# New freeride/ pow / all mountain killer board ?



## Riley212 (Nov 9, 2011)

I vote NS Heritage 159


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## Bayoh (Dec 17, 2010)

161 sounds about right, but a 159 wouldn't hurt either. I've been wanting to try the Highlife the most out of all your picks if that helps sway your decision at all heh.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

yeah..I've ridden all the never summer's I listed as well as the arbors.

really like the the roundhouse and heritage, just wonder how the trice and highlife stack up. i mean is the highlife just a dead plank that's no fun unless you're going 100% full throttle all the time? 

I also don't know how the attack banana is still on that list...whoops.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

You're missing the NS that I was going to recommend - the Raptor.


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## Kwanzaa (Sep 4, 2011)

I'm the same size as you. Make sure you buy a wide board. I have a libtech dark series 158cm and I sink in pow. Today I demoed some Burton board that was 156cm wide. I didn't think it would change anything but I was wrong. It floated onto of powder so well I was impressed. It gave my rear leg a much needed break.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

How much of a negative is the extruded base on the skunk?

maybe it would be a plus, seems they are a little tougher which would be nice dropping off and hitting everything...


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## danm (Jan 16, 2010)

WasatchMan said:


> How much of a negative is the extruded base on the skunk?
> 
> maybe it would be a plus, seems they are a little tougher which would be nice dropping off and hitting everything...


Well supposedly Mervins TNT is technically sintered with some of the benefits of extruded, not sure how that works but that's what I've heard.
As for real world difference? I've got several Libs... 154 TRS, 157 T.Rice, 160 Mullet and I can confirm that my sintered Rice is faster than the other two with TNT. I know some of that has to do with the Rice being stiffer but even on flat cat track coasting it's somewhat noticeable. I'm confident in that statement because the last day of last season I let my buddy ride the Mullet and I rode my Rice and in EVERY glide situation I pulled away (both freshly waxed by me btw)... It wasn't dramatic but it was obvious. Having typed all that, when I'm on my Mullet I'm usually passing most boarders and keeping up/passing skiers so I wouldn't let the TNT base sway your decision. If I could spec you a board it would be the T.Rice but length is a problem, at your weight I would say 157 but if your not afraid to muscle it a bit more, the 161.5 with pointy tips would be ideal.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

awesome, thanks guys


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## sidewall (Nov 6, 2009)

T. Rice 161.5, check my review in the equipment reviews section.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Well my vote is for the Highlife you really want a premiere smooth hard charger. Insanely stable and really snappy out of turns.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

Yeah I was really digging the highlife, but went to the local shop to check it out and it had a nice amount of camber in the back there (thought it was flat) Also the shop guy (who rides one) said it's average in pow, and he wouldn't take it in anything more than 12"+. So that kind of it took it out of the running. Then it was looking like the heritage, but I thought the heritage was a lot stiffer than it was, it felt pretty flexy (5/10) so now I am back at square one :laugh: The slackcountry looks incredible, but I feel if I am going to drop $700+ on a board, it better come in two pieces


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## CMSbored (Apr 2, 2009)

i really like my NS premier f1. that being said, its the older model and without RCtech. so i cant recommend the newer one. the build quality is nice.


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## Riley212 (Nov 9, 2011)

the la ninaMC or the berzerker will be the better pow boards in your list. both are rocker in the front camber in the back. Also the gnu billygoat as snowolf stated, should be good.


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## SnowSource (Aug 21, 2011)

I vote the 161.5 T. Rice. The only thing I would consider other than my T.Rice is...... sex with Mila Kunis


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

CMSbored said:


> i really like my NS premier f1. that being said, its the older model and without RCtech. so i cant recommend the newer one. the build quality is nice.


The premier is too narrow as well, I'm sure I could get away with it if i really tried and on a longer size, but I prefer a little wider boards with little to no overhang. Really wish I wore a size9-10 boot 



Riley212 said:


> the la ninaMC or the berzerker will be the better pow boards in your list. both are rocker in the front camber in the back. Also the gnu billygoat as snowolf stated, should be good.


Yeah I'm really liking the Highlife, Berzerker, and Heritage. Billygoat is too narrow and i don't like the idea la nina's extruded base. 

I think the highlife might be too stiff and it may get a bit 'boring' after a while, the berzerker or heritage seem like they would be more fun.

I also hear a lot of people say the highlife doesn't do too well in pow, I just don't know how thats possible though considering it has the same camber as the berzerker and king jake kills it deep in the bc...

off to check out snowolfs thread too see how the heritage does in the chop and crud, I want to plow it


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## DrnknZag (Feb 7, 2010)

IMO I wouldn't get the Slackcountry unless you are riding deep pow all the time. Mine only comes out on super deep days and cat/heli trips. I also own the Highlife from last year, and it's a damn fun board. I got kinda bored with it though because it IS really stiff. I've heard they bump up the stiffness a little bit more this year. I'm primarily riding last year's Salomon Sick Stick for most of my riding (Powder Snake's big bro). If you can afford the Sick Stick, I'd definitely put it up there too.

