barryj Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 So the Thirst SF162 I bought from Mark was a Demo......so it has Mark's secret sauce but a generic build for an average or maybe even light rider. So if your reading this your probably a Thirst aficionado and have been following my love/love it more relationship via my posts. So I love the (demo) SF and it's neutral stance ride and it's ability to make turns only using half the trail..... but a custom to my specifics has got to be even better...right? But I don't know what I'd want for "specifics" ! If you read Thirst here's the sidewall info 01 Apr19 0065 L36A 362 TF2TC + SD + LFF .274 I'm 6'2' 230lbs, Modo 28, I like the 19.5 waist, I think I'm aggressive...but the conditions have to be conducive. My old legs like a softer flexing board...for other custom boards I usually go 1 weight category or length below recommended flex or length. Probably relocating back out to Squaw in Cali for work ..... so riding both coasts/ all groomed conditions. Thinking about it, the only "specifics" I know I'd change is add a 1/2 base/edge angles and a scr closer to 9 (SF's are advertised at 10.44 scr) but I don't want a one trick pony like an MK or to mess up Mark's magic! So from this info what do you suggest I should consider, consider changing from the demo to a custom SF162 for me?? Does my logic make sense to buy a custom or should I stick with the demo?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Talk to Mark. Everything else is noise Barry. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Yes, obviously will talk to Mark...but I want to know what I want instead of going in blind. Thought some of you sage Thirster's would have some insight...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 Barry you have already defined what you like/want. Mark is best placed to give you the reasons why/why not. He might even suggest a different core, metal, or other secret sauce from the Thirst Skunkworks. (Hell, he even offered me a 'My Little Pony' topsheet complete with a purple faux fur tail!! ) 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowrider Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 IF YOU ARE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO SECOND GUESS THE BUILDER IT'S YOUR MONEY SO YOUR IN CHARGE. However I would provide him with your riding conditions and a true estimate of your abilities and allow the expert to do their thing. My humble opinion is that if you aren't satisfied with their ability to build a board you will be pleased with either they aren't capable or you weren't honest with them in which case you should part ways and haunt another builder. You can always be unsatisfied with what you have if you think it i isn't performing as you expect. If the demo is performing in a manner that puts a smile on your face why not just ride it till the smile goes away. I have been very happy with custom boards that were made for me but not because they were based on my specs. They were easier to ride than previous boards i was riding but also because they challenged me in a different way. Progression is learning and you never want to be too comfortable on your new board. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noschoolrider Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Lurch said: Hell, he even offered me a 'My Little Pony' topsheet complete with a purple faux fur tail!! Lurch, my mouth full of beer just shot out my nose and all over my keyboard! barryj, have you or 1xsuller ever spent enough time on only one snowboard to truly learn how to ride it to it's full potential? Sounds like your SF162 was built for the lighter weight range you want. So, you're seriously concerned about switching from a 10.44 to a 9 SCR? FYI, I'm 5'6", 140 pounds, 61-years-old and my everyday hard boot board is a 162 Kessler SL and my GS boards are 175-185. If you do get a new SF please send the demo SF my way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 1 hour ago, noschoolrider said: So, you're seriously concerned about switching from a 10.44 to a 9 SCR? No, not concerned.......just not sure if I want to order a custom board that the Only Thing Different to the demo I have is a somewhat smaller scr. That's why I was asking you guys if I was missing some spec in board building options that you guys have thought about and asked for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 4 hours ago, Lurch said: Talk to Mark. Everything else is noise Barry. Talk to Mark. If he thinks a custom will be better, than go for it. But, if I were you, I'd keep the SF and get something else that fills a gap in your quiver, like an 8rw or Super or a PC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunSurfer Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 @barryj Truly, somewhere out there is the perfect board for you, you just have to keep searching for it by buying new boards and selling the rejected ones on the Forum. Don't let anyone convince you that practice and perseverance will have any useful effect on your ability to make a beautiful, powerful, gasp-inducing carved turn. The answer is finding the perfect board. - - - - - - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveo Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 9 hours ago, Lurch said: (Hell, he even offered me a 'My Little Pony' topsheet complete with a purple faux fur tail!! ) I hope you took him up on that offer. I know I can't resist a good purple faux fur tail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workshop7 Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 I get that you want to tap the community experience to build a better tool to suit your needs, but I feel all of that extra input is going to cloud the waters. You're going to end up blurring your own vision of what YOU want out of the build. The best result will come from an exhaustive and complete conversation between you and the builder. You two are the only ones that matter in all this. If you take a whole bunch of advice from others and it doesn't come out right it hard to pin point where the build went wrong. What do you change on the next one in an effort to fix the issue? Tell the builder what you want and let them build it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneel Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 Keep the SF for early season narrow trail riding. Have Mark build you a custom XC. You're welcome, @barryj 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 12 hours ago, bigwavedave said: Talk to Mark. If he thinks a custom will be better, than go