I'm looking at buying my first board and I've come across a website where they're pretty cheap. The board in particular that i'm looking at is the Atomic Enemy board and I'm just wondering if Atomic is a good brand? I haven't heard of them before and I wanted a more experienced opinion on the brand and maybe even that specific board? (I am new to snowboarding, I'm not brilliant but I can ride pretty well both heel-side and toe-side, and on my last snow trip I had started linking my turns.)

Hi Emma
I must say that I have never seen ANY Atomic snowboards. That doesn't mean it won't be good though. Atomic are much better known for making some good skis, I honestly didn't even know they made snowboards.
I tried to look it up to give you some idea of what you are looking to buy but because it's last years model the enemy isn't on their website (cause they aren't making any boards under the "enemy" name any more.

What I did find out is it is an all mountain board and it's directional (very). And it is aimed at beginner - intermediate snowboarders like yourself.
They say learning to board on it is a breeze (so I'm guessing they have done something to it to make it easier to learn on, though I'm not sure what)

What all this means is an "All mountain" is like an all rounder kind of board. I will do it all but it will do some things better than others.

Positives: It's going to be really nice to cruise around the mountain on and also probably nice to learn to carve on. Because the bolts are set back from the center of the board it's also going to float on powder really easy.

Negatives: It won't be very nice to ride switch (backwards) or ride in the park (though you can still do plenty of basic stuff in there on it)

So basically at your level of riding it will probably be a good board to buy if it's really cheap like you say and you intend to buy another board further down the line when you decide what kind of riding you enjoy the most and what you want in a board.

Hope that helps you and welcome to BoardWorld

Welcome to Boardworld, Emma.

As far as I'm aware, Atomic doesn't sell boards in Australia. I take it you are in Australia?

If you're thinking of buying a board from an overseas online store, I would recommend you consider otherwise. If you purchase from overseas your warranty will be completely void. There are some amazing deals going around locally at the moment (30% to 70% off boards), you will get a manufacturer's warranty, and customer service second to none. Not to mention a full range of boards to choose from.

I've seen a couple of atomic board over in whistler but have had little exposure to them otherwise. Don't even know of any stores in whistler that actually sold them.

Jeremy raises some very valid points about buying locally - another thing is I know One Track Mind in crows nest offer $400 of tuning/waxing for boards purchased in store so they'll continue to look after your board after they've sold it to you, obviously you won't get this sort of customer service with buying overseas.

Thank you, this has really helped. I think I will just wait a bit longer and save up so I can buy locally. I probably won't buy a board now for at least another year as I have to save to go overseas with world vision. I don't think that would have been the board for me anyway as I love riding switch and I hope to progress to the parks next season. Is there anything that I should be looking for in particular for my first board? I want one that I can use for a while, as I don't have the money to be buying boards all the time.

thanks heaps!

p.s. I live in Queensland (Brisbane).

emmathompson - 01 September 2011 07:59 PM

I love riding switch and I hope to progress to the parks next season. Is there anything that I should be looking for in particular for my first board?

Nice Emma, I like your style!

Well, in that case, you want to get yourself a 'freestyle' board. There are lots of different types and you can find heaps of discussions about different types of board on here.

If you love riding switch and your MAIN goal in riding is to learn how to ride park then you will enjoy getting a 'true twin, park' board.
This basically means it will ride exactly the same weather your switch or regular. Same shape, same flex, bolt holes dead in the middle of the board. (My favourite kind of board)

You can also get directional freestyle boards that still work well in the park but just won't be quite as nice switch. Particularly if the bolts holes are not centered.

I would say go to a snowboard store with a good rep and tell them what kind of riding you do most and where u want to take your riding.

Hey Emma,

Welcome to Boardworld. Travelling with World Vision should be fun. Too bad I doubt they will take you to a snow hill to teach some underprivileged youth to snowboard lol.

What the guys said above is pretty much correct. As you are in Brisbane, there is a store called "Snowbiz" in Albert St Brisbane.

To give you an idea of some boards you would be looking at, check out the following:

Gnu Woman's Park Pickle:
http://www.snowbiz.com.au/gnu-womens-snowboards/gnu-park-pickle-womens-2012.html

Forum Star:
http://www.snowbiz.com.au/womens-forum-snowboards/forum-star-snowboard-2011.html

K2 Fling:
http://www.snowbiz.com.au/womens-k2-snowboards/k2-fling-snowboard-2012.html

and the always popular - Burton Lipstick
http://www.snowbiz.com.au/womens-burton-snowboards/burton-lipstick-2012.html


All of them come in a range of sizes (which if you tell us your weight we can suggest a size) and will all be perfect to go from a beginner/intermediate to sliding boxes and landing 20+ foot booters

Also, they are having a sale with up to 30% off, that means that a $600 board is $400... Same price I paid for a USA board with no warranty and didn't get to give it a good once over in the shop first. Serves me right... lol.

In much the same way as Boardworld supports local board shops, I choose to support genuine snowboard companies who care about snowboarding, not ski companies simply looking to cash in while there's money to me made. That puts Atomic on the no-go list.

chucky - 02 September 2011 12:50 PM

In much the same way as Boardworld supports local board shops, I choose to support genuine snowboard companies who care about snowboarding, not ski companies simply looking to cash in while there's money to me made. That puts Atomic on the no-go list.

