# Freeride Deck for Icy groomers and moguls



## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

You don't mention where you ride. Any chance you can demo? I would steer you towards something like a Rossi One Magtek or perhaps a YES PYL.


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

I didn't bother mentioning where I live because I'm looking to move, the general gist is that I'm from AK but I'm stuck in Ohio for now. I can definitely demo some stuff but we usually don't see any big mountain decks around here, all the local joints are park oriented with a handful of advanced groomers but certainly no 50 mph runs and no pow. 

I like the PYL's design for a quiver killer but not for a dedicated carver. I don't want directional shape, I like to spin a lot on moguls and this deck isn't for pow so a twin shape is preferred. The Rossi One is a very attractive deck but I'm not sure the magnetraction edges are worth it for me, our groomers are crispy, but not solid sheets of ice.

Thanks for the post though.


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## Riley212 (Nov 9, 2011)

lib-tech Banana magic and hot knife are great for carving up icy slopes. 

The magic is my go to for when everything gets tracked out and scraped off. The hot knife should be similar with more camber.


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## scotty100 (Apr 3, 2012)

Eat Sleep Shred said:


> This year I've decided to move from a single quiver-killer to two decks for different conditions. I have a pow deck lined up for days with fresh snow but I'm looking for a deck that can handle icy runs and moguls when the mountain is tracked out. I am trying to move toward stiffer and damper decks this year to break 50 mph cutting lines through icy groomers with crud on them with small pow stashes on the side.
> 
> I'm right around 155 lbs and 6 feet tall. I've been riding a 159 cm for buttering and carving which seems to be a bit long for my weight but I'm plenty comfortable on it. My pow deck this year is a 161, which is probably going to leave me bow-legged for more a few days this year, but that's alright.
> 
> I am looking very fondly at the Ride Machete GT and the Slayblade based on marketing but people seem to think these are too stiff for most, reviews are pretty lackluster/aged and I having a tough time navigating anything comparable to these two decks, I'm pretty lost. On a side note I'm not particularly interested in other powder decks or park decks, I already have a floaty deck and I never hit the park on my own accord. Any advice is welcome and appreciated.


Be aware the slayblade has a completely different camber profile this year, K2's new "lifted" profile...check the reviews are for this version. Early intel was that it was pretty good...

Other than that, when you say stiff and damp Never Summer springs to mind if you don't mind rocker between the bindings...heritage maybe? Or smokin's superpark...


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## goride (Nov 14, 2013)

For ice you want magna traction hands down. I've not a mervin fan boy but can honestly tell you nothing compares. Lib/GNU/Smokin/Rossi are all great choices.

For moguls...... we'll you either get a stiff deck that can plow over them but you'll have a hell of a time getting that board back under control once it picks up speed. A softer board you'll feel the moguls more but is WAY MORE forgiving.


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Burton custom X with nice sharp edges.


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

Lib Hot Knife - C3 camber, twin, poppy, fairly damp, medium flex

Love riding moguls with this board


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

I've looked around and right now leaning away from decks with rocker in the tips. I like to have my contact points in the snow one way or another. I'm not going to need extra lift in pow so cambered tips all the way.

I learned on a flat base deck so I'm partial to the Slayblade and Thrash Superpark because of the the profiles. 

I'm trying to decide is camber/rocker/camber is right for me versus camber/flat/camber, I've heard the rocker makes the deck squirrely when cruising but makes buttering easier. Does this sound about right? As far as magnetraction goes, I don't view it as essential and I'm not going to go out of my way to get it. But if I find a profile I like with magnetraction I will lean toward it.


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## mhphoto (Apr 20, 2010)

Eat Sleep Shred said:


> I've looked around and right now leaning away from decks with rocker in the tips. I like to have my contact points in the snow one way or another. I'm not going to need extra lift in pow so cambered tips all the way.
> 
> I learned on a flat base deck so I'm partial to the Slayblade and Thrash Superpark because of the the profiles.
> 
> I'm trying to decide is camber/rocker/camber is right for me versus camber/flat/camber, I've heard the rocker makes the deck squirrely when cruising but makes buttering easier. Does this sound about right? As far as magnetraction goes, I don't view it as essential and I'm not going to go out of my way to get it. But if I find a profile I like with magnetraction I will lean toward it.


Have you looked into Arbor snowboards with Grip Tech? They are virtually impossible to wash out even on hard packed icy end of the day funnel runs. If your hell bent on going back to camber the Relapse is the board that will do the trick. However you may want to look into the Coda. It was one of the best boards we tested last year, great in all conditions and held an edge better then any other snowboard we tested.

