new board: a little question

[zebra 0]

Hi all,

as i mentionent in my trip report i've reat a japanese powder board, Field Earth Design, mod x1 (165cm).

I love this board, i've ask at rent shop and they sell my that board with 4 rents at 100.000YEN (new is something like 126.000YEN).

I can spend this money but in italy there are condition to use often this board.

 

I can buy a new jones hovercraft for 250euro (27500YEN) but i've never test this board and in italy no test day for this.

For a few +money i can take a volkl selecta 163.

 

Like FieldEart i'm searching a light board with a fast base, fish profile and quick edge change (for tree run).

 

Anyone has try that two board?

Jones on the paper seems very good, but i don't know about the weight... i don't know how a blunt nose goes in powder and... i don't know if 26cm of waist is too much for quick response.

I've a YES Snowboard, nidecker manufactur like jones and the quality is really high.

Selecta seems more similar to field earth but the jones price is really tempting....

Tips? :-)

[Mick Rich 78]

Ippy is going to be all over this post when he wakes up

[Jynxx 4]

giorgio,

I will only spend that much on a splitboard.

This japa board is like a Nitro slash with a Fish tail. Too expensive!

You will have to ask yourself this. Is the board for powder in trees only?

I will not buy a board with 26 cm waist. I wear size US7.5 If you have big feet like US 10, your toe is close to the edge so no problem.

I will go for length than width anytime, and more importantly that it has a big maximum stance width (example 26) so I can move my bindings.

I ride a 159 Atomic Radon CT (swallow tail) and it has 22 inch max stance, and I ride it with that widest setup. I wish there were more holes.

I think the advantage of Hovercrafts, The Fish, etc, is that you can get on a 160 size board and it will be easier in the trees. You can swing it around. All these boards have something in common. Wide Nose, wide waist, big setback. They all have similar design. Maybe the nose shape and rocker is slightly different but I don´t think it makes a big difference.

The problem I have with such a big setback is that there are times I want to step on the front and the board is too short the nose will dive. Also the tail sinks so it brakes the board a bit (can be an advantage). So If this is slowing me down, instead I can have a narrower, longer, faster base and that will give me more float.

There are things I like and don´t like about the big setback. But the swallow tail I like.

 

If you are doing Europa Alps, I probably choose something else...

like Amplid Creamer. Bit like NS Summit.

I heard the tail catches with Völkl Selecta because of the channel.

But you know what´s best for you and how you will use it. So all of this is just my rave.

I´d like to have an all mountain board that handles powder very well. I am even thinking of getting a custom splitboard from Prior because I have a design that I really like (nose width. waist, taper, sidecut radius)

[Tex 3]

I saw the 3DX2 (I believe, that or an earlier version of it) being ridden while over in Niseko, they are a seriously soft board and a whole lot of convex base. The guy riding it sure did make it look very good, fast and very quick around the turns, slashing it up plenty. Pretty specific powder board that model though. The 3DX1 looks more like my style BUT they are way too expensive IMHO unless you are living on snow alot or are just flush with cash.

 

Giorgio did you say that there ARE (or are not)regular and good powder conditions in Italy?

 

For the money you could not go past a Hovercraft, blunted nose is GREAT in powder, remember!...> they have a shortened running length (and rocker tip) so pretty quick edge to edge on anything you are riding. Also better set up for changing snow conditions for each run with magnatraction, so if you have run down or traverse the ice to get to (or from) the powder you are going to have it better. Yes will be a bit heavier, but really, people are riding splitties that carry like 30% more weight again, you will not notice it once you have a few runs.

 

I presently ride the Jones Flagship 168W and would like (and am considering) a Hovercraft for tighter treed areas; for example Blueberries @ Niseko is just a bit to tight for any real fun on my Flagship but I reckon the Hovercraft would eat it up.

 

You could get the Full Jones product line for the price of one of those Field Earths - BUT THEN if you got the money JUST DO IT Great board to have for sure...

[ippy 66]

theres a really good thread/review of the hovercraft on splitboard dot com. I cant post the link, but jones hovercraft in google and its my second hit. They go into the width issue as well as its turning prowess. It seems pretty damn special in truth. I like the idea that for a pow fiend its like their go to board in the same way that for the rest of us the custom or the sl-r might be our go to board. I like that skewing of the scale

[zebra 0]

Originally Posted By: Jynxx

giorgio,
I will only spend that much on a splitboard.
This japa board is like a Nitro slash with a Fish tail. Too expensive!
You will have to ask yourself this. Is the board for powder in trees only?
I will not buy a board with 26 cm waist. I wear size US7.5 If you have big feet like US 10, your toe is close to the edge so no problem.
I will go for length than width anytime, and more importantly that it has a big maximum stance width (example 26) so I can move my bindings.
I ride a 159 Atomic Radon CT (swallow tail) and it has 22 inch max stance, and I ride it with that widest setup. I wish there were more holes.
I think the advantage of Hovercrafts, The Fish, etc, is that you can get on a 160 size board and it will be easier in the trees. You can swing it around. All these boards have something in common. Wide Nose, wide waist, big setback. They all have similar design. Maybe the nose shape and rocker is slightly different but I don´t think it makes a big difference.
The problem I have with such a big setback is that there are times I want to step on the front and the board is too short the nose will dive. Also the tail sinks so it brakes the board a bit (can be an advantage). So If this is slowing me down, instead I can have a narrower, longer, faster base and that will give me more float.
There are things I like and don´t like about the big setback. But the swallow tail I like.

