# "Experienced" but have some questions.



## pilotib (Jan 14, 2014)

I have been riding since '97 and am actually quite good. I spent a number of years as an instructor but work and life have gotten in the way. I have been happy with the '98 Burton Floater 158 that I got back then, but feel that it is past time for an upgrade. A few years back I upgraded bindings to Ride Preston EX, and boots to Burton Hails. As I mostly ride in the icy Midwest but occasionally get out west, I want an all-mountain board of some kind. 

I found a deal on a GNU Carbon Credit BTX 165W, so I snagged it up. When I got home though, I was shocked to find that the darn thing is barely any longer than my Floater and actually narrower where the bindings sit! I realize the running length has to be, but it just looks strange. I have always had trouble with heel and toe drag already and I don't want to be going backwards. As I am now in my mid-30's, the park riding is gone from me and I love raw, dirty speed and carving the crap out of the icy s*^%hole that is Alpine Valley. I will occasionally hit a jump or rail, but my job requires I stay in one piece and the mortgage comes no matter what.

I want to take this thing out and try the new tech, but if it is not going to be any better or possibly worse for me, I want to take it back while I still can. Any help would be appreciated!

Ryan
6'2"
215
size 12


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

overall length may be similar, but the effective edge is longer

back in the day i was always on a 168-171, now it's a 163 that is a bzillion times better for everything. 

give yourself a chance to get used to it, when you do you will see

*imo* keep it, though a 161-163 probably would have got you


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## pilotib (Jan 14, 2014)

Thanks for the reply Cass! All this new stuff is a bit mystifying to me as the new board would have looked broken to me if I saw it back then. Should I be worried about stepping down a bunch in relative quality? I see the edges don't wrap all the way around although I really don't try to run the tip/tail into rocks. Will I end up overpowering it? It's just hard justifying $800 on a board when I barely get out enough anyway. Sorry for being the new guy and asking a lot of questions. The search function is fantastic, but there are a lot of choices out there.


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## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

If your goal is carving, and are primarily in shitty conditions, camber > banana.


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## pilotib (Jan 14, 2014)

I just got back from my local board shop where a much more informed guy around my age seemed to have some good answers. I think I will be returning the GNU when I get back from my trip next week. He is steering me towards a cambered board and not going all that much longer, probably just to a 161. I happened to drag the Floater with me so that I could compare it to current wide boards and they were all narrower than mine. So now I am thinking :dunno: and I need to keep searching. His suggestion was for a wide Burton Custom X, but that would necessitate either new bindings or a hodgepodge setup. (Not to mention a LOT more money.)

I know it's annoying when newbies come on a forum and ask a bunch of questions, but I do appreciate you all taking time to answer!


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## andrewdod (Mar 24, 2013)

well, the carbon credit will do fine in the conditions imo. but its going to be very different. The boards are just completely different. What size shoe are you wearing because i'm on a 162w carbon credit with a 13 boot and i'm not having any issues.


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## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

I ride a custom x 168 normal width with size 12 and dont have any issues. You can run non-est bindings. I also have a k2 parkstar 163 wide. It is a great all mountain board and won't drain your funds as much. I'm thinking about a Never Summer Cobra x as my next board.


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

*163W Park Star*



vajohn said:


> I ride a custom x 168 normal width with size 12 and dont have any issues. You can run non-est bindings. I also have a k2 parkstar 163 wide. It is a great all mountain board and won't drain your funds as much. I'm thinking about a Never Summer Cobra x as my next board.



I have 163W ParkStar in near mint condition $150 dollars. Only problem is i'm at JayPeak VT for another 10 days. Interested P.M. could get the wife email you any photos and ship it also.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

pilotib said:


> I just got back from my local board shop where a much more informed guy around my age seemed to have some good answers. I think I will be returning the GNU when I get back from my trip next week. He is steering me towards a cambered board and not going all that much longer, probably just to a 161. I happened to drag the Floater with me so that I could compare it to current wide boards and they were all narrower than mine. So now I am thinking :dunno: and I need to keep searching. His suggestion was for a wide Burton Custom X, but that would necessitate either new bindings or a hodgepodge setup. (Not to mention a LOT more money.)
> 
> I know it's annoying when newbies come on a forum and ask a bunch of questions, but I do appreciate you all taking time to answer!


congrats on finding that...i mean a shopguy who is not a complete moron. 

you will probably be happier on a 161-163 whatever....some others that will not force a binding change: K2 Slayblade, Jones Aviator, and the NS Cobra mentioned above

don't fear the new boards, they are vastly better than the old. your riding, and therefore your life, will improve immediatley


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## pilotib (Jan 14, 2014)

SnowDogWax said:


> I have 163W ParkStar in near mint condition $150 dollars. Only problem is i'm at JayPeak VT for another 10 days. Interested P.M. could get the wife email you any photos and ship it also.


