# Considering a hybrid rocker or flat camber advice?



## Mervin MTX (Jan 25, 2011)

WVrider84 said:


> Hey everyone, I have been riding traditional camber boards for quite a while, and I am considering moving to a hybrid rocker board this season. We don't get many if any demo days at my resort and there obviously wont be snow for another 3 months, so I thought I would post.
> 
> I read snowolfs review of the NS Heritage http://www.snowboardingforum.com/equipment-reviews/38115-review-2012-neversummer-heritage.html, and I thought he brought up an interesting point about the hybrid design. He stated that the board performed nearly as good as a camber board on groomers, but it performed much better in bumps/trees. Areas that require a lot of work to ride well on a regular camber board.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the hybrid camber world. In addition to the T.Rice don't forget about the Phoenix which is very similar but more subtle MTX and just not as hyped up as the TR. Skunk Ape is a wide TRS and if too big then it is a stiff board. However, just for comparison, the Rice is a bit stiffer than the TRS. Make sure you get the right length.


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## WVrider84 (Aug 5, 2011)

Hey Mervin thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned above that I wear a size 11 boot, so I am kinda caught in between regular and wide. I really like that the 157 Travis rice has a 258 waist with a more aggressive side cut compared to your other boards. I think my current rossignol has like a 263 waist which makes me think the T Rice would be a little quicker edge to edge.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

You usually don't need a wide with an 11. I would definitely take a look at the Flow Drifter. Its right in that medium flex all mountain slot and the sidecut they use on there boards with I-Rock is amazing. It is still the smoothest and best gripping non-technical sidecuts I have ever ridden. It gripped nearly as well as Arbor's system tech with the bumps. The rocker is similar to Nitro Gullwing, rocker between the feet and micro camber outside. So the camber in the tips is just enough to level them out. They also use a convex base between the feet, just makes edge to edge really smooth and a little faster.

The other one I would consider would be the Nitro Team Gullwing. Built really well, strong, snappy, and Nitro's sidecuts are always dialed. Gullwing also has this characteristic to stiffen a board when its on edge. So with the Team Gullwing in turns it is going to feel like a board built for bombing but the get in the tips or powder and its real flex will let you bend the board a little.


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## Irahi (May 19, 2011)

WVrider84 said:


> Anyway the guy seemed to be a competent rider and was talking about how much fun the Lib Tech Travis Rice Pro was for doing shorter radius carved turns.


I ride a T.Rice HP, and it really is a fabulous board for what it does, but it definitely has a rider profile. If you want to go fast on anything, kick ass in powder, and throw huge air, it doesn't get much better than a T.Rice. If you want to do lots of ground tricks or rails, it... gets a lot better than a T.Rice.


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## Ballistic (Aug 31, 2009)

also checkout the banana magic. I was really stuck last season weather to get a trice hp or magic. I got a magic based on numerous reviews and youtube video re..v.iews. Super glad i did. It does the whole mtn really well but its soul is freeride and thats my world. I also have a supermodel x and a custom x..


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## WVrider84 (Aug 5, 2011)

Thanks for the replies guys.

Thanks for some other ideas Nivek. I will look into those decks. My old board has a 250 waist with an aggressive sidecut and I have had some heel/toe drag issues when pushing it. Which I don't like.

Ballistic - I saw that banana magic board. I am still a big fan of camber boards. The profile of the banana magic seems too much like a continuous rocker or that burton hybrid design which I didn't like. I am sure it rips, but I am not sure if its inline with my riding style. How does the lib tech board hold up compared to your custom x? I assume the custom x is regular camber? I have read the custom x is a very light board how would you rate the weight of the banana magic to the custom x?

Irahi - The HP model seems pretty awesome. I am much more of a freerider vs park feen. I like that you say the Travis Rice is great at high speeds. How well does it make short radius turns? What is its low speed performance like? If you have any thoughts... if not its cool. 

Thanks!


