New Snowboard

Hoping someone can help with some logical thinking here, possibly even the two planks crowd.

After my first week on a hire board, I learnt to snowboard on a 163cm wide mid-range board made by Rossignol. I am 190cm tall, with size 9 (43) feet and fluctuate between 72-80 kilo's.

It has seen 30+ days of intense learning, fun and rough terrain in the last year, and it also had a wee run in with a t-bar which is another story. It has been fully serviced by pro's once and I regulary wax it and treat it very nicely indeed.

However I want a new board for my next adventure in March.

My question is, should I go a little bit longer and possibly not so wide? I am nervous to buy something different to what I have always known in case I don't enjoy it as much. I am looking at a Burton Custom (as the 2007/2008 prices have just started to become reasonable) and can't decide if to stay a little shorter and fatter, or go longer on a normal width board (which will give a little more width due to the length).

I ride mainly on piste (75%) and sometimes a little further off-piste (25%) and currently not a big park person. However I would like to get into the park this time around, especially the half pipe as I think it suits my style of riding. Basically I want something that is not too stiff, not to soft and suits my physical needs.

Any advice?

Don't get a similar board to what you already have. There is nothing wrong with it. You will ALWAYS use/want your old boards in the future.
Go a shorter, flexi twin-tip board for something different; and if you fancy trying the pipe. The Custom should be fine; though don't rule out other manufacturers' kit: Ride, Rome and Salomon all make superior equipment.
Take both boards away on holiday with you. That way you can compare the two. Then you can start to learn for yourself different board characteristics.

chaletslovakia gives some good advice on this. There are specialised boards for different aspects of the sport and everything else is a comprimise. If you want to get aquainted with the park and halfpipe, get a freestyle board (wet noodle). You will improve your learning curve by having the right tool for the job.

So I would get a soft freestyle board and take both on your trips. You can use the same bindings and boots, so it doesn't make much difference in your board bag.

Rip up the corderoy on the Rossi in the mornings when it's icey and switch to the freestyle in the pm when it's soft.

Nothing carves like an alpine board and nothing surfs powder like a big gun powder board. So ideally you would always take at least three boards.

Trencher

Thanks for the advice guys. Travelling with 3 boards is probably a bit much for me as I always use the trains and you start to get a bit bogged down. I did take two on my last trip, my own and a friends who has been injured, but never got round to using it.

Not sure I will carry 3, gets a bit heavy when using the trains around Europe :)

chaletslovakia, you mentioned other boards that are superior, do you have any tips? The problem with the Burton is the bindings, and Trencher's logic is good about only carrying one pair, but that does not work with a Burton and my Rossi.

Four hole disc are available for burton bindings. and many other manufacturers use universal disc that can be used on 3 and 4 hole paterns.


Trencher

Thanks Trencher, that certainly makes life a lot easier!!

Don't suppose you have any links do you? )

What bindings do have at the moment ?

Ebay might have disc and sometimes it's possible to drill disc for the other patern.

On the subject of width, narrower is better unless you get boot out (from boots overhanging the sides of the board). This can be helped by using riser plates from Burton or Palmer

http://www.e-depot.co.uk/bindings/accessories

You can make your own from plastic cutting boards.

Trencher