Author: Andrew

Skiboardmagazine’s Jason flexes the Summit Nomad…

So I finally got to try these out after years of these being on the market.

Most interesting thing of these skiboards is the flex. They are stiff under foot, and the tips are very soft. This works nice in powder, giving plenty of lift out of the soft snow with little effort. Add that with the 6 cm high tips and you get lots of lift. More lift does make for more drag however, so they are slower in soft snow than other skiboards.

At 6.8 meters, the Nomads have a pretty large turning radius for this size skiboards, combine that with a stiff under foot and you get an amazingly stable and fast ride, as long as you dont rely on the tails, ie ride the tips or backseat.

Park rats might find the turning radius too big and tips too soft to get very creative, but it does make landings and slides super stable. If you enjoy bombing steeps, long carves and frequent powder stashes on occasion, pick yourself up a pair.

Rider – Jason Roussel – Expert Skiboarder Co-founder Skiboardmagazine.com


Love love love my Nomads…

I finally got a chance to try out my new Nomads this past week. The last couple of seasons I’ve been riding only long boards (120s) because where I now live the conditions are mostly powder. This is how my two days on the slopes went:

On day one I broke out the Nomads first thing to give them a try. I only lasted 2 runs before switching to my 120s, this was really no fault of the Nomads. There was a good bit of loose powder on the slopes that day, and I just didn’t want to try out the Nomads for the first time in those conditions. It had been a while since I’d been on anything that short, so I wasn’t comfortable.

On day two I decided I was going to force myself to ride the Nomads all day long, so I only took them to the slopes with me. The conditions were much different from day one. It started out groomed hardpack (slick in spots), and by the afternoon became soft and slushy. The temp got close to 60 degrees and the sun was shining bright. I must say that I had an absolute freakin’ blast on the Nomads. I have an enjoyable and fun time on my 120s, but the Nomads brought me back to the times when I lived in Minnesota only using sub 100cm boards. It took me a little while to get used to riding short boards again. I realized soon to have the boards perform like I wanted, I needed to push them harder. It was great to get back into a gorilla stance and carve these things tight back and forth down the slopes. I was riding fakie, doing flat 360 spins, and even hitting small jumps. All things I seldom ever feel comfortable with on my 120s.

Overall the Nomads were stable at speed, performed very well in the crud, kept a great edge, and were super light on the feet. There were a few times I sunk into the slush and felt like I might face plant, but I don’t think any other board would have performed better. And something else to mention is that these boards are simply gorgeous. When I received them I thought they were green and black, but you get them in sunlight and you learn the black is actually a dark blue. Very sharp!

Quite often I buy boards, use them once or twice, decide they aren’t for me, and then turn around and sell them. I won’t be doing this with the Nomads. They are keepers! Love, love, love them!!! :-)

Rider – Jay Wisely – Expert Skiboarder


Nomad boards are fantastic…

Okay, here it is. The long awaited review has now entered the building. Yesterday, 12/12/08 was my first day out for the 2008-2009 season. I got out having only ever ridden short skis and before that a snowboard. I have to say this is the most impressive set of planks that I have ever put on my feet. In this review I will discuss general ride, jumps, and rails.

General Riding
I arrived at Boston Mills at 4:30pm and got my gear on in the parking lot just so I could get to the slopes a bit faster. I got through the line to get my pass, relieved myself, and walked out onto the snow for possibly the most life changing day of my life. I put on my boards and skated, quite easily I might add, to the closest available lift I could see. The skating was something I had already tested out in my yard so I knew it would be easy on the slopes. I got on the lift and rode to the top anxiously awaiting my arrival at the top. When I got off of the lift I tried some basic turns just to get the feel of the board’s edges. I then took a bit of time in the same run to try some ground spins which were really easy on my Rossignol 120 short skis. Ground spins are much different on wide boards than on narrow skis so it took me a few tries to get it all the way around comfortably. I took the rest of the run testing the feel at speed. I bombed the blue hill from half way up to the bottom easily and at no point felt like I was out of control. I was even able to skate at times to build up even more speed to just get the feel and I still didn’t feel like I was a danger to myself or anyone else.
Run two, I have ridden back up and have decided to test to see how easily I could carve at speed, as it turns out, the width actually makes it quite easy to get on edge, so much so that I was laying out carves touching the ground without exerting any effort at all. I did the same run for a few more times just to make sure that I had the feel for it and I moved on to the park.

