Board softening

Hi guys, I recently did a bend test on my 2 season old capita (5 flex) and a out-of-the-box stepchild (4 flex) and the stepchild was considerably stiffer which surprised me.. I totally get that boards stiffness/flex and pop all dampen during their life span - I guess I just wasn’t aware how much. Does any one know roughly how long it takes for a board to get overused in this sense? More in relation to park decks.. Cheers!

It really depends on the materials, manufacturing process, and how much and how hard you ride it. Some brands pre-break in their boards, i.e., Burton’s Infinite Ride. Actually, I’m not sure if other brands use this process, and Infinite Ride boards can still become noodles over time (I’ve tested this theory).

Wood cores will break down over time. I guess it just really depends on how much it’s being used and how heavy you are on it.

For me personally I find after a season any board is pretty much dead. I ride almost every day of the season here in Whistler and by the end of it any board I’ve had has felt pretty lifeless with hardly any pop left in it. Generally I consider myself lucky to get a season out of a board, bindings maybe 2 seasons before the foam and traps etc are all thrashed.

In saying that though I’m definitely nowhere near as sympathetic to my gear as I used to be and would consider myself a much more aggressive rider than I was in my first few seasons which doesn’t help board life. I also try to go with one board all season as I’m comfortable on a true twin all mountain/park board in all conditions.