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Got one - WTB Prior 4WD


AgassizSkidder

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Just in case you do not have experience with Prior boards, I just want to share mine…

I own two: 4WD 174W, WCRM 173W.

4WD is not as versatile as it sounds from website description. 4WD has a bigger nose, which should help in some variable conditions. However I found WCRM can do all the same terrain as 4WD.

For me 4WD is more fun in softer snow preferably with good grooming. It has lots of tail pop. It can launch you far and high between the turns :-). Super fun.

WCRM does not have that much pop (very typical for metal boards). But can carve in the same conditions as 4WD plus on icy and very bumpy terrain. 4WD just has too strong vibrations in such conditions. Not fun.

Depending on what you want, any of these boards can be a great choice. I mostly ride in bad conditions and I choose WCRM more often than 4WD.

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@dgCarve Thanks. I appreciate that. I have a 177 WCRM and love it. My goal moving forwards it to have more fun and ride the whole mountain. I have been focused on carving and I’m just about ready to accept that I am never going to progress further as I have only seen two other hardbooters in the past decade. Unfortunately I can’t afford to go to Vancouver to get lessons. I want a board that is softer, slightly shorter and that can handle going off piste and surf off some banks. 

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I see. Actually I find that 4WD is stiffer than WCRM. It is easier (not that big difference, but still) to bend/decamber WCRM that 4WD. With the same effort I do smaller turns on my WCRM board (even though WCRM has bigger SCR). For true "all mountain" I just ride regular board with hardboots. Plus I have ordered wide Coiler Contra. Cant wait to try it...🙂

Edited by dgCarve
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I have a 4WD 169 that you can demo and I can possibly sell. I ride all-mountain style a lot and I found that I prefer wider boards then 4WD's 21.4cm. Anything between 22.5 and 25.5 for my smallish boot size... Nose design and overall flex pattern are also super important. 

Recently, I've been riding a Dynastar 3800 163 a lot, in all sorts of conditions. It's a pow board that carves well and rides switch well... I probably can put you in touch, to get one cheaply. 

Or we do a demo day, where you can try at least 6-7 all-mountain boards I've got? 

Oh, and ditch the TD2s for all-mountain... 

Edited by BlueB
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@BlueB thanks for the offer. I got an older 169 4WD offered to me cheap and he’s on the North shore. 
 

I do have a 3800. Just one of the threads is stripped so I haven’t ridden it in years. It’s a fantastic board. 
 

I’m out of work at the moment but I am hoping to be able to get lessons from you next season. Otherwise I would absolutely have come out to Cypress. 

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4 hours ago, BlueB said:

It's been long time since I rode 4WD 174 and WCRM 173W back to back, but I'm certain that WCRM is stiffer and holds edge better. Funny enough, it does have better nose profile - more modern design. 

4WD is not stiff board, WCRM  too. And both boards are easy to decamber. But take into account that I am tall and fit guy with 205lb weight 😉 .

Construction wide boards are very different, and comparing stiffness of this boards without context is like oranges to apples. WCRM has more liner stiffness  as you continue to bend it, 4WD has stiffness which grows more exponentially as you bend it. When I push the WCRM with the same or less effort than 4WD, I get same turn sizes, however 4WD has 2m smaller SCR.

But if I do not push the boards and just "park and ride" - simply letting SRCs do the work, then WCRM will do bigger turns.

I find that stiff board does not guarantee best edge hold. From my experience in harder snow/ice softer flex holds edge better (of cause if it is damp enough). Foe example my custom Donek FC Secret Construction is much stiffer board than WCRM, but it does not hold edge on ice as good. However in soft snow it can be dangerous to ride too soft flex 🤪.

Edited by dgCarve
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Um, I didn't mean that WCRM had better grip because it's stiffer, I was just stating two characteristics in the same sentence. Better grip is from more refined geometry/flex, better materials (titanal) and torsional stability... 

I know that you know your boards... you worked for Prior at some stage, right? 

I basically agree on most of the stuff you said, but not on 4WD being stiffer / progressively stiffer, or WCRM turning tighter. The very nature of a race board calls for being progressively stiffer as the forces grow, so the racer doesn't blow the line. Also, the W model was a fair bit stiffer then the regular 19.5cm, as Chris decided to use the same core profile on both widths. Maybe we can get @CarvingScooby to do a scientific flex test for us - he's got both 4WD 174 and WCRM 173w... 

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