Arbor 

The Slayblade is fun, flat underfoot is a great feeling however I didn't care for it in the pow. Rocker does make the board feel more playful, camber holds better edges. A mic of both is what most people use these days.


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

mhphoto said:


> ...If your hell bent on going back to camber...
> 
> ...The Slayblade is fun, flat underfoot is a great feeling however I didn't care for it in the pow. Rocker does make the board feel more playful, camber holds better edges. A mic of both is what most people use these days.


I will catch my edge and I will like it. Thank you very much.

Is the Slayblade a plank or does it have some give? My biggest concern with it is that is wont transition through troughs too well in moguls. I don't expect too much from it considering its so stiff. But moguls pop up EVERYWHERE so its better to be able to play on them a bit rather than fight through them. I'd be set if it had just a bit of flex so it doesn't buck me all over the place. 

Otherwise its down to the Superpark or the Hotknife. The Lib La Nina MC and the GNU Beast are some other decks I found that piqued my interest. But I'm still looking around.


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## ARSENALFAN (Apr 16, 2012)

I have the GNU Billygoat C3 and its great on ice and everything else for that matter.


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## dofman (Jan 17, 2011)

The hot knife is a good charger but clearly not the best choice as a freeride oriented deck.. The c3 darker series or jamie lynn would suit your needs better, but these are no freeride deck either ...


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## jwelsh83 (Jan 9, 2013)

+1 for the Custom X. I live in Ohio too and use it strictly for groomers. I also use my Forum deck for park and the Lib when I make it out west.


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

The Custom X sounds pretty awesome. I was skeptical at first because I'm not a big Burton guy but a solid full camber deck sounds perfect. About how stiff would you say it feels like? Also this year's model is flipping expensive, do you think its worth it to roll back a year or two?

Still looking pretty fondly at the Slayblade but a slightly softer deck would be awesome for moguls.


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

no problem going back a year or 2 on the x. there is another member selling a new custom x (160 i think). i bought a jacket from him with no issue.


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## mhphoto (Apr 20, 2010)

Eat Sleep Shred said:


> I will catch my edge and I will like it. Thank you very much.
> 
> Is the Slayblade a plank or does it have some give? My biggest concern with it is that is wont transition through troughs too well in moguls. I don't expect too much from it considering its so stiff. But moguls pop up EVERYWHERE so its better to be able to play on them a bit rather than fight through them. I'd be set if it had just a bit of flex so it doesn't buck me all over the place.
> 
> Otherwise its down to the Superpark or the Hotknife. The Lib La Nina MC and the GNU Beast are some other decks I found that piqued my interest. But I'm still looking around.


I found the Slayblade a bit stiff for my liking, if your trying to whip quick turns between moguls it may not be the ideal deck. The Best is sick, its Temple Cummins little project. C3 Camber will hold an edge like no other. Plus this years has the cool pendalton? graphics. Get weird, get a GNU


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## Supra (Jan 11, 2012)

another vote for the superpark here. Can't say whether to get the camber or thrash rocker yet as I've only had 2 runs on the ttx


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## lifty_scum (Aug 31, 2013)

I'm going to throw in a vote for Arbor, riding my cambered Arbor element in some very deep moguls last year was a blast until they started getting narrow, then my oversized board (161, I'm 180lbs) was just too big once I lost momentum.


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

dofman said:


> The hot knife is a good charger but clearly not the best choice as a freeride oriented deck.. The c3 darker series or jamie lynn would suit your needs better, but these are no freeride deck either ...


You're right, I completely forgot he specifically mentioned a freeride deck in the subject. However, I still recommend the board for what he's looking for. While it's not stiff (medium flex) he'll have no problem reaching 50mph on groomed runs.


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

My problem right now is that I'm stuck between decks that are stiff and great carvers and all-mountain decks that are softer and better on moguls. I knew these were two very different features on a mountain but it just so happens they usually appear at the same time. Right now I'm thinking I might switch from a freeride deck to an all-mountain but that really isn't what I was looking for because at the end of the day I'm about hitting features and carving between them. 

I looked at the GNU Billy Goat and that looks sweet, so the Slayblade is getting tossed in favor of it for a stiff carver. Any thoughts on the Hotknife vs the Billy Goat? If the goat is only slightly stiffer it'd be an ideal compromise between edge hold and getting around moguls.

I'd like to hear more about the Thrash Superpark as far as stiffness goes, it really doesn't sound like its stiff enough for freeriding, but that may or may not be the case. We'll see once folks start breaking them in. 