Jumps
I spent most of the day after the initial test runs working on my rail skills in the park. But before I even tried one rail I made sure to test the feel of jumping. I have to say, again like ground spins, the feeling of jumping is different on wide boards than on skis. I will say this though, before you get the idea that I am saying this feel is better on skiboards than on skis, I am not. I am just saying that they are different. I had a bit of a problem at first just landing straight up because of the size of the jumps being so small and my deciding that doing a safety grab was the best idea to stay stable in air when in all reality it would have been best just to jump and land at first. When I did get it there was nothing noticeably different about landing on skiboards than on skis. There was a mound of snow that people were using like a quarter pipe off to the side of the trail that I decided to try and 180 on. Landing fakie was definitely much easier on twin tipped skiboards than on non twined short skis. Next were the rails.

Rails
This was the first day that I have ever done a rail sideways and landed it, sorry Mark no footy but I assure you it happened. The first rail I tried was a basic down T rail. This was probably not the best idea for trying rails on my new boards but Graham (gracker) pressured me into doing it. I thank him for doing that, and you all see that I did thank him. If not for him I don’t think that I would have done it all during the day. I did a try on it and fell after taking a jump off the kicker just to see how it would feel. After I had hiked and tried again I just rode down to the bottom of the hill and rode the lift back up to try the down rail again and then try the other T rail they had setup which was a flat T rail. The flat T rail is where I found out what I was doing wrong. After two more tries I was able to complete the full 8 feet of the rail. And went the rest of the rail not falling on the rail itself but on the landing, if I did fall at all.

Conclusion
Over all I would have to say that these things are the best pieces of gear I have ever put on my feet and I am ready to work on throwing some real tricks when the parks are really set up and ready to go. I am also ready to get out and do some real glade skiing as soon as possible. I am really surprised at how amazingly I was able to perform on my first day out just because of the extra confidence that I got from having wider boards on my feet. I would say that if you can get these as cheap as I did go ahead and pick some up. I give these things five stars on everything I was able to test which happens to be everything but pow. So I guess that we will have to see what happens when I get a chance to do some of that…mmm hmm.

I haven’t had a chance to ride powder that is why there is no rating in that section or in all mountain.

Rider – Dennis Evans – Intermediate Skiboarder


Westside is stiff and sturdy…

I purchased these skiboards whilst in Romania (from Shew Ichihashi), but after only one day of riding I feel I can give a review. I used these skiboards with the Exclaim! riser plate and rossignol releasable bindings.

Firstly, these skiboards are on the skinny side (11.5/9.4/11.5), and they are asymmetrical (the binding holes are set back slightly. They are 99cm long and quite heavy when compared to RVL8s. They are also made of a power-cell (foam) core, unlike the standard wood of most other skiboards. This had led to speculation from the skiboard community, however any fears I had were soon dispelled when riding them.

These skiboards are stiff and sturdy, and provide a huge amount of stability when riding. I found myself going faster straight away, and feeling more under control. The slanted sidewall (which differs from most other skiboards) provides great hold on icy conditions, and when riding down groomed runs they’re probably the best skiboards I’ve ridden.

Due to the smaller width, skating on the flats took a little more effort, however they cut through the snow very well due to being stiff. Despite their stiffness, they still are great for butters and flatland tricks, proving both their durability and flexibility when doing nose presses etc.

They maneuvered very quickly when going through trees; however I do not think they will do well in powder due to being so thin. The bindings are set back automatically however, which is why i gave them a 3.

Overall if you like your skiboards stiff, with a very ‘grounded’ feel, these will be great for you.

Rider – Joe Wright – Intermediate Skiboarder


Sherpa is my all around favorite board…

My all around favorite board. The Sherpa is a deep powder beast, yet nimble as can be. It carves like a demon on the groomers as it holds speed equal of skis or snowboards. The ultimate big mountain skiboard. The only drawback I’ve found is it is a little difficult to pilot in very tight moguls.

