^^ Scarface, it's got pop rods which are carbon rods in the tip and tail that help it pop




Meanwhile at 65kg, I'd go for something more 154ish if you get a chance to borrow a friend's board? The Machete will be still just because it is long for your weight. At 82kg, I still find 158 long but it is my "ideal" sized board.

And if your feet are at +25 / -25, there might be an issue there... Mine is +21 / -21 and I'm weird lol. Most people run angles more at +15 / -15 or +15 / -9 as generic angles.

YES The Basic (CamRock) 2012


Board category: All Mountain Freestyle / Park.

Board size: 155cm

Bindings: Burton P1.1

Stance: +18/-9, 23 inch centered stance.

Test location: Thredbo, NSW, Australia.

Snow conditions: Variable spring conditions, September 2011.


THE LOOK:
YES call this one 'The Basic' because it's the cheapest model in their line - but believe me, there's nothing 'cheap' or 'basic' about this board. In keeping with The Basic's "don't judge a book by its cover" concept, the seemingly simplistic hue-on-hue graphic is actually embossed onto the topsheet, giving it a really high-end look when you check it out up close. Nice.

THE TECH:
The Basic features a 'Camrock' profile (it's also available in a cambered model), which essentially means subtle camber between your feet, and rocker from the bindings out. You get the playful, catch-free, pow floaty goodness of rocker, with the old-school dependability of camber. Sweet.

It's a true twin shape, but the flex is slightly directional. The best of both worlds really - and I guess that's part of the reason why it rides well not just as a park board, but as an all mountain plaything.

Flex is rated as soft/medium, and the feel equates to around a 4 on the 1-10 scale (10 being the stiffest). It felt slightly stiffer in the camber between the bindings, and softened toward the tip and tail - perhaps explaining why it was relatively easy to press, but still held a good edge.

The Basic's build boasts multiaxial fiberglass layers and carbon reinforcements in strategic areas, which is nice for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it all contributes to a lively, poppy feel - and secondly, this is the kind of tech you find in boards costing a lot more than this supposedly 'budget' model!

They say it's got a "sintered 6000" base, and I'm not sure what the number means - so all I'll say is that a sintered base is great value at this price point (where some other companies only offer extruded bases), and in sometimes slowish spring conditions, The Basic slid where others stuck.


THE RIDE:
With any new board you try, there's often a short adjustment period where you get accustomed to the way it rides. Not so with The Basic - it was comfortable and confidence inspiring from first turn to last. I couldn't help but enjoy myself when riding this board, because there was nothing else to worry about. It seemed like one of those epic days where everything seems to come together, and you feel really 'on it'.

Switch, especially, was a dream. OK, it's a true twin, so you expect it to be good - but before riding switch you have to transition into it, and The Basic offered complete control in every point of your turn or spin. It all seemed so effortless - just think it, and it's done. Dependability seems to be the name of the game for The Basic.

The width is around what you'd expect from a 155. It's 249mm at the waist, and that made for quick transitions edge to edge. I should point out that I ride with size 11 Burton SLX boots (with 'Shrinkage Tech' - so they equate to size 10), so on paper, most would say it's too narrow for me - but I never even came close to toe or heel drag, no matter how on-edge I got it.

For a board on the softish end of the scale, it handled surprisingly well when carving and at speed. Never did I feel sketchy or out of control, and it even carved well switch. I don't think I'd be following Xavier De Le Rue down some of the lines he hits, but I'd be cool with riding pretty much anything your average resort could dish out. It really does inspire confidence.


THE VIBE:
Look, to be honest, there are 'better' boards out there - however each one only excels in specific areas, and that's actually what makes The Basic shine. I'll explain. I have quite a few boards, and each one does one or two things really well, but they all let me down in other areas. That's the thing with The Basic - I couldn't find a single thing it sucked at, and that's great! If you couldn't be arsed lugging around a whole bag of boards whenever you head off on a boarding trip, and just want the one go-to ride that performs well in all conditions, get back to Basic.

YES. I want one.

nice review Chucky.
the interesting thing about this board is that even though it's Yes' lower-end model, Romain (I think) was doing some gnarly riding on it in twelve and the Yes movie. It definitely holds it's own.

