# Beginner/intermediate women's board



## ceridwen (Dec 14, 2011)

My stats:
Female
5'6"
115 lbs
7.5 boot
Beginner/intermediate (this is my first season riding regularly, I can link turns down most blue runs at all of my local resorts)
Riding mostly at resorts in Northern/Central Idaho. I've got a season pass for Brundage, but will also be going to Whistler and a few Utah resorts
I ride groomers and powder, no interest in park.

I picked up my first set of gear back in November. Ride Rapture 151cm, Salomon Grace bindings, Vans Encore boots. Pretty happy with the boots and bindings. They have a few things that slightly annoy me, but in general the fit is good and they work well for me. I'm having issues with the board though. I've been out about 10 or 11 times this season and I've improved quite a bit in that time but I feel like I'm hitting a wall with this board. As I've started trying to go faster I don't feel confident with the way the board responds when I try to initiate turns. In powder it's fine, and I have a lot of fun, but on anything hard or choppy it doesn't grip well and I don't feel in control. I've traded boards with friends a few times now and have found their boards (all cambered) a lot more grippy and responsive through turns. I've tweaked my stance and tried to like the Rapture board but I don't think it's working for me. The rocker profile was nice when I started the season and was paranoid about catching edges, but now I think I've outgrown it and I'm looking to get something that's a better fit.

I'm definitely a relatively timid rider and I've got a very lean body type and not a lot of muscle, so I'm not likely to be an aggressive rider any time soon. I've read a lot of recommendation threads here and think what I'm looking for is something that is less rockered, smaller, and narrower than my current board.

I'm not super concerned about the cost. I'm pretty certain I am going to stick with boarding for the foreseeable future and want to get something that will last me.

Right now I'm thinking about the Never Summer Pandora, which I've seen recommended here as a good beginner-intermediate all around board for smaller and lighter riders. Would I be better off with a 143 or 146? What other boards should I be considering?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Hi ceridwen,

Regarding size and considering you're coming off a 151 and ride groomers/powder, I would say a 146 over a 143. I'm 5'8" 120lbs and went from a 151 cambered board to a 146 hybrid the end of last season. Sadly, I have yet to use it on powder though.

I haven't ridden the Pandora but another thing you might like about it is the Vario grip. Even though you have no interest in park, are you looking for a board with a softer flex? 

Btw, I like your username...the Welsh goddess


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## ceridwen (Dec 14, 2011)

EatRideSleep said:


> Hi ceridwen,
> 
> Regarding size and considering you're coming off a 151 and ride groomers/powder, I would say a 146 over a 143. I'm 5'8" 120lbs and went from a 151 cambered board to a 146 hybrid the end of last season. Sadly, I have yet to use it on powder though.
> 
> I haven't ridden the Pandora but another thing you might like about it is the Vario grip. Even though you have no interest in park, are you looking for a board with a softer flex?


I am pretty certain I want something with softer flex b/c of my weight and relatively timid ride style. 

How did you find the transition from the cambered board to the hybrid? Which hybrid board are you riding now?



> Btw, I like your username...the Welsh goddess


Thanks! Don't think very many people know that


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

ceridwen said:


> I am pretty certain I want something with softer flex b/c of my weight and relatively timid ride style.
> 
> How did you find the transition from the cambered board to the hybrid? Which hybrid board are you riding now?


The Pandora might be a good choice then. It seems to be the softest of the NS chick's boards.

The transition from a longish, heavy, cambered deck to a hybrid was interesting. I _really_ had to tone down my riding. The effort it took on my 151 was way more than the 146 requires. You'll probably have an easier time going to a hybrid since your coming off a rockered board. I'm riding a 146 Gnu B Pro now. It's probably stiffer than you're looking for, however.



ceridwen said:


> Thanks! Don't think very many people know that


Ha yeah, I had a friend who named her cat Ceridwen. Take it as a compliment; she was a pretty cool cat


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## cocolulu (Jan 21, 2011)

Can you tell us a bit more about what happens when you try to ride hard/icy stuff? Most people feel that it's generally harder to ride through ice/crud. Some boards do better than others, but there is definitely a technique factor.