Given the stiffness of the Highlife (and your weight), I'd say a better option from Ride would be the Berzerker. Follow that with the Heritage X.


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## Riley212 (Nov 9, 2011)

Berzerker 2 - YouTube


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

DrnknZag said:


> IMO I wouldn't get the Slackcountry unless you are riding deep pow all the time. Mine only comes out on super deep days and cat/heli trips. I also own the Highlife from last year, and it's a damn fun board. I got kinda bored with it though because it IS really stiff. I've heard they bump up the stiffness a little bit more this year. I'm primarily riding last year's Salomon Sick Stick for most of my riding (Powder Snake's big bro). If you can afford the Sick Stick, I'd definitely put it up there too.
> 
> Given the stiffness of the Highlife (and your weight), I'd say a better option from Ride would be the Berzerker. Follow that with the Heritage X.


Yeah, thats what I was thinking bout the slackcountry, and that's a hefty price tag for a pow board as well.

Also funny you mention the powder snake, because we just got a random 160 in at my work tonight, I'm really considering it, it's a little slim at the waist but my overhang isn't too bad (i really prefer wide boards) and with my discount i can swipe it at $130 off retail - hard not to


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## ju87 (Mar 9, 2011)

Don't know how you can pass that up for $130!


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

I own last years highlife too. I would say it is pretty stiff, but it also depends on your weight. I am 175 and I ride the 158.
I'd say its great in powder up to 40~50cm (at my weight) and its not so stiff as to be boring at least for me (not yet anyway).

At your weight the 161 will be very stiff though, I would go lower if I were you. The highlife is great at carving through crud and chop too. Its great for hitting natural features and drops and little spins too IMO. 

After reading the reviews on the ride forum the dude there reckons the Bezerker is more aggressive and responsive than the UL highlife. I know it says the bezerker is softer on their ratings, but one of the main reviewers at ride says the bezerker is more aggressive and snappy.

Has anyone here ridden both or are you just going by the ratings from 1-10?


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

dreampow said:


> I own last years highlife too. I would say it is pretty stiff, but it also depends on your weight. I am 175 and I ride the 158.
> I'd say its great in powder up to 40~50cm (at my weight) and its not so stiff as to be boring at least for me (not yet anyway).
> 
> At your weight the 161 will be very stiff though, I would go lower if I were you. The highlife is great at carving through crud and chop too. Its great for hitting natural features and drops and little spins too IMO.
> ...


The berzerker has a smaller radius sidecut overall which probably makes it feel more responsive


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

dreampow said:


> I own last years highlife too. I would say it is pretty stiff, but it also depends on your weight. I am 175 and I ride the 158.
> I'd say its great in powder up to 40~50cm (at my weight) and its not so stiff as to be boring at least for me (not yet anyway).
> 
> At your weight the 161 will be very stiff though, I would go lower if I were you. The highlife is great at carving through crud and chop too. Its great for hitting natural features and drops and little spins too IMO.
> ...


Yeah the longest I would go is a 159W, and I have read that guys reviews so many times I started to get dizzy. How is the highlife in stuff deeper than 40cm/15 inches? By the way, I am 6'1 ~150lbs - not really sure of my exact weight currently as I fluctuate quite a lot between 140-160 heh...




ju87 said:


> Don't know how you can pass that up for $130!


Oh I wish I was getting it for $130! But what I actually meant was $130 less than retail, which is $399 - So I could get it for around ~$270


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## bebop_monk (Jan 23, 2011)

Any reason your not considering the Yes Big City? It's gotten great reviews, and camrock is sick. Supposed to be pretty damn good in powder and on groomers as well.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

bebop_monk said:


> Any reason your not considering the Yes Big City? It's gotten great reviews, and camrock is sick. Supposed to be pretty damn good in powder and on groomers as well.


It was in the running for a while, but I heard from a few reviews that YES boards are like glass. I like to snowboard where no other man should, and I want my board to make it out in one piece. Same reason I dropped Arbor from the running. I was actually interested in the YES Pick Your Line though.


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## bebop_monk (Jan 23, 2011)

I was suprised how my GB is holding up in these early season conditions, I've ridden over a few small rocks and while it did leave scratches, I can't feel them. On the other hand, I had to get a base weld when I hit a hidden rock full speed whilst searching for pow, lol.


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

WasatchMan said:


> How is the highlife in stuff deeper than 40cm/15 inches?


I am 175 right now but sometimes down to 170. I also carry a backpack which adds weight. Even so I float with no problems though 40cm and have been through 1 meter deep pow on the Highlife. It still did OK, but at that depth I had to really keep my speed and stay in the back seat more than I would like.

