Setup review and recommendations

Hi gang,

I’ve been toiling over my setup for a while and have read some excellent tips in this forum, so thought I’d see if anyone would be willing to offer me up a few…

Me = 178cm (5’10”) 80kg male with size 11.5 boots (+15/-15 stance)

Current board = Lib Tech Attack Banana 2017 159cm (255cm width)

Riding = Japow but nice to have some versatility and want to try more tricks

I didn’t know too much about what I wanted when I purchased my board. As an ex skateboarder, I liked the idea of a twin with some versatility for tricks, but I’m mainly all about the pow. So I went with a slightly long all mountain option. And I’d hired a 2016 Attack Banana on a previous trip, which I knew I enjoyed - I think it may have been shorter though.

Riding it in Japan in 2017 was great, particularly in wide open powder, but I struggled a little maneuvering through trees and trying to pop… I think realistically it might be a bit big for me. That said, the float in deep powder is awesome and I’d hate to lose that.

Finally, I haven’t really noticed any toe drag, but it’s possible I would if I were better at carving (working on it!)

Questions:

Do you think my board is too long for me? Would shorter and wider be better?

If I were to trade my board for another, or buy a 2nd board, what would you recommend?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to BOARDWORLD, @BennyB! ?

Is your board too long for you? Short answer is no. At 5’10 and 80kg you’re perfectly capable of riding a 159, which you’ve already proven everywhere except for in the trees. Now, in the trees, it’s a different ballgame. It’s all about being able to make quick turns and a shorter board is certainly easier to manoeuvre through tight lines. Your technique will also play a role, as will bindings (response).

You may very well find a shorter and wider board more versatile and enjoyable, but always weigh up the overall profile, shape, length, width etc. first, as all these factors will affect the ride. Generally, every pro has a con. Understand the pros and cons and make these decisions based on your specific needs.

The first board that came to mind was the YES. Standard. I would also look at boards like the Jones Mountain Twin and Jones Explorer. But while some of these boards are highly versatile and ride powder quite well, they aren’t really powder boards either. So, how versatile do you want your board to be? Do you still want your board to be quite geared for powder, but versatile enough to throw the odd trick and do a park lap here and there? Or is carving performance more important than park ability? How important is switch performance? If powder is more important, you could look at something like the Jones Mind Expander… such an epic board. Rips the powder but it’s also a great carving board and versatile for all mountain. Likewise, you could look at the YES. Optimistic… kills it in powder and carves super well, as well as being short/wide, so it’s great in the trees. Anyway, I’m just trying to give you things to think about here so you can assess what’s really important to you. Have a think about it and get back to me with more info and any further questions.

Hi rider26,

Thanks for your reply. Some awesome looking boards in your suggestions!

I pulled all my gear out and realised that my boots are actually only size 10.5 - I’m size 11 in most shoes and got confused. So yeah, I’m more comfortable the width isn’t an issue, nor length based on your comments.

The Jones Mind Expander looks so sick! I’d be all over that, but I’m thinking I’ll save costs and keep the Attack Banana as my all mountain board and perhaps just look at picking up a cheap short board for a playful option on dryer days.

You mention bindings play a role in tight turns, which is probably another subtlety lost on me. I just traded up my broken old Customs for new Atlases, so hopefully that upgrade helps. Otherwise, I may have to stop blaming gear and heaven forbid, work on technique

@BennyB, no worries at all.

You’ll get more performance from your Atlas bindings. The short explanation is a stiffer binding is more responsive. A more responsive binding allows you to transfer energy to your board more effectively = overall more response and quicker turns. This should help you a bit in the trees.

Ah, yeah that makes sense. Thanks again for your guidance!