Why do people say pow board is bad on hardpack?
This question has been puzzling me for a long time. A lot of people say, even the demo rep guy, that pow board gonna suck on hardpack or groomers. I remember the demo guy saying “You’re demoing the fish? It’s gonna suck” (it was spring). I mean if it’s a soft full rocker pow board I get it. But I’m talking about real pow boards, tapered, flat/camber underfoot, swallow tail, etc.
What is it about them that makes it bad on regular days? I’ve demoed a 2012 Fish (the gold topsheet) with S-Rocker (camber throughout, rocker nose, not the new 2014 Fish S-Rocker with flat throughout and rocker nose) and I thought it was great on hardpack/groomers. Even the pop was awesome. Probably my favorite board I’ve demoed along with the Proto HD.
Any board that has Camber in it is gonna be better than a board that’s predominately Rockered, on hard park!!!!!
I reckon a lot of the difference in performance/feel, would be in the setback, flex, and the sidecut!!!!!
Well yeah of course they are gonna be different, but that doesn’t make it bad. I just don’t get where the bad is coming from.
I guess they should say “not ideal” maybe?????
Cause let’s face it, you can ride any board in any condition!!!!!
I think they just use the term Bad as an easy way to aim someone toward a more suitable board for what type of conditions they are most likely to ride at the time of demo?????
It depends on the board and your personal preference. My Fish (full camber, tapered, set back) is awesome to ride on the groomers. Holds a great edge, awesome to carve on and super quick edge-to-edge. Obviously it doesn’t ride switch well.
I assume he meant it’s not the ideal conditions to be testing a pow board, which, let’s face it, is designed for riding pow. Either that, or he thought he was more likely to sell you a board more suited to spring/piste/park, or he straight up doesn’t have a clue. Don’t listen to everything you hear.
Don’t listen to everything you hear.
thats the only thing i got out of that 
If I didn’t have time to write a full reply, that sentence would have been my summary. 
Did someone say somethin?????
You are correct in what you say Skip. If it’s a full rocker powder board it won’t do as well as a camber. But if it’s a camber/s-camber powder board it will do fine.
There are small differences between a pow board and a piste board too though.
Obviously if you are designing a piste board you will use the flex and shape that suits piste better and vice versa for a pow board.
Moral of the story, you were never going to hate the pow board on groomers if it’s camber. But there are boards that will ride hard pack better than a pow board for sure.
Horses for courses dude. You can ride anything on anything, period. So buy the board to do the stuff you love doing the most or do the most of.
ie. I love powder. But it’s not my main focus in snowboarding. So given that I like to only use one board. I will never buy a powder board.
Besides which… is powder really that hard to ride?
If you hike everyday that there’s no in bounds powder, buy a split board.
If you use a quiver of boards, sure buy a powder board.
If you have a sled and BC is all you do, buy a powder board.
Did I miss any reasons? They are the only reasons I can think of.
I guess if you have the money just get a pow board hahah.
Yeah pretty much
Also weirdos like myself who insist on riding one board for everything aren’t going to want a powder board, unless powder is 90% of what they do.
* Jeremy thinks Andy should have a powder board in his quiver. 
Really?
Andy doesn’t have a quiver. Like I said it’s against my religion… or something. I believe 90% of board ability is in the rider, so basically I just want a board that I know inside and out and does the same thing every time.
Also when did we start talking in 3rd person?
The other reason is that I have to (begrudgingly) travel with skis and a board and ski boots and board boots etc, because I teach both. So if I bought a nice powder board, I would have to sell it that same season which would be sad.
I’m not against powder boards, they just don’t suit my needs.
* Mizu knows that Andy has 2 Surfboards!!!!!