Below is Jacks review from the SBOL forums:
This board is totally the equal or better in float and speed through pow of the Icelantic Scout 143or for that matter of any 180 cm mid fat ski or of a 160 cm snowboard, yet is way more maneuverable and yet grips like a fiend on ice. How sweet is that…!
It was also one of those days with the snow blowing side ways and visibility near zero at times but I could just trust the wonderful stable platform of the Sherpa, smoothing the ride out in off piste variable snow, you know bumpy snow, moguls, deep pow stashes mixed with ice and can’t see kind of stuff!!
You know just stepping into this board on your living room floor feels like it will be the most cumbersome board possible, compared to a 110 or 105 skiboard with a shorter and narrower shape, but don’t let that fool you at all. The thing becomes the most maneuverable board ever once you give it some gas, and those 160 tips are totally completely amazing in lifting you up like magic in the pow or crud. I have never, every ridden any snowsliding device that has been sweeter as an all a rounder. This board does everything , it evens out rough terrain like it was groomed snow , it floats you high in the pow dream like , it carves like a demon on ice and has extraordinary hold at speed , and is the totally the equal or better of any other snow sliding board out there in the big mountain arena . BUT HERE IS THE MOST AMAZING AND WONDERFUL PART OF THIS WHOLE PACKAGE. Jeff Singer has engineered a 7.5 meter turn radius into this thing!
This thing turns on a dime, think turn and it tuns whether in the deep or or the firm pack. With this thing on my feet I feel like I can FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY BUT STING LIKE A BEE!!! !

I know this board will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but think of how important this board is for skiboarding as a sport. Up until know, many folks have thought of skiboarding as a compromise sport. Great in the park and on packed and variable snow, but if you really wanted to ride big mountain lines better ditch your skiboards and grab skis or snowboards.
Jeff has designed a board that in one fell swoop defines a new paradigm for big mountain skiboarding.

And think of what this board does , it allows regular alpine skiboarders to ride the thing with a powder plate and release binding in any of three set back positions , it lets backcountry alpine touring types ride it also in any of three set back positions , and for those crazy skiboarding telemakers out there.

Rider – Jack Jue – Expert Skiboarder


Sherpa is a huge skiboard…

This is a huge skiboard. It takes a lot of energy to ride. I don\’t think lighter riders in the 160lb range will like it. It really requires a lot of work to get from edge to edge on groomers. Once you get it moving, it is easy to turn. Ice grip is the best I\’ve experienced. The powder float is also the best. It does not take the energy to ride powder like it does groomers and turns very easily. Speed and Stabliliy is also ++ for this boards.
Rider – Wendell Jeong – Expert Skiboarder


Sherpa is an idea board for…

When I first was contacted by Jeff Singer about testing the Sherpas, I was excited about the thought of skiboards that could handle the powder, but I was a little apprehensive about the length. Before I took the dive and tried out a pair of EMPs, I was a strong advocate of sub 100cm boards. The EMPs changed my view on this however. First day out on the Sherpas I got to ride in 4-5 feet of untracked dry powder, and that was on the green runs. The float these boards gave me was truly amazing. For the first time I was not paying too much attention to keeping weight on the heels of my boards, or what my tips might dig into. I was riding powder the way it is meant to be.

Since then I have gotten a chance to try these boards on every condition there is. They hold a great edge on ice and hardpack. They are still short enough to maneuver through most moguls as you would on shorter boards, and when you can’t they can pop over the tops like skis. At lower speeds, you do notice the length some, and they feel a bit cumbersome. Once up to speed, however, they truly shine.

These boards have to be ridden aggressively, but if you enjoy carving at speed, steeps, bowls, powder, backcountry, etc. then these are the ideal boards.

Rider – Andrew Thompson (SkaFreak) – Expert Skiboarder


Sherpa: This board is awesome…

This board is awesome! I’ve only ridden this board once since I bought it last week. Initial reaction, it’s a fat board! I do own a 120 but this one has a fatter tip. It is very stable on/off groomed runs and fast! Definitely a great pow board. I stayed afloat on any untracked pow with ease and not even leaning back, that really helps a lot on your legs. Moguls are still a challenge for me, it’s not the board, and it’s just me. It’s my weakness. On park, nothing to say cuz i do not do any park tricks, sorry. I think this is the all mountain board for my style. I have a slight issue with wobbliness but its the way i carve the Sherpa’s, I need to adjust my style and since I’ve only ridden it once, I’ll get it resolve and that would be the end of it. I love this board already.


