Normal or Wide, help me decide.

I’ve thought a lot a about a deck for the upcoming season and i think i’m going for the park pickle, next problem is the lenght and width.  Part of me wants a 156 wide but to be honest my feet are only a US 8.5 and i’m only about 63kgs.  I just fancy it for some reason.  I guess what i’m hoping the forum could provide was an idea of whether this choice is ridiculous or whether it’ll have greater stomping, carving and general stability benifits.  If anyone has any experience riding both wide and normal boards i love to hear their opinion.

ta

The only reason you I can think of for a wider board is for wider feet and preventing toe/heel drag
If your feet are smaller, a wider board may give you a little bit more stability, but it won’t be easier to manouvre
Smaller foot on wider boards results in less foot contact area per corresponding unit area on the board.

I know that doesn’t sound like much sense.. think of it this way:
Smaller board = your feet don’t have to put as much force into rotations/lifts as the torque is less.
Your weight is distributed through the middle of your bindings, and the amount of torque required for lifting an edge corresponds to the distance from the middle of that binding to the edge.
The greater this distance, the greater the amount of torque.
The more torque required, the more energy expenditure

Thus with a wider board, you actually have to put MORE effort into carves and turns.

And don’t you think 156 seems a little long, especially for a pickle designed to be chucked around?

Thanks T-spec, I understand what your saying, i never thought i’d read the word torque on these forums, nice!  Two follow up questions, first on the magnitude of the torque, I believe the wide version is around 10mm wider, is this going to be hardly noticable or pretty obvious especially after a few hundred turns?  The other question is how much overhang of the heel or toe does it take before it becomes an issue, I try and put my binding on so that my heel and toe everhang the same amount, sometime when carving i feel like the heel of the binding touches the snow, but only occasionally…...the lesser of two evils scenario again!!
They also do a pickle in 153, tempting for sure, just don’t want the carving performance of the board to suffer…

I do agree that the difference in torque between a wide board compared to a skinnier one would be marginal. However, like you said hundreds of turns. That’ll be hundreds of turns a day. Multiply that over a weekend, or a week-long trip..one gets the picture.

With regards to boot sizes, I can only repeat what I’ve been told in stores. I’m sure some of the lads around here can tell you more.
I’ve generally been told Size 10 (US) boots can go up to about 250mm waist widths without too many issues.
Size 10-12 you want to start looking at wider such as 255mm, and if you have a size 12 or larger you want to look at 260mm widths.

However, this also depends on your stance width and your bindings.
The wider your stance width, the further towards the ends your bindings will be and the wider the board will be in these parts, as the width of the board is measured at the skinniest point right in the middle of the board.

Also, some bindings also have toe ramps or extra foot pads to raise your boot that extra 2-3cm above the board, allowing for far more angle on your turns until any drag is noticeable.

I currently ride a Ride Prophet, with a waist width of 250mm and my stance width is about 22”. I have Size 10 boots and have no issues with any heel/toe drag.

Dunno if that helps at all..

a boot at US size 9 and under doesnt need to get a wide board.
increased surface area underfoot is good for large flat landings… but that’s likely not needed.
a board too wide for your boot is difficult to get onto it’s edge, because instead of having the edge under your heel or toe, it is out past your heel and toe. so hard to leverage up to tip it over.

Keep in mind the angle your boot sits on the board, and steeper boot angles means you can fit a thinner board underfoot.

I dont see why at an 8.5 you need a wide board.
Borrow someone’s wide board for a run or two and see how it feels.

Wide boards are designed for bigger boots as was mentioned. A normal width board is going to respond a lot better for turns seeing that you are 63 kg. 156 is a bigger board and then add the wide you will be having a work out for sure. Are you doing a lot of park, mountain or a mix up of 50/50? Pickle has reverse camber to from what I remember and that does help with pow float.

Yeah the Park Pickle has rocker. Aidy, I wouldn’t go wide. While you might notice a bit more stability and float, I feel you will be sacrificing too much response. With 8.5 boots you shouldn’t have a problem. Possible to demo both options before you buy?

Prolly not sadly, i’m in a bit of a mess with this one, I have noticed when carving that my heelcup of my ride bindings touches the snow with immediate consequences.  I had a 155 burton seven (now retired) and i got (normal) overhang on that which wasn’t a problem except what i mention above.  If i got a normal width maybe the 153 might be a better choice, especially in the park!  Its tricky! 

In responce to your question CJ, I basically spend most of my free time jibbing or in the park, I would love to have a go at getting my CASI level 3 this season and a fair bit of that is advanced carving so thats like my side project this year (and prolly next as well).

Aidy I feel the 153 will be a better choice. I ride a 52/53 when I get the chance and I’m 78kg so its more for the fun of it. If there is any sort of powder (riding in aus) it is the worst feeling though because i sink it. If carving is what you will need to pass the shorter board will definitely help, ie better board response. The park pickle sounds like a board you would have fun with.

Ok i’m starting to lean towards the shorter gherkin, interesting you saying the shorter board would be better for carving, i’d always assumed more effective edge would be advantageuous.

I would agree with you Aidy. Generally a longer, stiffer board would be better for carving. Looking at it the other way though CJ has a valid point, a shorter board is more mobile and responsive. As long as you have sufficient edge to hold the carved edge solidly, it shouldn’t really pose a problem. From what I learned in the Level 3 prep I can tell you the quicker you can turn your board the better. It’s all about fast, short-radius turns, including short carved turns on bumps/small moguls, with consistency. The hardest thing is getting your board to respond and turn as fast as you think/see the terrain ahead. At 63 kg I don’t think a 156, let alone a wide board, would help with your level 3 goals. Just something to think about.

Thanks for everyones views and advice, i think a 153 park pickle is the stick i’ll be trying to get my hands on when i arrive in canada in lets see, 3 weeks now!! woop woop.