song of the MK? not sure if he'd even agree to that, but should i try to ask for a custom 168cm, 20cm-waist board with "MK construction"?
• Any other Donek or other brand board you'd recommend?

Thanks much for your input. I need it!

Go Bomberonline!

CP

[Carvin' Marvin]

MK is too short and demanding  for prolonged riding out west imo. Get the 170 proteus if you want a super fun engaging ripper for bigger hills. 

[Corey]

Sean from Donek only rode the MK at the last ATC in Aspen. It can make larger turns if you feather it. I prefer pushing and bending the board though, so it doesn't work for me on wide steep runs. Donek will make a similar construction in whatever size you want, but the MK name is locked to the one specific shape. 

I rode a 180 Proteus in Aspen and fell in love with it. Bought it and once I got home to narrow runs I was underwhelmed. It needs space to shine! 

I then got a 170 Proteus, which was much more fun at home. Then I came across a 163 Rev - wow. It can carve much tighter than the 170, and it can carve almost as big of a turn as the 180. Stunningly versatile board. Consider a slalom board from Donek or Coiler. 

My thoughts: MK - excels at tight high-energy turns. Will skid a larger turn if desired. 

Proteus - a bit more of a one-trick pony. But if you like that one trick, it's awesome! Energy you put into the start of a turn will come back at the end of a turn. Smaller range of turn shapes.

Rev - versatile by design, as racers don't know exactly what they're going to get before the gate drops. They need a variety of turn shapes, and the modern slalom boards deliver. Surprising amount of pop at the end of the turn, but needs focus to finish a turn across the hill. 

Secret - a variation on the Rev, though I've heard that it's super damp; bordering on numb. Some folks have said it's not engaging. I got mine built with less rubber in an effort to bring back some liveliness. 

[workshop7]

I have a MK and a 180 Proteus.  Also, I had Sean make for me a 172 MK like board last spring.  It is 19 at the waist with a side cut of 11.  

If I only was allowed to keep one board it would be the 180.  The MK is too turny for for my taste, if it was to be my only ride.  However, I have not yet ridden the new 172.  I am going to assume this is the board I would choose if I could only keep one.  I just can't say that for sure yet.  

[Jonny]

I agree with Corey's characterization, although I think the answers may be weight-specific so I wound up in a different place than he. For me, the Proteus 180 actually turns MORE nimbly than the 170 because I feel much more comfortable really pouncing on it. I felt that at 230lb I could really overpower the 170 where the 180 would not only hold up to full aggression but would also bend enough to respond to quick low-angle push-pull cross-under riding. I think the 180 actually is 13m sidecut and  closer to 19 than 20cm waist btw. I'm "old" too and one of the advantages of the Proteus over the bigger Revs for smaller hills (I haven't ridden the 163) is that the Proteus really loves to finish the turn so I feel that I can control the speed more than I can with racier designs.

[snowwjob1]

I had my first ride on 180 Donek FC in secret construction. 21.5 waist 11-14 vsr. It is a fine tuned machine with great edge hold and lots of pop. Definitely a fun ride not many have been made so not sure of anyone else's feedback on this combination.

[jburk]

I was looking at ordering a board from Donek a couple of months ago, and while speaking with Sean he recommended either the MK or the Proteus. But it sounds like you and I are in the same place:

14 hours ago, Comapedrosa said:

I don't necessarily press hard in each turn, nor do i want to

I wanted something turny, but realized I had to make a realistic assessment of my current ability levels (coming back from a multi-year break, not as fit as I was 5+ years ago, etc).

I’m already riding a 10.5 single-radius board and wanted to try a variable scr board, so the Proteus wasn’t especially compelling, and while I really wanted to try the MK, realistically I don’t think I’m up to riding it as hard as it should be all day long.  My budget also dictates only one new board this year. 

I ended up going with a metalfc in the 167 8.5/10.5 with an 18.5 waist; the stock specs are for a 19.5 waist, but Sean says waist widths are always just a starting point.  And instead of metal Sean made it with the Secret construction, same pricing as the metalfc.

The sidecuts on the metalfc 171 or 175 may be more to your liking at 9/11 and 10/12. 

 

[jburk]

That posting sequence is kind of funny; it was @snowjob‘s mention of an FC Secret that got me going in that direction in the first place. Looks like I’m behind him in line again. :-)

But I can’t yet comment on how it rides; been out 4 days so far this year, but not enough coverage on the local hill to tempt me into bringing out the new board, so I’m still riding my ‘03 F2, while the new Donek stays home. Sad but true…

[snowwjob1]

I built this board to match up to a Coiler 184 monster. The specs are very close to each other but they ride completely different. I feel like the Coiler is softer in the nose while the Donek is much stiffer. I tend to ride very heavy on the front foot so the stiffer nose is nice but it will take some back to back run comparisons when the season allows for more space.

