Greetings Boardworld!

I am a newish rider, I would say about beginner/intermediate and I think I am ready for my first board. I think I already hate rentals haha.

I am going to NZ mid 2012 for 5 weeks but I want to buy my gear at the end of this year or early next year to take advantage of sales.

I have read quite a few threads on here and another person who was beginner/intermediate (frankfurt I think his name was?) but if I'm completely honest I'm still really confused as to board/binding/boot selections and I would appreciate some help from you guys. You all seem like a friendly, helpful bunch

The main things I am going to focus on in NZ is riding switch, and I also really want to start introducing myself to the parks. I'm already nervous about the park and it's still a good 7-8 months away! Any tips on riding switch? Also, I don't want to get in the way of experienced riders in the park, is there an etiquette? I'm really paranoid about offending people and getting in people's way when I'm learning. Good tricks to start with?

What boards/bindings/boots do you suggest? I have a reasonable budget since I will be boarding for 5 weeks and more in the future of course I weigh approx. 70-75kg, 168cm tall (5"11), would a 155cm board be suitable for what I want to do? EDIT: My shoe size is 12 or 12.5 (not sure of my boot size, no good snow stores in Perth...), do I need a wide board? I kind of don't want one... to me it seems like wide boards are a bit of a disadvantage in the park and for manuverability or am I just being silly? At Hakuba, I found on longer runs or extended sessions the soles of my feet were really caning. I don't know if that was just crappy rentals or my technique? When I get my own board I want to try and use a duck stance, 15deg front and -9deg back centered stance right?

I live in Perth, so it's really hard for me to find a proper store to try on things, so that's why I'm asking here for suggestions so I can buy online. Perth sucks. Any fellow Perthians here that know of good stores?

I think that's all... Sorry for the long post and all the noob questions that have most likely been asked before a million times, but thanks for your help!

Hey Leez, welcome to Boardworld!!!!!

Firstly, Boots!!!!!

Don't wanna buy these online at all!!!!! Boots are #1 when it comes to buyin ya gear, and the ONLY way to get the right boot for YOU, is to try a heap on until ya get the right fit (firm fit around the whole foot, room at the toes, no heel lift with the correct flex for what ya wanna ride - park = soft/med)

If ya don't have enough to chose from in ya local area, either wait till ya get to the snow, or travel to an area with a good selection!!!!!

Board!!!!!

So it looks like ya wanna ride park mostly?????

A soft flex twin all mountain freestyle will be what ya after, and minimum 155 (Given ya foot size even this might be too small) will certainly be the length ya after in order to get some room around the binding mounts of the board, so ya wont be draggin ya heels or toes!!!!!


Bindings!!!!!

Once again, a soft/med flex binder will be perfect for the park and your skill level/weight!!!!!

Park etiquette!!!!!

Easy!!!!! Know ya ability and don't go hittin things that are beyond ya level!!!!!! Don't push in!!!!! Always give a "YEW" when somethin wicked is pulled off, try ya best to scramble to the sides if ya come unstuck so others aren't waitin!!!!!

But most of all, ride with a mate/crew and have fun, cause that's what it's really all about!!!!!

Will be back later with board/binder recommendations after, but worthwhile readin some of the board reviews that are up already and are yet to come!!!!!

Thanks for the reply!

Regarding buying the boots, do you know how cheap equipment is in NZ compared to Australia? Not really keen on stopping over in the eastern states for a day or two because I want to get to NZ as soon as I can.

Am I right in assuming that since I have some angle on my bindings, that I won't need a wide board even though I have big feet?

Do you know what size binder I need? It's going to be a bit hard size I'm buying the binders first so I'll have no idea how big the boots are going to be... Unless I buy them in NZ.

Yeah I'll be riding with 4 other mates and my girlfriend! It's gonna be sick :D

Cheers

Most 'LARGE' binders should fit a US12, but always ask the seller if it will first, as is the case with everythin, sizes can vary with different manufacturers/brands!!!!!

Never been to NZ, but there are tons of crew on here that will be able to let ya know the sitch with the best shops/districts to look at!!!!!!

Your right, If ya angles are greater, and ya stance width is wider, then there will be less chance of heel/toe drag!!!!!

In NZ, things are a wee bit cheaper, but at that time of year, you will be lucky to get anything on sale...you'd be better buying board and bindings online now and waiting to get the boots til you are in NZ.
I would recommend a shop in Queenstown called NZShred. I got my boots in there, the price was right, the guy knew his stuff and among others they stock the brand Northwave, which aren't too glamorous but are sick boots!

