East Coast Rider Seeking Advice on New Deck
Hey guys,
After 3 seasons on my Custom X 152, I’ve decided it’s time for a new deck.
I really enjoyed the X - I love it’s stability while I bomb down steeps and it’s ability to hold an edge even on ice. What I didn’t like was the size - 152 is the smallest the X comes in, and I weigh 125 pounds. The size is fine when I’m bombing down groomers, but as I’ve started doing more glades and moguls/bumps, I’ve found the length and relative “heaviness” of the board makes it hard for me to control and initiate sharp turns when I need to. If the X came in a 149, I think it would be the perfect board for me.
Having said that, I don’t know much about brands other than Burton (I’m ashamed to admit I’ve ridden Burton my whole life), but I’m willing to experiment and I’d love to try something new.
About me:
-Live in Toronto - mostly ride in Quebec, Vermont, Ontario + one trip a year out west
-Conditions I typically ride in are mostly groomers, some ice, occasional powder
-Riding style - mostly bombing down steeps, cutting through glades, hitting kickers/cliffs, occasional moguls, NO PARK
-Weight - 125, height - 5’3
-Experience - 6 seasons, can confidently ride the entire mountain (except park)
-Current setup: Custom X 152, Cartels, Ions
Questions:
1) Given what I described in the first paragraph, should I be looking for something in the 147- 149 length?
2) If answer to #1 is yes, what decks would you recommmend for me that are available in that size?
3) If answer to #1 is no, then should I stick with my Custom X 152 since it seems to suit my riding style and the conditions we get?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I appreciate all the advice.
Alex
I think the first question is do you still want a cambered deck? Or maybe you want to try some rocker, flat, or hybrid snowboards?
I think with his style riding camber is gonna be better than anything else
Yeah stick to camber.
Some comparable boards to the Custom X would be:
Rome - Agent (camber)
- Mod (mod if you want to go stiffer)
If it’s a weight issue then you might want to look into bamboo boards. They are much lighter and I love the way they flex and how strong they are.
K2 make bamboo boards but I think they are all rockers (i could be wrong about this)
Arbor have made Bamboo boards pretty much since day one. They have a range of camber bamboo boards. I’m sure one of them would fit you. Definitely worth checking some out.
Hope that helps. There are worlds of different boards out there.
K2 are either totally flat or slightly rockered tips an flat middle. All have flat between feet.
Thanks for the feedback guys.
While I grew up on camber, I’m definitely not averse to trying Rocker, or a Hybrid Rocker.
A couple decks have caught my eye - these all seem to be good for charging hard, but also retain some playfulness:
-Lib-Tech TRS (available in 148N which I think is the perfect size)
-Ride Berzerker (155 is the smallest unfortunately, but otherwise seems like its perfect for my purposes)
-GNU Rider’s Choice (very popular and acclaimed, but seems a bit more geared for park - smallest size is 151.5 which is a bit long)
The Lib-Tech is the only one available in my size.
The Rome Agent seems like a sweet deck, and it also comes in 149, however I’ve heard that Rome decks are more geared for park so that’s why I’ve avoided them.
Any thoughts on Libtech TRS vs Rome Agent?
Love to hear any other ideas for boards.
i wouldnt go as far as to say rome decks are geared more for park. some decks yes, but you could say that about any brand couldnt you?
Rome, like every other company (well most) have boards for park, all mountain, freestyle etc.
Thanks for all the fabulous feedback. You guys have given me a lot to chew on.
I’ve narrowed it down to:
1) Lib-Tech TRS 148 Narrow
2) Signal Omni 150 (never heard of this company, but the reviews are great)
3) Never Summer SL 151 (everyone on most forums I read seem to love this company)
I think I’m leaning towards the TRS only because the description sounds like’s specifically made for my kind of riding style, and because it’s the shortest board + narrow design which is good for my
size 7 boot- although I’m a tad concerned about a comment someone made on another forum about LibTech boards being slightly on the “heavier” side.
