# Intermediate board help



## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I bought my skate banana with my local hill's conditions in mind. Heavily riden, gets icy fast, lots of man made snow. I thought I would try the magnatraction and I'm glad I did. I am very pleased with how it handles in these types of condition. 
Other makers have a similar system, maybe look at a board with this design.
I am riding park and jumps, but I'm still a newbie with no experience of riding lots of boards or park/jumps. I just know I'm comfortable on this board and it holds edges well on our hills conditions.


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## Ballistic (Aug 31, 2009)

demo days. find a demo day somewhere and go to it


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## bmosher3 (Feb 13, 2009)

It's pretty unstable/shaky at high speeds. It's also a 156 so I figured I would go for a 158-160 for my new board. And yeah from what I understand I wouldn't want a reverse camber board for the conditions I'll be riding, and that either hybrid camber or traditional camber would be better for packed powder and groomed runs.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

bmosher3 said:


> I've been snowboarding for about three years with an 09 forum recon, and I feel like it's starting to hold me back as I progress with my riding. I ride on the east coast and I don't do any park stuff, maybe hit a jump every once in a while but nothing serious. I mostly ride groomers and powder when there is some, and have to deal with ice sometimes, but I'm having a hard time finding the right board. I've looked at the Ride Machete, which seems like a nice board but I've read that it might not be the best for my type of riding. I also looked at the GNU Carbon Credit and Rossignol Angus, and I've heard mixed things about both of those too, so I'm really not sure what to look for. I'm 5'10, 170, size 10-11 boot. I'm also trying to keep the price around $300-350, possibly more for the right board, so I'm looking for one of last year's models.


I'll definitely sign off on Slyder's assessment of magnetraction, I have a carbon credit and it handles pretty much anything you can throw at it, pow, ice, crud...anything EXCEPT SPEED. 

If you're thinking about doing any kind of bombing, and don't center yourself, it's sketchy, just like any reverse camber board. I'd suggest a Mervin with C2BTX or a Neversummer. I dunno how the Neversummer is when everything is tracked out and/or icy but, again, Magnetraction, for all its criticism rips everything.


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

phony_stark said:


> I'll definitely sign off on Slyder's assessment of magnetraction, I have a carbon credit and it handles pretty much anything you can throw at it, pow, ice, crud...anything EXCEPT SPEED.
> 
> If you're thinking about doing any kind of bombing, and don't center yourself, it's sketchy, just like any reverse camber board. I'd suggest a Mervin with C2BTX or a Neversummer. I dunno how the Neversummer is when everything is tracked out and/or icy but, again, Magnetraction, for all its criticism rips everything.



I wouldn't generalize that "just like any RC board" is sketchy at speed...

My NS Premier F1 is RC, and is most certainly NOT sketchy at speed. It will go as fast as you want it to go, and be stable.

If you should coniser the F1, I'd look at 160 or less. I'm 190 lbs and riding a 163. Doesn't matter how far you lean over, it just carves. No way would I consider longer, and maybe sometimes I think I should have went shorter. But in powder...well, maybe I did make the right choice.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

kaborkian said:


> I wouldn't generalize that "just like any RC board" is sketchy at speed...
> 
> My NS Premier F1 is RC, and is most certainly NOT sketchy at speed. It will go as fast as you want it to go, and be stable.
> 
> If you should coniser the F1, I'd look at 160 or less. I'm 190 lbs and riding a 163. Doesn't matter how far you lean over, it just carves. No way would I consider longer, and maybe sometimes I think I should have went shorter. But in powder...well, maybe I did make the right choice.


I just think that camber or camber/reverse hybrids are more stable at speed than true RC. Different strokes though....


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## kaborkian (Feb 1, 2010)

phony_stark said:


> I just think that camber or camber/reverse hybrids are more stable at speed than true RC. Different strokes though....


Fair enough. I can't say I've been on a true reverse camber, the NS F1 is a rocker/camber hybrid. We may be saying the same thing...