Also decided against the Custom X, I'd like to keep my new setup under $700 (with bindings), with the Capita NAS for $400 I'm not seeing a reason to go Burton.

How about that new Ripsaw? I may just hold out riding groomers on my Slackcountry until we get more news on that deck. Stiff with aggressive camber and a drawn out nose sounds absolutely perfect.


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## PJSweet89 (Oct 22, 2013)

Have you looked into Slash at all? Gigi Ruf's brand.

ATV | Slash Snowboards

Im pretty sure they are made at Nidecker, so that can't be all bad. And it seems to fit the bill for the board you are looking for.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

Why would you buy a board "for moguls"? Riding moguls isn't really something anyone spends much time doing. It's more germane to skiing. 

If you are stuck at a local resort where runs get pounded and humped by skiers you're better off having a mid flexing board where you can try and have some fun off of them but that's not at 50mph! Riding moguls at that speed isn't any fun and you're just gonna wind up killing someone


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

tonicusa said:


> It's more germane to skiing.


I'd argue you can have more fun riding moguls on a snowboard than you can on skies.

As far as the ATV goes I'm not too interested in a soft deck right now, I'm just not a big freestyle rider. I'm going to ride one of the local resorts tomorrow and I'll see if I can have enough fun on the groomers to stay out of the park. But thanks for the tip.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I've always felt that riding alot and being able to turn a snowboard was what helps in moguls, but maybe you need $xxxxx to do it.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

While I have a feeling we are all getting trolled here, I will give ESS the benefit of the doubt for now and respond.



Eat Sleep Shred said:


> My problem right now is that I'm stuck between decks that are stiff and great carvers and all-mountain decks that are softer and better on moguls. I knew these were two very different features on a mountain but it just so happens they usually appear at the same time. Right now I'm thinking I might switch from a freeride deck to an all-mountain but that really isn't what I was looking for because at the end of the day I'm about hitting features and carving between them.
> 
> I'd like to hear more about the Thrash Superpark as far as stiffness goes, it really doesn't sound like its stiff enough for freeriding, but that may or may not be the case. We'll see once folks start breaking them in.


Most of your posts make no sense. Freeride and all-mountain are not two distinct categories with boards falling neatly and clearly into each category. For instance, (so called) freeride decks are not always stiffer than all-mountain decks at all and vice versa.



Eat Sleep Shred said:


> As far as the ATV goes I'm not too interested in a soft deck right now, I'm just not a big freestyle rider. I'm going to ride one of the local resorts tomorrow and I'll see if I can have enough fun on the groomers to stay out of the park. But thanks for the tip.


Who said the ATV was soft. It is pretty solid board by most standards.


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## PJSweet89 (Oct 22, 2013)

> Who said the ATV was soft. It is pretty solid board by most standards.


I'm stumped haha I can't think of a better board for what you are asking for. You're just going to have to have a 2 board quiver and that's that. :laugh:


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## PJSweet89 (Oct 22, 2013)

Also....

Brando by Lando – Lib Tech

That. This is a freak of nature and deserves more attention than it gets, its like the new age Mullet. And pretty much does what you said and fairly stiff. Still ride it everywhere and they claim it can be rode backwards.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

PJSweet89 said:


> Also....
> 
> Brando by Lando – Lib Tech
> 
> That. This is a freak of nature and deserves more attention than it gets, its like the new age Mullet. And pretty much does what you said and fairly stiff. Still ride it everywhere and they claim it can be rode backwards.


Erm no, not really.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

Eat Sleep Shred said:


> I'd argue you can have more fun riding moguls on a snowboard than you can on skies.
> 
> Sounds like you need to get out of Ohio. Skiing moguls is a dedicated sport for a reason and once you get on bigger mountains you won't be boarding moguls at 50mph. But perhaps as mentioned this post is a troll. Im not familiar with "skies"


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Part of the problem is the conflicting applications, 

I think that a long stiff cambered board is the style for charging groomers, particularly hard pack or icy ones. 

For icy moguls I'd want a short, softer board, maybe cambered to deal with the ice, or if a non camber shape was chosen to aid turning then I'd want it with MTX or some other grip tech. 

So the main characteristics are in opposite here. Pick which is your priority, blend the shapes in proportion to your priorities, or tell the group and they may know, eg 80 percent charging, 20 percent moguls, etc.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

tonicusa said:


> Eat Sleep Shred said:
> 
> 
> > I'd argue you can have more fun riding moguls on a snowboard than you can on skies.
> ...