The Signal Omni and NS SL sound like very capable boards (especially the NS), but from reading the description these sound like they are designed more to be all-mountain/park hybrids as opposed to something designed more specifically for my purposes like the TRS.
The NS SL specifically seems like its gears more for freestyle than freeride (http://neversummer.com/snow/snowboards/sl), which concerns me because I spend zero time in the park. Additionally, 151 is only 1cm shorter than my current 152 Custom X… I really wanted something less than 150 that would enable me to nail sharp turns and swing the board around quicker in the glades and moguls.
Would you guys agree with my assessment? Let me know if you have any other suggestions for decks!
The Rome Agent seems like a sweet deck, and it also comes in 149, however I’ve heard that Rome decks are more geared for park so that’s why I’ve avoided them.
Nothing wrong with using a Park board for all mountain, in fact, I think it’s a great idea - provided you pick the right board for it. Are you looking for a soft board or something a bit stiffer? Do you also ride switch at all? You said “NO PARK” but then said you hit kickers/cliffs, do you just mean no jibs?
I’d advise you to check out Bataleon boards, they use camber but have the Triple base tech. This will help you loose that size you want without sacrificing the fact you may/may not have float in powder. Lobster boards are also using TBT, however, my lack of research makes me believe they are purely park specific boards as it is created by the Helgasons’.
Rome Agent is a solid board in terms of performance, I know quite a few who ride it. However I have been disappointed with the quality of Rome lately. I have seen numerous boards with rails leaking and rusting under the base of the board. However, I have seen Rome boards in the past stand up to some serious abuse, and therefore still rate at the least the Rome Artifact.
K2 are either totally flat or slightly rockered tips an flat middle. All have flat between feet.
The fastplant (I think) has an “ollie bar” in it which, while the board is supposed to be “flat”, actually puts a bit of camber back into it for extra pop. Though, this is merely a visual aspect, and probably does not handle like a camber on snow.
Don’t be scared off by a board being “geared” towards freestyle. It usually means the sidecut isn’t as sharp (larger carve radius), or the base is wider, or maybe it’s slightly softer (depending on the type of freestyle).
In fact, the only way to get under 150 these days may be to choose a park board as they tend to go shorter.
Signal are a great brand, though their rocker tech looks a bit ah, excessive in some cases.
Hey blayze, welcome to Boardworld. 
Not sure if you read my review of the Signal Omni? https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/1139/
I think you’d be pretty stoked with it. Fast, responsive, great for carving, narrow waist width, and still versatile for pow out West.
Hahahaaa, how can anyone take ya serious with that avatar????? 
Welcome to Boardworld, blayze!!!!! 
Have ya thought that maybe it’s the stiffness of ya X that might be the thing that is holdin back ya turn ability?????
Personally I don’t think that a 152 is too big for ya, and see no real need to limit ya purchase from ya experience with the X!!!!!
Somethin in a slightly softer (Still with a mid-stiff flex though) might be a better option, so ya can still keep the stability of a longer board for when ya bombin the steeps!!!!!
Like the others have said, def stick with a cambered board, or if a hybryd is ticklin ya fancy, look at a rocker/camber/rocker profile such as YES’s CamRock, with boards such as the YES Greats or, even a softer ride that has all mountain written all over it like the Tadashi Fuse TDF!!!!!
If you’re looking at the Never Summer SL, i’ve read that they’re releasing the Cobra which is more of a free-ride board. I was super keen on a NS board and even more so with the Cobra as i’m casually dreaming of a freeride hybrid for Canada, but their RC Technology has rocker in the middle. I’ve read up on Yes boards (mainly from BW) and want to look into them more. I like things that i have no idea about.
I vote for the TRS out of your list. I ride a 153 T.Rice and love it. The only thing I didn’t like about it is the squirlyness when 1 footing compared to cambered or camrock boards. And regarding the weight, I don’t think the lib is heavy at all.
Hahahaaa, how can anyone take ya serious with that avatar?????
It’s fixed. Take note of the new one! 