for it. But, if I were you, I'd keep the SF and get something else that fills a gap in your quiver, like an 8rw or Super or a PC. 1 hour ago, Kneel said: Keep the SF for early season narrow trail riding. Have Mark build you a custom XC. You're welcome, @barryj what they said^ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 In the queue.... Now waiting to talk specs with the Master ~ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 22, 2021 Report Share Posted March 22, 2021 6 hours ago, Kneel said: Keep the SF for early season narrow trail riding. Have Mark build you a custom XC. You're welcome, @barryj Kneel is right here, the XC is a logical choice. It's the 'magic, do everything' board that finds itself under my feet more often than any other. The only problem is, it would likely occupy the same space in your quiver as your K168, and that might get awkward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 3 hours ago, bigwavedave said: it would likely occupy the same space in your quiver as your K168 Yeah, I already had thought of that. Don't need two K168's The SF is my Go To All Day board and when the runs gets all scraped off or chopped up the K168 with the Donek AF plate is the ticket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) Short = tick Mid = tick Loooooong = Edited March 23, 2021 by Lurch Just do it Barry :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowburn Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Dang!!!! You so Crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneel Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 13 hours ago, barryj said: Yeah, I already had thought of that. Don't need two K168's The SF is my Go To All Day board and when the runs gets all scraped off or chopped up the K168 with the Donek AF plate is the ticket! The is XC is NOT the K168, nor does it try to be. Thinking back to pre-MLK weekend, when the northeast was a sheet of ice, I think I had sent you this picture on January 12th... Ice, grass and plates. This is what our brethren to the west don't comprehend. This is what we have to endure at times in the northeast. I just could not tolerate riding without it. Why? Because, for the time, it was the right tool for the job. Plain and simple. The next weekend it snowed and didn't stop till the first week of February. I rode the XC every weekday for a month. Why? Because when conditions are good, there is no other board I would prefer to be on. Hell, I was just out at Steamboat with the XC and 8RW, conditions were SPECTACULAR by the way, I rode the XC most of the time. Apples and oranges, @barryj. SF, XC, and K168 with a plate. Game over. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryj Posted March 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Kneel said: SF, XC, and K168 with a plate. Game over. Damn!! Damn You Kneel!! Just when I thought I already had the ultimate quiver you gotta throw a wrench into the mix! Actually been thinking do I Really need the K168/Donek AF Plate out west at Squaw..........probably will leave it here in NH to use on the icecoast when I'm home over the holidays and Spring break.....which opens the door for another Mid board Your XC stock 171 length? You ask Mark to change the stock 11 scr?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneel Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 (edited) If your feet weren't on backwards, I would have driven to Loon personally with all of my RFF Thirsts to put you out of your misery. Maybe THAT'S your problem? You shoulda been a south paw. What else do you have left to try? You may want the plate for the mornings so you don't miss the corn window. BTW, I'm NOT the person to ask if you need to just pack a carry-on. I wouldn't dare ask Mark to change what works. The SCR comes out to what it comes out to. I couldn't think of one thing to change on my XC, though I think I did request a medium flex as compared to my 8RW. .280 if I recall correctly. Mark can confirm... Edited March 23, 2021 by Kneel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 On 3/23/2021 at 12:33 PM, barryj said: Damn!! Damn You Kneel!! Just when I thought I already had the ultimate quiver you gotta throw a wrench into the mix! Actually been thinking do I Really need the K168/Donek AF Plate out west at Squaw..........probably will leave it here in NH to use on the icecoast when I'm home over the holidays and Spring break.....which opens the door for another Mid board Your XC stock 171 length? You ask Mark to change the stock 11 scr?? This is my understanding: The XC is a 171. Just like the Super is a 175 and the SF is 162. Apparently each model has its own unique core design and the scr is integral with the core structure/flex profile for each model.... edit...which is likely why each model seems to have its own unique personality that is not explained solely by the difference in length, EE and scr. So, once you choose a model, your choice of variables are; board width, stance width (insert placement) and a custom flex for your weight & conditions you primarily ride, and your riding style (aggressive or lazy, etc). Oh, and topsheet! An XC for your west coast board sounds like perfectly logical reasoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOODTYPEZX10R Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Its spring! I'm riding, it was nice today. Thaaat is correct BWD.. I miss my XC a ton!. I'd keep the SF and get an XC...never sell your Thirst's unless you are in bed with a board builder. Hell, I wish I'd never sold the most recent 8RW, Super and XC from my personal quiver. I need a drink to go with my popcorn, ha ha. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kneel Posted March 23, 2021 Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Crunk ridin' Idaho. You need a pimp cup... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1xsculler Posted March 24, 2021 Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 On 3/23/2021 at 1:29 PM, BLOODTYPEZX10R said: Its spring! I'm riding, it was nice today. Thaaat is correct BWD.. I miss my XC a ton!. I'd keep the SF and get an XC...never sell your Thirst's unless you are in bed with a board builder. Hell, I wish I'd never sold the most recent 8RW, Super and XC from my personal quiver. I need a drink to go with my popcorn, ha ha. I’m feeling guilty. I really am and I’m ashamed of myself for letting the SC go even though I feel it found a good home. Getting a custom SF from you will partially mitigate my guilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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