Hey Guys,
I have been Boarding for a couple of years now, 2 trips to NZ and one to Norway. I am 6ft3 weigh 94kilo and have size 13 feet. I am not into terrain parks or half pipes. I like big carving runs, freeriding and heaps of Pow. I am heading to Japan (Niseko) in December. I am not sure what size board to buy? i am probably a mid to high intermediate rider. My biggest problem, is that i live on Christmas island (Indian Ocean) so have no access to snowboard shops to talk to guys or try on boots. So was going to try and get feedback on here and try and pick up a board and bindings online, I am not really sure what to go for, so any help here would be really helpful. I will try and figure out what kind of boots to get through here. Then when i get to Japan, i will get the boots so i know they are a good fit.
Cheers guys

sorry to hijack the thread - I'll leave the recommendations to the experts - but welcome to boardworld! And also, where in Norway did you ride? and how did you end up being on christmas island?

Hey Cords,

Mate i was working over there as a commercial diver and had a few days off. The place is called Kvietfjell. Its on the world circuit for downhill Skiing. Pretty full and icy, but all good. As for Christmas Island i am living over here with my partner, we work at the school. Its an amazing place, great fishing, and diving. But no snowboarding shops to check out some gear.
Hopefully someone helps me out. I am thinking i might have put a few to many questions in there:(

jared74 - 05 September 2011 11:34 PM

Hey Guys,
I have been Boarding for a couple of years now, 2 trips to NZ and one to Norway. I am 6ft3 weigh 94kilo and have size 13 feet. I am not into terrain parks or half pipes. I like big carving runs, freeriding and heaps of Pow. I am heading to Japan (Niseko) in December. I am not sure what size board to buy? i am probably a mid to high intermediate rider. My biggest problem, is that i live on Christmas island (Indian Ocean) so have no access to snowboard shops to talk to guys or try on boots. So was going to try and get feedback on here and try and pick up a board and bindings online, I am not really sure what to go for, so any help here would be really helpful. I will try and figure out what kind of boots to get through here. Then when i get to Japan, i will get the boots so i know they are a good fit.
Cheers guys

Hi Jared74, welcome to Boardworld!
To get some ideas in your head, I currently ride a Neversummer 161 double wide, with Northwave size 13 boots I picked up before last season. The boots fit me just right, but some people like a tighter fit. In general you'll be aiming for an all terrain freestyle type of board, I'd stick with medium stiff, 5 leaning towards 6 on the stiffness scale, with good flex, but not so much that you're shakey with higher speed. too much Stiffer than that you'll be working harder if you drop into tight trees.
We have some real tech-gurus around this place, hopefully as they steer you in the right direction will give me some ideas for board upgrades as I'm the same height and 2 kilos your senior

Hey jared74, welcome to Boardworld.

Boots:
I think your plan of action is best. I wouldn't normally suggest purchasing while on an overseas trip, but even worse would be buying boots online without trying them on. It's really important you get boots which work for your particular foot shape. I did put together a boot fitting article here. It's probably worth reading so you know what to look and feel for when trying on boots in Japan, especially if there is a language barrier.

Board:
There's a few things you need to consider. Firstly, you have to look for a wide board to accommodate size 13 boots. You also said you like carving, freeriding, and pow. The first thing we should talk about is camber profiles. I'm not sure what you already know so I'll start with the basics. Rocker is going to make the board playful, loose, and float well in powder. Camber will give the board stability, pop, and edge hold. In a nutshell, rocker is going to be great in the powder, and camber is going to be ideal for carving.

I think your best option would be a hybrid camber board, unless you feel otherwise. A hybrid camber board will offer you the best of both worlds and a versatile ride. Personally I would suggest looking for something with camber between the feet, and rocker in the nose and tail. i.e. YES CamRock profile. In my opinion they perform more like a camber board with some benefits of rocker (faster turn initiation, float in powder). I would suggest looking at the YES Pick Your Line 161 Wide or 164 Wide. More info here. It's basically a high performance, all-mountain / freeride board, which is going to be awesome for carving and riding powder. Stiff in the tail, a few mm of taper (easier turn initiation and increased float in powder), directional CamRock (increased rocker in the nose, again for float in powder) - this board is going to carve beautifully and will absolutely kill it in the powder. Honestly, I think this board would be ideal for you.

Bindings:
There's a lot of good bindings on the market. Burton, Flux, Union, Ride, Rome etc. all make good bindings. Look for something fairly stiff (maybe 7 to 8 on the response scale), with good features and comfortable straps. Ignoring price, I would look at something like the Burton C02s or Flux SF45s. Both super comfy, great features, and responsive for freeriding, carving, and tight tree lines.


Also worth mentioning, you will get 9.09% tax back at the airport if you purchase from Australia and take the goods out of the country (must be within 30 days of purchase however there are ways around this i.e. layby purchase).

I hope I haven't confused you too much. Please let me know if you have any questions.

rider, how do the Yes boards compare to the Signal Omni?