Still the pow was very heavy that day and if its light and fluffy I am sure I could glide through much deeper pow.

Will know more about that in a few weeks because the pow is epic this year and we are just entering the best coldest conditions now. I picked up the board at the end of last season.

By the way I am a size 11 and ride a reduced footprint boot. The 158 regular is just fine. 

Its all personal preference, but at your weight with any of your preferred boards you could go lower than even 159W IMO, do they have a 156/7W?


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

Yeah, I've thought about going smaller, but I already have a 156 lib tech which is good in pow, but this (new) board is mainly for the deeper days/sidecountry/backcountry. I'm pretty set on a 158/159 after many demo days. 

I think I've mentioned this before, but it's hard to believe these boards don't do too well in the deep stuff (highlife, berzerker) 

Just watching Jake Blauvelts 'naturally' and watching him tear up low angle slopes in Japan and way to deep interior bc without any problems, I know he is one of the best snowboarders on the planet but still, he also weighs about the same, 160lbs and rocks a 158, I know i'm probably insane trying to make this comparison but still....got me thinking ...


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

WasatchMan said:


> Yeah, I've thought about going smaller, but I already have a 156 lib tech which is good in pow, but this (new) board is mainly for the deeper days/sidecountry/backcountry. I'm pretty set on a 158/159 after many demo days.
> 
> I think I've mentioned this before, but it's hard to believe these boards don't do too well in the deep stuff (highlife, berzerker)
> 
> Just watching Jake Blauvelts 'naturally' and watching him tear up low angle slopes in Japan and way to deep interior bc without any problems, I know he is one of the best snowboarders on the planet but still, he also weighs about the same, 160lbs and rocks a 158, I know i'm probably insane trying to make this comparison but still....got me thinking ...


The Highlife is great in pow IMO (the Bezerker is pretty similar in terms of rocker and size), its just a question of length to weight as well as skill. Also conditions.

As I am significantly heavier than Jake and significantly  less skilled the 158 was not quite enough for me when it was deep and heavy. Deep and fluffy is another story. I don't know about the states, but we sometimes get this sticky heavy pow here at the start and end of the season when the temps are not that low.

The stuff Jake was riding in Hokkaido was super light pow in the coldest part of season and I'm sure even at my weight the 158 would be perfect in those conditions. 

I've been through that kind of pow here on other decks and you don't even feel it, it doesn't seem to slow the board down or resist it at all.

Hoping for conditions like that on my next trip up to Nagano in a few days. 

If you get the either of those ride boards I would love to hear a review once you have some time on them.

I'm sure 158 or 159 will be sweet at your weight.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

Picked up a 159W highlife!! 

Rode today at brighton with a fresh 10" on top of 4 1/2 feet that fell in the last 7 days. Perfect conditions.

And....this board is BY FAR the most fun deck I have ever set foot on!! I swear this deck feels like it was designed just for me - everything was perfect about it.

I've tried a lot of boards lately and every board I picked up let me down in some way, either not a enough float, not enough pop, not damp or stable enough etc. 

This board is the most surfy, smooth, poppy board I have ever ridden. I was BLOWN away at how stable and damp, yet smooth it was. 

The float was a lot better than I expected, some spots were knee deep and the highlife surfed right over it as smooth as possible. It's also incredibly stable when bombing runs, I couldn't believe it. And when dropping cliffs into pow then running out into the chop - this board PLOWS through it, you never get that 'squirly' feeling like other decks after a big landing. The camber in back gives you so much confidence. 

This board was making me, or should I say letting me do things I would never have on any other decks. I just knew I could stick whatever I could throw at it.

I have found it ladies and gentleman - this board is fucking amazing...


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## DrnknZag (Feb 7, 2010)

^^Awesome! Glad to hear you're so stoked on the new pick up. I still haven't tried this year's Highlife, I'd love to give it a shot. I still kinda miss my 2011 Highlife, but the Sick Stick is helping me forget.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

did you ride a berzerker before deciding on the highlife by chance?


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## dreampow (Sep 26, 2011)

WasatchMan said:


> Picked up a 159W highlife!!
> 
> Rode today at brighton with a fresh 10" on top of 4 1/2 feet that fell in the last 7 days. Perfect conditions.
> 
> ...



Nice,
I would also love to try the 2012 Highlife. Sounds like it has all the good stuff from the 2011, just more of it. 
I find the 2011 super stable and smooth too. Great float and solid pop. I find it perfect for hitting natural features and getting grabs before stomping the landing. Whatever you land on it will charge through it.

From what I hear the 2012 has considerably more pop and is more responsive from the added camber.

Enjoy dude.


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## WasatchMan (Aug 30, 2011)

redlude97 said:


> did you ride a berzerker before deciding on the highlife by chance?


 Sadly no...


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