Great review, chucky!

Hey Chucky - stoked you liked it. Great review.

AND I agree with you - THE BASIC does every thing you ask it to. Effortless to ride.

amine - 20 October 2011 02:03 PM

Hey Chucky - stoked you liked it. Great review.

AND I agree with you - THE BASIC does every thing you ask it to. Effortless to ride.

No worries, mate. When Jez asked us to review our favourite board from the Shred, it was a really easy decision for me. Thanks again (on behalf of all of us) for giving us the opportunity to demo your boards.

It sucks a bit though. I have too many boards as it is, and I was apprehensive about demoing any boards at the Shred, because I just knew I'd find something I loved, and want to buy it. So now I want to sell a couple of my other boards and buy one of these. I just need to decide between a 155 and 157. As an all-rounder, I'm thinking the 157 as it'll give me that little extra bit of float (both in length and width). Are there any still in stock?

I just bought a Tasmaniac 156 through Jez!!!!!

And I didn't even test ride that at the shred!!!!! Purely based of my like for the basic, but wanted a faster base with a touch more stiffness!!!!!

Mizu Kuma - 20 October 2011 02:59 PM

I just bought a Tasmaniac 156 through Jez!!!!!

YEEEEEEWWWWW!!!

The older I get, the softer I like my boards to be. It's a little sad.

chucky - 20 October 2011 03:06 PM

Mizu Kuma - 20 October 2011 02:59 PM

I just bought a Tasmaniac 156 through Jez!!!!!

YEEEEEEWWWWW!!!

The older I get, the softer I like my boards to be. It's a little sad.

And the older I get, the softer I like my landings to be. Otherwise it makes me sad!!!!!

Just land on your shoulder - that seems to work a treat!

Hey Chucky - regarding your BASIC size question - remind me how tall you are, and how much you weigh?

Hehe, on paper, according to my height, weight and boot size, I should probably be on the 163 - so it's a tad futile.

Last season I demoed a 156 Burton Custom Flying V when my 158 Burton Fix snapped (not through usage - faulty product), and it was the shortest board I'd ever ridden. Liking it, this season I spent most of my time on a 155 Burton X8 and 150 Burton Nug - but over the 18 years prior, board size ranged from 158-164, and STIFF. Neither the 155 nor the 157 are in my 'ideal range' according to currently held industry opinion, but I just prefer smaller/softer boards these days.

Spill ya guts Chucky!!!!! Literally!!!!!

2011. Lib Tech T.Rice
2012 Burton Cartel Re:Flex

Days on board: as of now 58 days
weight: 150lbs/68 kg
height: 5'5"/165 cm
stance: 22 inches, centered (sometimes 1/2 inch setback)
boots: Burton Driver X size 9

What I like about it
- Nice, firm flex. Medium stiff but you can still play around with it a little bit (pressing and buttering)
- really stable at high speeds (fastest I've gone is 78 km/h, which is probably cruising speed for some of you guys)
- I'm not much of a park guy, but for small ollies and small jumps I found this pretty poppy
- liked how it turns (the sidecut and how easy it turns), carves great and held a good edge
- floats pretty good for a 153, still some leg burn of course (especially on the lower angle stuff). On steeps, as long as you have speed it floats fine in deep pow
- pretty quick edge to edge for a 253mm waist width
- Base is fast but make sure you wax it often. The 2nd day on factory wax last season, the board is so slow but after you wax it a couple of times it's really fast.

What I don't like about it
- The magnetraction catches at random times sometimes and for some reason on my board it's always on the toe edge of the back foot. It's kinda annoying sometimes when you wanna go straight but the mag digs in and almost forces you to turn unexpectedly
- Mag also digs in easily in soft snow if you try to carve or pressure your turn too hard
- a little bit squirrely on icy cat tracks when flat basing
- also a bit squirely compared to camrock or cambered boards when 1 foot gliding and skating, doesn't track as straight.

Would I buy this board again?
Yes, if I might even size up to the 157 since I don't ride park a lot and will have the float benefit. Wouldn't recommend this board to a beginner since it's a relatively stiff and fast board. The T.Rice along with the YES Pick Your Line and Rossignol Templar are 3 of my favorite boards.