# Big Mountain Board advice.



## Aemmer (Nov 25, 2010)

Need help. After tearing out an edge on my present board, I am searching for the right deck to replace it. 

I checked the archives and didn't really find a great answer.

Me: I am 47 YO 6'3" 225 lbs size 12 boot. In shape, fairly agressive, 30 day a year rider. I never ride a terrain park, but spend the majority of my time riding with a bunch of skiers (I am like the bastard stepbrother who they begrudginly put up with) off piste in PacNW crud, seeking out the steep and deep(Alpental and Crystal with seasonal jaunts up to Mission/Red/Apex/Whistler).I have been boarding since the 80's when I gave up my 15 year ski habbit for something much funner (never looked back).

I like a big long board. my last board was a Glissade Big Gun 185. Before that a Glissade Big Gun 182. I haven't used anything smaller than the 182 since some time in the last millenium when I was still riding a Burton floater.

I do not usually read snowboard reviews and honestly have no desire for anything other than a new Glissade Big gun 185 (Ok, I do daydream about some of the split boards out there on occasion). Just got off the phone with Glissade. I have absolutely no opportunity of acquiring a 185 BG (or any other BG for that matter)anytime soon. 

So, 
Pleae help a biased (I promise to keep an open mind) boarder find the right boards to research. I would prefer something that emulates how my previous (RIP) deck felt.

Respectfully,
T


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## walove (May 1, 2009)

the rad air tanker seems to be the one of the only long boards left on the market linky

the lib tech skunk ape 180 was cambered until this year when it switched to C2btx


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## walove (May 1, 2009)

or you could move 20 years into the future  of snowboarding and try something different like a jones flagship, or never summer Premier F1 or Raptor. In a mid 160 length?? 

Just a question what kind of binder boot combo do you use to drive that big gun?


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## JoeR (Oct 30, 2010)

Aemmer said:


> I like a big long board. my last board was a Glissade Big Gun 185. Before that a Glissade Big Gun 182. I haven't used anything smaller than the 182 since some time in the last millenium when I was still riding a Burton floater.
> 
> I do not usually read snowboard reviews and honestly have no desire for anything other than a new Glissade Big gun 185 (Ok, I do daydream about some of the split boards out there on occasion). Just got off the phone with Glissade. I have absolutely no opportunity of acquiring a 185 BG (or any other BG for that matter)anytime soon.


I had never heard of Glissade before, so I checked the company's website out of curiosity. Are they going out of business? Almost all the boards are marked "Sold Out," the most recent news item is from early 2006, and the Glissade Team roster is for 2004-05.


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## jpb3 (Nov 29, 2009)

Before long there will be some kids in here saying you should be on a 158  

Anyways, I am in agreement with WAlove and he pretty much covered it. Check out the NS Raptor or F1. The Raptor comes in a 169 in both reg and wide versions and the longest F1 is 172. You may want to just give NS a call and talk to them, you will soon understand why a lot of people on here are cheerleaders.


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## baconzoo (Nov 12, 2010)

I too used to ride 180's till Burton stopped making them. These days you might need to go to a custom builder. You can send your old dead board to these guys to de-construct and they'll make you a new copy and tweak it even more to your liking. Igneous Skis Shapes - Custom Handmade Snowboards They are my homeys out of Jackson Hole, so they know their shit. Mot is the guy to talk to.


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

Jones Flagship 168W, Bataleon Undisputed 167, Arbor Roundhouse 167, Never Summer Premier F1 168, LibTech Skunk Ape 169.


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## JoeR (Oct 30, 2010)

P.S. Forgot to mention that you can get a Donek Incline in any custom length you want under 190 cm! (No extra charge.)


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## Aemmer (Nov 25, 2010)

Off the top of my head. Boots Salomon F22? 07 model bought new in 2008. Bindings are high end Ride (couldn't guess on model).


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## skatebanana101 (Dec 2, 2009)

Check out the board insiders review of the arbor coda, never summer F1, and the rossignol experience. Those are some really good freeride boards.

The Arbor A frame is sick too

http://www.boardinsiders.com

ideally, however, you would be best on last years skunk ape, preferably the one with camber (like the 180)


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

jpb3 said:


> Before long there will be some kids in here saying you should be on a 158


Nope. Us "kids" only reserve that type of advice for new riders, not people that have already well-established their riding style and board length preferences. Didn't we already establish this school of thought in another debated discussion?

I can't think of any boards int the 180 range, but I have suggestions that come in the high 160's if you can't find any ones you like in that range.

