Board: Dinosaurs Will Die Kwon
Size: 156
Camber Option: Hybrid Camber 1. Camber between the feet with rocker in the tips making it a camrocker.
Bindings: K2 Indy
Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 T1DB Size 10
My Weight: 175lbs
Resort: Breckenridge
Conditions: Mix of sun and clouds and slightly warmer temps.
Flex: Softer in the tips and stiffening up under foot with a bit of torsional give. Over all it’s a true mid all mountain freestyle flex.
Stability: This board is meant to be stable under foot. What you do get is a bit of chatter in the tips at high speeds due to the rocker zone.
Ollies: The snap out of the tips is ample enough to boost over features in your way or get up on an urban approach rail. Want to pop over that slow sign? Don’t hesitate.
Pop On Jumps: Approach the lip and snap off the tail and you’re golden. This is a board that you can let work for you as you’re hitting features in the park.
Butterability: Rocker in the tips always helps with butter, what’s nice is that the camber zone gives a bit of rebound so you can really press into the board and get snap out of it.
Jibbing: Locking into a press was a breeze and this board does what needs to be done to slide a feature. The camber under foot is great for board slides and makes you feel secure.
Carving: Rip a quick turn and don’t hesitate. Want to really set an edge in and put your nipples into the corduroy? Well then you better be prepared to work for it.
Rider in Mind: The guy that is making the mountain his playground and will spend just as much time boosting off natural hits as well as hitting park features.
Personal Thoughts: If you’re a camber lover and want to try out a different profile I would recommend this deck. It’s a great way to get introduced to something that’s a bit easier on the knees and body but still has the snap of traditional camber. It was a real fun ride all over the mountain.
Check out the 2015 and 2016 reviews of the DWD Kwon.
Comparable Boards: Yes Typo, Rossignol Jibsaw, Arbor Coda
Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.
This board was loaned to us for review by DWD Snowboards marketing department.
*Disclaimer this board did not change for 2017 so we carried the 2016 review over.
6 Comments
[…] K2 Turbo Dream Sims Blade Monument Tragedy Capita DOA DC Space Echo Marhar Archaic Salomon Official Dinosaurs Will Die Kwon Flow Rush K2 Subculture Smokin Buck Ferton Endeavor Clout Smoking Big Wig Burton Custom Flying V […]
Thanks for all your reviews, they’re a great resource.
I’m 6’1″, 175-180lb, currently riding a 2011 Ride Highlife 159W. It’s very well made, and pretty good for going fast on, but it’s a bit… dull? (The best board I ever had was a 161 Apo Amanite with sweet mushroom graphics, but it was too fragile to last).
I don’t want a quiver, I just want to go snowboarding without obsessing about my gear. I live in Colorado and prefer natural ungroomed terrain, but I also like to carve the groomed runs, hit the jump line in the park, embarrass myself in the half-pipe, and play around on flatter runs with my young daughters – “snowboarding” basically. I aspire to ride switch as well I ride regular. I’m done with rails.
I’m looking for a funner board, that won’t overly limit me in any particular area, to ride in resorts. If I can find one I’ll split the Highlife and keep it for the backcountry.
Three boards that intrigue me are the DWD Kwon, Amplid Pillow Talk and Smokin Jetson – they seem to share a similar shape/camber profile and all got a more or less positive review from you. How do they measure up in a direct comparison? You think any of them could be the answer?
You’re all over the place with boards.
Really? I thought that since they’re all mid flexing twins with some camber between the feet and some early rise in the tips they’d at least be comparable. It’s the differences I’m interested in.
Amplid Pillow Talk: Twin flat to rocker (I know there’s a cambered version now) is soft in the tips and designed for powder freestyle.
Jetson: Future Freeride series versatile but still more of a pow board first and foremost.
Kwon: Only board in the list that’s a jack of all trades.
Thanks for the follow-up. I don’t get to ride many boards (maybe 10 boards over 15 years), and I don’t think I’ll be able to demo any of these three, so I appreciate your comments.
In your review of both the Jetson and the Pillow Talk you talked up their versatility – particularly the Pillow Talk. Given that none of these boards, even the Kwon, are optimized for carving, could you rank them in terms of how well they carve? (I’m trying to figure out where the trade-offs are)