Board: K2 Simple Pleasure
Size: 151
Camber Option: Directional Camber Baseline. Traditional camber in the middle and rocker in the tips.
Bindings: K2 Indy
Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10
My Weight: 188lbs
Resort: Arapahoe Basin
Conditions: A mix of clouds with gray and blue skies, some snow falling, moderate visibility, a couple inches of heavier snow on top of a weeks worth of fresh snow, and warmer temps.
Flex: A standard directional flex with a softer nose that progressively gets stiffer as you get closer to the tail. The torsional flex was very minimal. Overall it’s a flex that’s on the stiffer side of the middle of the road spectrum.
Stability: There was a little bit of chatter in the tips at high speeds. Getting into chundery powder or blown out ruts and moguls I would occasionally get bucked around. Overall though it’s a highly stable board on a short and wide platform.
Ollies/Pop: With the setback camber you get a fair amount of pop off the back foot. While it’s not the poppiest deck in the world it’s got some OK snap to it if you really load it up.
Butterability: I found that every time I would pop into a butter on my nose it would want to revert or snap me right out. With that being said I found the sweet spot for it being right in the middle of the nose. If I pushed hard and locked in with all my weight it was solid.
Carving: This board can carve. It digs in with ease and rips an aggressive turn. You will find that you do have to drive the back foot in harder than normal to really get the board to center flex, but that extra effort is worth it.
Rider in Mind: The guy that’s on the short and wide train and wants some camber in their life.
Personal Thoughts: This board rode a lot like the Eighty Seven. It’s a little stiffer, but not by much, which I think most people won’t notice. It rips a turn really well and can plow through chunder with ease. Overall it sits between the Cool Bean and the Party Platter but it’s just too similar to the Eighty Seven to really distinguish itself.
Comparable Boards: Yes 420, Marhar Woodsman, Rossignol Sushi
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40 Comments
Would you recommend the Simple pleasure or the Cool Bean for something that can just play around on side hits and surf around maybe in some trees, staying away from the piste?
Honestly the 87 instead. It’s the happy medium between those too. The Cool Bean is too torsionally stiff and makes it sluggish in really tight trees, but the Simple Pleasure is really designed for surfing off the back foot which makes it great in wide open conditions and groomers, but that camber is a chore when in the trees.
Hi, I’m after a board that is fast, stable, holds an edge, Rips a carve and also has great float. I was really tempted by the bataleon carver but if it’s no good In powder Then I’ll give it a miss.
Cheers
In all honesty if you’re looking for something to carve and rip pow then the Simple Pleasures is the better bet.
Sweet, thanks for that. How would you compare the simple pleasures to the flight attendant?
Well I wouldn’t because the Flight Attendant sucks.
Haha. That’s says it all.
How do you think the simple pleasures stacks up against the optimistic?
In all honesty I think it’s better for carving and popping off the tail.
How does the Simple Pleasures compare to the Carve Air as far as stiffness goes? I have a 2016 Carve Air which I really like but it seem a bit stiff for me. All carving and surfy riding for me and no powder as I’m in the midwest.
It’s softer that’s for sure.
Any idea how the Nidecker Mellow compares?
I got a few laps on a Mellow, not enough to give a full review, but I know it’s torsionally stiffer. Also when carving it drives more off the outside of the back foot and off the tail.
Awesome, thanks for the feedback. Rode both the Carve Air and Mellow last season some. Trying to decide if the simple pleasures is a blend of each… Is the Simple Pleasures set back as far as the Mellow if you remember? Which would you say seems more versatile if you can recall? Thanks!!
I have a Simple Pleasures, it’s not. SP is definitely WAY more versatile in my opinion. The way to look at the SP is that it’s the continuation of the Carve Air and progresses the positives of it but gets rid of the negatives.
What are the major differences between this board and the Salomon Sick Stick? They seem pretty similar
Not even close. Camber profile, flex pattern, sidecut, shape, let alone each size of the Sick Stick is a completely different board.
I was comparing the two different 151s. Seems like the SP has more taper but cambers seemed similar. Couldn’t find specs on the SS sidecut, even though I know it’s their quadalizer or whatever. Is one a lot stiffer. What’s your overall take on the SS? Is one a better quiver killer as far as fun surfy turns, pow and still being able to handle speed and steeper terrain? Thanks!
The SP is the stiffer one designed for more hard carving and less surfy carves while the SS is going to be more of that all around pow shape and surfy float you’re looking for.
You mention in your video that it struggled a little in the rutted out powder fields, gave you a feeling of being bucked around a bit. Then, in the write-up, it says it “…can plow through chunder with ease. ”
Can you elaborate on this just a tiny bit? Perhaps my understanding of the term chunder is not correct, but I felt like these statements were contradictory.
Chunder fields are chunks of snow usually a result of frozen powder/death cookies and push mounds. Ruts are more like those whoop bumps that form on the side of runs.
This board or the Jones hovercraft for my first all mountain pow board? Looking for a board that does short and long carves well, stable at higher speeds and is decent for riding with a freestyle influence (sidehits, pow butters. etc)
Thanks!
Neither. You want a United Shapes board. Something from the Explorer line.
Thanks! Also, I was looking into getting a short wider/fat board to keep it nimble in the trees as well. Should I still be looking at United Shapes for that? or do you recommend I check out others as well? As of right now I’m looking into the k2 SP, k2 87, Ride warpig and Capita slush slasher. Thanks again.
You’re on the right track with the boards you have listed I’d also say check out the Weston Backwoods, Marhar Woodsman, Yes 420, and I’m sure I’m missing a few more.
How is the pop on this thing for rollers and side hits?
Thanks!
It’s a little more aggressive to load up, but when you do it’s OK, not the snappiest deck out there, but not the worst.
Something else in the carvy/floaty category with better pop?
Cheers
Telos Backslash, Weston Backwoods, Yes Optimistic.
Awesome
Hace hoy tries te new black 2019 SP ? It appears yo be narrower and with a curvier tail.
I was wondering if you have experience with 2019s version and could comment on how they compare.
Thanks
It’s the same board.
awesome site! the weight range have changed for the 2020 SP which I understand is the same board just with the new stripe graphic.
2019 SP
151cm 150lbs
2020 SP
151cm 110-190+lbs
156cm 140-230+lbs
I am right in between the new WT range at 170lbs and deciding between the 2.
size down as per the volume shift and get 151cm (size 9 boots)? or go the 156cm for japan next year for big drawn out carves on the groomers and open pow. I have my old flat rocker fish shape for colliding with trees!
I’d get the 151 personally.
cheer
cheers
Hi Angryman!
SP 151 or 156 for 190 lbs 10 US to join Greats? For pow, popping side hits and carving groomers that often get icy during night riding. Some trees but nothing extreme there. I also consider GNU Spam/Yes Optimistic for their edge tech. What’s your call?
Nice Patreon content – keep on the good work!
51 if you want it to be a little bit more surfy and easy to turn otherwise the 56 will have better edge hold on the ice. Optimistic over the Spam if you want a board for serious carving otherwise the Spam would be a bit more versatile or what till next year and get The Y which is a softer flexing Optimistic.
I’m really torn between this deck and the SPAM…. looking to float in the pow but still send some side his. Any recommendations??
SPAM all day.