When you 'lose control' of your board, is it because it's squirrely (spin like a top)? Does it bounce or spring? Or, when you do a skidded turn, does it slide out from under you? Those are all different problems, in my opinion.

Rocker boards are more squirrely, I think, so if it's that, maybe you're better off with a hybrid board. Never Summer makes good ones, and probably you can look at the Pandora or Infinity. Roxy and GNU make a few hybrid boards (they call it C2 BTX). You can consider the Roxy Ollie Pop. Roxy/GNU boards have a reputation for better ice grip due to magnetraction.

If the board is bouncy or springy, part of it is your technique, and part of it is your board. Never Summer boards are very 'damp' so they might help with this (but a lot of it is riding technique).


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## irrballsac (Dec 31, 2011)

I'm trying to find How old this board is. My girlfriend is getting into snowboarding and I think it would be nice to get her her own board. Just curious if anyone would know about it.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

irrballsac said:


> I'm trying to find How old this board is. My girlfriend is getting into snowboarding and I think it would be nice to get her her own board. Just curious if anyone would know about it.


Hi, 

The image won't display.


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## irrballsac (Dec 31, 2011)

Fixed! Sorry, I was trying to post from my phone and it didn't link it right. 
There is a pic of the bottom of it. It's listed as a Barrett Christy, but I can't find any more like it on the internet, or any other information about the tech it might have...


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Can you take a pic of the topsheet?


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## irrballsac (Dec 31, 2011)

EatRideSleep said:


> Can you take a pic of the topsheet?


I fixed the link in my earlier post. It is higher up. If you need another one I can get it when I get home.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

irrballsac said:


> I fixed the link in my earlier post. It is higher up. If you need another one I can get it when I get home.


Oops sorry I didn't notice that. 

So, since I'm bored and curious, I searched around for you and I found it! It's a 2000/2001; here's what it says:

From http://unclelam.50megs.com/snowboard/GNU/Barrett.html:



> Correct Cap Construction
> Directional Geometry
> Radial Sidecuts
> 22° Power X Sextational Glassweave
> ...


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## irrballsac (Dec 31, 2011)

EatRideSleep said:


> Oops sorry I didn't notice that.
> 
> So, since I'm bored and curious, I searched around for you and I found it! It's a 2000/2001; here's what it says:
> 
> From http://unclelam.50megs.com/snowboard/GNU/Barrett.html:


Wow you're amazing. I tried looking all of that stuff up a few days ago and couldn't find anything about it at all.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

irrballsac said:


> Wow you're amazing. I tried looking all of that stuff up a few days ago and couldn't find anything about it at all.


Haha thanks. 

Not sure about the cap construction...it will probably be fine to learn on, though. Hard to tell from your pics but if it's in decent condition and fits her well, why not use it.

Good luck!


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## irrballsac (Dec 31, 2011)

EatRideSleep said:


> Haha thanks.
> 
> Not sure about the cap construction...it will probably be fine to learn on, though. Hard to tell from your pics but if it's in decent condition and fits her well, why not use it.
> 
> Good luck!


It was kind of a stretch, but with it being that old, and not having any of the things i like about mervin products on it, i think i'm going to pass. she normally rides a 145 and likes that, so i figured a 148 wouldn't be TOO crazy of a change considering shes new and learning. But I don't think its worth it to pay 100 for a 11 year old board, when i can find better ones for around the same price.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

irrballsac said:


> It was kind of a stretch, but with it being that old, and not having any of the things i like about mervin products on it, i think i'm going to pass. she normally rides a 145 and likes that, so i figured a 148 wouldn't be TOO crazy of a change considering shes new and learning. But I don't think its worth it to pay 100 for a 11 year old board, when i can find better ones for around the same price.


Oh yeah...$100 for that board seems a bit steep. Good luck finding a better one!


