Ok, why do we need so many different boards, seriously?

[1xsculler]

I needm'  because I always think the next one will make me a better rider. I'm pretty sure that's all bull shit but I keep hopein'.

As I get better just from making more turns trying new boards the boards I used to suck on begin to feel better. It's a vicious cycle but at least it is forward progressing, I think.

What about you?

Values clarification.

[SunSurfer]

Spares, and different turn shapes. 

In New Zealand there is nowhere you can buy alpine snowboard gear new. The vast majority of my boards have been bought second-hand on TradeMe,  the local equivalent of eBay.

[BlueB]

Good observations.... However, you can justify quite a few different boards: 

Big carver, small carver, all-mountain/slush buster, freeride/pow, rock, teaching if you are into that, skwal, mono ;) 

[dredman]

Because America! 

 

This is is just what BigDogDave, Johnasmo and I brought to Whitefish for a day of riding. 

 

Because we cannot adjust suspension and steering like race cars/bikes. You need and must have the right tool for the right conditions. 

There is not one board to rule the all. 

[Aracan]

To each his own. I get bored and tired just from imagining the logistics required to keep a whole quiver in shape. I'd rather ride (said the guy with one board).

[pokkis]

We dont need more than one board, like golfer needs just one club, but sometimes it is just fun change board.

[Corey]

The appeal of the shiny new thing is strong with me. 

I do love changing boards part-way through the day for a new challenge. Sometimes I just want to haul butt so I get out a big board. Sometimes I want to make a million turns so I get a small board. 

[st_lupo]

1) F2 Silberpfeil: This was my first alpine deck.  Got it because it was cheap. Now it is my rock board (so I can practice early and late in the season).

2)Coiler NFC Balance:  This was board #2 and my first metal board.  A total game changer in my learning curve.  The board didn't make me a better rider over-night but it gave me tons of confidence to really push harder on different techniques in variable conditions.  As a result I learned a ton because of this board.

3)Coiler NFC Energy: This was board #3 and a little shorter and turnier than my Balance.  I got this as a refinement of my NFC-B because I got to the point where I could understand/anticipate what got me happy on a board, and I wanted something a bit "racier" than the NFC-B, but equally versatile in just about all conditions.  This is absolutely my go-to board: perfect-groomers, pow, runs that have been rutted up by the local alpine teams, crowds, etc.  This board handles everything predictably and with poise.  It really shines in less than ideal conditions.

4)Kessler 162:  I got this the same time I ordered the NFC-E because it was used and cheap.  I wanted in on the European "legend".  This is my adrenaline rush board, .

Since I'm not riding off piste anymore,  I realistically could have been perfectly content with just the Silberpfeil and the NFC-E. That would cover an entire season.  However,  having having taken a bite of the SL apple, the Kessler just amps up the stoke level to 11 on the days when I can get it out.  The NFC-B (which I still love) kinda gets relegated to being the spare.

Not planning and not interested in any new boards for the foreseeable future.

 

 

[workshop7]

For me it's about turn shape and conditions.  Like Corey said, I do love a new toy but it's more about the right tool for the job.  If I had to narrow it down to as few as possible I would still want 5 boards.

MK - Quick and nimble 

Custom 172 - (Bigger MK) Same characteristics as the MK but on a larger scale 

Proteus 180 - Stable, high speed cruiser.

1997 FP 157 - Rock board

Tanker 177 - Powder, trees and crud

Edited February 15, 2018 by workshop7

[Jack M]

Small, medium, large, and a softboot setup. Anything less would be uncivilized!

[lowrider]

How many utensils do you have in your cutlery drawer ?  Different conditions different tool !

[Aracan]

I have many things in my cutlery drawer. I really only need a bread knife, a big kitchen knife and small knife for peeling onions and stuff like that. But since I cut nothing but snow with my board, I don't need a bread board ;-)

 

[Neil Gendzwill]

Many of the people here spend their whole day on groomed runs in hard boots. They don't race. They don't go off-piste. Only one board is required. 

Of course having different boards is fun, no shame in that.  But if you are buying boards thinking the next one is the silver bullet that will fix your game, you are being like the golfers that figure the latest driver will let them break 90. 

