suggestion for a lighter flickable board.

[mrdavies]

Hey Folks,

Just curious what board I might change to... Ive been riding a Donek Metal FC 175 with an AF Donek Plate since 2012, with Upz boots...  Im 165 lbs, from the East Coast and only get a dozen days in during the season at Crested Butte, Switzerland, and some East Coast action.  I love my current set up, however its a bit heavy and exhausting on me ( Im 57yo)  My riding style is more high speed quick edge to edge, as im not getting that low and hugging the snow.  Im looking at the Donek MK which is 161, without a plate.... 

Any ideas folks? really appreciate the suggestions.

Thanks, Mark

Edited January 2, 2020 by mrdavies

[Corey]

The MK should definitely be on your short list!  You'll probably want a little softer than the stock build at 165 lbs.  

Also consider Coiler Angry or Thirst (not sure, call and ask).  There are a few boards out there that are VERY eager to turn.  

[Mr.E]

When I think flickable I think SL shapes and full (or mostly full) camber. The above recommendations are great places to start.

 

Try pulling your plate- you might like it. I mix up the plate use depending on what I'm after feel wise.

[Freezer]

I just got an Angrry 160 (and I’m also 165lb) and it certainly is light and flickable.  It will do cross under turns so fast you need to be careful you don’t launch yourself over the high side.  I’m not sure, however, that it will be a less exhausting ride than your Donek because making more turns at lower speed can require a lot of energy.  I suppose if you ride it in a more mellow manner you could end up expending less energy per unit of time, but it’s so turney and has such good edge hold that it sort of eggs you on to turn it up to 11 and put on a show. YMMV. of course...

[dredman]

We live in great times!!  America and Canada are filled with the finest custom board builders.  Give any of them a call and describe to them what you are wanting and they will build it. They are all super easy to talk to and will have ideas above and beyond your expectations.  They all make spectacular boards and absolutely love building their customers a piece of art.

Here is a link to some of them!

[bc1]

I own a 163 and a 171 Donek Metal FC and the 163 without the plate  could work for you.I also like the Coiler Angry quick if you want but also a fun board if you want to ride it less aggressively.

[GeoffV]

At 57 you are going to want something more damp. I just sold my MK, it is very lively, fun but a lot of work. Coiler Angry is damper and has a larger sweet spot. I’d also recommend a Kessler 162 

[mrdavies]

3 hours ago, GeoffV said:

At 57 you are going to want something more damp. I just sold my MK, it is very lively, fun but a lot of work. Coiler Angry is damper and has a larger sweet spot. I’d also recommend a Kessler 162 

I really appreciate the advice !

[Beckmann AG]

By design/intent, 'metal' boards are neither light nor flickable.

Since you like the general handling of your metal FC 175, maybe try a glass FC without a plate?

Doing so will give you a better appreciation of how material change affects a given platform, and from there you'll be better prepared to sift through your many options for board design/geometry, etc.

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by Beckmann AG

[mrdavies]

6 hours ago, Beckmann AG said:

maybe try a glass FC without a plate?

Thanks everyone for your advice, I guess glass fc would be a Donek MK, Proteus, Pluse? The Pilot too?

The Coiler Angrry certainly looks interesting, as I’m reading into it.

mark

[Mr.E]

Or the Donek Freecarve. If you ask, Sean may be willing to make one of the older glass Race series boards, too (don't know).

Some other glass options currently made include F2, Nobile, OES and I think the stuff BJ is making if you want a US board. If you call ABS in Boulder they still have some great NOS non-titanal production boards from several manufacturers in inventory.

[bigwavedave]

If you're looking to save a few bucks, and want to get a feel for what's out there in short boards, you could look for a used race SL board (sg, rev, kessler, are common). At your weight, I would probably look for either a stock "women's" race board (typically 157'ish length, sub 20cm waist), or if it's a custom board, make sure it's made for your wt. Any SL race will certainly feel more maneuverable than your current set-up.

In addition to the above mentioned "glass" boards, Thirst (in Idaho) and Oxess (Swiss) both make very fine non-metal (carbon) boards in turny, flickable SL sizes. Unlike old glass boards, these boards hold an edge on ice with ease. (I think carbon fiber is considered a "glass" board)

I would avoid the older glass boards if you're riding hard or icy conditions. I love them in softer conditions.

I'm just mentioning boards I have first hand knowledge with.

I've demo/owned a lot of good used boards from the classifieds here. If you don't like it, you can turn around and sell for slightly less than you bought it (depending how much wear & tear you put on it) minus shipping. 

Browse through the board review and board porn sections to see what folks here like.

 

 

[BlueB]

The lightes, liveliest, most agile, and at the same time easiest to ride, alpine board that I've ever ridden is the last, black, version of the Nidecker Proto. At my weight it couldn't do high speed carved turns on steeper blues and hard snow, but it was superbly versatile for other stuff. Slow carving, slarving the steeps, moguls, pow, trees, even park... 

