The 2007 BWPs w/Pro Lites are the first boards I’ve ever owned so there won’t be any comparison with other skiboards.
Background Info: I’m 27 yrs old, decent shape, 6′ tall, 185ish lbs. I wear Dalbello Krypton Rampage boots (mondo 29.5). I am a novice snowboarder, haven’t skied in 11 years, very comfortable on inline skates (skate w/my wife for exercise) about 3 times a week, and a first time skiboarder. My first skiboarding trip (4.5 days) took place down south at Los Tres Valles (El Colorado-Farellones/Valle Nevado/La Parva) in Chile (review to follow) from 25-29 July. Snow was mostly packed pow and temperatures ranged from 25-40 deg F. That about covers it. So here it goes:
These boards were used, but in great shape when I bought them. I put a coat of hot wax on them every two days and they stayed nice and slick.
My first ride down the hill (green run – ungroomed crud) was a little sketchy, at no fault of the boards. Once I stopped sitting in the backseat, everything smoothed out. These BWPs were almost as nimble as my inlines. Their soft flex ate up the crud without an issue. Soon I was on a groomed run and realized the true potential. Edge to edge was seamless and easy…no poles and no problems.
The following 2 days I upgraded to some blue runs (groomed packed pow) and a whole new world opened up. Even at 99cm, these boards were plenty of fast. I constantly had to check my speed. Hockey stopping took quite a bit more effort than on skis/snowboard (not-so-sharp edge probably played into it.)
Days 3.5 and 4.5 were spent almost entirely on packed pow red runs (south american version of blue-blacks). Once again, they performed like a dream on the groomers. I hit a few small jumps and the flex and wide design held up nice on the landings. My friends and I decided to hit a bowl on the other side of the mountain….that’s where disaster struck…
A 185ish pound dude on 99cm boards does not work too well in over a foot of Andean powder. I leaned back as much as I could without falling, but i just couldn’t get the speed (green/blue-ish steepness) necessary to maintain a good line. The boards just kept sinking.
In summary: Absolutely fantastic boards for groomers/jumps/jibs. Highly recommend for anyone riding in that capacity. However, If you want to head off-piste (and weigh over 150lbs), pick up some larger boards. I’m probably going to pick up some Spruce 120s.
Rider – John Falco – Beginning Skiboarder
