Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Hi guys, I'd like to ask for an opinion. I have been riding Prior WCRM 173 titanal board since my season in Whistler 2009. (Some good carving with BlueB and co. back then) The setup is F2 step-ins and UPZ 10s... I am 175cm/5'9 and 70kg/155 lbs. Prior says the snowboard has radius of 12 meters and it's strong, but if pushed hard, it still feels like I can turn it on a dime. This is in a way great, especially on steep slopes, where the tight turns help me to control the speed and not brown my pants. But most slopes aren't that steep and if they are, then the people I ride with usually don't feel comfortable there, so I end up riding a lot of easier terrain as well. But there I can't really lay myself down, because it just slows the ride down too much. Here is a shot from quite some time ago in mid terrain: 55 second video That board can turn even faster, but even this feels too tight at that lower part of the slope. Are most snowboards like this? So I am looking for another GS board with bigger radius, not necessarily much longer, though it can be some. I am Czech, but now in Norway, no chance to test anything, as I have never seen anyone else here on another carving board. I haven't been much out the last few years as family grew, but getting back on track, also inspired by fellow countrywoman Ledecka, who just pulled off that unreal double gold in the Olympics. I don't change gear often, as long as it works, and was thinking of spending a buck and investing in a good titanal machine, perhaps with plate (never had any) - possibly a Kessler Alpine or SG full race, which I might get good deal on. Not many American/canadian boards around here, if any. The Kessler board says 9-16 meters radius at 171cm and SG 15,3 meters at 175cm. Has anyone ridden those boards and could tell me, how they compare to that Prior board in the video? Am I going to carve bigger turns with +- same style or do I need longer board? Those plates, is it good overall or race thing only? I might move back home soon and try hobby races, but mostly just freecarving. Thanks a lot in advance and happy shredding. Ondrej Edited February 25, 2018 by Ondrej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) 171 Kessler is a softer gs board made for younger / lighter riders. You'll likely bend that as much if not more. Edited February 25, 2018 by daveo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) 9 minutes ago, daveo said: 171 Kessler is a softer gs board made for younger / lighter riders. You'll likely bend that as much if not more. Hi Dave, Thanks for the reply. Does it change with longer board, and if so, how long would I have to go? Should I btw be able to bend that Prior like that when it's listed as 60-90kg? I cannot imagine anyone 15-20kg heavier pushing it... Edited February 25, 2018 by Ondrej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 16 minutes ago, daveo said: 171 Kessler is a softer gs board made for younger / lighter riders. You'll likely bend that as much if not more. Yes, this is exactly correct. Very friendly and easy to ride. I had one briefly, but it did not fit well in my quiver at the time. Yes, the bigger GS Kesslers will have a lot more backbone. I haven't ridden the stock 175 but I assume it is great (my go to board is a custom 162 Kessler SL) and it should be a much more substantial board than the 171. I am just a bit lighter than you. I had 3 sizes of the Prior WCRM when they were metal top. Super easy board to ride and they would all turn tighter than you would expect for me, except the 187. My favorite GS board I have ever owned or ridden was a 175 SG Full Race from a few years ago. I am not sure how much they have changed, but of all the boards I have riddden, that board (and my 162 Kessler) was pretty much perfect for me: Super stable, fast, would never let go, perfectly behaved (do not get behind it), medium big turn radius. I sometimes rode the 175 SG with a Vist plate. I tried an SG isolation plate on it, but I did not like the lack of feel and the difficulty getting around a slower speeds (cat tracks). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 4 minutes ago, Buell said: My favorite GS board I have ever owned or ridden was a 175 SG Full Race from a few years ago. I am not sure how much they have changed, but of all the boards I have ridden, that board (and my 162 Kessler) was pretty much perfect for me: Super stable, fast, would never let go, perfectly behaved (do not get behind it), medium big turn radius. I sometimes rode the 175 SG with a Vist plate. I tried an SG isolation plate on it, but I did not like the lack of feel and the difficulty getting around a slower speeds (cat tracks). That sounds very tempting I must say :D How was that 175 SG compared to 173 Prior (if you had this size) in terms of flex, I assume quite a bit difference from what you write. About those plates, did the Vist plate make the ride better, or how different was it? It is worth the extra buck? And thanks a lot for reply as well :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buell Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 I had the 177, 183, and 187 Priors. The 175 SG is just a different beast. Way more backbone. I expect a 175 Kessler is similar. Yes, the Vist dampened the ride some. It also adds weight. I might have been using a Kessler Plate by that time which is vary similar to the original Vist. Unfortunately, I think you would need to experiment to know if it is worth it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 I can't give very good input regarding the 171 but I remember thinking I was bending it in half. I Iuse a Kessler 168 as my every day board. With an Apex Race V2 plate on it. It can turn short or turn long and is a pretty easy to ride sweet board. It's like a cadillac and ferrari in one! Makes me look/feel a lot better than I am, that's for sure. To me, this is the perfect set up. Personally I'd never ride without the plate and it doesn't give me any