Rocker variations:

Ride Slack Country

Ride Highlife

Burton Malolo

Lib Tech T.Rice

Lib Tech Banana Magic

Positive Camber:

Burton Custom X

That about does it for positive camber :laugh:

You should also look into NeverSummer products. I hear their big mountain boards are Godly :thumbsup:


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## Aemmer (Nov 25, 2010)

walove said:


> or you could move 20 years into the future  of snowboarding and try something different like a jones flagship, or never summer Premier F1 or Raptor. In a mid 160 length??
> 
> Just a question what kind of binder boot combo do you use to drive that big gun?


Sticking with the open mind. Please teach me a little. Looking at the obvious and I am not savy at all on the not so obvious. I weigh 225 lbs. How can a board with less effective edge (assuming this as I have not yet researched the boards posted above) and less surface area, respond the same? Shorter but stiffer possibly? 



I am sure the suggestion to embrace the new is well deserved. I just need to be convinced before I drop over a half a K.

I appreciate all the suggestions. 

After talking to them this AM, I believe Glissade is going in a different direction and are not putting a lot of effort into their snowboards at this time.

Thanks,
T


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Here's the reason why big beastly boards are a dying breed these days. In the old days of snowboarding, everything had a positive camber. This camber profile by nature makes powder riding an effort. It just doesn't float naturally. You have to either adjust the bindings or use the lean back method which everyone knows burned your legs.

Modern snowboards are quickly becoming overrun with rocker and hybrid rocker designs. These new camber designs gives boards much better natural float than any positive cambered deck. This means you no longer have to adjust your riding to keep your nose above the pow. However, one thing about long decks that can't be replaced by a camber design is the pure bombability. Longer and stiffer will always equate with mach speeds and aggressive handling.

There are plenty of boards under the 170 range that will suit your weight just fine and still give you a good amount of speed and handling. You want to look for a stiff board since that is what your style is begging for.

For new riders, I never recommend learning on a tank of a board. 185 is a tank even for a 225lb man. But you're a seasoned vet to the sport and style of riding you do. Sizing down is going to feel very unnatural to you when we are talking 20+ cm difference. The major thing that will feel different is the control. Since you are accustomed to riding a tank, maneuvering a board like a 166 is going to feel very easy (this could be a bad thing at first because you might over compensate).

Also keep in mind that every board has a different weight scale. Generally speaking, for 225lbs with your boot size you are looking at the 161-164w range. Like I said though, it's going to feel very weird to you at first. However, you might find the rocker design to be much better for powder riding. I'll be surprised if you don't. I'm a huge fan of hybrid rockers since last season was my first year on rockered boards, I found hybrids to be an easy transition.


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## Clorox (Nov 22, 2010)

Aemmer said:


> How can a board with less effective edge (assuming this as I have not yet researched the boards posted above) and less surface area, respond the same? Shorter but stiffer possibly?


Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you will be able to get it to respond the _same_ really. The smaller board is going to be more responsive. If you use a stiffer board, it will help, however. I guess my question is, so long as it's in the correct weight range, what would be your issue with having a more responsive board?


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## skatebanana101 (Dec 2, 2009)

reverse camber and such keep the effective edge longer because the board contacts the snow more (if that makes sense) than a regular camber board. that's why you can have a board so much shorter than normal. Take mike olsen for example. he started out ride a 190 board. now he only rides a 157 banana magic, because it has reverse camber, and a longer effective edge at a shorter board length, which is more maneuverable.

I know that change seems drastic, but as Leo stated earlier, i'll be surprised if you dont like a hybrid rocker or reverse camber board


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## Cavman (Mar 1, 2010)

Look at the KT-22 by Smokin Boards, that goes to a 172cm
KT-22

The Ride Highlife goes to a 172 Wide.
Highlife Snowboard | All Mountain | Ride Snowboards


I am 6ft 5 and 230lbs, 45yrs. I ride everywhere except park, both in Australia as well as Europe and Japan.

I have the Ride in a 168cm and it is perfect for me. It is stiff enough to handle my weight and stable at speed. The Low Rize design is perfect for those powder days too. At the same time it is at home on some of the icy crud we here is Australia.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Ride Highlife 172w, KT-22 172, Pantera 169w, Arbor A-Frame 170.