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## ceridwen (Dec 14, 2011)

cocolulu said:


> Can you tell us a bit more about what happens when you try to ride hard/icy stuff? Most people feel that it's generally harder to ride through ice/crud. Some boards do better than others, but there is definitely a technique factor.
> 
> When you 'lose control' of your board, is it because it's squirrely (spin like a top)? Does it bounce or spring? Or, when you do a skidded turn, does it slide out from under you? Those are all different problems, in my opinion.
> 
> ...


Typed up a response to this twice and the computer lost it both times.

From reading around it seems like the problems I'm having are pretty common complaints about rocker boards. I don't feel like the edge hold is secure through turns on hard pack, which gives the board a tendency to slide out more than I want when I do skidded turns. Additionally it doesn't respond much to pressure on the contact points, at least not nearly as much as the cambered boards I've ridden. The result is that I have trouble with both edge hold and turn initiation as I go faster and it makes me really nervous riding the board, which is not helpful.

The Rapture definitely bounces me around a bunch on choppy snow but I'm sure a lot of that is technique and I'm not really expecting huge changes with a new board.

From what I gather, these are things that I could probably deal with through changes in my technique to suit the rockered board, but I don't really think that's worth it when I can afford to get a board I'll be more comfortable on and that will help me feel more confident while I progress. From everything I've read there is a good chance that the hybrid boards would let me keep the aspects of my current board I do like, while giving me back some of the edge hold and contact point responsiveness that I'm missing from cambered boards.

I decided to just bite the bullet and buy the NS Pandora in 146 from Backcountry. I'm going out tomorrow with the new board for the first time and have a two hour lesson in the afternoon so that I can also make sure I'm not neglecting my technique. I'll report back on how it goes.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Post a follow up on how it goes. I just bought my wife a 146 Pandora with Flow Prima bindings. I'm curious as to what people think.

She's been on stiff rental boards and I can tell the plankiness of them is getting the best of her. He needs to be able to torsionally flex the board more.

Best of luck!


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## ceridwen (Dec 14, 2011)

Wow! The difference between this and my old board is unbelievable. All the issues I was frustrated with on my old board are gone. The board doesn't skid out from under me anymore, the edge hold on hardpack is great, and I can get on an edge and control myself properly on the cat tracks (my old board always kind of felt like it just wanted to stay flat on the cat tracks). 

Even before the lesson I was doing tons better and enjoying everything a lot more than I had been on the previous trip. The lesson also went really well and was helpful for getting rid of some bad habits I'd picked up from trying to deal with the other board. I don't even notice a real loss of float in the powder compared to the old board, even though this one is 5cm shorter and ~1cm narrower.

The 146 seems to be a pretty good size for me. I didn't have any trouble getting around on the board and it felt very responsive. I don't have a 143 to compare it to, but I'm absolutely thrilled with this one and have no reason to switch.

The expense of buying the new board was absolutely worth it and I'm glad I didn't wait until the end of the season to switch like I was originally planning. I am having SO much more fun now.


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## cocolulu (Jan 21, 2011)

ceridwen said:


> Wow! The difference between this and my old board is unbelievable. All the issues I was frustrated with on my old board are gone. The board doesn't skid out from under me anymore, the edge hold on hardpack is great, and I can get on an edge and control myself properly on the cat tracks (my old board always kind of felt like it just wanted to stay flat on the cat tracks).
> 
> Even before the lesson I was doing tons better and enjoying everything a lot more than I had been on the previous trip. The lesson also went really well and was helpful for getting rid of some bad habits I'd picked up from trying to deal with the other board. I don't even notice a real loss of float in the powder compared to the old board, even though this one is 5cm shorter and ~1cm narrower.
> 
> ...


Awesome! Glad it worked out for you :thumbsup:


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Excellent update, ceridwen!!


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

I'm also looking for a women's beginner/intermediate board for my friend who's about 5'10, 140 lbs. What size board would you guys recommend for her? The biggest size for the Pandora is 149. Would that be too small for her?

Also, are there other hybrid camber boards that are comparable to the Pandora or Infinity?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> I'm also looking for a women's beginner/intermediate board for my friend who's about 5'10, 140 lbs. What size board would you guys recommend for her? The biggest size for the Pandora is 149. Would that be too small for her?