[Comapedrosa]

Wow gents, i’m super impressed. I post my soul-searching question before going to bed, go get a Christmas tree, and as soon as I come back, voila: 8 detailed and well-meaning expert responses. Thank you so much for chiming in! This is exactly the input I needed. My conclusion from this discussion is that a Proteus 170 or 175 would be a good and fun starting point for what I want and my level of ability.

Workshop7, I had already seen you mention your 172 a la MK. What do you expect from an MK-like construction? Other than the variable radius, what would you expect from that board vs. say a 170 Proteus?

 

 

[workshop7]

2 hours ago, Comapedrosa said:

Wow gents, i’m super impressed. I post my soul-searching question before going to bed, go get a Christmas tree, and as soon as I come back, voila: 8 detailed and well-meaning expert responses. Thank you so much for chiming in! This is exactly the input I needed. My conclusion from this discussion is that a Proteus 170 or 175 would be a good and fun starting point for what I want and my level of ability.

Workshop7, I had already seen you mention your 172 a la MK. What do you expect from an MK-like construction? Other than the variable radius, what would you expect from that board vs. say a 170 Proteus?

 

 

It does not have a variable side cut radius.  A single radius of 11 is what I chose.  In my experience, both the MK and Proteus builds have excellent edge hold on very firm or icy conditions.  The MK wins that one by a small margin.  The Proteus is metal, so, very damp and predictable.  I expect my 172 to be more lively and have a lot of pop.  I'll be posting a review after I spend some time on it.  It will also make it into the hands of another rider here on the forum for testing this season.

[Comapedrosa]

18 hours ago, workshop7 said:

It does not have a variable side cut radius.  A single radius of 11 is what I chose.  In my experience, both the MK and Proteus builds have excellent edge hold on very firm or icy conditions.  The MK wins that one by a small margin.  The Proteus is metal, so, very damp and predictable.  I expect my 172 to be more lively and have a lot of pop.  I'll be posting a review after I spend some time on it.  It will also make it into the hands of another rider here on the forum for testing this season.

Merci! Everything seem to be pointing in the direction of the Proteus for me then.

 

Good riding! 

[GeoffV]

@Comapedrosa  I ride locally at Wachusett, had a custom Proteus 162, have a few 170'ish Coilers and have the MK. Out of all of those boards the MK handles the best in true icy conditions, but it is the most demanding to ride and not quite as versatile as the rest of the boards. Out of all my boards the MK is the liveliest  board I own and is a lot of fun, but also has a narrow sweet spot. The MK is super turny, I know @Corey mentioned that you can run it little larger, but from my experience you really have to work at it and change your riding of the MK on firm snow to be able to run a little larger radius. This board is perfect for my little local hill, but I would never chose to ride it at any larger hills. Since you mentioned doing some trips out West I would lean towards the Proteus.

[Keenan]

If you go the Proteus route you might want to ask Sean about the round tail option.  Probably a bit more forgiving than the standard shape.

[Comapedrosa]

17 hours ago, GeoffV said:

@Comapedrosa  I ride locally at Wachusett, had a custom Proteus 162, have a few 170'ish Coilers and have the MK. Out of all of those boards the MK handles the best in true icy conditions, but it is the most demanding to ride and not quite as versatile as the rest of the boards. Out of all my boards the MK is the liveliest  board I own and is a lot of fun, but also has a narrow sweet spot. The MK is super turny, I know @Corey mentioned that you can run it little larger, but from my experience you really have to work at it and change your riding of the MK on firm snow to be able to run a little larger radius. This board is perfect for my little local hill, but I would never chose to ride it at any larger hills. Since you mentioned doing some trips out West I would lean towards the Proteus.

GeoffV, excellent point. And I was indeed a regular a Wachusett for many moons - now moved west a couple of years ago. Snow’s good, but the commute to the slopes so much longer...

[Comapedrosa]

On 12/12/2017 at 8:23 AM, Keenan said:

If you go the Proteus route you might want to ask Sean about the round tail option.  Probably a bit more forgiving than the standard shape.

Excellent idea. didn;t knwo that was an option - so i don;t really go that much in the wrong direction :-). Will ask Sean...

[Jonny]

3 hours ago, Comapedrosa said:

Excellent idea. didn;t knwo that was an option - so i don;t really go that much in the wrong direction :-). Will ask Sean...

Good idea to ask. One of the things which is most fun about the Proteus is the way it blasts you into the next turn, and I know I wouldn't want to give that up for any degree of forgiveness.