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## Ballistic (Aug 31, 2009)

hey WV

the magic is very stable at speed. I also have skate banana,, the 2 boards are very different. The skate is pure rocker, squirrely but fun. The magic definitely has camber.. only a little bit less than T.rice. Make no mistake the magic is fairly stiff agressive board, fantastic for carving yet due to its rocker nose I dont remember catching an edge even once last season. The Supermodel x is similar to magic but camber only... these are my favorite 2 boards right now. You know the smx is freeride carving machine, right? no doubt about that. Well the magic is a playful freeride machine. The trice i am told would be closer to a even stiffer freeride deck. The magic carves short or long radius really well. see this vid here... Lib Tech Skate Banana vs Banana Magic vs Attack Banana snowboard reviews by Board Insiders - YouTube


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## WVrider84 (Aug 5, 2011)

Hey Ballistic thanks for the heads up on the magic. I didnt really look at the specs besides the rocker profile. It has a NASTY sidecut radius!!, and the waist width is in alignment with what I am looking for.


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## chupacabraman (Jul 30, 2009)

Check out the Rome Agent Rocker. Comparable to T-Rice, IMO better. Nitro Team Gullwing if you're on a budget but it's not nearly as good as those two. You don't need a Mid or Wide board, but why not? It can only make things better...


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

chupacabraman said:


> Check out the Rome Agent Rocker. Comparable to T-Rice, IMO better. Nitro Team Gullwing if you're on a budget but it's not nearly as good as those two. You don't need a Mid or Wide board, but why not? It can only make things better...


Eh not so much. The Agent rocker is an all mountain capable freestyle stick more comparable to the Rook. The Team Gullwing is stiffer and just different. Not better or worse. If it means anything I think it might still be BA's favorite Nitro. And the 157 T.Rice is stiffer than both of them...

If you're not really looking for anything with center reverse try the Flow Infinite. Mellowed out camber in the tips makes entry and exit from turns smoother than standard camber and puts the pop closer to your foot for faster initiation. Beyond that you can look at camrock. From YES the only board they make that rode well was the Optimistic which should fit you well, or you can try the originators of the current camrock tech and look at the Signal Omni.


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## TheLord (Sep 10, 2011)

Ballistic said:


> also checkout the banana magic. I was really stuck last season weather to get a trice hp or magic. I got a magic based on numerous reviews and youtube video re..v.iews. Super glad i did. It does the whole mtn really well but its soul is freeride and thats my world. I also have a supermodel x and a custom x..



Hi, I have riden a custom x for five years now. For next season I'm looking for a new board. The T.Rice and Banana Magic are both very interesting boards. At this moment I'm leaning towards the Banana Magic but I am not sure about the right length. Should I go for the 154 or the 157? My details: 5'11 (180) and 175 lbs (80 kg), bootsize 9.

I'm riden all mountain most of the time and hit the park occasionally ...


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## chupacabraman (Jul 30, 2009)

Go with the 157... unless where you ride is pretty mellow, then the 154.


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## Ballistic (Aug 31, 2009)

chupacabraman said:


> Go with the 157... unless where you ride is pretty mellow, then the 154.


Agree... 57


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## TheLord (Sep 10, 2011)

Thanks, riding several locations in Europe (the Alps mainly). 

Probably heading for the Banama Magic 157. With my bootsize 9 a better choice than the T.Rice 157 (which is a mide-wide I suppose) isn't it?


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

You may want to look at Signal boards as well. I loved the hybrid camber that was on my Omni. Super fun in the trees and stable enough to rip groomers, with that sweet rocker pow float.


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## TheLord (Sep 10, 2011)

I will check them out, do they have something for extra grip? I really like the magnetraction on the lib-tech boards ...


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## Steez (Jun 25, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Eh not so much. The Agent rocker is an all mountain capable freestyle stick more comparable to the Rook. The Team Gullwing is stiffer and just different. Not better or worse. If it means anything I think it might still be BA's favorite Nitro. And the 157 T.Rice is stiffer than both of them...
> 
> If you're not really looking for anything with center reverse try the Flow Infinite. Mellowed out camber in the tips makes entry and exit from turns smoother than standard camber and puts the pop closer to your foot for faster initiation. Beyond that you can look at camrock. From YES the only board they make that rode well was the Optimistic which should fit you well, or you can try the originators of the current camrock tech and look at the Signal Omni.


I have the Rome Agent Rocker, it does have the hybrid camber/rocker. It's a great stick but like you said it's for All Mountain Freestyle, so it's not as strong as the T.Rice and similar boards in the pow and high speed carves, etc. It's a great board because it does well everywhere on the mountain and is still good in the park which is what I wanted, if you want to do some park then it's a great board if you don't really plan on it then I wouldn't look into an all mountain freestyle.


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