164 is pretty long unless your out in the back country?

To be honest, before I got it I would have preferred 162, but it doesn’t come in a 162. I’m not a fan of long boards for long boards sakes. I use to have 158 for mucking about in the park and I could get it to plane in powder but I’d have to be absolutely charging.

Ironically, my back country board is a 162, but it has an early rise nose so rides longer than it is and is fast to ride to the top of the snow. Which is handy when you have a pack full of safetly gear.

Getting to the OP. You really need to be honest about what style of riding you like. Shorter/rocker will be more fun in the park – longer/camber will be more fun charging around the mountain. Much like mountain biking it’s a compromise in the end. You can still ride powder on a shorter board you’ll just need to work harder, and you can still ride the park on a stiffer board – you just need to be on your game.

There’s no golden rule, although most manufacturers provide a suggested weight-range for each board.

I’m 5’11” and 90kg. I’ve always been into big, stiff boards, usually around 166.

For the last couple of season though, I’ve been dropping down gradually and now ride a 156 (park), 159 (all-round) and 162 (powder). Can’t say I’m actually missing the big boards. Much more freedom and fun, no loss of performance. Planning to sell my splitboard at the end of the season because (at 169) it now feels far too big.

stevomcd I can’t sing the praises of my Burton Freebird enough if you’re looking for a shorter splitboard. Great in open bowls and great fun once you hit the tree line.

Pretty similar to the OP’s height, weight and show size and I am running a Bataleon Goliath 161 (and yes, they are the ones with TBT, not Burton!).

However I’d also add that everyone is different.

If you can, get yourself along to a demo day at one of the snowdomes. Or even just demo a few boards yourself. TSA do this at Xscape. You can try out a bunch of boards on real snow and see what suits you.

I’d agree that a 162 would be about right for somebody in the 6’1″ bracket, but the OP’s relative lightness should mean he can go down a size and then if he goes for a wide then probably down another size. We could go into sidecut radii and so on, but I’d be looking to see if there we’re any nice all mountain or direction twin’s in about a 157W in the OP’s situation.

Length is less important than flex. I’m 5’11, 70kgs. Favourite board evarrr was a Duotone 168, but I’ve sold 2 166s because they were too much of a handful to muscle around when they needed muscling, Loved a 185 Swell Panik riding everything, still got a 176 Prior swallowtail, which is amazing on smooth piste and perfect poweder, anything else and it’s a bit much for me. Really long sidecut, really stiff, hardly any rise in the nose, so a really long effective edge. Scares the pants off me first turn off the lift when I’ve not ridden it for a while – put your weight over an edge, expect the carve to balance you out, board keeps on going straight!

Rocker gives you a bit more flexibility: it makes a board more manoeuvrable, so you can go longer and get more stability, pow float, suface area for powerful turns in powder, and not lose manoeuvrability. But also makes a board float more in powder, so you can go a bit shorter and maximise playfulness and easy turning, without sinking on deep days.

And rocker’s not just for park and tricks. All Venture’s boards are rockered, flat underfoot, most of them are on the big mountain end. Especially Johan Oloffson’s “Odin” pro-model, which I would quite like a go on, please.

I’m now on a 164 Venture Zephyr, rocker – flat – rocker. Love it, carves beautifully, handles nicely when things get nadgery, stable going fast and floats beautifully. Bit less pop off rollers without camber in the rear, but I’ll take that.

After all that: ride as many as you can. If you can’t, get a shortlist of boards that sound about right, make sure you get wider if you need (I do), use the manuf’s weight range to help you decide on a size (bearing in mind the flex thing), and if there’s still a choice, pick the one with the best graphics!

I have a Burton Custom 163 Flying V for sale if anyone is interested? New last season and has seen only 3_4 days of snow. Equipped with Burton Mission bindings.

I have always used Burton boots & bindings, aside from the odd toe strap snapping after a lot of use I’ve had no problems. Ratchet bindings and boots are pretty well evolved at this stage, I think its still worth considering matching boots to bindings to avoid pressure points.

I think you need to look at length, stiffness and camber/rocker together as they will all affect the way the board rides. I wanted a fairly stiff, twin shape board in a 161 wide or bigger. Once you make a few decisions like that the list of options gets a lot shorter.

And rocker’s not just for park and tricks.

Yes, I agree. I didn’t mean to give that impression they were. I just feel that unless you only ride fresh snow then they can be lacking in terms of edge hold when conditions firm up.

I doubt Olofsson is riding over a couple of hundred metres of crud and ice to grab the odd turn here and there in fresh snow of the edge of marked trails. He’ll have a mate with a sled or helicopter, the lucky bugger 🙂

Also have a Burton Flying V which I love, but then I’m a girl and not your size, see if you can ride any before you buy

bataleon.. 🙂

Having ridden about 15 boards over the years, can honestly say this is the board to get:

No changes and more awards this year:

Been using it the last 2 years,amazing !

Its a mid wide with 25.8 waist, should work with your size feet, but worth trying it if possible.

I would recommend the 161.5, although I am on the 157 at 6ft and 90kg.

I have the horsepower, but honestly think it makes no difference.

Another good review here:

http://thegoodride.com/snowboard-reviews/lib-tech-travis-rice-pro/

OP – you are spoiled for choice and it’s a very personal thing. Everyone thinks the board they have just bought is the best!

I’m 6’1″ish and vary from 90kg upwards with size 10’s and have always ridden a wide board of around 164cm, although I had a Lib Tech Jamie Lynn which was 168 which I really liked (wish I’d never sold it). I also learned on an Oxygen Big Shot which was supposed to be for beginner/intermediate but is still the stiffest thing I’ve ever ridden 🙁

Some ridiculous bargains on Ebay. I’m off to Flaine in a couple of weeks and picked up a 2011 Flow Solitude for under £80 which looks like it’s never been used. Can’t wait to give it a go as I’ve never tried a rocker. Seems like a good all-rounder according to reports.

ps. I’ve only owned 4 boards with a few try-outs of rentals and I love my Flow’s so all above is not to be taken seriously 😉

http://thegoodride.com/snowboard-reviews/lib-tech-travis-rice-pro/

Travis Rice could ride 5 foot long 8 x 2″ plank of wood and still embarrass most pro rides. He is unbelievably talented.