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Hi-I spent the past Christmas holiday in Mammoth and my 7 year old daughter and I decided to try snowboarding so we took a lesson. By the afternoon session I was able to link some turns. It was so much fun cruising down the mountain… of course I crashed a lot. To make a long story short, I am hooked. I would like to continue with this sport and I am thinking of buying my first snowboard. My budget is up to $300. My info are as follows: 37 years old, 5'8″, 190 lbs, size 11 boots, will be riding mainly in SoCal (Mammoth, Big Bear, Mt. Baldy). My typical riding will mainly be cruising down a mountain and nothing crazy. I am looking for a board that is good for beginners (i.e., easy to turn, holds an edge real well, stable), as well something that I can grow with in the next 2 – 3 seasons. I don't want to purchase a poorly made chea
Hi JR,I do not have experience on that particular board, but I can tell you that Arbor boards are VERY well made and everyone I have talked to that owns one loves it. As for that size, that should work for you. A 24.9 is a touch narrow for a size 11 boot, but if your boot is relatively low profile (and the heel and toe tapers upwards at the edges to help prevent drag) then it could be just fine. Otherwise, you may want to find a board that is a bit wider, like a 25.2 or like that. As for length, you might not want anything longer than a 159 for everyday use.Hope this helps.
Frosty,Thanks for the reply. It's good to know that Arbor boards are well made. After further researching I noted that Arbor is based in SoCal where I live. So, I think I'm leaning towards buying an Arbor and support the local company. Are there any board company you could recommend that fits the profile I am interested in. Well made and good price point to me (up to $300)? Also, are there any boots you could recommend that is low profile? During my research I noted that it may not be a bad idea to spend a little more on the boots because you want to get the most comfortable boots you can. I already purchased a binding and got a Burton Mission for $90. Are these bindings OK?Thanks,JR
I have the Burton Missions and I love them. What I have found is that dispite the light weight material they are made out of, they are virtually just as stiff as my friends that are made out of aluminum, and lighter too. So they are super repsonsive for beginners, but light enough not to weigh you down if you want to catch some air. The only problem I have had with mine is that one of the toe straps doesn't fully catch when I have it tightened all the way down. The strap seems slightly stripped. I am going to send them back at the end of the season to have it looked at and replaced. So far it has not been any problem while riding, it hasn't came loose or undone. But if it gets too bad I at least have a pair of Burton Freestyles as back ups.
Thanks for the 411 on the Burton Mission. The store where I purchased my Burton Mission had another Burton binding that was on sale for $110, I think it was called Cartel. Does anybody have any experience with the Cartels and is there a significant upgrade in the quality/functionality compared to the Missions? If so, it may make sense to spend an additional $20 and get the Cartel instead.
Yeah. I used to have cartels and i love them….they are so comfortable and a very light but responsive binding. You cant go wrong buying these. The capstrap is perfect to it never comes off and it actually goes around the toes. But you cant go wrong buying any burton binding.
a good rule of thumb to follow is go by weight rather than height. also the lengthof the board will affect speed and turning abilities.at 190 5'8″ you can ride boards between 148 and 158.on the 148 side, you'll have much more control over turns andstability, yet speed might become an issue.on the 158 side, you sacrifice turning ability (not leaps and bounds,but you'll definatly reconize a difference), but you'll have more speedand floating ability for powder because of the long surface area.the width should be ok. 11.5 and up and you start talking about wideboards. at an 11 you can probably get away with riding either wideor regular, but if you choose regular stay at the high end of the numbers.there really isnt any magic formula to sizing up a board though. most boardfinders just get you into the ball park. my advice is to ride all the numbersin betTravz-Thanks for participating in this thread. Your insight is greatly appreciated. Does it make sense to start with a softer board for someone who is a beginner rider or just get the proper flex for my given weight?Thanks!.
jrv – I dont think flex should be a concern for learning to cruise the mountain. if your goal wasrails or kickers it might be good to think ahead and get a flexable board suited to whatyour aim was. I think sticking in the middle, 4-5-6, would be a great place to start. Mostboards fall into this category anyways, so it makes for easy pickings as well.I know thats kinda vague, but usually the extremes of both sides have specific styles thatgo with them.I noticed the board you picked doesnt tell the flex, but by the descriptions its more thanlikely a midlevel. Arbor has nice boards this season for sure! 🙂
Yeah, I could not tell how soft / stiff their boards are from their website. However, they do provide a suggested rider weight for a given board size. I will based my board size selection on the their suggested rider weight.
… Are there any board company you could recommend that fits the profile I am interested in. Well made and good price point to me (up to $300)? …
Well, I can check that out for you and let you know if you haven't already picked one up.
… Also, are there any boots you could recommend that is low profile? …
… I already purchased a binding and got a Burton Mission for $90. Are these bindings OK? …
Missions are awesome! Where did you score them for only $90?
Sims is a great SoCal company as well and they have been making boards since boards were being made. For a beginner with your specs, check out the Sims Infinity 157 or Sims Oath 157. At well under $200 they are really great values too.
Frosty,I haven't bought my board but I am leaning towards Arbor as of now. I will check out Sims as well thanks. Any recommendation on boots would be great as well.I got my binding from a board shop called Fastlane in Burbank, CA.
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