Something in the lower 150's range might be better for her weight. The Pandora is pretty soft from what I understand; might be a bit too soft for your friend.



clankfu said:


> Also, are there other hybrid camber boards that are comparable to the Pandora or Lotus?


There's a recent thread here about the Nitro Mystique. It has a Gullwing camber (hybrid) and runs up to 155. Also a Roxy board, like the Ollie Pop with C2BTX, might be one to consider. They run up to 154.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

EatRideSleep said:


> Something in the lower 150's range might be better for her weight. The Pandora is pretty soft from what I understand; might be a bit too soft for your friend.
> 
> 
> 
> There's a recent thread here about the Nitro Mystique. It has a Gullwing camber (hybrid) and runs up to 155. Also a Roxy board, like the Ollie Pop with C2BTX, might be one to consider. They run up to 154.


Thanks for the reply. Is soft necessarily bad for someone of her skill level? She's still learning how to link turns.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> Thanks for the reply. Is soft necessarily bad for someone of her skill level? She's still learning how to carve.


I don't think so. But as she progresses, it might begin to feel too soft for her. 

Is she athletic/muscular? What's her riding style?


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

EatRideSleep said:


> I don't think so. But as she progresses, it might begin to feel too soft for her.
> 
> Is she athletic/muscular? What's her riding style?


She somewhat athletic/muscular. She doesn't ride park and I don't think ever she wants to.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

Any thoughts on this board? 

On Sale Roxy Ollie Pop BTX Snowboard Japan 151 Women&apos;s 7 - Snowboards, Snowboarding Gear, Equipment 9851rxopb11

Based on the graphics, I'm assuming it's last year's model? Are there any differences between that and this year's model?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> She somewhat athletic/muscular. She doesn't ride park and I don't think ever she wants to.


Considering that, and that perhaps in the future she might like to charge, I personally would go a bit more on the stiffer than softer side (relatively speaking). 

And to ceridwen, sorry for the all the hijacking!


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> Any thoughts on this board?
> 
> On Sale Roxy Ollie Pop BTX Snowboard Japan 151 Women&apos;s 7 - Snowboards, Snowboarding Gear, Equipment 9851rxopb11
> 
> Based on the graphics, I'm assuming it's last year's model? Are there any differences between that and this year's model?


Idk what year that is, but it's rocker only (banana, BTX). The newer models are hybrid, last season's Ollie Pop was C2BTX as well.

Edit: Possible they offered two profiles last season? BTX or C2BTX?


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## Grasschopper (Jan 7, 2010)

EatRideSleep said:


> Idk what year that is, but it's rocker only (banana, BTX). The newer models are hybrid, last season's Ollie Pop was C2BTX as well.
> 
> Edit: Possible they offered two profiles last season? BTX or C2BTX?


It's strange because in the description it does say C2BTX. I would call to confirm what it is before buying.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

Grasschopper said:


> It's strange because in the description it does say C2BTX. I would call to confirm what it is before buying.


Oops I didn't get that far. But yeah, it does say that. Odd. 

Agreed; call and ask. Good catch, Grasschopper :thumbsup:


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

EatRideSleep said:


> And to ceridwen, sorry for the all the hijacking!


Sorry, didn't mean to hijack. I figured since she already bought the board, I'd post in this thread instead of starting a new one.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> Sorry, didn't mean to hijack. I figured since she already bought the board, I'd post in this thread instead of starting a new one.


Haha, makes no difference to me! I agree it's better to post in one thread if you can, and the title is pretty general. All this info might be helpful to others  

I was just saying that to ceridwen in the event she gets email notifications on all this :laugh:


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

EatRideSleep said:


> I was just saying that to ceridwen in the event she gets email notifications on all this :laugh:


Gotcha, hadn't thought about that.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

I just called and they said that Ollie Pop is a C2BTX - last year's model. 

So since the biggest Pandora (149) might be a little too small for her, the Infinity 151 sounds like it might be a better fit. Unfortunately, $460 is a little more than she wants to spend. She's looking for something around $300-350.