sort of trouble like manoeuvring on cat tracks or low speed issues. The first time I used a plate I was sold and vowed never to go back to life without one. I know everyone doesn't share that same opinion as me. The amount of bumps and ruts the plate absorbs is nothing short of incredible. Perhaps I'm just spoilt. I might try a custom oxess 164 with an allflex plate at some point in the future as something more aggressive. In saying that, I ride my powder board (Donek Nomad 164 narrow 21.5 waist) with no plate as that's the ideal powder setup for me anyway. Great for trees, drops, chutes. At 45/35ish angles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 Vist is way cheaper than the Kessler plate and almost the exact same, right? Ivan at www.carver.si is a good resource for this kind of gear. Well he was for me, anyway. Have you considered an SG Full Carve or Full Race 170? Or perhaps checked out a Kessler 168, like mine? They're the free carve models (as opposed to the other length alpine boards which are race oriented). Maybe check the Apex or Oxess site? Oxess has a sale section also, by the way. About half price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Hmm, I didn't know the Full race 170 was any different than 175 other than that 170 is a 9mm wider in waist and has actually slightly bigger radius. If the 170 is more freecarve oriented, then it might be a way to go. Any idea about the flex or any other difference between those two? As to the Full carve, the last time I had non metal board was before the prior and the difference in icy or otherwise difficult conditions was huge, so I'm not particularly willing to go back in that sense. It's been 9 years though and I haven't been much in the game the last few years, so I might be underestimating it. I haven't had shorter slalom board for ages, though shorter does not necessarily mean shorter turns. But I find it hard to imagine as of now that a shorter deck would give me those bigger turns I was thinking of. Surprising for me to see F2 boards do so well yesterday, I remember wooden silberfeils with fiberglass and maybe carbon, apparently that's not what I saw now. There are surely more boards worth considering, including oxess. I'll have a look as well. But that SG description seems to correspond with what I'm looking for, in theory at least. I'm not going to get rid of that prior, still great ride, just gonna use it where it's most fun. Edited February 25, 2018 by Ondrej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) Hey Ondrej, good to hear from you! The WCRM 173 is still one if the best carving boards ever made, IMO! I still have a metal top one, which is even softer then what you have. I always worry I'll brake it, as the metal tops had bad reputation... Don't go Kessler 171, that's even softer. I can bend it like a pretzel and turn like a slalom board. Look for a 175 or 180. Other then that, maybe look into OES boards, they have a huge variety and are inexpensive compared to Kessler. And hel yeah, go Ledecka! I'm 1/8 Czech, after all... Edited February 25, 2018 by BlueB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 Hi Boris Great to hear from you too. I hope you guys are doing well and keep riding. Thanks to all the inputs, Kessler 171 is definitely not going to be the choice. Has anyone tested those 175 or 180? I don't really care much for the extra length as this is not going to be any all rounder- for that I can use that WCRM. I appreciate all the replies, there is lots of knowledge out here. 4am here, should call it a night. Thanks :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 Yeah, K 180 rides noticeably bigger then the WCRM 173, but not as intimidating as 185. I didn't ride the 175, but might be ok for your weight, looking at the specs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 A bigger GS board will likely do what you want, bit I'm going to suggest another direction: a Swoard. They're specifically made to stretch out the turn radii. I freeride a Coiler EC (inspired by a Swoard) most days I get runs that look like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 The full carve 170 is literally the most popular carving board here in Japan. I'm personally biased towards boards with ptex topsheets and metal inlays hence why I went for the Kessler 168 instead of the SG 170 full carve or full race. A lot of people love the SG 170 for carving. A few may chime in to attest to that. Maybe check out the sg full race 170. Metal version of the full carve. It's also the free carve intended board. You can get them with allflex vist UPM and 4x4 inserts. I think you need to preorder for the AllFlex ones though. They don't come standard for umm political reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st_lupo Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 Ondrej, where are you at in Norway? We've got a small gang of carvers in Kongsberg with a small stash of boards. I'm actually heading up to the local in a few minutes. One of the guys here has a Kessler 174(?!?) that he is selling. Same guy also rides an SG full race and really tears it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) As to Kessler, it seems like they've stopped producing the 175, or it's missing in their specs on the official website. Is anyone else selling besides the official shop? Corey, thanks a lot for your tip. I heard of these boards when back in Canada, but never had a chance to test any there (or more like didn't actively seek the opportunity). It's definitely interesting, but I'm not sure I'll order it overseas without riding it first. Or I'll do some more research sales points around here. St_lupo, , seriously? I'm in Buskerud as well, Hole kommune (yes, It's a hole) near Oslo, just under 2 hours drive. Great to see I'm not the only one carving on a deck around here :) Could we get in touch for perhaps one of the upcoming weekends and go out for a ride? Any chance to check out or even test any of those boards you have there for say a 6-pack of Czech