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

kaborkian said:


> I wouldn't generalize that "just like any RC board" is sketchy at speed...
> 
> My NS Premier F1 is RC, and is most certainly NOT sketchy at speed. It will go as fast as you want it to go, and be stable.
> 
> If you should coniser the F1, I'd look at 160 or less. I'm 190 lbs and riding a 163. Doesn't matter how far you lean over, it just carves. No way would I consider longer, and maybe sometimes I think I should have went shorter. But in powder...well, maybe I did make the right choice.


You're talking about rocker/camber. They're talking about reverse camber. Completely different.


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## Snowfox (Dec 26, 2009)

Camber was the industry standard. 
Rocker is basically the exact opposite of Camber. 
Reverse Camber is basically anything not camber, but it's normally in reference to a hybrid design. 

Never Summer has R/C. Lib-Tech has cbx or something. K2 technically does an interesting rocker with a flat portion of the board design (last I checked). Ride has something similar, but I think one of the DH lines at a point had a form of Reverse Camber rather than their usual. Rome has rocker, camber, and hybrid boards. Burton has the V-Rocker. 

Also, NeverSummer has the vario grip on its boards for use in icy conditions. I've heard it described as a less intense magnatraction. So it might be a nice compromise. 

Finally, NeverSummer freeride boards are meant to bomb Colorado mountains. You'll be fine on the east coast with them. 

Oh, and check out BlakSheep sometime since you're sorta nearby (closer than me anyways). It kinda sounds like it might be a bit more freestyle than you're looking for, but it's always nice to support local brands.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

I think we're all saying the same thing. You'd do good to get some kinda alternative, rocker/camber hybridy kinda board that has a proven sidecut technology that works. Mervin(GNU&Libtech)has C2BTX + Magnetraction, Never Summer has R/C + Vario Grip, Yes has Camrock + Ultimate Grip or something. 

These boards would fit the bill. For no other reasons aside from liking things built in the US I'd say go Never Summer or Mervin. I love my GNU and people seem to really like their Never Summer boards.


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## bmosher3 (Feb 13, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions...the Never Summer SL looks real nice but I'm not sure if I can find one in my price range. I found a Lib Tech TRS 159 for $450 and GNU Altered Genetics 159 or Rider's Choice 157.5 for $420. There also the Carbon Credit for around $300, but I'm not sure how that would work for me.I could be missing some but these seem like the best options right now.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Arbor The Westmark Men's Snowboard in 156 - Surf, Skate and Snowboard Clothing, Skate Shoes, Sunglasses, Board shorts and More

Arbor westmark 156. Or you can look for a 159.

Or if that is too "park" for you, the arbor coda? It has griptech which is magne traction but with really just two points, right by the bindings. Your right in the middle of the size chart for the 161
Coda Snowboard

$320 with free shipping.


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## fosterchild (Oct 10, 2010)

You may want to look into Burton's Flying V boards, it gives you the best of both worlds, rocker and camber. I ride a Easy Livin and love it, it rides powder very well, and you can carve the groomers very well also.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

bmosher3 said:


> Thanks for the suggestions...the Never Summer SL looks real nice but I'm not sure if I can find one in my price range. I found a Lib Tech TRS 159 for $450 and GNU Altered Genetics 159 or Rider's Choice 157.5 for $420. There also the Carbon Credit for around $300, but I'm not sure how that would work for me.I could be missing some but these seem like the best options right now.



I can tell you right now, while the price is SO RIGHT for the Carbon Credit, and it pretty much does everything I want it to do (soooo fun in pow, and worry free on ice and hardpack), if you're worried about stability at speed, it's not what you want. 

I love it, and plan on using it until it dies, but I had problems with it at speed, until I got great advice to center my weight on it like a skateboard if I'm hauling ass. It's helped tremendously and I've gotten used to it, but I would say there are other boards/techs that are more reliable.

If a riders choice with C2BTX comes along at the right price, that's the Mervin you should go with.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

Never Summer has R&C, not RC or reverse camber. Reverse camber is just a parabolic or eiliptical reverse camber shape and nothing else. R&C is a hybrid camber, "Rocker and Camber". Rocker is just a catch-all for different reverse camber profiles and camber is obviously positive camber.

