Board: Yes 420 PH
Size: 154
Camber Option: Camber + Powderhull. Traditional camber with a 3D shaping to help funnel powder and break up the friction on the base.
Bindings: Rome Black Label
Stance: 21.5 Wide 15 Negative 12 Goofy
Boots: K2 Thraxis size 10
My Weight: 200lbs
Resort: Copper Mountain
Conditions: A mix of gray skies with pockets of blue coming through, some wind, 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow on top of frozen chunder and corduroy.
Flex: I will say this, this board is stiffer than you think. It’s definitely past middle of the road on the freeride spectrum. With that said you get a ever so slightly softer nose that stiffens up right at the front insert pack and stays consistent through to the tail. The torsional flex is very minimal.
Stability: The width, camber, and flex of this board make for a stable ride. Sure in really aggressive chop the nose does get bounced around and you may (I stress MAY) feel some chatter or reverberation in the front insert. Through the middle of the board it cuts through everything in its path and plows through most chop with ease.
Ollies/Pop: Loading up the camber does take a bit more effort and you have to be calculated with it to get the most out of the board. With that said as it’s camber you will get solid pop with this board which is nice when launching powder pillows or a cat track gap into fresh snow. What you put in is about what you get out so don’t skip leg day.
Butterability: This board isn’t the best for buttering even in pow, but then again look at the shape. The nose takes a bit more effort thank you think to get it to lock in and even then it fights you the whole time. You want to keep your weight way out over the nose and really press into it. With the tail you want to lean as far back as you can to get the nose to lift up on a high speed wheelie.
Carving: It’s a pow board first so carving isn’t going to be its strong suit. With that said it has enough edge hold to lock in on most terrain, I did find on icier conditions it tended to kick out under the back foot a little. It wasn’t a regular occurrence but it was enough for me to note that it happened. When driving this board it’s smooth from edge to edge and some of that can be attributed to that Powder Hull, but it doesn’t seem as nimble as other boards. Once on edge you notice that it steers more outside the front foot through to the tail which makes for a more dynamic carve but less ability to micro adjust your turns. Its strong suit is long swooping carves from one side of the trail to the other.
Rider in Mind: Camber loving powder hound.
Personal Thoughts: I’ve ridden this board in a few different iterations and I can see the subtle shifts in the Powder Hull technology. It has gotten more refined and works better, but I still notice it pull a bit when skidding to a stop on firmer snow. Now it’s a powder board so that’s really not a slight against it. With that said in powder it does its job well. This board is stiffer than people will think it is which does add to its stability.
Comparable Boards: Rome Stale Fish, K2 Special Effects, Bataleon Camel Two
Recommended Bindings: Now Select Pro, Ride C8, Union Falcor
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