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## Brentslide (Nov 22, 2010)

I'm 225 lbs and also sport size 12's. I've been riding a never summer legacy 174 for the last 5 years and it's bomb-proof! I've thrown a lot at it and it's been pure fun. I wouldn't pay much attention to the folks that say riding powder with positive camber is hard? I don't think the're on big sticks cause floating pow is what the 170+ boards do best!
Another great board company to check out is Prior and next time you're I'n Whistler, you should check out the factory. They make long boards and also have the best split boards on the market. 
Good luck


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## Mysticfalcon (Nov 27, 2007)

My vote would be for either
Never Summer Premier F1 - I demoed 1 last year and its on my list of must have boards once I get the money
Smokin KT-22 - My primary freeride board. I love this thing.
Venture Storm - I have the Euphoria which is the Pow specific board. It feels like a little stiffer and a little less taper and it would be a ripper and that is exactly what the storm is.

I love all 3 of these and they are all available in a fairly long option. If you are sold on long then something like a 168-170 would be best. They are all


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## Leo (Nov 24, 2009)

Brentslide said:


> I'm 225 lbs and also sport size 12's. I've been riding a never summer legacy 174 for the last 5 years and it's bomb-proof! I've thrown a lot at it and it's been pure fun. *I wouldn't pay much attention to the folks that say riding powder with positive camber is hard?* I don't think the're on big sticks cause floating pow is what the 170+ boards do best!
> Another great board company to check out is Prior and next time you're I'n Whistler, you should check out the factory. They make long boards and also have the best split boards on the market.
> Good luck


Nobody is saying it's hard... well it is for a beginner. What I was trying to say is that a positive cambered deck requires adjustment to stay afloat. Whether it is setting your bindings back or keeping the nose lifted. A rocker board requires no adjustment. It floats naturally. So, your 174 might have awesome float in pow, but even a 158 rockered deck will float easier. No argument with your bomb proof statement though. Nothing beats tanks for bomb proofing


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## extra0 (Jan 16, 2010)

I'm 6'1", 170 lbs size 11 boot and I'll be 46 yo in 5 days. Been riding the bataleon undisputed 163 cm for 2 years in CA pow and loving it. It's got full camber and "Freeride TBT" floats it in deep powder without any unatural weighting adjustments. Super responsive in the trees (that's where you'll usually find me). 

if you can manage to drop below 170, the 167 cm Undisputed (26 cm waist) should definitely be on your list.


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## PowSurfer (Nov 10, 2009)

I'd jump on a jones flagship 168w. That's what I picked up for this year and it rides exactly as described on the website. I was skeptical of the much shorter running length but the longer radius side cut helped it carve a nice long smooth line. the rocker in the nose totally works, last week I was riding tahoe area in snain (snow/rain) visibility sucked and snow was soft and wet, the rocker nose saved me a couple times from going over the bars hitting crud or transitions I just couldn't see. Can't wait to get out on a deep pow day, this board seriously kicks ass!!!


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## Aemmer (Nov 25, 2010)

Well, 
After a bit of research initiated off the direction/opinions in this thread, and a little negotiation with Ms. Clause, there was a beautiful 172 Never Summer Premiere F1 waiting for me under the tree on Saturday. It's ready to go now, I can't wait until Friday to get up and use it.

I appreciate the direction, 
Enjoy the New Year,
T


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

Sick. you are going to love it. I am on a Premier 163 and it is the best freeride board I have ever been on. stable, quick, slight pin tail helps with pow float. the shorter size will give you more mobility and i doubt you will sacrifice any stability or float. NS boards are damp as hell.


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## SJ10 (Mar 3, 2010)

Yeah, I think you'll like the F1. I'm almost exactly your size and ride the same type of terrain. Currenty riding a NS Titan TX 169 and Raptor X 169. Both are different but very good boards. I think you'll find the stability of the F1 comparable to a bigger board while retaining float and good turning quickness (as others have mentioned).


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

tekniq33 said:


> Sick. you are going to love it. I am on a Premier 163 and it is the best freeride board I have ever been on. stable, quick, slight pin tail helps with pow float. the shorter size will give you more mobility and i doubt you will sacrifice any stability or float. NS boards are damp as hell.


No, the Premier does not have any taper, it's a directional twin.


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

Triple8Sol said:


> No, the Premier does not have any taper, it's a directional twin.


Never said it did. It does have a ever so slight pin tail shape though


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## Longboard (Nov 20, 2010)

I got a good deal on a 2010 Ride Yukon 172 in Calgary. You might be able to find a good deal online if you can find one.


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## Triple8Sol (Nov 24, 2008)

tekniq33 said:


> Never said it did. It does have a ever so slight pin tail shape though


Doesn't pintail refer to a tapered shape? Perhaps you just meant like a pointy tip and/or tail, like how they refer to the longer T.Rice boards.


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## tekniq33 (Mar 18, 2009)

semantics shmemantics. 

yeah, you may be right. I was thinking like on a longboard. bottom line is the nose and tail are not the same exact shape.


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