# beginner progression camber vs everything else



## SlvrDragon50 (Mar 25, 2017)

craigvhs said:


> hey guys gals,
> 
> just picked up a 2018 burton custom camber. been out 4 days and happy to say it's starting to click. while i have nothing else to compare, i think buying the camber and not the flying v might have been a mistake since i'm a beginner. i'm finally getting the hang of linking turns and am fine both heel and toe side but i just feel like initiating the turns might be easier on the flying v or even a flat top like the burton instigator.
> I'm a skinny but tall rider and am probably 130lbs at 5'11 and got the 150. it doesn't feel too big but i think i could have gone with the 145 instigator and progressed faster. any thoughts? should i just stick it out with the custom camber? any of you guys have beginner insight of camber vs everything else. i dont want to be a park god but i'd like the ride to feel maybe a little easier/playful. feels pretty stiff right now.


Just stick with it. I started with a camber board for my first board, and I'm starting to get pretty comfortable with initiating turns after a few days of riding. That said, I am starting to hit the park more, and I sometimes wish I had a more playful board, but I know I'm making excuses since I've seen Scotty Lago do huge tricks on my board.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

The board you got is perfect! Most of the old folks started on camber, yes the schooling is perhaps a tad bit tougher. But in the long run will make you a better rider. Yes, you will progress into different profiles...but eventually you will come back around to camber....because it is soo much more fun and precise. You chose well, now go ride as much as possible, take some lessons and wear a helmet.


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## Jonny C (Mar 16, 2017)

You have like the Porsche of snowboards.
The Flying V version is also recommended to learn on, but if you are young and you dont mind to fall occasionally, stick to the Custom Camber.


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## kriegs13 (Nov 28, 2016)

definitely stick with it. Learned on camber. Fell a lot on camber. Skidded a bunch of turns and thought I was carving on camber. did a lot of posing and pretending I knew what was up on camber. Didnt ride for 6 years. came back on a type 2 (hype aside, it is a very progression friendly board) and thought to myself "what is this wizardry??!". Far more forgiving. after 10-15 days on it and another CrC board, I realized I missed camber. Sold type 2 and ride mostly camber or flat now aside from funslinger because that thing is fun and a perfect wachusett board. 

I also don't think I'd put a beginner rider on a shaper series board. Not to say you couldn't ride it, and it wouldn't be fun. i just don't know that you'd get all the awesome that it has to offer.

TL;DR: you'll get more out of your effort if you stick with camber. but if youre going to continue riding casually and you just want every time out to be awesome, then check out some CrC decks (flying v, ripsaw from NS, all sorts of variations from mervin, etc.) It's not like theyre going to handicap you when you go to qualify for the next big comp.


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## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

For beginners, rocker boards are only easier to turn if you're doing it wrong.

Beginners inevitably try to swing the board around with their upper body to turn, which a rocker board allows. Try to do this on a camber board and it just doesn't work and you fall. The rocker boards "forgive" that mistake but it's not teaching you how to ride properly.

CRC and rocker boards are great for building confidence going down a slope, but if you can already do that then you'll progress much faster on a camber board.

After you learn to ride well, CRC boards are a lot of fun.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

The thing about learning to ride on camber is that you'll learn to ride correctly and respect your edges. Yeah, you'll take some mean diggers from catching an edge, but that'll teach you exactly what NOT to do.


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## jae (Nov 27, 2015)

the sooner you get familiar with your edges the more you will like your custom. around the age of 30, you don't heal as fast.. I wouldn't recommend traditional camber when you don't heal as fast. try getting a RCR board rather than CRC. for burton that would be their pure pop camber. Flying V would have been a mistake regardless in the long run. you can also try a rocker-flat-rocker board. if you're 18-24 stick with the camber, it'll make you a better rider.


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

I was on a flat-rocker board back when I was starting out and not so able to afford lessons. Yes, it did "forgive" my crappy riding, but I may not have stuck with it through more pain than I actually got. I fell on my face plenty in my second season.

Now that I've gotten better, I do enjoy my camber board. I also really enjoy the 'gator (NS shaper board), but that thing would've killed me as a beginner. I don't worship camber like some others here, it IS fun, but so are other things :surprise:

If you can handle it and are having fun and progressing, the board you got was NOT a mistake.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

No need to go with full camber just for the sake of becoming a better rider in the end. It depends what your goals are.

At the very beginning there's a few 'simple' hurdles you need to deal with; such as fitness, mountain awareness, ability to cope with cold/wet (ie do you have the right gear), properly fitting stuff, etc.

You can certainly start with a board that will let you survive the initial phase until you're ready to get "technical". Or you can dedicate yourself and commit to learning.

Either works; but it depends on your interests.

If you're riding a lot of ice, or like to go fast, then full camber actually makes things a bit easier to learn. If you're interested in trying a bunch of tricks right off the bat, then maybe some rocker will help you not eat shit that often and make popping easier. But that doesn't mean you'll be doing any of the stuff you see the guys on TV doing, and it doesn't mean you're really progressing..... you'll likely just be carrying a lot of bad habits that a rocker board will let you get away with.

Since you already have a good board to learn on.... stick with it and learn with it. The board itself won't hinder your progress. And it's not an 'advanced' or 'beginner' board by any means. It's a pretty reasonable snowboard for anyone to learn and progress on and keep riding for a long time. Same as many others.


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## craigvhs (Feb 14, 2018)

young... nope.. i'm 42 and i don't love to fall but i'm sticking to runs that i'm comfortable with that are allowing me to build up some muscle memory and hopefully develop good habits early.


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## zc1 (Feb 20, 2017)

craigvhs said:


> young... nope.. i'm 42 and i don't love to fall but i'm sticking to runs that i'm comfortable with that are allowing me to build up some muscle memory and hopefully develop good habits early.


42 is still young.

I agree that you can learn to ride well on anything. It's a matter of learning and practicing proper technique. Some profiles will allow you to get away with poor technique more often than others, but none of them will prevent you from learning proper technique and progressing with proper technique. It just comes down to repetitions of the right things. Read, visualize, watch vids, take some lessons and have a specific plan every time you go out. Whatever that plan is, stick to it. You won't get better otherwise. It's easy to go out with a plan, fall a couple of times then abandon the plan.


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

That camber board might be a little unforgiving at first but you’ll be glad you’ve got it when you find yourself on ice.


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## Varza (Jan 6, 2013)

craigvhs said:


> young... nope.. i'm 42 and i don't love to fall but i'm sticking to runs that i'm comfortable with that are allowing me to build up some muscle memory and hopefully *develop good habits early*.


I found lessons to be great for that :grin:


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## craigvhs (Feb 14, 2018)

You guys are great for taking the time to reply and i found all your insight valuable. i was mostly concerned about being such a light rider that a full camber might have been a bit more for me to take on than i'd like. i'm having fun and i'm getting down my runs without falling. i've gone from skidding almost all the time to really trusting myself and putting my weight forward which is probably the hugest aspect of my progression. i'm now initiating turns much easier and am getting more comfortable with adding speed. sad the season is ending down here in louisville ky.


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