[scottishsurfer]

The way i see it is as much as i love cars i will never be able to afford anything like a ferrari let alone be able to use it close to its potential without kissing my liecense good bye but with snowboards i can get a number of nice high performance boards and then ride them as hard as i possibly can until i run out of skill :)

as for my quiver after just over 3 years riding i have this

Rome 155w reverb rocker: I got this as my board to essentially learn the basics of snowboarding on. Stupid large rocker between the feet with camber under foot make it very loose and forgiving I ride it now to just play about on if im riding with friends who aren't the fastest or conditions aren't that great.

Lib tech hot knife 156w: I got this to step up my riding and learn how to ride camber and carve more aggressively, the tip and tail outside insert pack is now to soft so its living its retirement as a powder board.

Lib tech magic banana 158w: i got this to be the eventual replacement rome similar profile but tighter side cut and a bit stiffer but still fun to play about on.

SG soul 159xt: Moving into the carving board big leagues as that's pretty much where i'm focused on progressing my riding it is also acting as a stepping stone board before i go to something a bit wider again.

Next season i will hopefully add a nice wide donek flux to the line up :)

 

[MK@whiteface]

My new drivers, always help me break 90 - at least once.

[snowwjob1]

6 hours ago, dredman said:

Because America! 

 

This is is just what BigDogDave, Johnasmo and I brought to Whitefish for a day of riding. 

 

Because we cannot adjust suspension and steering like race cars/bikes. You need and must have the right tool for the right conditions. 

There is not one board to rule the all. 

That's a lot of coilers in one place. Looks like you guys have Bruce's schedule locked up.???

Edited February 15, 2018 by snowjob
Spelling

[b0ardski]

have to have backup boards, I buy old used schit and wear it out; boards are a consumable

[Poloturbo]

My wife keeps telling me I can't have multiple wife's.  Beside boards are way cheaper.

[pow4ever]

BTW chopstick FTW ;-)  I went through both side of the coin.  It's cyclical for me.
Today pendulum swing toward "simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication".  I am sure if will change eventually.

disclaimer:  barring "extreme" condition.  > 1' of snow on a 17" waist is possible but as some one else said:  out house will work but indoor plumbing is much nicer.

story of an advance beginner

First there are variety is key to life...

As I begin in my journey toward carving nirvana:
I am most sensitive to outside "noises":
Crowd, snow condition, setup, steep and etc etc.

"only if I brought my 'enter board name here'"
"I need my rose color lenses for this particular light condition"
"the snow is too firm/soft", "blame skier/snowboarder who is no where near me".
Right tool for the right job make sense.  The optimized board choice for the condition allow me to carve and enjoyed the day.
It's a filter that help me attenuated the external noises and focus on the task at hand because my "style" is fairly static.

As I get better:  "King of the the green"
The outside noise get filtered out naturally by my abysmal ability.  My technique allow me to be more dynamic to adapt to the current condition on the fly.
the crowd, snow condition are still a concern but the decibel level have not reach impedance.
Hence I am on the "one board to rule them all" camp for now.

Hopefully on my journey:  I will progress enough to appreciated and take advantage of the minutia difference between each board and start my hoarding again :-)

For the runner on the forum:
When I first start running:  I got my water bottle, ear phone, music, special [socks, shorts, top], sweat band. GU gel just to run a 10k
Now:  I put on my sneaker and run a half marathon distance before my Sunday breakfast.

TLDR:  we are all unique snow flake... Do what maximized your enjoyment  

 

[piusthedrcarve]

It's interesting to use golf analogy for our obsession of building a never-ending quiver.

I am an avid golfer w/ +2.1 hcp and played more than 30 years (competitively in early years). I used to upgrade(?) to newer clubs every time when I see their advertising characteristics and spec. seemed what I was looking for.  Then realized none can do exactly what I wanted to do.  So, I built (changing configuration such as different shaft, swing weight, etc.) my ideal clubs for my swings characteristics (speed, tempo, acceleration, etc.) and where I play most (surroundings).  I went through many club builders to build a custom set but they weren't able to get it 100% right because I wasn't completely understood what my games were. So, I started to test most shafts, clubs head, grips, and balls to really understand how each performs. With endless trips to places that have commercial launch monitors, repeat of buy-sell components, and assembling those components. and testing them again. It took me about 3 years to build my current set.  The trials and process diagnosed my playability in whole different level and I was able to understand what characteristics of equipments can better my game. Thanks to interchangeable design that I can keep few different components and swap, according to surrounding such as condition, course layout, etc.