Good luck finding a used one (and snaching it before I do ) 

Edited January 6, 2020 by BlueB

[Lifeform]

4 hours ago, BlueB said:

The lightes, liveliest, most agile, and at the same time easiest to ride, alpine board that I've ever ridden is the last, black, version of the Nidecker Proto. At my weight it couldn't do high speed carved turns on steeper blues and hard snow, but it was superbly versatile for other stuff. Slow carving, slarving the steeps, moguls, pow, trees, even park... 

Good luck finding a used one (and snaching it before I do ) 

New Nidecker Spectre?

Is should be improved Proto 

Btw I like your posts, you seem down to eart guy, you like gear that most people wouldnt ride, but fact is that its soo many good gear out there, and truth is that 90 procent is in rider not gear ... but I understand that bling name is what many people look for ...

[wulf]

... or the F2 Axxis GTS.

F2 Axxis GTS

I do have the 164 as my new one-size-fits-all. Sold all other Boards.

Medium Flex, torsionally rigid, a little nose & tail rocker and an "old-school" turn radius of 9m makes it a very nimble, playful and yet performing tool in every condition. Likes to be ridden centered or with a little pressure from the back foot.

Riding the European Alps with lots of man-made snow. Carves like crazy. Surfstyle riding here it comes.

Edited January 6, 2020 by wulf
link not correct

[carlito]

Depends what you mean by "flickable".  Or lighter, for that matter.  Responses so far have seemed to head in a couple directions.... 

1:  Shorter slalom-y sort of carve specific boards, without a plate.  This kinda makes sense to me if you are just wanting to do more, quicker, turns, and the grooming is good.  These racy sort of boards come with all the caveats that narrow, stiff, high grip rides usually do.  Not particularly "easy", kinda demanding, very rewarding when ridden properly.  The MK seems to be the prototypical go-to in this camp, with a nod towards metalized/rubberized boards to take the intensity down a notch, maybe....

2:  Shorter, wider, more sidecut, maybe capable of being ridden off piste a bit boards.  I think these sorts of things are the unsung heroes of the carving world.  These things are starting to show up in the back corners of catalogs and websites of many companies.  Most often they are the "softboot carving" kinda thing.  Maybe the nicest thing that's easily available in North America is Mig Fullbag's Diamond Blade.  It's probably a little wide for someone coming from hardboot-carving though....  That F2 looks pretty sweet.  Kinda familiar too.

Been riding this girl a little more this season.  Rode it to a first place in the local banked slalom last spring (Masters/old-guys!  Won a really cool coffee cup!) so it easily slides into turns, and effortlessly carves when the edge is engaged.  It is a little short at 170 for me, but nice to ride along on.  With a 24 cm waist I can run relaxed (45/38 degree)angles and not have boot out with 28.5 shells.  The edge contact is 138, the sidecut radius is a modified 10 meters, it runs a little decamber, tip and tail zones, with a healthy 8 mm of camber centered underfoot.  Weighs about 3.8 kilos.  The wake-up call is that despite the relaxed angles and shorter edge contact it is so easy to carve on.  Just roll onto the edge and it comes around.  Boards in this sort of sidecut/length category are pretty comfortable up to kinda gettin' scary speeds, but prefer to finish off their turns while carving so that speeds don't go crazy.  It's a little soft for me, and I can feel the end of the performance envelope approaching when carving on steeper, harder terrain (I ride at Kicking Horse, so this is usually pretty steep....).  But the limit is pretty easy to feel and can be dealt with by simply finishing the turn and bringing the speed/loads back into line.  Those small radius numbers mean that you can do full on c-shaped carves in 4 to 5 cat widths.  And you can ride it in bumps.  Or trees.  The longer nose/shovel combined with 3 cm of offset makes it powder friendly.  These sorts of "all mountain" carving boards should be looked at more by more folks.  The downside:  like any sleeper, they are sort of boring.  They really don't jump out at you like swallowtails, asyms, boards with pointy corners, and hammer-head super short shovels....

[ExcelsiorTheFathead]

A Skwal is the most fun you can have for the least amount of weight.

[BlueB]

58 minutes ago, carlito said:

Depends what you mean by "flickable".  Or lighter, for that matter.  Responses so far have seemed to head in a couple directions.... 

1:  Shorter slalom-y sort of carve specific boards, without a plate.  This kinda makes sense to me if you are just wanting to do more, quicker, turns, and the grooming is good.  These racy sort of boards come with all the caveats that narrow, stiff, high grip rides usually do.  Not particularly "easy", kinda demanding, very rewarding when ridden properly.  The MK seems to be the prototypical go-to in this camp, with a nod towards metalized/rubberized boards to take the intensity down a notch, maybe....

2:  Shorter, wider, more sidecut, maybe capable of being ridden off piste a bit boards.  I think these sorts of things are the unsung heroes of the carving world.  These things are starting to show up in the back corners of catalogs and websites of many companies.  Most often they are the "softboot carving" kinda thing.  Maybe the nicest thing that's easily available in North America is Mig Fullbag's Diamond Blade.  It's probably a little wide for someone coming from hardboot-carving though....  That F2 looks pretty sweet.  Kinda familiar too.