If you are doing Europa Alps, I probably choose something else...
like Amplid Creamer. Bit like NS Summit.
I heard the tail catches with Völkl Selecta because of the channel.
But you know what´s best for you and how you will use it. So all of this is just my rave.
I´d like to have an all mountain board that handles powder very well. I am even thinking of getting a custom splitboard from Prior because I have a design that I really like (nose width. waist, taper, sidecut radius)

Hi Jynxx

i'm not agree with all mountain philosopy: in this years i've had and try many AMs board but they don't excel in any condition.
I've sell last year my splitboard, yes is not bad for the climb, but i don't like the descent (burton splitboard 165).
the feeling of the descent with a powder board is another thing I'm looking for a powderboard, not a freeride board.
I'm 180cm x 68kg, I've 28.5 (salomon f22 fusion) and the japan board i've test were 25.2 waist (165 board lenght) is very quick response, but i know 25.2 is not 26, i've try on an AM board, but i don't know how affect the response into the powder

[zebra 0]

hi tex,

this year really poor powder in italy, but in swiss the situation is good (my mountain house in near swiss border).

I've mentionet x1 beacuse i've test two days in niseko deep powder, the convex is like TBT but only on the nose, + the board has a powder rocker, lighter and superfastboard. I'm fall in love with that shape.

I've not try the other board and i'm asking some opinion for this reason.

I would like to buy a specific powder board for get the max enjoy in powder day with no compromise:D

[Jynxx 4]

mmm...

I don´t know about all mountain phylosopy, but my other board Salomon Burner is the dope! It´s a 2008 model, different dimention and stiffer than the current model. I like camber with a longer early rise nose (nose rocker) OK, this is not a powder specific board, but it was Salomon´s answer to freeride and they call it a powder machine. It works very well in powder. Fast and stable on hardpack and ice. I like the small taper, stiffer tail on this board. It´s a 157 and if there were anything more I wanted of this board, I´ll be looking at a Kessler or Oxess raceboards. (or a longer Burner with similar width but longer side curve radius)

I won´t be picking up anything that is flat (0 camber) with nose rocker, or Rocker in between the stance because it´s not my style.

Now a lot of powder boards that are called freeride boards (NS Summit, Venture Zephyr) are doing this too. I suppose it works for powder at 165 length.

What I am saying is that geometry and stiffness is everything.

You are not that heavier than me (I´m 60kg) so I don´t think more surface area on a board is necessary. 165 is plenty of length.

My Radon has a wider waist than the spec (25.5 instead of 25.3) no taper, and it feels a lot different. I´m still getting used to this board. I like the Salomon better.

If you want light weight, get something with carbon fibre topsheet. Like Oxess. Maybe next years Prior?

What kind of powder board You will get? Prior swallowtail? I can go for that. Rome Notch? Or get a longboard like Rad-Air, Pogo ..

I think the trees are a limiting factor to choosing a board. If you want a short board for tree powder and don´t have money, I would pick up a cheap mid-wide board with plenty of setback and cut a V in the tail. lala, I have a swallowtail!

In Powder, a wider board still feels with response, but the same board will not on hard pack. Edge doesn´t matter in Pow.

[Ezorisu 0]

giorgio,

 

I don't know about that Japanese powder board, but I have personally ridden a Jones Hovercraft. The board build quality is fairly good (built at the Nidecker factory in Tunisia - yes, really), but the factory base grind was a bit uneven. I'm about 80kg with myself, all the clothing, and the backcountry backpack, and it had more than enough floatation in deep powder. It is mid-wide, so the on-piste edging is not as snappy as a regular-width board, but if the tradeoff is a longer board to get the surface area for powder floatation, I'll take the mid-wide shorter board any day for tight trees. I rode it for 6 days in Utah in January in mixed conditions from icy groomers at Snowbasin (Icebasin?) to knee-deep fresh drop at Powder Mountain. It excells in anything soft, but the three low-profile MagneTraction bumps along the edges help out on the hardpack between the powder stashes and the lift base. The S-rocker works fine, keeping the nose elevated in the powder, keeping the board stable at speed, and still providing a stiff tail for the occasional ollie. The blunt nose works fine in deep powder. The only reason I'd want a pointed nose is if the area you ride has a lot of small plants or underbrush that stick though the snow, as the point will pass between them better. The tail looks like it is flat, but it has a slight rise. It is possible to ride switch on groomers, or to roll into a run briefly switch and turn to the front.