# technique change required switching from camber to banana?



## silverstoned (Feb 8, 2012)

Hi all,

I'm new to the forums but I am trying to convince myself I didn't buy the wrong board. Been riding for over 15 years and always ridden a camber board. Most recently coming off a Forum f-10, had Burton Custom, Custom-X and a few others in the past, but always with camber and directional board. I bought in to the hype and picked up a Libtech dark series this year after a rock hit pulled the edge out of my F-10. I have given it two solid days in the mountains so far and I'm having a hard time liking the new board. 

On my old board I could do anything I wanted, hard charging on groomers, double black steeps, tight trees etc. I'm not much of a park person but am not afraid to send it off a big lip or cliff. I don't know if I need to adjust my riding style, stance or what, but the new board is definitely preventing me from going as fast and I'm having trouble keeping an edge when things get really steep. When going fast and really putting the board on edge, it feels like the board is pivoting between my feet instead of following the arc I've laid down. Kind of hard to describe the sensation but the tip feels like it's turning in and the tail is slipping out causing a slight rotation instead of following the arc of the turn.

Any suggestions on what I should try to get this board to perform as well as my old one? I was thinking of trying a wider stance to help put a little more pressure on the tip and tail for better edging, but maybe I just bought the wrong board?


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## gprider_capita (Feb 17, 2011)

If you dont like the board then it's the wrong choice. i suggest you do a snowboard demo day if you have one at your local hill. That way you can test every board and you know what you like then.


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## ETM (Aug 11, 2009)

silverstoned said:


> On my old board I could do anything I wanted, hard charging on groomers, double black steeps, tight trees etc. I'm not much of a park person


Wrong board. Camber rules for all the things you love to do.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I don't have the experience like you or many of the other riders here. I did go from my 1st board, reg camber to banana and it is a way different ride. The camber is so much different when using my edges. I don't ride the styles or places you do. It was a good fit for my style though. 
Sounds like you are going to want to stay with a reg camber board


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## silverstoned (Feb 8, 2012)

Snowolf said:


> Look into boards that have traditional camber between the feet with rocker at tip and tail.


Sadly I was going with a Jones Flagship as my first choice for a replacement board but couldn't find one in my length. I'll give it a few more days in the trees to see if it's just getting used to the new board. For carving, the radius I'm turning is actually pretty short and quick. I have an alpine race board for the long GS style carves when I want to lay things out flat on the snow dragging hips and elbows . I'll also try the pivot type turns as I think I know what you're saying. On my old board this wasn't an option but would make tight trees easier to navigate then doing 'jump turns' which I had to do when on my old board. Snow depth in the trees I was riding probably needs another 20cm. I was so focused on avoiding exposed rock and fell trees that were just above the snow surface I probably didn't even notice the added agility.

Thanks for the input, it gives me hope that adjusting my riding a little bit I can make this board work.


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## druj (Nov 4, 2011)

Hey silverstoned,

If you're going to sell it, I might be interested  I have a dark series right now which I'm still riding and loving, but it got old now and wanna get a newer version either this year or next year, depending on what kind of pricing I can find..
this board never disappointed me. I live in east coast so this board is perfect for me.

good luck with your search!


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## nickwarrenn (Feb 11, 2011)

I went from camber to jib rocker to camber to camber-rocker-camber; and I love it. It definitely sounds like you just can't hold an edge. I love the new vario and magnetraction tech, I can ride ice just as well as I can ride snow. I'd pick up a new board if I could return that one. If not, I'd suck it up and ride the shit out of it.


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## silverstoned (Feb 8, 2012)

nickwarrenn said:


> I went from camber to jib rocker to camber to camber-rocker-camber; and I love it. It definitely sounds like you just can't hold an edge. I love the new vario and magnetraction tech, I can ride ice just as well as I can ride snow. I'd pick up a new board if I could return that one. If not, I'd suck it up and ride the shit out of it.


Just to clarify, I can still hold an edge fine. The thing I noticed was when I'm really letting it rip (75kph+) the board is definitely letting me know I'm at the edge of it's ability. On my old one it just kept urging me to go faster . I was able to get my local shop to fix the edge so I can still use my old board... best of both worlds. I also love how fast the base is on the dark series. It accelerates much quicker and doesn't seem to slow down at all on the flats. For someone that hates to push, that's a really nice thing to have.


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## Efilnikufesin (Oct 8, 2011)

Yeah, you may like something like Snowwolf said with camber between the feet and rocker outside. Riding a Rome Anthem with this hybridand it feels much like my old camber deck, carves better in fact even through ice, but has some forgiving qualities which I like over my old camber deck. 

Tried out a friends camber deck this week and couldn't wait to get back on my Rome. There are other companies that run this hybrid though, so check them all. End of season sales hitting soon too keep in mind.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

silverstoned said:


> Just to clarify, I can still hold an edge fine. The thing I noticed was when I'm really letting it rip (75kph+) the board is definitely letting me know I'm at the edge of it's ability. On my old one it just kept urging me to go faster .


Ime, cambered to c2btx is the same as your experience and what Snowolf says. So its ripping it vs some playful agility. Last weekend demo'd a c2btx and conditions were great for bombing and playing on chop/moguls; and I washed out 3 times going bombing 60-70 kph...to which my cambered would have railed...but playing around on the moguls was a like a gazell hopping around on them and had a blast.

So not so much a technique change but a stylistic one.


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## silverstoned (Feb 8, 2012)

Snowolf said:


> Reading more of your comments about the type of almost Eurocarving you like to do, a very stiff, very long, fully cambered deck is needed when you want to ride like that. It simply sounds to me like you are trying to get performances out of a board that is not designed specifically for it. It sounds like you need more than one board that you can choose from depending on conditions and your mood.
> 
> Out of curiosity, what are your stats? It could also be that the board is less than ideal for you physically. Flex plays a huge role in this as well.


I'm 6' 185lbs athletic build, very aggressive rider. The last three lessons I took were for trees, double black steeps and carving. They gave me their best instructor (Lake Louise AB and Fernie BC) each time and it ended up being a solo lesson. The first two instructors said they could probably have been given a lesson by me. The carving session taught me a lot so it has been my focus the last season or so to see how far I can push things. Don't get me wrong, my favorite place to play is on the steeps unless snow is scares, then I hunt for it in the trees. Groomers are a last resort when I can't find anything better.


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## druj (Nov 4, 2011)

since we're in the topic and we have such experienced people contributing, I'd like to ask a quick question if you don't mind, and I'm not trying to change the subject.. Think of this a small parenthesis 
So like I said currently I rock a dark series 158 with k2 formula bindings. My stats are 6' and 210lbs. I ride in east coast, mostly in the resorts in NY-Philly but from time to time I go to Vermont-Killington-Stratton-Okemo,etc..
With my current board, I love the fact that I can go really fast, even though I never checked the speed. My riding is mostly bombing down the hill and carving little bit.. What other board I can look at besides Dark Series.. Is there a board that would enable me to go faster? Or at least, make it easier to go fast? If you can just name a few, I'll do my research accordingly.. 

Thanks!


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Yea I went through this when I went from my 162 Burton T6 to my K2 TurboDream, honestly I can still lay down some nice caraves but it's harder to get leaned way over like scraping you belly leaned over but I like it 10x better in tight\steep tress , powder and doing anything that requires spins\ forgiveness.


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