beer? :) Can you please check with your friend the model/year of the Kessler board he's selling? It might be of interest if it does what I am looking for :) Otherwise that SG full race 170 does sound like something I'm looking for, it's actually a bit shorter than the WCRM, so no issue with length there. Thanks, Ondrej Edited February 25, 2018 by Ondrej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nextcarve Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) If you are looking for bigger radius, go for a 180 or 185 gs board. In the following video the first board is a Coiler Race 189 (19m sidecut radius), second is a Oxess RG185 (19m sidecut radius) and the third is a F2 Speedster Porto 185 (18m sidecut radius): Don't be afraid of the length. You'll get used to it. Regarding Kessler; 3 weeks ago I was test riding the latest Kessler GS 180 (11.5-19m) for half a day and I loved it. It was playful and had an incredible edge hold even on icy slopes. I would have bought it, if I was in need of a new board. If you wan't something more moderate and playful there is also the Goltes Ultra Carve 180 (12-16m). Very good carving board and a bid less hard flex compared to the 180 and 185 "all race" boards (Kessler, SG, F2, Oxess). If you do not find a standard board, go for a custom board. Kessler, Oxess, Sense, Coiler, Donek and F2 (Proto Series) offer customised boards, where you can adapt flex, radius, width according to your riding style and weight. They're board whisperers, so you will find the right board. Edited February 25, 2018 by nextcarve 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 6 hours ago, nextcarve said: If you are looking for bigger radius, go for a 180 or 185 gs board. In the following video the first board is a Coiler Race 189 (19m sidecut radius), second is a Oxess RG185 (19m sidecut radius) and the third is a F2 Speedster Porto 185 (18m sidecut radius) Great footage to show how the decks ride, good rides too. I am not sure if it's the boards or just little difference in styles, but it seems like the F2 Deck seems perhaps closest to what I have in mind from these 3, little smaller radius with somewhat less commitment during the transitions, with Coiler looking pretty similar. The Oxess deck shows only half of the run, and overall looks very similar as well, but it seems like the exists are little more committed - is it so in reality? How did the Kessler 180 do in comparison with these decks in terms of radius? Would it be hard to bend it with 70kg? Does anyone have a footage of something little smaller than this, but noticeably bigger than my board? Like 16-17 meters? I am going to test the Kessler 174 that st_lupo mentioned next week. Reportedly too soft for 90kg, but possibly fit for me. No idea about the specs yet as it is almost new, but custom board. Owner is getting the info... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcousticBoarder Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 To your point about not wanting to buy a coiler overseas without trying it, all of his boards are custom for you and he is a very skilled builder, I have never heard of anyone who was not happy with their board from him. Even if you do not end up buying one, it would not hurt to atleast reach out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) 13 minutes ago, AcousticBoarder said: To your point about not wanting to buy a coiler overseas without trying it, all of his boards are custom for you and he is a very skilled builder, I have never heard of anyone who was not happy with their board from him. Even if you do not end up buying one, it would not hurt to atleast reach out. That's a good point, thanks. I will at least find out more about Coiler and ask what possibilities there are. Edited February 25, 2018 by Ondrej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nextcarve Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Ondrej said: The Oxess deck shows only half of the run, and overall looks very similar as well, but it seems like the exists are little more committed - is it so in reality? Oxess has different flex patterns, as they are custom made, but your right, this particular one is stiffer than the coiler. 1 hour ago, Ondrej said: How did the Kessler 180 do in comparison with these decks in terms of radius? Would it be hard to bend it with 70kg? I'm 76kg and I had no problem at all. 1 hour ago, AcousticBoarder said: I have never heard of anyone who was not happy with their board from him. Totally agree. I love my coiler, but also the other boards in my quiver. Edited February 25, 2018 by nextcarve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 I love my Coilers and Donek, too, but nothing compares to my Kessler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcousticBoarder Posted February 25, 2018 Report Share Posted February 25, 2018 Absolutely. I have not been able to personally try a Kessler yet, but with everything I have been hearing in this thread and talking with a couple people, I would love to try/get one once I progress a little further. My brother also has an Oxess that I have tried once or twice that loves to rail and get up on edge and is really fun. I just also know that I cannot count the number of times I have heard someone say that their custom board surpassed their expectations and that it was everything they wanted and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted February 26, 2018 Report Share Posted February 26, 2018 Today I was on an sg full carve 170. I'm buying one. This thing was amazing. Short board with big scr. What a recipe for fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ondrej Posted February 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2018 1 hour ago, daveo said: Today I was on an sg full carve 170. I'm buying one. This thing was amazing. Short board with big scr. What a recipe for fun. Was it stiff enough? What conditions? Any ice? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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