# Beginner/Intermediate All mountain board



## keeny (May 20, 2011)

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for a some advice on a board for a beginner.

I'm 29, approx 75Kg 175cm small/average build. I've been on snow a handful of times before, but last year was my first proper season with lessons - about 12 days on the snow over 4weeks.

Was on groomers most of the time but did take a hike up to some powder once which was awesome. I'd say I can link turns confidently on greens but am not so confident when it gets steeper. I _can_ ride nice groomed blues but steep blues or ice and my technique goes out the window & I take it real slow. I'm really sketchy riding in cat tracks. Also sketchy riding flat or going in a straight line even for short periods - I like to be at least a little on an edge for control.

Boarding in New Zealand, so I think the snow here is quite hard (& sometimes icy) compared to other places.

So far I've been using an old Rossignol Nomad - no idea what year or anything but it looks really old and feels stiff to me. It's about a 152 and I think I should be riding a 155 or 156?

I want new gear to progress on. All mountain. Very unlikely that I'll do any park stuff or jumps any time soon. My goal at the moment is to be confident on blues and try powder when I can. I'd be stoked if I could make _any_ competent turns on a black. I'd also like to learn switch.

I've pretty much decided on some K2 cinches - I like the idea of toe strap unlike flow bindings. Tried on some boots and Burton Rulers feel comfy. Last year I had DC Judges which were a size too big, super stiff, and cut my feet to pieces.

Board-wise I _thought_ I wanted a custom flying v - all mountain do everything board, & dual camber seems to make sense to me. But when I asked in my local shops, one guy said "that's our instructor board" and the other shop guy gave me a funny look and said "dude, that's what I ride".

So... is a pro board a pro board for a reason, would it be too stiff or perhaps too catchy for me to ride? I also don't want to look like a fool who's obviously still learning, but with shinier gear than the instructors!

Not too worried about budget - I'm happy to pay for the most suitable board for me.

Leo has said really good things about the K2 Raygun. How does the Rossignol Taipan compare to this? It's in the same price-range. Which one is better?

Next step up is the Rossignol Angus. It's hard to tell from the Rossi website what the differences are. I think it has added carbon and possibly traction edges? Also looked at Rome Agent Rocker? Again - would these boards be too advanced for me? I don't really care what the board looks like as long as it's fairly soft & forgiving but with decent tech & stable when I do start to progress to more speed and steeper/choppier stuff.

Phew </end life story>

All suggestions really appreciated!


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## Irahi (May 19, 2011)

You'll get about a million different, completely valid answers to this question, and most of them will inadvertently revolve around one question: How often do you plan on riding?

The core difference as far as beginner/advanced is concerned between a "soft" and "stiff" board is how much strength it requires to keep you upright when you don't have the right pressure on the board. In other words, when you make a mistake on a soft board, it's less likely to cost you your face. A soft board will kind of just go with the flow of the terrain on its own, a stiff board will require you to have the strength to keep it on track, in return, the stiff board will be more responsive and more capable of handling difficult terrain. If you go out once every two weeks or less, you will be very unlikely to develop the strength to take advantage of a stiffer board. So, if you plan on hitting the slopes at least once a week, feel free to go with a mid-stiff or very stiff board, as those will scale with you as you get better.

EDIT: regarding the custom flying V. It would definitely cause you some growing pains for the first several days you were on it, but your body will catch on pretty quickly, so long as you stay on top of riding frequently. Otherwise, if your strength and technique never catch up to what the board demands, it'll make for some really sad boarding trips. So as usual, it revolves around the question of ride time!


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## TheCity (Jan 24, 2011)

Hey keeny, I got a 156 K2 Raygun up for sale. It's used with exactly 4 days on it. I got this board exactly cause of Leo and nivek  
It's been a great board to me. I just need a smaller size. I've used it in deep pow, hard ice(1 spot in a day), and no park(but was told it will do fine). I am a beginner/intermediate and one thing I can tell you is that this board gave me more confidence going down hills. And it fits your weight range.


feel free to check it out!
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/buy-sell-snowboard-equipment/39497-fs-156-k2-raygun.html


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## keeny (May 20, 2011)

Irahi said:


> EDIT: regarding the custom flying V. [...] if your strength and technique never catch up to what the board demands, it'll make for some really sad boarding trips.


Hmm... sounds like I don't really 'deserve' that board yet!

Does anyone know the difference between the Raygun & the Taipan? Which one is softer?


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## keeny (May 20, 2011)

Hi Snowolf,

Been watching your videos - very helpful thanks. Especially the chairlift one, haha. Only been on local fields with T-bars so far!

Wow - that's quite a recommendation for the Angus - I wasn't expecting that. You think it's worth going for that over the Taipan or the Raygun? Is it a definite upgrade over those two boards?

Rossi give their boards a flex rating of 7 (1 Soft – 10 Stiff) That sounds like it's gonna be too stiff to me. Burton give their beginner boards a rating of 3. But maybe you can't compare across brands?

Also - Looks like the Angus comes in 3 sizes (153, 157, 161) Which one you reckon I should go for?

Cheers,

Keeny.


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## alternatevista (May 26, 2011)

I'm almost exactly the same weight/height as you (71kg/177cm) and I currently ride a 155cm Sierra Reverse Crew (Burton Custom clone). Your ideal freeride/all-mtn board size is 153cm - 157cm with a larger size giving you a greater effective edge for better grip. A shorter board is going to be more nimble, so better for tricks. Realistically though the difference between 153/157 is ~2.5% of the total board length so I wouldn't stress about it too much. 

Reverse Camber / directional / mid-stiff (6-7 flex) is almost the universal specs of every brands beginner / intermediate do everything board, which is really just a modified version of the Burton Custom.

There is no scientific rating for flex so one manufacturers rating is not necessarily going to be the same as another. A directional board also flexes differently to a true-twin and then you have torsional flex to consider as well as longitudinal.

I haven't tried the Cinch system yet, I currently have K2 Auto's and they're a great all-mtn binding.


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