# Will I be too heavy for my board



## MrWhang (Oct 14, 2016)

So I recently bought a K2 Joy driver (156cm) but didn't look at the size chart before ordering. The chart says the 156cm Joy driver is for riders less than 150lbs, I know you shouldn't worry too much about the stuff on paper but I want to make sure the board will work for me. I'm a 5' 7" intermediate freerider, weighing in at about 190, my previous board (my first board) was a 159cm K2 protohype. I live on the east coast where the snow is usually packed (not much fluff unless we get dumped on). Should I just keep it and see what happens or should I return it?


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

it would work...but you would over-power the board,i.e., wash out...thus probably not a good board to be setting edges in on the ice coast. Return it, get a board where your weight is in the middle of the specified range.


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## MrWhang (Oct 14, 2016)

Thanks for the reply! So you are saying the only issue would be that the board wouldn't hold an edge as well for my weight? Would it totally make riding the board miserable? So bottom line, how bad would it treat me if I kept it?


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

The size range is definitely wonky, but you are still on the large size of that. I would try to get the 59 if I were you.


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

Its a fairly stiff board so that's good but I agree with wraith that it will probably wash out on hard/icy conditions. Its up to you to decide how miserable/bad that is. For me, if a board doesn't hold a solid edge I would not feel very confident riding it.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Depends on what you want. If you just want to cruise at slow speed and don't care about carving and increasing speed? The board may be ok. But you say you're a freerider, and you opt for a pretty aggressive board, i.e both matter; over-straining an edge IMO makes such a board ride very miserable.

It's pysics... the more speed you put into a turn the more force is applied on the edge; the shorter the edge, the more force is concentrated per cm edge and if you add too much force from your weight + from the speed on a too short edge: you'll slip. 

Slipping around when trying to carve ruins confidence. Instead of progressing to ride more dynamic and aggressively, you'll slip-rudder turns timidly.

I did demo boards with too short edges. It's no fun to land on ones belly in each carve cos the edge can't hold the weight+speed force.


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## ekb18c (Mar 11, 2013)

You are on the east coast as the vertical is nothing, you blink and the run is over. I personally think you are fine with a 156cm. Will you wash out? Maybe. Can you ride it down the mountain? Yes, Definitely.


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## dfitz364 (Jan 10, 2014)

I don't know the board, but I ride a 159 in almost all of my boards and I weigh almost 235lbs. I am mostly a park rider though, but I still have never noticed my boards being particularly bad at setting and keeping edges. Even bombing black diamonds at Killington on an Artifact Rocker I didn't feel out of control. Hell I used to ride a 156 Stairmaster at ~200lbs. Is it ideal? Nah. Is it bad? Nah. Just be prepared to break it if you land weird. Done that twice in two years though.. :embarrased1:


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

dfitz364 said:


> I don't know the board, but I ride a 159 in almost all of my boards and I weigh almost 235lbs. I am mostly a park rider though, but I still have never noticed my boards being particularly bad at setting and keeping edges. Even bombing black diamonds at Killington on an Artifact Rocker I didn't feel out of control. Hell I used to ride a 156 Stairmaster at ~200lbs. Is it ideal? Nah. Is it bad? Nah. Just be prepared to break it if you land weird. Done that twice in two years though.. :embarrased1:


Besides that I am on a learning stage, I am 210lbs and ride 159w with no problems at all


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## MrWhang (Oct 14, 2016)

Damn, thank you guys for all your comments! So another board I had my eye on was the 157cm K2 Happy hour. Comparing the spec for each board, they don't seem much different. I've only ridden handful of boards so I don't know how much a few centimeters changes. I guess the shape (camber/rocker) and materials make a big difference but how come the recommended weight is so different. I've attached a picture of the specs side by side.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

If you still have the 59 you now have a quiver. 
Can you return the board? If your really worried just return it. But FFS don't buy another 1cm longer unless you feel like asking the same question and getting the same answers. 
You'll probably be fine even tho it's not super ideal. At least you'll be able to spin like a modafukka.


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## Redline (Jan 14, 2014)

dfitz364 said:


> I don't know the board, but I ride a 159 in almost all of my boards and I weigh almost 235lbs. I am mostly a park rider though, but I still have never noticed my boards being particularly bad at setting and keeping edges. Even bombing black diamonds at Killington on an Artifact Rocker I didn't feel out of control. Hell I used to ride a 156 Stairmaster at ~200lbs. Is it ideal? Nah. Is it bad? Nah. Just be prepared to break it if you land weird. Done that twice in two years though.. :embarrased1:


When I lived in Ohio I rode a 158cm almost exclusively also as mostly a park/pipe rider (when they used to have a pipe at BW), when I moved to New York I got a 163cm thinking it would be fine. It wasn't. I'm 6'6" 250lbs. I have been for years. The 63 washed out anytime I picked up any real speed. This dude should get the board that fits him. You can ride a board that's too small and have a good time, or you could ride a board that fits and have a great time. For what its worth my park board is a 167cm and my cruising board is a 172cm at this point.


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## taco tuesday (Jul 26, 2014)

Can you ride a 156 at your weight? Sure. Can you have a great time in the park or just cruising around? Absolutely. 

If you are going to be riding aggressively with speed and power on east coast hardpack and ice though, you will almost definitely not have enough effective edge to hold your carves and will wash out. 

Personally I would go with a longer board and one that has more effective edge. Some boards are longer than others while still having less effective edge. For example the 162 Smokin Jetson I just picked up has less effective edge than some 159s I have. Just keep in mind that overall length doesn't tell the whole story.


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## dfitz364 (Jan 10, 2014)

Redline said:


> When I lived in Ohio I rode a 158cm almost exclusively also as mostly a park/pipe rider (when they used to have a pipe at BW), when I moved to New York I got a 163cm thinking it would be fine. It wasn't. I'm 6'6" 250lbs. I have been for years. The 63 washed out anytime I picked up any real speed. This dude should get the board that fits him. You can ride a board that's too small and have a good time, or you could ride a board that fits and have a great time. For what its worth my park board is a 167cm and my cruising board is a 172cm at this point.



Wait, they used to have a pipe in Ohio?! Haha I didn't know that was ever even possible lol

The gist of what I was trying to convey was that if that's all he has/can get, he isn't going to instantly break it or not be able to ride a shorter board. Again, "is it ideal? Nah." If I was riding bigger hills aggressively, I would also invest in a bigger board. But I have ridden said "bigger hills" and have never once had problems with washout on 158-160s. To each their own. 

OP, if you can, upsize a bit. If you can't, or are a park rat, don't sweat it and just rip it. If you're anything like 90% of this forum, you'll want a new board before long anyways! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## ctoma (Aug 9, 2011)

MrWhang said:


> weighing in at about 190...


Wow, a 190 lb. Whang....


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## Redline (Jan 14, 2014)

dfitz364 said:


> Wait, they used to have a pipe in Ohio?! Haha I didn't know that was ever even possible lol


Yeah, and it was pretty fun. It was usually only about eight feet tall, and only had a couple good hits per side. You had to hike it and mark out the hits to find them on the way through. Other than that it was like snowboarding a mini ramp. Not scary like a super pipe at all. Just had to remember to pop, or you would deck hard. oh, yeah, it was also usually sheet ice. haha


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