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## Eat Sleep Shred (Oct 1, 2013)

I'm certainly not trying to waste anyone's time. But whether I am or not is your call to make, not mine. I am certainly grateful for any advice you have to offer. You are welcome to ignore this post and that is that. If not, I will be as concise as I possibly can.

Here is my lineup of potential boards, in order of what seems to be best suited for my riding...

-Libtech Hot knife
-GNU Billygoat
-Smokin Superpark

The question right now is, put plainly, is the stiffness on the Billy Goat playful enough to get through moguls without giving me too much trouble? If not, do you think I should I look to get a softer deck (Hot Knife) or another profile with more rocker in between the feet (Superpark)? So you have any other deck you would point me towards? 

The Slash ATV seems too soft for my liking after I sorted through spec sheets and whatever reviews I could find. Right now I would be more interested in the Capita NAS if I went full camber, but I would certainly change my thinking if the ATV would be comparable to the NAS on the groomer as far as response and edge hold. But even then hybrid camber seems like a better way to compromise between edge hold and playfulness.

As far as which category these decks fall in to versus what I want to be looking for... My poor narrow mind was educated by marketing to say that a boards stiffness directly relates to its riding style with some regard to skill. The naming range went from freestyle at the bottom of the stiffness scale to freeride at the top, with all mountain decks compromising between the two. Thus going off that assumption I would like a freeride oriented deck with little to no compromise in favor of freestyle. Please forgive me if that is wrong and if you would be so kind, enlighten me otherwise.

As far as that bit from tonicusa about riding moguls at 50 mph... I do not know how you got the idea that was something anyone was doing. I ride groomers and moguls, I like to go fast on groomed runs, not moguls. As far as "Getting out of Ohio" goes, I'm from Alaska. I ride at Alyeska, I'm going to be in Ohio for a few months. Could you please stop with the misinformed questions. All of that information is in this thread already.


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## dofman (Jan 17, 2011)

The hot knife is surely an amazing board and you will have tons of fun with.


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## hktrdr (Apr 3, 2012)

Eat Sleep Shred said:


> -Libtech Hot knife
> -GNU Billygoat
> -Smokin Superpark


All those will more or less do what you are looking for.



Eat Sleep Shred said:


> The Slash ATV seems too soft for my liking after I sorted through spec sheets and whatever reviews I could find.


The Slash ATV is at least as stiff as 2/3 boards on your list...


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

hktrdr said:


> While I have a feeling we are all getting trolled here, I will give ESS the benefit of the doubt for now and respond.
> 
> Most of your posts make no sense. Freeride and all-mountain are not two distinct categories with boards falling neatly and clearly into each category. For instance, (so called) freeride decks are not always stiffer than all-mountain decks at all and vice versa.


Hmmm... dunno, but to me his posts makes sense. Depends on how picky n puristic you read. Sure, categories are blurred, but he's not saying that all freeride decks are like this and all all-mountain decks are like that, just gives his experience with distinct decks and uses the categories to distinguish feature tendencies, which I can perfectly follow. _Most_ decks _I_ know that were _most_ fun to carve/bomb had the _tendency_ to be bad in crud n moguls. Specialisazion goes hand in hand with compromise. 

Anyway, OP, I don't know the recent boards you mention but can second others who recommended the Custom X. Great at speed and for carving and handles crud fine (compromise on the powability, but you have a board for that). Look for last years decks or even the year before if price is your concern.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)




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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

ime, the billy is slightly too stiff for moguls (meaning the flex... it seems from the outside of the binding inserts to the nose/tail are quite stiff lengthwise but looser torsionally)...thus a board that has a more smooth/gradual transitional lengthwise flex pattern would be better for moguls. The billy will pivot but needs a bit more space to turn than often found in moguls due to the stiffness. The billy is too rockered for blasting groomers...it will but you got to be on the nose and you don't have the tail cambered contact to give it lock-on solid blasting feel. The billy is really a made for baker natty terrain killer.

edit...the best I've rode for blasting groomers and doing moguls...was an old gnu cambered mtx that had a softer flex....soft enough to flex, mtx to grip/rip through moguls and cambered enough to pop through the moguls...and cambered to blast groomers.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

snowklinger said:


> spock


Haha, and - like usually - I'm not completely sure, how to interpret your post  
Not asking for elaboration, just saying


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Can't believe we've come this far on this thread, of course the real answer is...

NS Proto


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## Riley212 (Nov 9, 2011)

ALL GLORY TO THE NEVER SUMMER PROTO


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