Ski Brands I would not touch with a 10 foot pole for snowboard equipment:
Atomic
Elan
Head
Dynastar

Ski Brands that I don't really like but if they did something special, I would consider:
Rossignol
Salomon

Ski Brands that make both but put heart and soul into both sports and I would consider when choosing a board:
K2

TJswish - 02 September 2011 01:36 PM

Ski Brands that I don't really like but if they did something special, I would consider:
Rossignol
Salomon

Ski Brands that make both but put heart and soul into both sports and I would consider when choosing a board:
K2

Ride Snowboards used to be HUGE, but they've gone downhill since K2 bought them.

when Atomic first came out with boards (about 10 years ago) they had a good rep. I was in Whistler then. Since then they've gotten really quiet.

Ski Brands I would not touch with a 10 foot pole for snowboard equipment:
Atomic
Elan
Head
Dynastar

Ski Brands that I don't really like but if they did something special, I would consider:
Rossignol
Salomon

Ski Brands that make both but put heart and soul into both sports and I would consider when choosing a board:
K2

Don't really think you can say K2 is ok but Rossi and Salomon or the others suck.
Head had the intelligence series (the boards with the chips in them), Rossignol sponsored Tadashi Fuse, JF Pelchat and Jeremy Jones back in the day. They sponsor Xavier De Le Rue now, and they have the Experience snowboard (which I have and it is the best freeride/bc board I have ever ridden). Next, Salomon have Dirksen on the sick stick (a great powder board) and Wolle on the Grip <= which looks like a sick board too. In 2012 they have the man's board which looks pretty good too. Dynastar - do they make boards?
and finally, Elan. I quote,

Drawing on a long history of ski technology, the Elan Snowboard Factory began pressing boards in 1987 and has evolved into the world’s largest OEM, snowboard-only factory, building nearly a quarter of a million decks last season. Partners of the Elan Snowboard Factory currently include Capita, Arbor, Rome, Bataleon, Nitro, Elan, Lobster, Artec, Dinosaurs Will Die, Academy, Allian, and Amplid, amongst other smaller brands.

That said, apart from a couple of K2 boards, and the rossi experience, I would not personally buy from any of the listed ski companies. There's too much choice out there and those companies don't stoke me out. When I was renting boards in Europe on a couple of trips, I was stoked to find a Head board in all the crap. It rode fine.

emmathompson - 30 August 2011 10:55 PM

(I am new to snowboarding, I'm not brilliant but I can ride pretty well both heel-side and toe-side, and on my last snow trip I had started linking my turns.)

emmathompson - 01 September 2011 07:59 PM

I love riding switch.

dont mean to sound rude, but if your just starting to begin to link turns together how can you be riding switch? you would be struggling to ride normally let alone switch?

unless you can ride switch better than you can ride normal...

funny enough i loved riding switch when i first started as well
as im a goofy on the skate board but a regular on the snowboard

The man Bode Merrill rides the Salomon Man's Board

Gamblor - 02 September 2011 05:49 PM

when Atomic first came out with boards (about 10 years ago) they had a good rep. I was in Whistler then. Since then they've gotten really quiet.

Ski Brands I would not touch with a 10 foot pole for snowboard equipment:
Atomic
Elan
Head
Dynastar

Ski Brands that I don't really like but if they did something special, I would consider:
Rossignol
Salomon

Ski Brands that make both but put heart and soul into both sports and I would consider when choosing a board:
K2

Don't really think you can say K2 is ok but Rossi and Salomon or the others suck.
Head had the intelligence series (the boards with the chips in them), Rossignol sponsored Tadashi Fuse, JF Pelchat and Jeremy Jones back in the day. They sponsor Xavier De Le Rue now, and they have the Experience snowboard (which I have and it is the best freeride/bc board I have ever ridden). Next, Salomon have Dirksen on the sick stick (a great powder board) and Wolle on the Grip <= which looks like a sick board too. In 2012 they have the man's board which looks pretty good too. Dynastar - do they make boards?
and finally, Elan. I quote,

Drawing on a long history of ski technology, the Elan Snowboard Factory began pressing boards in 1987 and has evolved into the world’s largest OEM, snowboard-only factory, building nearly a quarter of a million decks last season. Partners of the Elan Snowboard Factory currently include Capita, Arbor, Rome, Bataleon, Nitro, Elan, Lobster, Artec, Dinosaurs Will Die, Academy, Allian, and Amplid, amongst other smaller brands.

That said, apart from a couple of K2 boards, and the rossi experience, I would not personally buy from any of the listed ski companies. There's too much choice out there and those companies don't stoke me out. When I was renting boards in Europe on a couple of trips, I was stoked to find a Head board in all the crap. It rode fine.

Thanks for the info. The K2 Weapon is a decent park board, the darkstar and the parkstar also good boards so K2 is allowed on my radar.

I have a Rossi District... Its ok but I wouldn't reccommend.

And I would buy Capita, Arbor, Rome, Bataleon, Nitro or Lobster but any of the others you mentioned from elan (including elan themselves) I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. They don't feel snowboard to me...

I think K2 is a good company, great team too. Don't forget bout the Turbo Dream, Slayblade, and Fastplant for their boards.