the BMB

I decided to post a new thread to post my reviews from the Snowbasin On-Snow Demos the last two days.  If you have any particular questions about any of the setups feel free to post them up and I'll be happy to answer them.

On-Snow Demo
Snowbasin, Utah
February 4th & 5th 2009

Burton

Joystick 157 with Malavita Bindings

This board was a medium stiff board, around 5 out of 10 on the flex scale. My first impression of the board riding down to the gondola was that it didn’t turn well at all.  I’ve ridden just about all of the rocker/reverse camber/flat variations now and V-Rocker is my least favorite of the tech.

The main problem with the v-rocker is getting the board completely flat during an entire turn radius. As you enter a turn you shift your weight forward to flatten out the nose and then drive your shoulder down and initiate the turn. If you are really laying down a carve or you’re trying to come around a tight corner you will feel the nose of the board come up and you have to really fight to keep the nose down and keep your complete effective edge on the snow.

The board was playful, very easy to spin and butter around on trail. You do need to land bolts when coming off a drop, jump, etc… or you are going to wash out like other rocker boards. Base was fast in various conditions (chop, powder, ice, groomers).

The malativa high back was hard to ignore, just like the cartel high back it dug into the back of my leg and was pretty uncomfortable. I did have the FLAD completely zeroed out, but couldn’t get it to sit comfortable. The flex of the binding was similar to the Cartel as well. The new ankle strap is very comfortable and it sits perfectly on each side of you boot with just a narrow strip running over the instep of your boot. Ratchets were very smooth and easy to use, didn’t bind or lock up at all.

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Method 159 with Infidel Bindings

This board felt pretty similar to the Ride Concept UL and the K2 Zero, but wasn’t quite as damp as those boards are. The board was quick edge to edge, but on some of the “icy” groomers didn’t hold as well as other boards I took in the same spots. The weight of the board was significantly noticeable riding up the chair. But like the Vapor, you can find a similar or better ride at half the cost of the board.

The infidel binding was a bit lack luster to me. The high back is the same as the malavita binding, just with a wing molded into it. I felt a bite with it as well, but not as bad as the malavita high back. The flex of the binding overall was around a 5 out of 10. To be honest I didn’t really notice the wing that much except when I was pulling my pants over it. I tried to put myself in situations to lean back or forward on it, but am so accustom to not having anything there that I didn’t really use it. Over time I’m sure that I would utilize the wing more, but don’t really see a huge need for it with my style of riding.

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Easy Living 158 with C02 Bindings

This one is plain and simple to describe, it felt exactly like the 07/08 Uninc board. Medium flex, easy to olly, spin and goof around the mountain on. Held a much better edge than I remember the Uninc, I think they’ve added PDE to it this year, which would probably account for that?  If you like the old Uninc, then you’ll be set on this board.

I like the new ankle strap on the Co2 binding; I’ve ridden a similar strap from ride the past couple of seasons and love the extra flex forward that it provides. The new Tray and high back shape on the Co2 is comfy and adds additional response without stiffening the binding up from last year. If you’re a fan of the old co2 EST you’ll like the new version.
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Capita

Green Machine FK 156 with Union Force Bindings

This board surprised me a lot, I hadn’t been on the FK tech from Capita and it’s definitely a good ride. You get a similar feel in the nose and tail of the board as other decks with rocker/reverse camber. But the board has a full effective edge and carves just as well as a normal camber deck.  Board is really soft, probably about a 4 out of 10 overall and is really easy to butter and spin around the mountain. If you don’t land bolts on this deck you can wash out like other rocker/reverse camber decks. You also get a much better olly out of your tail as you can completely load up just like a normal camber deck and spring right off your tail.

The Union Force bindings are solid, very simple but at the same time so fun to ride. I love that they are able to create a tall high back without it digging into the back of your leg. The torsional flex on the high back is soft, but at the same time you don’t lose any heel side response with that soft torsional flex.  The ankle strap is comfortable and very easy to get centered on your boot; the convertible strap is also comfortable but didn’t have a tool less adjustment on it. The ratchets did hang up a bit when you tighten them all the way down and weren’t quite as smooth as other ratchets coming off.

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Indoor Living FK 156 with Union Force Bindings

This board felt just like the Green Machine, just stiffer between the bindings of the board. Normally I don’t like the board stiff between my feet, I prefer it stiffer in the nose and tail. But with the shape of the board and FK design it was a much better ride for me than the Green Machine to have that extra carbon in between my feet. Full effective edge while carving, quick heel to toe response, fun to spin and play around on. If I had to pick between the two capita decks I rode I would go with the Indoor.

