How short?
Hey, I usually ride a 159 and recently tried a friends 147 and loved it. I’m looking to buy a new shorter board but am unsure how small to go. I’m 6’ and about 85kg, will be mainly at Buller and Hotham and am looking for an all around board that’s light and easy to throw around, any suggestions?
Most manufacturers have weight range recommendations on their websites. Check those out and it’ll give you a good idea.
Obviously shorter is more fun for park/freestyle stuff, but if you want to freeride it’s sometimes good to keep a bit of length.
156ish at a very rough guess? You also have to factor in boot size. No point in going wicked short if you drag your toes on every turn.
Hey, I usually ride a 159 and recently tried a friends 147 and loved it. I’m looking to buy a new shorter board but am unsure how small to go. I’m 6’ and about 85kg, will be mainly at Buller and Hotham and am looking for an all around board that’s light and easy to throw around, any suggestions?
I`m 5’10” 160 pounds….
I ride 167/168 big mountain..(caveat-I`m in Canada where the hills might be bigger and the snow deeper)
156 smaller hills and I`d go to a 151/152 for hopping around..
Personally I think 147 is too short for an all around board for you..But if you really enjoy a 147 I`d say stay with that for now..You`ll find OUT what`s best for you in the long run..It`s your decision
from 159 to 147 is a big drop.
Try a few other lengths from riding friend’s boards before you decide.
I’d think you wouldnt want to go under a 152, and that should be very noticeable.
You may also want to try brands which have shorter boards but longer side cuts/contact edges. K2 is one that comes to mind, a 147cm K2 board is equal to a 152cm board on other brands. Does really well in reducing spin weight.
from 159 to 147 is a big drop.
Try a few other lengths from riding friend’s boards before you decide.
I’d think you wouldnt want to go under a 152, and that should be very noticeable.
I agree with this advice. 159 to 147 is a huge drop. 85kg and 147 doesn’t really match, even for a short freestyle board. I would also suggest you don’t drop under the 152 mark, at least not yet.
agree with the general idea that the 147 and 85kg doesn’t really go that well for all but snowdome style jibbery. i think choosing a length depends on your riding style and should be considered in conjunction with stiffness and what kind of snow conditions are gonna be like where you ride. I started a thread covering this kind of material ‘how do you choose your board’ its in this section maybe worth a nose.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I’ll stick to 150+ as the 147 was a bit loose at speed. Oh and it was a K2 Weapon too so I’ll take on board what you said Zhenjie, thanks again.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I think I’ll stick to 150+ as the 147 was a bit loose at speed. Oh and it was a K2 Weapon too so I’ll take on board what you said Zhenjie, thanks again.
I ride a 148 and a 152 and I can notice the speed difference hugely. Don’t drop below 150, Id recommend a 152-155. But thats just me.
All this talk about length… let us not forget that a board’s overall length is only part of the picture… how it rides and how much of the board’s edge that is on the snow is quite an important concept. so dont just buy a board that is ‘longer’ when really it may have less board length on the snow, and just more on the tips.
Be sure to look at all of the board measurements and characteristics before deciding on what to buy.
There should be an article on BoardWorld soon about this if not yet.
But basically a board’s effective edge refers to the length of the edge that is actually in contact with the snow when flat on the ground (standing on it) this is measured from contact point to contact point. (the contact point is just that… where it makes contact with the snow. it is also the general area where the side-shape of the board curves around and turns into the nose/tail of the board. (from the sidecut to the tip).
The effective edge for a 152 can be the same for a 156, and essentially the board doesnt have any additional length on the snow, so you really arent getting the benefits that you hoped to get out of your board.
Consider these things…
all the boards mentioned seem too small for big mountain..IMHO