Product Hype: How far is too far?
Their Camber Rocker/RipSaw profile has the tip and tail touch the snow.
Actually nope. Even on the new Camber Rocker profile the nose and tail do not touch the ground. I’ve ridden two of them. They are still uplifted.
The only difference Jez is that the new profile that NS is doing on their Ripsaw and a few others, is the cambered parts are a way higher camber. Making them more aggressive.
Personally I like it a lot more than their normal profile, but it’s probably not for everyone. The ripsaw is also pretty stiff (compared to other similar hybrids) for anyone wondering.
As for the C3 from Libtech, this remains my unicorn of board profiles.
Every since I heard about the C3 profile I have been trying to find one to demo. This seems like my kind of Hybrid (if there is one).
In theory, Everything about this makes sense to me and sounds like a great idea…
Want. To. Test.
Andy, I think I know what you mean.
It’s such a first world problem for women in snowboarding too now. For years, the female snowboarding community have been ‘lobbying’ (so to speak) for more gear and representation in the industry.
I think the latter still has a ways to go, but for the most part, I’d say companies have responded with a much larger array of womens-specific boards available - even Roxy for example, which only makes womens boards. So, now we’ve gone from having no options to choose from, to more than you can poke a stick at.
I’d like to think I’m relatively skilled in snowboarding. Not a pro, but not a newby - somewhere comfortably in the middle. That said, I’m still learning to genuinely recognize both major and minor differences in boards and equipment. There are so many different camber profiles, base tech, sidecuts…you name it, the list goes on.
But I think it is just confusing overall - especially now that most brands have various hybrid camber options, that are essentially (broadly speaking) the same, but have different names! So, I’m definitely taking the approach of not really listening to any ‘hype’, or spending too much time on other peoples opinions of boards. I know my abilities and general riding style, and I like to get a board to match and complement that. Something that can ‘handle’ me, I guess? Currently, I find that I enjoy the speed and stability of having camber between my feet, but others might be able to get the same kind of riding ‘result’ from a board with reverse camber between their feet.
It’s tough, and especially for you - you’re a really good rider, who also has special needs from a board size perspective. So, I’d say you fit into the “I need to try before I buy, almost 100% of the time”, category.
I don’t mind telling people my opinions about boards that I ride and demo, if they ask, however I often add the caveat of “one mans trash, is another mans treasure” 
Yeah I think it’s great that there’s more women’s specific gear now for sure.
Everyone laughed at Jake Burton when he offered equal prize money to women and men in very early competition. But apparently he held true to that idea and has had equal prize money in every comp he’s held. Amen to that.
We want more women in snowboarding. And we’re getting there too!
Anyway, back on topic. I do love a good demo day, but I can actually say now, that for most boards on the market I can look at the stats and basically know how it’s going to ride. I demo as many boards as I can because I like to speak from experience when students ask me about gear. But most demo’s end in me thinking “yep… just like I expected”.
I really started this thread because I feel like for the average recreational snowboarder, choosing snowboard gear must be like a freaking lucky dip!
For me personally, when I got my last board, it was exactly what I thought it would be. But for so many boarders out there I hear them pretend to like it for a week… and then say “it’s not what I was hoping for”.
One day I can aspire to such greatness!!
I love demoing and trying other boards, I’d say that I am usually in the right general area in terms of my expectations before riding…but then also different companies tend to scale their flexs on different spectrums too.
Plus now, I’m finding myself riding longer boards than the previous seasons, so that will also have an effect on my ‘review’ of how each board feels…if that makes sense?
If I had a dollar for every person who has asked me what board they should buy, I’d probably have enough money to get a hot chocolate at Perisher Mid…
In any case, nothing grinds my gear more than when a relative newby asks for board advice, and someone straight up tells them to buy the exact same set up as themselves. Nope. Just, nope.