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Flow

Infinite with NXT Team Bindings

The infinite is one of those responsive all mountain decks that felt very similar to the Custom X from Burton. Turn initiation at all speeds was great, heel to toe response was fast and easy to control, edge hold was great in all conditions, board was pretty stiff around a 7.5 out of 10.

Flow bindings have improved significantly over the years, but there still not quite there yet. The new ratchets are a great touch as it’s not always optimal to have to fold the high back down to get in and out of the binding, you can now just undo the outside of the strap and pop in and out like a regular two strap binder. On toe side turns I found that the heel of my boot had enough room to slightly come up, which kind of sucked on aggressive turns. I tried to tighten down the ratchets a bit more but really couldn’t get it to stop, with some fine tuning of the boot in the tray and adjustment of the strap this possibly could be fixed, but I’d need a few days on the bindings to be sure.

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K2

Slayblade 158 with Auto Ever Bindings

This board was a huge surprise for me, as I was not expecting it to ride as well as it did. Board has K2’s new flatline tech, which basically means you’re riding in a broken in board.  The shape of the board is surprisingly similar to the Burton Method, but holds a much better edge. The board is super damp and you don’t feel any chatter at all, very quick edge to edge. You do have to olly similar to a rocker board where you load up behind your rear binding.  Like the Method you can really notice the weight difference in the board when riding up the lift.

The Auto Ever Bindings seem to be dialed in now, my rep gave me some pointers on getting the ankle and toe strap dialed in so that I had the right amount of tension on the toe strap when tightening the ankle strap. I didn’t have any problems with the toe strap moving from where I set it, the new harsh mellow foot beds are comfortable and I definitely think they factor into the overall dampening of the set up. I just wish they had a canted version of those like ride’s wedgie foot bed and they would be really great.

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Nitro

Rook 158 with Phantom Bindings

This board has a good overall flex, fun to spin and play around on and has a great base that was fast in all conditions. Unfortunately the board was sluggish when you initiate a turn at slow speeds; you really have to drive your shoulder and hips hard to get it going. Once you get it up to a cruising speed you don’t notice it as much but stinks when you’re setting up for a jump. I think the main reason for this is it has a 25.6 waist width and I ride a size 10 boot, so there was some extra width there that I’m not accustom to pushing that much more at slower speeds. I think this board would be great for someone with an 11-11.5 boot, but would prefer it more if it had a 25.0 waist width.

The phantom bindings have been significantly improved over last year.  They new tray is lighter and you can definitely feel more of the board under your feet with the airbags on the front and back of the tray. I like the new “plugs” that are inserted into the airbags as the shock absorption was great, but it didn’t feel like you were losing energy transmission when ollying. The high back was comfortable and didn’t dig into the back of my leg, even with it being a bit taller than I’m used to. The new ankle strap reminding me of the cored out one Ride uses and is very comfortable and the added flex it gives you on toe side turns is great. The ratchets were smooth and didn’t bind up at all as well.

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Blacklight 160 with Battery Bindings

The Blacklight is another one of those boards that is a tank, but is still fun to ride. The board is pretty stiff, probably about a 7.5 out of 10 flex and is pretty rigid. But the board is surprisingly easy to turn and very fast edge to edge at all speeds and holds a great edge on the iciest of slopes. The base was very fast in all conditions and the board remained stable at those higher speeds. I wouldn’t make this my everyday deck, but it would be fun in a bigger size on powder days.

The battery binding is the Eero binding from last season, very simple but still a great binding. High back is the same as the phantom and the ankle/toe straps are easy to adjust with the tool less system and very comfortable. You only get a rear airbag in this tray, so they aren’t as damp as the phantom but still a solid mid flexing binding.

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Nitro Team 159 with Blackhawk bindings

This board was a pretty big surprise for me, I associated the board with the Burton Custom and Rome Anthem but it rode much better than those boards. It was really very similar to the Ride Society and Burton Uninc  in the way it rides. The board was very “poppy”, fast edge-to-edge, stable at high speeds, easy to butter and spin. It had about a 6 out of 10 flex and is a board that I would ride every day.

The Blackhawk binding is not a binding I would purchase, The high back was pretty stiff and I did get a little bite from it in my calves with that extra stiffness. It was nice to ride another binding with a cant in the foot bed as it does relieve the pressure in your knees while riding. If you’re a fan of the Ride CAD or the Burton C60 you’ll probably be into this binding as well.