From reading these forums, it sounds like the Nitro Mystique and Roxy Ollie Pop C2BTX would fit what she's looking for. Which one would you guys recommend between these two and are there any others that she should consider?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> I just called and they said that Ollie Pop is a C2BTX - last year's model.
> 
> So since the biggest Pandora (149) might be a little too small for her, the Infinity 151 sounds like it might be a better fit. Unfortunately, $460 is a little more than she wants to spend. She's looking for something around $300-350.
> 
> From reading these forums, it sounds like the Nitro Mystique and Roxy Ollie Pop C2BTX would fit what she's looking for. Which one would you guys recommend between these two and are there any others that she should consider?


So that Ollie Pop could work, providing it is a legit deal. The Mystique is in her price range, too.


As far as another one to look at within the budget, perhaps the Rome Jett?? MSRP $340 Rome Jett Snowboard | Rome Snowboard Design Syndicate 2012

EDIT: The Roxy is a twin; the Mystique a directional twin, and the Jett a standard directional. If she rides icy hardpack conditions, the magne on the Roxy might be a deciding factor...


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## ceridwen (Dec 14, 2011)

No worries about thread hijacking. The more use the thread gets the better.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

Looked up the Rome Jett and it seems like a nice board. Would a 150 or 151 be too small for her though? She currently rides a Rossignol 154 and complained that it felt too big and heavy for her.

Also, I saw the thread for the Nitro Mystique. Anyone else have any experience with that board?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> Looked up the Rome Jett and it seems like a nice board. Would a 150 or 151 be too small for her though? She currently rides a Rossignol 154 and complained that it felt too big and heavy for her.


You might have already looked, but in case you haven't, Rome's size chart puts the 150 in the 95-135 lb range and the 154 in the 105-150 lb. Your best bet might be to contact Rome directly. They're on this forum and have posted responses regarding their products. They seem not only approachable but communicative as well.

It might catch their eye if you start a thread with something like, "Rome Jett size?" in the title.

Do you know what Rossignol she's on? Maybe it's older or stiffer?


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

I'll have to check to see which model it is. That size chart is interesting. I'm about 145-150 lbs and my 151 SL seems to fit me fine. Maybe it's more about effective edge?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> I'll have to check to see which model it is. That size chart is interesting. I'm about 145-150 lbs and my 151 SL seems to fit me fine. Maybe it's more about effective edge?


And maybe sidecut radius, too? I'm certainly no expert, but things like that might factor into the charts. From what I understand, the charts are pretty subjective anyway.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks. I think I've got it narrowed down to Roxy Ollie Pop C2 BTX 151 vs the Nitro Mystique 152. If I could buy either for a similar price, which one would you guys recommend?


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> Thanks. I think I've got it narrowed down to Roxy Ollie Pop C2 BTX 151 vs the Nitro Mystique 152. If I could buy either for a similar price, which one would you guys recommend?


Hmm. Well, I'm currently on a C2BTX board, so I can say I like it. As I mentioned earlier, if she's riding icy conditions, the MTX on the Roxy is a benefit. 

That said, I seriously looked at getting a Nitro deck before I got my Mervin board (late last season and couldn't find what I was looking for by then). 

One of the members here, lilfoot, speaks very highly of the Ollie Pop. 

Maybe search around online and see if you can find reviews of both? 

Sorry I can't help you more. I would be a bit torn, too :\


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

I found some reviews on the Ollie Pop. Wasn't able to find much feedback on the Nitro Mystique.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> I found some reviews on the Ollie Pop. Wasn't able to find much feedback on the Nitro Mystique.


I don't think you can go wrong with either. They have some differences (shape, edges, etc), so that might help in deciding.

If both are pretty much the same to you and her, pick based on which graphics she like the best.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks. I think I'm going to tell her to go with the Nitro Mystique.


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## Ocho (Mar 13, 2011)

clankfu said:


> Thanks. I think I'm going to tell her to go with the Nitro Mystique.


Great choice! Let us know how she likes it.


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## clankfu (Jan 29, 2010)

Will do. Thanks again for your input.


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