As far as etiquette goes in the park, the biggest rule as a beginner (which people think seems strange or harsh but is in fact logical)...is that if you happen to crash - no matter how hard you go down, you get out of the way as fast as is humanly possible.
Most of the time, no matter how hurt you are (unless you're actually unconscious - ask the member on here K2 about that !!) it IS possible to make the effort to move. If you've got a broken arm - you can move! If you've got a twisted knee, you can probably scramble off to the side...and it is very important that you do....by being in the landing area at all, you are then also endangering other people who are riding the park, who might not know you are there and may end up coming unstuck because you are there & possibly seriously injuring themselves as well. Its bad enough being injured yourself, without having someone else injured because of you as well.
In smaller features, this danger isn't so apparent - but when you start on some decent sized jumps, it becomes much more important.

The only other etiquette issue I would mention is that if you are going to miss a feature in the park for whatever reason, then before you take on the next one, make sure you look up the hill before you drop, so that you don't unwittingly cut in on someone else's run.

If you're going to NZ and keen to learn to ride the park, I would encourage you to visit Snow Park, near Wanaka. They have a great bunch of instructors, the cheapest lessons I've seen and lots of fun, small features to learn on. In can be intimidating when you first get there because they also have a lot of monstrous jumps, but importantly, no one there seems to think or act like they are too good for anyone else and its the best vibe in a park I've experienced. Also, if you keep your eyes open, you'll regularly see the best guys in the world ride and you will probably ride alongside them without even noticing!

I'll leave the board and binding recommendations to the dudes who know their stuff more than me! Good luck though!

That's some sweet info there thanks :D I'll make sure I visit Snow Park and also NZShred if I can't find any boots here.

So many things to choose from online!

Ok looking at the front page snowboard, I've sort of narrowed it down to:

Arbor Westmark 156
Arbor Formula 155
Forum Scallywag/Manual Chillydog 155/156
GNU Carbon Credit 156
LibTech Attack Banana 156
Nitro Gullwing 155
Rome Garage Rocker 157 wide
YES. The Basic 157

Am I looking in the right direction? Are they too expensive for my skill level? I found a package on Ballistyx, 2012 Nitro Addict Gullwing Snowboard w/ Raiden Wizard Bindings for 700AUD?

With a 12.5 foot size you probably will need a wide board. Maybe around a 258mm waist width minimum would be good.

my mate just bought an arbor westmark
he says hes mega happy with it

i was gonna get the basic
there are a couple reviews floating around on this site
most of them said it was a good all around board

i ended up getting a yes great beauty
didn't do much research prior to the purchase
but when i walked into the store and saw it
it just felt right
sometimes you just gotta go with your gut man

skip11 - 29 October 2011 05:18 PM

With a 12.5 foot size you probably will need a wide board. Maybe around a 258mm waist width minimum would be good.

Not necessarily. If you go for a boot with "shrinkage tech" (Burton have it - not sure if anyone else does?), your footprint would have that of a boot size of 11.5 - allowing you to ride boards down to about a 252mm waist (depending on binding choice and stance width/angles). One of my boards has a 247.5mm waist, and I wear a size 11 boot.

Pretty sure fatima has a size 12 hoof, and has just got a Skate Banana 156 with a 255mm waist!!!!!

He demoed one at the Shred without drama!!!!! I think he wears 32's, but not sure if they use shrinktech or an equivalent?????

I think most boot makers are streamlinin their goods these days anyways!!!!!

*EDIT

IMHO the YES Basic 157W will serve you extremely well, after havin test rode one this season gone myself!!!!!

There is also a great rap that Chucky has posted on it after he had also ridden it!!!!! (At work atm, so will post link to it later, unless someone else does it before me!!!!! :cough: :cough: :chucky: :cough: !!!!!)

I'd love to recommend the YES Basic 157, but unfortunately the 251mm waist width is a tad too tight for your 12.5 magnitude hoofness.

OOPS!!!!!

The Basic 157W has 260mm, which will be ample!!!!!!

By the look of it the Basic also has a fairly deep side cut?????

How was the overhang on the 155 that ya rode, Chucky?????

Yea I always forgot about shrinkage tech. But personally, I like a little bit of a wider board (9.5 boot, 253mm waist on my Rice).