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Ride

DH2 155 with Nitrane Bindings

I switched over from the Society to the DH2 this year, so I was a bit skeptical about the new Low-rise rocker on the DH2 since I love the board so much. This board has by far the best pop in the nose and tail with the pop sticks that ride uses. It didn’t carve quite as well as I would have liked it too, got that feeling that the effective edge was only as long as my stance was wide. But my rep told me that the samples weren’t produced stiff enough and that the production models would be stiffer and the board would carve more like the Machete.

I love my current contraband bindings and was stoked to see a higher end version of the binding. The new high back is stiffer, but not over the top, ride added a new ankle strap with flex adjustments similar to what is used in their CAD binder (I just pushed them to the outside of the strap to keep that flex soft). The new V-Strap with the webbing is comfortable and holds you in place without and movement. But the biggest thing is the new Wedgie Foot beds in all of their bindings down to the EX. Ride has eliminated all of the glue that normally attaches their foot beds to the tray and you now have canted foot beds that cover the disc and screw to the base plate. I ended up using a 4.0 bed on my front binder and a 2.5 on the rear; it’s the first time in a couple of years that I didn’t feel any pain in my knees while riding. A huge reason for this is because the beds integrate with the padding coming up from the bottom of the binding and you get great shock absorption, support and canting all in one. By far the best feeling I’ve had on a board in years. This will be my binding for 09/10.

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Machete 158 with Nitrane Bindings

After the way the DH2 carved, I was really skeptical about this deck as it also had the low-rise rocker in it, but this board carves the best out of any rocker/reverse camber deck I’ve been on. I was surprised as it has less carbon and a bi axial glass in it, but the way it’s all put together it’s really playful yet easy to keep the nose down throughout an entire turn. The flex is around a 5 out of 10 overall and is very easy to spin and butter around on. Only downside is that you’ll still wash out on a landing if you don’t land bolts. This is most likely going to be my board for 09/10; it was really fun to play on in all conditions.

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Concept TMS 159 with Nitrane Bindings

I love this board, it’s really fun to ride anywhere on the mountain, very similar to the Society just set back slightly, damper, not quite as poppy since it doesn’t have the pop rods but still has great pop. They added the new Pop Glass to the board this year, which is a carbon woven fiberglass, but I can’t say that I really noticed a huge difference from last years TMS

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Concept UL 159 with Nitrane Bindings

This board hasn’t changed at all last year, but I forgot how much fun it is.  So responsive without being stiff at all, flex is very similar to the society overall, but so snappy from heel to toe and so much fun to pop off things and so forgiving when you land. The base is extremely fast and the board is very stable and damp when you point it down the mountain. If I could only have one board to ride everything, this would be the board I would pick.

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Ride Prophet 161 with Delta Bindings

10 Years ago when I was living in New England and riding Stratton and Killington this would have been my board of choice. Back then I was a fan of the Fuel and Serum from Ride, which were the stiffest boards in the line up back then.
This is the stiffest board I’ve been on in awhile, the board is a tank and you really have to be on the ball while riding it or you’ll end up on your ass. The board really likes to be on edge all of the time and can be a bit difficult to initiate a turn at slower speeds. But when you do get it up to a cruising speed it is very responsive, stable and damp.  It’s not the board for me, but I know some guys that would love to point this deck down the mountain and haul ass through everything.

The Delta binding is basically the Beta From last year with the contour grid toe strap (the beta has been pulled from the line). I loved the beta and rode it for 2 years, just a fun medium flexing binding that is easy to adjust and is very responsive with about being stiff. It’s a great all around binding to throw on any board.

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Rome

Pusher 1985 with 390 Bindings

The board graphic on this deck is kind of funny as it looks just like last year’s Ride Dose. The board was described to me as an agent with rocker. Rome has done a good job changing the board up and not just throwing a rocker on the agents. The board carved well and I never felt like I didn’t have a full effective edge to carve on. The board didn’t have as much pop as I would have liked and you did need to olly from behind the rear binder to get any spring at all. Like other rocker decks you’ll wash out if you don’t land bolts, but by the time I rode this deck I was getting used to landing that way.  I would ride this deck over a Burton or Lib with their rocker/reverse camber tech.