Been riding this girl a little more this season.  Rode it to a first place in the local banked slalom last spring (Masters/old-guys!  Won a really cool coffee cup!) so it easily slides into turns, and effortlessly carves when the edge is engaged.  It is a little short at 170 for me, but nice to ride along on.  With a 24 cm waist I can run relaxed (45/38 degree)angles and not have boot out with 28.5 shells.  The edge contact is 138, the sidecut radius is a modified 10 meters, it runs a little decamber, tip and tail zones, with a healthy 8 mm of camber centered underfoot.  Weighs about 3.8 kilos.  The wake-up call is that despite the relaxed angles and shorter edge contact it is so easy to carve on.  Just roll onto the edge and it comes around.  Boards in this sort of sidecut/length category are pretty comfortable up to kinda gettin' scary speeds, but prefer to finish off their turns while carving so that speeds don't go crazy.  It's a little soft for me, and I can feel the end of the performance envelope approaching when carving on steeper, harder terrain (I ride at Kicking Horse, so this is usually pretty steep....).  But the limit is pretty easy to feel and can be dealt with by simply finishing the turn and bringing the speed/loads back into line.  Those small radius numbers mean that you can do full on c-shaped carves in 4 to 5 cat widths.  And you can ride it in bumps.  Or trees.  The longer nose/shovel combined with 3 cm of offset makes it powder friendly.  These sorts of "all mountain" carving boards should be looked at more by more folks.  The downside:  like any sleeper, they are sort of boring.  They really don't jump out at you like swallowtails, asyms, boards with pointy corners, and hammer-head super short shovels....

That's so sweet! 

6 hours ago, Lifeform said:

New Nidecker Spectre?

Is should be improved Proto 

Btw I like your posts, you seem down to eart guy, you like gear that most people wouldnt ride, but fact is that its soo many good gear out there, and truth is that 90 procent is in rider not gear ... but I understand that bling name is what many people look for ...

Thanks. 

Yes, Spectre looks great. @charliechocolate has one and likes it a lot. I still have to take it for a spin. 

5 hours ago, wulf said:

... or the F2 Axxis GTS.

F2 Axxis GTS

I do have the 164 as my new one-size-fits-all. Sold all other Boards.

Medium Flex, torsionally rigid, a little nose & tail rocker and an "old-school" turn radius of 9m makes it a very nimble, playful and yet performing tool in every condition. Likes to be ridden centered or with a little pressure from the back foot.

Riding the European Alps with lots of man-made snow. Carves like crazy. Surfstyle riding here it comes.

Do you have one? Seems to be a revival/ improvement of the old ElDiablo. With a touch of nose rocker and maybe slightly softer nose, it should really shine. 

[wulf]

1 hour ago, BlueB said:

Do you have one? Seems to be a revival/ improvement of the old ElDiablo. With a touch of nose rocker and maybe slightly softer nose, it should really shine. 

Exactly -  I do have one.

I had an ElDiablo 165 some years ago. The Axxis is definitely the "better" version.

Slightly softer nose while stiff on the tail. Ride it with HB, 50/45 on F2 Race w UPZ11, MP295, 85kg, 185cm. No cant, just F2 wedges for toe/heel lift.

One board for all. Keeps me grounded rather than getting "distracted" by the materials hype. Found out that approach makes me way more happy on the slopes than the other way round. The nimble, playful characteristic of the Axxis helps too...;-)

Edited January 6, 2020 by wulf
typo

[Corey]

None of us can know what the original poster is after, so we can only offer our suggestions and experiences for them to make their own decision.  I posted up my Coiler Angry vs. Donek MK comparison here: https://forums.alpinesnowboarder.com/topic/46422-mk-and-angry-comparison/?do=findComment&comment=482165 

I'll agree with @GeoffV that the MK is a LOT of fun and a LOT of work.  When I'm on my A-game, it's a wild ride.  Sometimes, it's too much and I just want to cruise.  

[mrdavies]

Really appreciate all the responses, this forum and the community are so helpful, what an amazing asset. Thanks..

I’m leaning toward a MK at the moment... Sean at Donek wrote to me and also suggested the “Pulse” as it’s the intermediate glass race board. Has anyone tried the Pulse? Appreciate it folks.

[Jack M]

I wish Donek would release the MK 170 already. Let’s go @CMC!

[BlueB]

In the mean time you could try the OES Looney, for a feel similar to a Mad 170. 

[ursle]

22 hours ago, mrdavies said:

Really appreciate all the responses, this forum and the community are so helpful, what an amazing asset. Thanks..

I’m leaning toward a MK at the moment... Sean at Donek wrote to me and also suggested the “Pulse” as it’s the intermediate glass race board. Has anyone tried the Pulse? Appreciate it folks.

Great choice,  9 meter turns, strightlines like a raped ape and hold ice like a knife, and has a very large sweet spot

Get a good structure and edges at 1-3, the factory tune is not credible.

The definition of flickable, and it's a copy of the madd 158, but better.

Race on the MK, why not, it's as fast straight as it's fast on edge.