R&C feels more like camber than reverse camber to me. Think of it like dialed back reverse camber. Some others characterize it as reverse camber but with added in stability. Either way, it still can catch like camber designs but offers a bit looser ride and more float in pow. Combined with VarioGrip, you have outstanding edge grip in steep hardpack conditions and enough stability to bomb them pretty well. I tell everyone who asks, I rode an Evo, the softests and least damp deck they make, all over the East Coast this season in some of the steepest and most packed conditions and still didn't have problems. I'm not bombing as fast as the guys on freeride machines but I beat just about everyone else I rode with and beat most skiiers. My preference is really park or buttering on groomers.

I think you'd be well suited for a Never Summer SL or Heritage since you sound like yuou don't venture into the park and those decks are all-mountain freestyle and freeride/freestyle respectively which will be able to do it all. If you don't want the SL's directional flex, look for the Proto-CT, although this deck is certainly more park and freestyle oriented.


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

Music to my ears. Looking at the Evo right now. BA and them are all over the blacklist but smallest is 154 I'm to light.

I found the SL too stiff for what I wanted. Awesome board though.


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## Snowfox (Dec 26, 2009)

CheeseForSteeze said:


> Reverse camber is just a parabolic or eiliptical reverse camber shape and nothing else. *Rocker is *just *a catch-all for different reverse camber profiles* and camber is obviously positive camber.


I think you mixed yourself up here. Rocker is considered the parabolic or elliptical reverse camber shape and Reverse Camber is a catch all phrase for any camber option that's not "normal*" camber. 


*On a side note: It'll be interesting to talk with the kiddies in the future who didn't grow up with only one option for camber (besides some random companies and one-offs).


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

I'm going with cheese here, reverse camber to me = rocker. Rocker and camber = hybrid


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## bmosher3 (Feb 13, 2009)

Right now the Coda seems like the best deal for me. I really like what I've read about Mervin boards and Never Summer, but as a poor college student I'm not sure I can justify dropping $500 on an SL haha. I'll buy one if I find it for the right price, but it seems like I procrastinated too long with buying a board because there's not too many of last years models left.


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## L3mnhead (Mar 24, 2010)

I think the Coda on Jdang's link is the 09/10 model which was not a rocker.


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## phony_stark (Jul 2, 2011)

L3mnhead is right, it's the cambered version

my co-worker has it and says it is good for everything except you have to change your stance on a powder day and it doesn't float as well on pow as his park pickle, which probably has to do more with shape than anything.


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## bmosher3 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yeah the linked one is the cambered version,which I have no problem with but I want to try a hybrid camber board. I found the 2011 Coda 161 for $350, I'm not sure if it will be too long but I'm right in the middle of the weight range for it. 

I also saw the Rome Agent rocker which seems like it would be a good all-mountain board. It has pretty good reviews too, has anyone had an experience with it?


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## threej21 (Jan 2, 2011)

Snowfox said:


> *On a side note: It'll be interesting to talk with the kiddies in the future who didn't grow up with only one option for camber (besides some random companies and one-offs).


although im not a kid, I do fall into this category....and i dont know if it was my wakeboard background or the reverse camber (prolly both) but to me, snowboarding was an EXTREMELY easy sport to pick up...I was literally bombing the mountain and hitting jumps on my FIRST day on the hill...then I hear people talk about it being their second or even third season and theyre just getting comfortable linking turns and bombing....:dunno: again, i do credit a large portion of this to wakeboarding, but cant help but think the rocker had a good bit to do with it too


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

L3mnhead said:


> I think the Coda on Jdang's link is the 09/10 model which was not a rocker.


Was it? Darnit, was looking for the 2011 version. My bad


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## Ballistic (Aug 31, 2009)

threej21 said:


> although im not a kid, I do fall into this category....and i dont know if it was my wakeboard background or the reverse camber (prolly both) but to me, snowboarding was an EXTREMELY easy sport to pick up...I was literally bombing the mountain and hitting jumps on my FIRST day on the hill...then I hear people talk about it being their second or even third season and theyre just getting comfortable linking turns and bombing....:dunno: again, i do credit a large portion of this to wakeboarding, but cant help but think the rocker had a good bit to do with it too


rocker helps ALOT when learning


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