Rider – Thom Javier (t21) – Expert Skiboarder


Skiboardmagazine’s Jason reviews the Spruce 120’s…

I’ve always be reluctant to ride longboard skiboards, but I’ve got a change to try out the Spruce 120s a few times last season and this season and was pleasantly surprised.

The obvious comes to mind at first; picking wider lines (in the glades mostly) is a must, they are more board to throw around in the park, and skating around is a little bit more of a hassle, and they float great in powder.

The only option for these boards is releasable bindings, which of course is needed for this length of board, and also makes them a little heavier, but its easy to get used to that.

People who like to go big in the park will enjoy the landing surface of these boards, but they might be a little bit too soft for heavier park riders. The fairly sharp turning radius compensates their length for those who want to get creative in the park on rails and jibs, but be warned that there is much more ski to throw around than most skiboards.

On groomers they fairy pretty well. Again I found them to be a little soft, and heavier riders might find them to chatter at high speeds, but for the average rider they will hold up their edge very well thanks to the long edges.

Powder is really fun with these, i wish there was an easier way to set the bindings back, but this can be done by moving the bindings back on the Risers. Again, you’re going to have to pick slightly wider lines than traditional skiboards, but if you’re looking for float in the fresh snow you’ve got it here.

Skiers moving to skiboards will find these an easy transition. I also recommend them to medium or light weight riders looking for larger surface area and more edge control, meaning ripping groomers and shredding powder!

Rider – Jason Roussel – Expert Skiboarder Co-Founder of Skiboardmagazine.com




120cm are the SUV of skiboards…

Just got back from 7 full days skiboarding in The Three Valleys, France. Conditions were WAY beyond perfect. These were the best conditions I have seen in 3V in 20 years of going there. There were three of us, all long time ski/skiboard buddies, with a collection of boards from 99 to 130. My two friends were to ski the Spruce 120 for the very first time this trip, and I was really up to see how they got on with longboards. Previously, they had only skied 99s.

Well, the answer is, Fantastic! They both agreed that in skiing terms, the switch to the 120 was life changing :-).

We skied hundreds of kilometers and many thousands of feet vertical over the seven days, in all conditions from deep fresh powder off piste to groomed resort snow. From powder covered steeps to flat groomed pasture, and all agreed the 120 is just the most perfect All Mountain skiboard ever. It has the lightning agility of the true skiboard, but enough flotation to deal with real powder. It is easy going enough to allow six hours of full on skiing every day without totally exhausting the rider (well, maybe a bit), but sophisticated enough to allow totally full on skiboarding.
This was the first time I have ridden the 120 with other riders of this level, and I was really surprised just how hard this board can be pushed. I certainly never found its limits.

The 120 has a reputation as a big soft cruiser, and that is justified, but it is also a total full-on all mountain missile if you want that, and we did :-).

We took gigabytes of video clips too. Loads of technical skiing demos showing incredibly fast short swings, deep carves, powder bumps, and three guys just having the time of their lives. Yes, there are crashes too; including what happens when the cameraman falls, and the nasty results of attempting sex with a piste pole! All the clips have sound, and it is surprising how much laughter you can hear! Also, no ugly gorilla stance here folks :-). I will try to get to grips with U-Tube to make it easy for you guys to see some of this stuff, but it will probably be easier for me to drop it onto a DVD and post it to anyone who is interested. I may make up a batch and send them off to Greco so they can be made available thru this site.

In 20 years, no snow sliding device of ANY description has given me the versatility and pure out and out thrill of the Spruce 120. This trip has confirmed once and for all that this will be my ‘go to’ board from now on. So do I think the 90 – 110 range is still relevant? Of course they are. I cant ever imagine parting with my 110s, but when I am out with guys who can really get it on, and want an all mountain missile, its going to be the 120 every time!

Let me know if you want a DVD……no charge :-), you can request one via email, drs2@freeuk.com

Rider – Dave Stevens – Expert Skiboarder