Last night, I rode my wife’s Tanshos for the first time. My only prior experience had been on my own 103cm Rumspringas (MaryJanes), which are the narrowest RVL8 boards at 11.6/9.5/11.6. Prior to that I’d only ridden Elan Freelines and Snowblades, which are even narrower.
I stepped into the Risers on the Tanshos and “just went for it” down an unrated (probably green or blue) hill at my local ravine ski club, and I was thoroughly impressed. The extra width I’d feared were a non-issue, and in fact, after about 2-3 runs, I learned to appreciate it more than the Rumspringas’ narrowness.
People say that wider boards are supposedly harder to get on edge, but I really didn’t notice a difference with the Tanshos. Especially with Risers, you are higher on the boards, so there is a higher centre of gravity, which makes it easier to “tip” onto edge. That’s not to say there is no difference in the way Rumspringas feel versus Tanshos (13.5/10.5/13.5); there is a definite wider feel to the Tanshos, but the difference (to me at least) is that on wider boards, you have a better sense of when you’re on edge than when you’re not. This provides better feedback to the rider. Conceptually, edging on Tanshos feel like a “\_/” with a noticeable “flat spot,” whereas Rumspringas feel more like a “U” where the edge isn’t as detectable. Good or bad thing? That’s up to the Rider. I prefer the Tanshos.
The one thing I disliked about the Tanshos (which is in no way a design flaw) is their length. Everytime I hit a large pile of crud, it felt like the boards became unstable, especially at slower speeds (i.e. right off the chairlift) when they would sometimes prematurely come to a dead stop. However, they still felt quite stable at higher speeds, much better than older 90cm Snowblades I’ve ridden. They actually feel a bit longer than 90cm!
I don’t ride in the park, but overall the Tanshos felt like a fun, casual board. They feel so lightweight and are a pleasure to skate on. Coming from the narrow Rumspringa camp, I feel the extra width should be embraced rather than feared, but I did wish the Tanshos were longer. I guess that’s what BWP’s are for…
Rider – Brian Wolk – Intermediate Skiboarder