The YES Tasman(iac) is definitely softer and more playful than the Signal Omni, which is relatively stiff. Both are excellent boards for what they do. The Omni is geared towards all-mountain and freeride, although would still perform well in the park. The Tasman(iac) is an all-mountain and park machine. I haven't yet tested any other YES or Signal boards. Quality-wise, YES make some of the best boards in the business (Nidecker factory in Switzerland).

jared74 - 06 September 2011 11:17 AM

Hey Cords,

Mate i was working over there as a commercial diver and had a few days off. The place is called Kvietfjell. Its on the world circuit for downhill Skiing. Pretty full and icy, but all good. As for Christmas Island i am living over here with my partner, we work at the school. Its an amazing place, great fishing, and diving. But no snowboarding shops to check out some gear.
Hopefully someone helps me out. I am thinking i might have put a few to many questions in there:(

wow that sounds sick. If my husband hadn't met me, he would have started his training to be an offshore diver in Sweden...but now he's here building luxury catamarans instead! I spent a year in Sweden with him and we did a surf trip up to Vestkapp in Norway and we went through Lillehammer on the way so I'm guessing we drove straight past Kvietfjell! Norway is such a pristine and beautiful country. I think the most beautiful in the world. Did you work offshore on oil rigs or some such with your commercial diving?
How did you get into working at the school on Christmas Island? sounds amazing. I'm a high school teacher and would love an opportunity like that.

Definitely not too many questions in your original post - the people on this forum are amazingly helpful and friendly. I'm sure they'll sort you out just perfectly!

Hey guys - the YES. PickYourLine is the perfect POW / ALL MTN board. It is co operative in the resorts, and is comfortable at whatever speed you are. This board would be ideal for your japan trip, and is even comfortable on bigger kickers. I rode it in Colroado this summer, and thought it was a great resort board, that would also love surfing the pow.

PS - the graphic was done by DCP's friend LANE - who also did some of DCP's prevuious pro model graphics.
here is a link to how it came together..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-sQ23xpEug

That clip is sick!

Hey guys thanks heaps for all the comments, i really appreciate them. I checked out the Yes Pick your line board and its looks sick, the write up i read pretty much says it does everything apart from the parks, which is good as i have no interest in them.

My only reservation is..... they say its for experienced riders. I wouldn't call myself an experienced rider only intermediate, will it chew me up and then spit me out all, the way down the mountain, or will it be a bit forgiving? Every time i go snowboarding i am getting better, so maybe it would be better to get this board so i can grow into so to speak, or is this too big a step up????

Also the size the 161(wide) or 164(wide) ???????I am 6"3 and 95 kilos. I know smaller would be better for tree runs, but if you even out how much i will be riding the trees would it be worth the shorter one, or should i go with the 164??? Confused. Also are there any other boards that are around the same specs as the yes board that would suit my riding??

Cheers guys.

You should be fine. It's a high end board but that shouldn't make any difference. As you said, you are constantly improving and this board is going to last you for years. If you love freeriding, carving, and powder, this board is going to be unreal! It's going to be killer for Japan!

I'm an advocate of slightly bigger boards (compared to what others might suggest), so I'd steer you towards the 164. The shape and camber profile of the board is still going to make it nice and agile in the trees. Most importantly, the snow in Japan is super light and the 164 will support your weight better. If you weren't going to Japan than maybe the 161, but I think the 164 is your better choice here. It's going to float really well, and be super fast and stable for carving.

You could look at something like the Burton Barracuda (2012), replacing the Malolo (2011) I believe. Link here. However the big problem is accommodating your size 13 boots. I don't think the waist width on the Barracuda is going to cut it. I could suggest other boards but I honestly think the YES will be ideal for you, based on what you've told us.

Cheers for the feedback. Where can i get a Yes Pick your line board from in Australia? Also those co2 bindings? is it possible to get 2011 model gear for a bit cheaper? I had a look at the barracuda it looks good as well, is there any other brands that might be a little cheaper than the Yes package? i know you only get what you pay for, and will if i can get the yes board and burton bindings.

I told my wife and she was thinking of hiring the gear, but i have convinced her to get her own. She is 5"10 and weighs 67kilos and has a size 9 foot. She is a intermediate rider as well, can you give a couple of recommendations maybe something along the same price wise of the yes board and co2 bindings also a cheaper one for her as well.

Can we get the gear through you guys?

Cheers

We don't sell any gear but we can certainly organise it for you. I can get you a really good deal on the YES Pick Your Line (or any other board you might want). I know the 164 wide is currently available (only one left). We have good relationships with a lot of stores and brands, which is why we can organise deals for you. Shipping to your house is no problem either. You will be buying it through an authorised Australian retailer, whoever it may be.

All stock is quite heavily discounted now throughout Australia, so if you can find the C02s (we can help track some down if you're interested), they will be at sale price anyway. Now is the best time to buy; good range, great prices. That YES board and CO2 bindings would be such an awesome setup! The Barracuda is sick but it's too narrow for you.

For your wife, does she have the same style of riding as you or would she want something a bit more versatile? I take it she will be going to Japan with you? Let me know and I will get back to you with suggestions.

Mate you are so on the ball it isnt funny, i respect your dedication to the forum. What would the price be for the yes board and the co2 bindings? i am super keen! Only problem is i live on Christmas so i would need to get it delivered to a place in perth, at the airport that will send it over on the plane. Another question, would 2 boards and bindings fit in 1 snowboard bag? and possibly 2 sets of boots?????

My wife is a bit more conservative than me, but basically the same kind of riding, no parks or anything like that, she likes carving the hill as much as i do, but a little more hesitant.

Cant wait to hear back

The board is $899 at retail price. I've spoken to STM and they are happy to special order it for you and give you 30% off, so it comes down to $630. Shipping on one board will probably run around $25, not too much more if you buy a second board and bindings, maybe $40 total (that's up to the store).

Yes, depending on the bag, it should fit two boards, bindings, boots - no problem. Look at the bigger wheelie board bags like the Burton Wheelie Case or equivalent.

I will have to wait till Monday to see if I can track down some large C02s for you. I will also search around for a board for your wife. I will be in touch and I will let you know what I find. I leave for Thredbo in a couple of hours and I still need to pack.