Same goes to my current quiver of boards & alpine snowboarding equipments.  Probably went through +80 boards, and many bindings and boots over last decade.  Still wanting to experiment but I have pretty much good idea of what I'm looking for and happy with my current quiver. 

Interestingly, equipment of both sports that I chose and configured are 'vintage' mostly.  In example, irons with Mizuno mp14 w/ Black Gold shafts (of course, pured and matched frequency per each club for my preferred lie/loft/length/weight).  Driver with a 417cc head with 2 different characteristic shafts (low spin/high launch & medium spin/low launch).  Main carving boards are Madd 158/170. 

After those long trials for finding my 'ultimate' equipments for both sports, my criteria got simple. Instead of 'What I need (or what I think I need)', I went with 'What equipment/configuration gave me more smiles' 

Recently, I rode chopped up, bumpy, and wet snow that wider, decambered, metal added construction boards surely have advantages.  But I had more smiles and adrenalines on a skinny, cambered, glass (basically unforgiving) board.  The board will be in my quiver and others will be let go.  As all snowboards are consumable, if my favorites are no longer rideable by age (likely by crashes), I will order one to our talented board builders with precise characteristics and spec. of what I'm looking for. I know they can add their knowledge to make one better or at least par to the retired. 

[dhamann]

1 hour ago, Poloturbo said:

My wife keeps telling me I can't have multiple wife's.  Beside boards are way cheaper.

great analogy. bottom line is two fold... different motions for the ocean and the right tool for the conditions... or however you might feel like riding that day.

softies:

donek saber - carve, race, any speed. groomers any day and some minor off piste or chop

winterstick wescott - medium speed turns, directional freeride anything. any conditions

rossi xv - riding with wife or beginners at small hills or on busy trails. also early season

donek nomad - i think anything, anywhere, any time. TBD. it's on the way

hardies:

oxygen supercross - sl board and early season trainer

prior atv - anything, any conditions except pow. might have to let this one go soon. softies in pow. always

coiler nb - freecarve anything and beer league racing

f2 speedster - gs board, wide open groomers and race. it's too much board for me really. a humbling trainer

board voids:

backup freecarve. two of em. a 175 and a 180

180 race

directional softy freeride

 

there's always something. maintenance and binding changes can be a nuisance, but options are nice.

 

[queequeg]

I have three boards. One for ultra-firm conditions, one for firm conditions, and a softboot deck for the soft days. I can’t imagine needing or wanting any more than that. 

[Dan]

Pretty much what everyone else said: need a board for the conditions that day. Also...nostalgia! I don't ride the Proton GS that I learned to carve on anymore, but I can't bear to let it go... My daily drivers:

-Prior 4WD: for mixed conditions, which we get a lot of in the PNW, or powder days after it's been ridden out
-Thirst Superconductor: carving board, replaced my Coiler Mini Monster (which I'm keeping out of nostalgia)
-Original Sin 3800: for 2-6" of fresh
-Original Sin 4807: for more than six inches of fresh

But I have a bunch of other stuff in the basement: an old Arbor Munoz that was my first freeride board, an Oxygen F-67 that my wife might ride one day, etc. etc. Technically, I could let any of that stuff go, but I always imagine that one day I'll want it, and so there it sits...

[JRAZZ]

Because more is better!!

 

And more interesting. I would be bored riding the same thing all the time.

[BlueB]

2 hours ago, Dan said:

Pretty much what everyone else said: need a board for the conditions that day. Also...nostalgia! I don't ride the Proton GS that I learned to carve on anymore, but I can't bear to let it go... My daily drivers:

-Prior 4WD: for mixed conditions, which we get a lot of in the PNW, or powder days after it's been ridden out
-Thirst Superconductor: carving board, replaced my Coiler Mini Monster (which I'm keeping out of nostalgia)
-Original Sin 3800: for 2-6" of fresh
-Original Sin 4807: for more than six inches of fresh

But I have a bunch of other stuff in the basement: an old Arbor Munoz that was my first freeride board, an Oxygen F-67 that my wife might ride one day, etc. etc. Technically, I could let any of that stuff go, but I always imagine that one day I'll want it, and so there it sits...

You've got good taste in boards! I didn't ride a Thirst, though... 

Interestingly, I have a Koa Munoz D62 too! I still ride it, often "duck", it's a pretty good board. Ok, not as good in pow as the 3800, but still versatile.