h2orider Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I need a new board(s) and was thinking about getting an Axis. Not sure how long I should go or even if this is a wise choice. Some reference: I weigh 195 and 6' tall. I used to ride a Burton Coil 172 and had good fun with it on powder, trees, although it had a bit too much flex and would not hold as well on hard fast carves or icy conditions. I'm now riding a 162 Burton factory prime. It's fine for really tight snappy carves on groomers, but I don't have much fun with it anywhere else. I guess what I'm looking for is something similar to the coil except that I need the board to handle better on fast hard carves and less than perfect conditions (north east/Okemo). When I hit the snow my primary intention is to carve it up, although I don't want to be stuck on groomers all day. Since the axis is stiffer than the Coil, will this resolve the carving issue or should I go to a 177? Will the 177 be too much of a boat? Do I make any sense or am I losing my mind? Any/all opinions/suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks, Carlos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 email Sean at Donek, man. The person who is going to build your board can help you best. Of course there are plenty of knowledgeable people here, but theyre not building your board, ya know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJCdice Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I have an '04 Axis 172 and I am the same hgt/wgt as you. It is maneuverable and it can go in the trees too at that length. Any longer and you are limiting what you can do off-piste and you might as well buy an FC in that case. Great board, the Axis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I agree Sean can help you but if you check the stiffness indices on the specs page here you'll see: 172 > 162 by 14% 177 > 172 by 23% 182 > 177 by 11% So there's a real step up when you move to the 177 even though it's only 5 cm longer. I think the 172 is more of a true all-mountain design and the 177 is more of a wide carver, just by the numbers. My vague recollection of email exchanges with Sean is that the longer Axis (Axes? Axises?) are that way by design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 yup...Mike t said the same thing...longer has to be stiffer anyway, just to hold up. I rode a 182 a few days last year...liked in open fresh, but a little uncomfortable in tight trees, and 5cm shorter isnt much, but 10 woulda been Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike T Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I have the '03 Axis in a 172, I'm 5'10" and 195#. If I could only have one board that very well might be the one. I did demo the 177 and 182 from the same year (after I bought my 172) and have to agree with what Neil said: The 172 is a true all-mountain warrior and the larger sizes felt more like a wide alpine board. The 172 is IMHO plenty stiff for carving, if you're looking for speed the radius might be a bit tight but the tigher radius is great for steeps and trees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I demoed the 167 at the Snowperformance camp this weekend. I'm 150 and 5ft 9, strong enough to work a board, and the 167 was a breeze for me to ride. One of the other girls took out the same board, she was only about 138, again no problems. They're an easy board to ride, and the length doesn't seem to be a real issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpio Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I found the 167 to be a little stiff. I'm about 5'10, 150lb and wasn't too thrilled with the ride. Based on other people's observations for all mt carvers, I think the 4wd or the coiler all mt would've been a softer ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted December 20, 2005 Report Share Posted December 20, 2005 I demoed the 167 at the Snowperformance camp this weekend. How'd you enjoy the camp, Allee? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Im 6'2" 185 and ride the 177. Its a great board and (to me ) rides pretty stiff. It feels stiffer than my FC 179 actually. I have had it on all types of terrain and it can do just about anything I ask it to. Great carver but can be a little chatty on the ice. JMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Pushee Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 I'm 5'6", 58 years old, and weigh about 155. In March '04, I demoed the 167 at Copper. I liked it on the groomed, but when I got it in the steeper bowls, I kept catching the tail whenever I tried jump turns. Sean graciously added the 162 to the bottom of the lineup. I bought it and it works great for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h2orider Posted December 21, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Thank you all for taking the time to post a reply. That really helped. Merry X-mas/Happy Holidays and most of all, Happy Carving!! Carlos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy S. Posted December 21, 2005 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Caveat: I like long boards. I demoed the 172 and 177 the first year they came out (like 3 years ago). I was surprised that I didn't like the 177 nearly as much as the 172. I was 5'10" and 190 at the time. Call Sean and speak with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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