Budget board advice - ANOTHER help thread.
i ride an extruded base on a Nitro and I haven’t noticed any difference to my previous two boards, which had sintered bases.
I’m far from a pro but I wouldn’t count myself as a clueless beginner either - just saying I wouldn’t rule a board out for myself in the future because of it having an extruded base, if everything else about it suited me.
As I said, ridden both and not noticed anything - and my riding sounds a lot like yours but a bit more park oriented.
The times you’ll really feel the difference is in fresh snow, deep pow, wet snow, flat terrain etc. And I’m comparing it to a properly waxed sintered based. The fact is they don’t hold speed/momentum nearly as well as a waxed sintered base (becomes a problem on flats / deep snow etc.). I guess it’s a personal decision but I don’t recommend extruded bases if you’re riding overseas (pow), enjoy freeriding, or want to ride fast. Extruded bases are more aimed towards beginners and park rats (mainly jibbing/street). I hear what you’re saying though, cords.
Unless maybe your name is Romain De Marchi or MFM, who both ride boards with extruded bases (and a lot of the Lib guys too) haha.
well I’ve ridden fresh snow, wet snow, flat terrain and enjoy going fast and have never once thought ‘geez this is slow compared to my old boards’.
I just think if he wants to use the spare change to get himself a cheap new ride, that it is nowhere near worth ruling out a board that other wise ticks all the boxes because it has an extruded base, because I doubt he’ll even notice….he’ll be too busy being stoked on his much more playful new ride, I’m guessing!
Unless maybe your name is Romain De Marchi or MFM, who both ride boards with extruded bases (and a lot of the Lib guys too) haha.
I really doubt Romain rides an extruded base. And if he does it’s probably just for marketing purposes. I can’t believe he would choose to ride an extruded base over a sintered base considering what he rides.
What board does MFM ride? It’s probably just for urban/rails. I know he rides a lot of backcountry too, and I am sure he would be on a different board for that.
Whatever they do ride, it’s a personal decision, whether it’s for marketing reasons or whatever. The fact of the matter is extruded bases are slower and don’t maintain momentum as well. I may not be pro but I prefer a sintered base hands down.
Just my opinion. 
well I’ve ridden fresh snow, wet snow, flat terrain and enjoy going fast and have never once thought ‘geez this is slow compared to my old boards’.
I just think if he wants to use the spare change to get himself a cheap new ride, that it is nowhere near worth ruling out a board that other wise ticks all the boxes because it has an extruded base, because I doubt he’ll even notice….he’ll be too busy being stoked on his much more playful new ride, I’m guessing!
You’re not wrong. Ultimately that’s up to Tills to decide. Just trying to put all the facts out there for him. Off the top of my head, I don’t think that was the only reason I recommended against the extruded boards he listed.
K2 www in a 157 sounds pretty perfect for him, as long as the waist width is suitable for his big clompers. Highly doubt he’d be unhappy with that board.
It’s the waist width that’s potentially the problem. 251mm waist with size 12 boots… probably narrower than you’d want to go, but it also depends on his stance. Ideally he should be looking around the 255mm to 258mm mark I would think. Tills, what sort of stance do you usually ride? i.e. width and binding angles. My instincts are telling the 251mm waist is going to be too narrow.
Thanks for your advice guys. I’m weighing up my options. I’ll have a bit more of a look at them when I get home tonight, and maybe make a decision over the weekend.
My stance is 15/15 from memory. I honestly can’t remember what my stance width is though. I’m also going to double check my boots to make sure they a size 12. They could even be an 11, but I’m reasonably sure they’re S12.
Here’s a pic of my board/bindings just for something to look at. I may have changed the setup since then, but I don’t think so.
<img src =“http://imageshack.us/a/img269/6918/img5358large.jpg” width =“800”>
@rider26: I don’t know I just know from the website and videos that RDM rides the YES Basic which as you know it for this season is extruded. And MFM’s pro model has extruded base for a long time. Maybe they have custom boards? I don’t know, I guess when you ride steep terrain like RDM, extruded or sintered doesn’t matter that much. But I agree with you, I feel that sintered base is faster than extruded.
. . . Maybe they have custom boards?
HIGHLY likely they’d at least have custom sintered bases, just with standard graphics.
I’m with chucky on this. For sure he would be be riding a custom board. Riders often ride boards with certain graphics purely for marketing purposes. It’s common practise in the snowboarding industry.
After going to the SIA Trade show a week or so back, I am totally amazed at how much it is about the graphic rather than the shape, flex, size of the board.
It was more about how the graphic matches the bindings, your pants, jacket and googles than the tech stuff.
I don’t give two hoots what the graphics are, what colours etc etc, I want gear that works well, for a long time
It is certainly not hard for a company to make two boards that look identical, but are completely different to ride.
Yeah its incredible how many people base their decision on the graphic or how close the board length comes to their nose 
I would never buy or rule out a board because of the graphic there’s just so many other factors that come before it.
Having said that, I would probably have to draw the line at a board like deano’s custom board. I just don’t have the confidence to “pull it off” 
True, graphics are not the most important thing but for me it can rule out a board if the graphic is totally horrible. Personally I like to see what is under my feet and being stoked on what I’m riding. I think it’s more pyschological than anything, that if I feel good then I ride good (this goes not just for snowboarding, e.g. shoes for basketball, etc.).