Choosing the right board

Hey guys/gals,

just need some on picking a board i just won thanks to Boardworld !

Im fairly new to the snowboard scene after converting from a avid skier for many years.

My choices are Burton Hero 152 or Burton Custom V-Rocker 154 or the same in a 156.

Just a bit of info on myself.

Age - 20
Height - 180cm
Weight - 65kg
Waist - 34”
Ride style - Standard
Terrain - Mountain runs @ hotham and some park (someday )

Cheers, RJH.

My vote: Custom V-Rocker 154 (will be fine if you ever go overseas too) 

I would have to agree with Rider!

sic! thanks for your advice guys. Ill have to go for the burton custom they aye

As far as bindings go, what binding should i look for a advancing beginner? Something which will make turning easy as possible and help me stick some rails haha. Ill be using them for atleast a solid week every season so something that i wont out grow to fast as far as performance and skill would be great as well. (if that makes any sense)

Im looking at getting something under $400.

haha no worries Mizu. It’ll be my pleasure to post up some pics mate! Ill be up at Hotham for a week on the 29th so ill definetly be taking some pics and maybe some videos on the terrain park if we get some good weather.

yeh might have to get some advice from the demi-god himself ay.

get some burtons or Unions

My first suggestion would be a Burton binding with the EST system. The Custom V-Rocker has the Channel; to gain full benefit you should use EST bindings with the Channel. This will enable you to have unlimited stance adjustability, excellent board feel, and improved board flex.

I would suggest something like the Cartel EST - a very versatile binding, not soft and not too stiff. Good features, comfy straps, good price point for a solid binding. Just a good all-round binding. Given you are fairly new to snowboarding and aren’t heavy, I wouldn’t suggest anything stiffer than the Cartels at this point in time. If you don’t want to spend quite that much, the Mission ESTs are an option, however I would go for the Cartels if you can afford the extra $50 (or there about).

If you have any questions please let me know.

if your waist was 32 i’d agree.

sweet ill look into buying some cartel’s then.

Is there much setup required for attaching the binding to the board etc. for a complete novice to do it? Or should i let someone at hotham do it when i go up there?

Best option would be to buy the bindings from an authorised Burton dealer. They will set up the board for you and explain it all to you. It’s a really simple system, not difficult at all. Of course if you have any questions or need help with it, just let me know.

i disagree with the est bindings. est bindings supposedly give you extra board feel (which I’ve never noticed) and the unlimited stance options is marketing bs. I think the back binding doesn’t go further than -15 if I remember correctly. front binding is maxed at +25. The biggest annoyance with est bindings are that they only work with burton boards. If you were to pick up another board from a different maker ie capita, signal, lib, yes etc you will need to buy new bindings. Non est bindings work fine on a board with the channel, you have, in fact, more stance angles. It’s also easier to adjust your bindings on the fly, since with est binders the channel gets filled with snow and so do the bolts and it’s a bitch to clear it out. With non est burtons (newer ones with the full sole pad) you just lift the pad up and the bolts have had no contact with snow.
I have a bone to pick with est’s since i have est co2’s (quite expensive) and I picked up a Gentem board and want to get a Jones board too which means I’ll have to use my old cartels and my expensive tech binders will just pick up dust.

thanks for the info gamblor! That’s a side of things i never considered

I am looking at some Burton Triads which are a step up from Cartel supposedly but aren’t EST.

As far as i know ill have to grab some disk pads or something to put under the bindings so i can attach it to a ICS board right? Where as if i get EST bindings they dont need any other hardware to setup on my board?

Its confusing for a novice like myself, but i’ve learnt soo much about boards and bindings in the last 2 days its not funny

I tried those triads last season and I loved them. Nice and comfy. The plates will come with the board. so u don’t need to get anything else. take a look at prices on union forces and contacts too. If they’re cheaper I’d go with the unions. burton’s are good but Union’s are amazing.

I would suggest the Custom, in a 54 size, the 56 I would think may be too long for you, and yes 2cm does make a difference.
But I think you have concluded that all read.y

As for the binding. it seems the EST may have it’s limitations. I’ve rode 2 sets of EST, but not owned either, and I’ve not thought about that rotation limitation, which is a serious concern to establish your personal comfort riding stance. there are new binding plates from Burton that allows any Burton binding to work with the channel, and I’d suggest the cheaper Missions, non-est for you.
A new rider needs a softer binding feel, and the mission will be nice and soft, supportive, but soft, as you go up the Burton line, and look at nicer bindings with desirable features, they get more expensive and stiffer too. I’d stick with the Mission. 

Again, keeping your equipment versatile so that they will work with the next piece of equipment you buy, such as a second board, or newer bindings, when those days comes. is important to your current decision.

Can’t say I had any issues like that with my old Custom mizu (08/09 southern hemi board with est bindings).

I found that the Triads are softer than Cartels on the tech sheet, so would that benefit me being a novice boarder?

They sit at a response of 6, where as Cartels are at 7. I would guess that isn’t much difference in feel.

Has anyone else noticed a difference in board feel while riding on the EST bindings and after watching this video rider put up, i too feel a bit uneasy about the fact that there are only 2 screws holding it in place.. I dont see how they can hold it in place especially after some wear and tear. Anyone can confirm this?