The 390 has improved a lot, the straps are comfortable and the ratchets are smooth going on, they binded up a bit coming off when you cranked down the strap. The high back is comfortable and the straps are as well, I had a problem with the comfort of the ankle strap a couple years ago causing a lot of discomfort on the instep of my boots. The straps were very easy to adjust and get dialed in with your boots as well. The only thing that felt strange, as the heel cup of the binder seemed really narrow. I could just barely get my ride FUL boots all the way down in the heel cup. I asked if they maybe gave me a wrong size, but they said that they were the right size. This was pretty unusual as my FUL boots are not bulky at all and I didn’t have that problem with any of the other binders I rode at the demo.
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which burton board was your favorite? Im thinking about the easy or the joystick next year for my all moutain killer. Im leaning towards the easy though. What do you think?

lep14:

which burton board was your favorite? Im thinking about the easy or the joystick next year for my all moutain killer. Im leaning towards the easy though. What do you think?

My favorite Burton board over the last 5 years has been the Un Inc 158, so I would go with the Easy Living (even with the ugly ass top/base graphics) as my everyday Burton board.

Mr_Tidbit:

My favorite Burton board over the last 5 years has been the Un Inc 158, so I would go with the Easy Living (even with the ugly ass top/base graphics) as my everyday Burton board.

*sigh* I hate that graphic.  Hated the puppy graphic before I got it, wasn't impressed by the '07 58 graphics before I got that one.  I wish they'd either put decent graphics on an uninc/easy livin or make the board suck so I could stop buying them.  If the easy livin is as similar to my uninc as you say it is, I'll probably get one and hit up Ashy with another diecut order.  Thanks for the reviews!

thanks a ton i really thinkin about a capita setup to!

im*

Mr_Tidbit:

Rome

Pusher 1985 with 390 Bindings

The board graphic on this deck is kind of funny as it looks just like last year’s Ride Dose. The board was described to me as an agent with rocker. Rome has done a good job changing the board up and not just throwing a rocker on the agents. The board carved well and I never felt like I didn’t have a full effective edge to carve on. The board didn’t have as much pop as I would have liked and you did need to olly from behind the rear binder to get any spring at all. Like other rocker decks you’ll wash out if you don’t land bolts, but by the time I rode this deck I was getting used to landing that way.  I would ride this deck over a Burton or Lib with their rocker/reverse camber tech.

The 390 has improved a lot, the straps are comfortable and the ratchets are smooth going on, they binded up a bit coming off when you cranked down the strap. The high back is comfortable and the straps are as well, I had a problem with the comfort of the ankle strap a couple years ago causing a lot of discomfort on the instep of my boots. The straps were very easy to adjust and get dialed in with your boots as well. The only thing that felt strange, as the heel cup of the binder seemed really narrow. I could just barely get my ride FUL boots all the way down in the heel cup. I asked if they maybe gave me a wrong size, but they said that they were the right size. This was pretty unusual as my FUL boots are not bulky at all and I didn’t have that problem with any of the other binders I rode at the demo.
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That's what I like to hear.  This is the board I'm most stoked on next year.  To my understanding it's Agent and Mod like, but not really either of the boards.  Mod shape, Agent core, but a true twin and rockered.  Just curious, but was the rocker more flat kick like a Poster Mania or more like an Artifact 1985?

In regards to the binding, that is a bit odd.  What size boot and what size binding did they give you?  My buddy had 390s as well and was rocking the Ride FUL at the beginning of the year and they didn't fit his boots very well.  I, of course, rock Rome boots and have had no issues with my boots fitting in the heel.

thnx for taking  the time to put together such a well detailed summary of your demo ride impressions... very descriptive

K2 Slayblade sounds interesting, as do the C02 bindings...


cheers

you decided for me, between the green machine and indoor fk.  indoor!  woo

Spenser?:

you decided for me, between the green machine and indoor fk.  indoor!  woo

Yeah, it's pretty much undeniable. Indoor for me too!

Spenser?:

you decided for me, between the green machine and indoor fk.  indoor!  woo

Indoor FK 54, the only board you'll need next season.......

I'm rocking the 52 for everything.....

58, actually.  along with my horrorscope 52 and fish 56.. i also want a charlie 58.. either sell the fish or hang on to it for the deepest days

Spenser?:

58, actually.  along with my horrorscope 52 and fish 56.. i also want a charlie 58.. either sell the fish or hang on to it for the deepest days

Weird choice but ok.

so the concept is still the same everything including the fabric topsheet?

ParkerHoldenOn:

Spenser?:

58, actually.  along with my horrorscope 52 and fish 56.. i also want a charlie 58.. either sell the fish or hang on to it for the deepest days

Weird choice but ok.

whats weird about that?