steven Posted February 18, 2018 Report Share Posted February 18, 2018 (edited) I recently bought a nirvana 180 from someone here on the forum, and am blown away. backstory: I hard booted a little bit 15-20 years ago, and quit after folding the nose of my burton amp 156 and destroying my ankle, requiring surgery. softies and powder (mostly)at that point. Fast forward to 2015-16, and I was looking to get the hardboot setup out again. I had so much fun on it that i upgraded to modern equipment (upz rc-8 with palouse wrap liners) and was very excited to start serious carving again. I bought a used volkl renn tiger 163, and had bruce make me a nirvana energy 168, with a waist width of 21, and a tight sidecut of 9-10.7-10. I was thinking the nirvana was going to be my bigger board, and the volkl my slalom board. Things had been going great, with my technique steadily improving. I was running f2 carve rs bindings on the slalom board, and standard td3's on the nirvana 168. I bought the nirvana 180 on a whim, as it was a good deal, and i was curious as to how a bigger board rode, and it had the same waist width as my nfc 168, but with a 12-14 vscr. It was also built for someone about 15lbs heavier than me. From the very first run i was shocked at how damp it was, and how i could pretty much put everything i had into it with the right conditions, and it would hold instead of chattering. steep runs that were challenging for me to carve smoothly on the 168 became easier and smoother! I now call the nfc 168 my slalom board, and run it with the f2 carve rs bindings, and put the td3's on the 180 nfc, with great results. Who wants a renn tiger 163 in great condition? ha! The 180 nfc has really been an eye-opener for me, and I am more stoked than ever because of the performance of this board. I am more relaxed, smooth, and clean in challenging situations than when on the 168. My question is: is there anything to gain by going bigger? I'm wondering how a 186 or so would ride with a 14-16 sidecut? The 180 is not quite as nimble as the 168 obviously, but i can deal with that. If i can get it up on edge quickly, it will hold mostly whatever i can put into it on a steep run, and carve a pretty tight turn. where do i go from here? i love the damp feeling of the bigger board. plate of some sort? I usually only take out my hardboot setups when conditions are close to perfect, and avoid chop and rougher terrain. no racing aspirations, just fast, clean carves. Thx for being here bomber!! Edited February 18, 2018 by steven 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted February 18, 2018 Report Share Posted February 18, 2018 Nice post! The nice thing about bigger sidecuts is that they give you more time to settle in to a turn. This means they're less twitchy and more relaxing, if you have the room. My favorite board has a 14/16m sidecut. It'll turn fairly tight if needed, or open way up. If you have the room, big boards are really fun! Small boards rock when you want to slow down or the runs are narrow. A big board on narrow icy runs tests your commitment and testicular fortitude, while you could just have fun playing on something smaller. So, get both and ride the one that's more fun that day! ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 18, 2018 Report Share Posted February 18, 2018 I also have the NFC 180 12/14 and it is quite versatile. Not sure there's benefit in going much longer than 180, maybe 185. Other characteristics can be changed though. I think you'd find a Kessler 185 to be quite a different beast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steven Posted February 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2018 how so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted February 19, 2018 Report Share Posted February 19, 2018 Maybe read this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted February 19, 2018 Report Share Posted February 19, 2018 I'm a really big guy and Bruce always wants my Coilers to be longer. He feels the length helps with the flex. I predominantly ride at a small bump so I push back but maybe I should let him build that next monster as long as he wants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digger jr Posted February 20, 2018 Report Share Posted February 20, 2018 Steven, So glad the board is working out so good for you. I was a little worried as you are 50 lbs lighter than me, but it felt a little soft to me maybe. If you go longer and bigger scr you will just need some more room or you will work harder to turn as tight. My next bigger board is a 184 Monster 14-15 ? 21.5 wide that I had Bruce build specifically for softer, slower snow. I also have Geoff Vs old 185 NSR ,stiffer and 16m ish which bumps up the speed a bit more and also works really well on slower /hero snow. Dont give up on your NFCE, although yours has a tighter side cut than my NFCE 170. Thats my board for hard and fast snow that I usually ride with the Gizmo plates. Usually you just have to reduce the speed and tip it up high with angulation to eliminate the chatter. Another option is to get an EC board. Big radius, but they turn tight if you get high edge angle. I have stuffed the nose on your NFC in soft snow, which resulted in a concussion. Thinking less likely for you with your lighter weight. Just use some caution when it’s soft and see what you can get away with. That board also won the 2012 SES board build off, so give her some RESPECT:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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