As much as I love that price point and your offer, I think I want to stay with the camber or at least camber focused boards. I sure do thank you though!


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## pilotib (Jan 14, 2014)

CassMT said:


> congrats on finding that...i mean a shopguy who is not a complete moron.
> 
> you will probably be happier on a 161-163 whatever....some others that will not force a binding change: K2 Slayblade, Jones Aviator, and the NS Cobra mentioned above
> 
> don't fear the new boards, they are vastly better than the old. your riding, and therefore your life, will improve immediatley



I hadn't even realized how much things had changed in the last few years. I was flying down some really icy groomers last year and really enjoying the fact that I didn't feel too old... Until I ate it. Hard. I gimped my ass up and a young guy stopped to tell me how impressed he was that I had been ripping so hard on "that ancient piece of wood." Uh... Wha??? We had a nice long conversation about how much his riding improved when he ditched his brother's hand-me-down (about the age of mine) and went to something new. Very nice kid. And that is why I am here now. :thumbsup:


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## SnowDogWax (Nov 8, 2013)

*Ok*



pilotib said:


> As much as I love that price point and your offer, I think I want to stay with the camber or at least camber focused boards. I sure do thank you though!


Great! Just as soon keep it… nothing more expensive than the wrong board.


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## pilotib (Jan 14, 2014)

SnowDogWax said:


> Great! Just as soon keep it… nothing more expensive than the wrong board.


Tell me about it. Today has already saved me a misspent 300 bones. By chatting with you folks, I decided not to try the new board today and will take it back tomorrow. I will make do with my trusty old wood until I can do more research and learn more from you kind folks. Keep the suggestions coming!


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## vajohn (Jan 12, 2014)

I do still like camber also. I love my custom x and will probably keep it forever. it is the last one they made in VT.

But a lot of new boards are hybrids. The parkstar is not like most rocker boards. It is 80 percent flat with rocker tip and tail. You should demo some boards. You might find out you like one of the hybrids better.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

pilotib said:


> As I am now in my mid-30's, the park riding is gone from me and I love raw, dirty speed and carving the crap out of the icy s*^%hole that is Alpine Valley.


The Custom X is a great board for what you mention, and also performs great in crud, but it is just rather old school hard work in deep pow... if you intend to hit pow frequently (that's what I assume by "going out west"), you might want to look at RCR (rocker in tip n tail, camber between feet) profile boards instead of full camber. 
To make it more complicated, also with RCR decks, shapes still differ  just as an example: the Rossi XV and Jones Flagship have a early rocker nose (rocker lifts right at the last insert), whereas with a Volkl Coal or Ride Highlife the rocker is less pronounced and rises well after the inserts. There are many more RCR boards around that would be less plankish than the ones I mentioned and would be better suitable for all day riding (Flagship, Highlife and Coal are great for speed and carving but PITA in crud n moguls). 

BTW: don't look for profiles at online shops. I've seen several boards with completely wrong profiles (e.g. schemes of CRC for a board that actually is a RCR). You can use thegoodride.com to get a general idea what's around, however, take the reviews there with a barrel of salt (copy past chaos and sometimes doubtful if the board was ridden at all) but the shapes were correct for all the boards I've looked at.


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## ASwedishViking (Dec 27, 2013)

neni said:


> To make it more complicated, also with RCR decks, shapes still differ  just as an example: the Rossi XV and Jones Flagship have a early rocker nose (rocker lifts right at the last insert), whereas with a Volkl Coal or Ride Highlife the rocker is less pronounced and rises well after the inserts. There are many more RCR boards around that would be less plankish than the ones I mentioned and would be better suitable for all day riding (Flagship, Highlife and Coal are great for speed and carving but PITA in crud n moguls).


Dont forget the Ride Berzerker! Great all-mountain board and cheaper then the Highlife


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