[Awesomo12000]

I went from riding a 171 Metal FC to a 175 Proteus. Proteus absolutely shreds, very lively, and conquers the steeps. But, I'm only 22, and I noticed that the Proteus is physically much more demanding than the FC.  You really need to commit to every turn, but it does reward you for the effort you put in. If you don't want to press super hard into turns, I would actually recommend a Metal FC.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Awesomo12000

[Comapedrosa]

1 hour ago, Awesomo12000 said:

But, I'm only 22, and I noticed that the Proteus is physically much more demanding...

Ha ha! THAT, Sir, must be the quote of the year!!! 

[JRAZZ]

Just to throw another board in the mix (and slightly tilt the conv) how would a prior WCRM compare to a Proteus?

At comparable lengths the two seem very similar (single sidecut, very little taper, etc...)  I'm interested if anyone has ridden both and can tell the difference (I bet there is)

[workshop7]

5 minutes ago, erazz said:

Just to throw another board in the mix (and slightly tilt the conv) how would a prior WCRM compare to a Proteus?

At comparable lengths the two seem very similar (single sidecut, very little taper, etc...)  I'm interested if anyone has ridden both and can tell the difference (I bet there is)

I would love to know this as well.

[Comapedrosa]

This thread is get’n good!

[barryj]

Hello Coma Pedrosa,   you have a curious relation to the Andorra  peak I have climbed ??

I'm curious as to what's not happening for ya on your Coiler Stubby V2 172 ??   Bruce extols it's virtues as a really fun and lively board.

The MK has never interested me, but since I ride a Swoard Extreme Carver that has a lot of pop, the Proteus with it's reputation for pop ( but too narrow for my taste) is intriguing....but the guys I see riding a Proteus are putting a lot of energy input/pressure...read: commitment into the turn to get the most out of it...ie: that pop.  If you don't want that physical and mental commitment to get that turny, lively ride why not a Coiler Angrry? 

Check out Gabes video on a 170 Angrry....Gabe makes it looks like you just hop on...and Hang On!,  for a very Turny and Lively ride...

 http://forums.bomberonline.com/topic/45494-coiler-angrry-170/

 

Not sure where you live, your location says Boston but I think you mention you have moved west?......I live and work at Squaw in Tahoe so when your heading out this way let me know and let's ride and I will hook ya up with some Moss boards that are turny and lively in a surfy  style that will blow your mind!                   

Oh, and I'm probably older than you....... 

 

[Comapedrosa]

1 hour ago, barryj said:

Hello Coma Pedrosa,   you have a curious relation to the Andorra  peak I have climbed ??

Hi there, not curious at all - i grew up there... in Andorra. Actually the Coma Pedrosa was my view during my entire youth... and of course it's a great mountain... Started snowboarding (on hard boots of course) in Pas de la Casa/Grau Roig...

1 hour ago, barryj said:

I'm curious as to what's not happening for ya on your Coiler Stubby V2 172 ??   Bruce extols it's virtues as a really fun and lively board.

ABSOLUTELY nothing against it. I love the Stubby v2, and I love Bruce! The Proteus 170 i just ordered is to complement my quiver. I'm not even sure if it'll work out for me. You might see me here in a few weeks trying to sell it :-). And there's no way i give up the Subby v2.

1 hour ago, barryj said:

I ride a Swoard Extreme Carver

I had one, the Gen 2 i believe. A bit of a heavy and unwieldy beast for me...

1 hour ago, barryj said:

the Proteus with it's reputation for pop ( but too narrow for my taste)

Sean at Donek says that waist is the easiest parameter to change (e.g., mine is getting a 20cm waist) 

1 hour ago, barryj said:

but the guys I see riding a Proteus are putting a lot of energy input/pressure...read: commitment into the turn to get the most out of it...ie: that pop.  If you don't want that physical and mental commitment to get that turny, lively ride why not a Coiler Angrry? 

Check out Gabes video on a 170 Angrry....Gabe makes it looks like you just hop on...and Hang On!,  for a very Turny and Lively ride...

Truth 1: i'm no world champion carver... saw people as ECES that blew my mind... Truth 2: i quite enjoyed the very short time i spent with the Proteus, i *think* i can ride it :-)... Truth 3: it's going to be an experiment, but the Angrry looks more like a pure slalom board to me... maybe i'm making distinctions that only exist in my head/feet... Truth 4: I have the feeling Gabes will make any board look extraordinaire

1 hour ago, barryj said:

ot sure where you live, your location says Boston but I think you mention you have moved west?......I live and work at Squaw in Tahoe so when your heading out this way let me know and let's ride and I will hook ya up with some Moss boards that are turny and lively in a surfy  style that will blow your mind!                   

Need to update that. Deal! would love to!!! If all goes as planned I should be there the weekend of 2/10...

1 hour ago, barryj said:

Oh, and I'm probably older than you....... 

Maybe, but only in years I'm sure.

Edited December 14, 2017 by Comapedrosa

[Comapedrosa]

It’s ordered!