Some Line Bullet feedback.

[Mindcircus]

I'm looking at getting a pair of skiboards for this upcoming season. I've been renting at the mountain the last couple of years and it's making me sick thinking about having to that again this year. Yeah, the dreaded Salomon's.

I'm about 5'8, 130 and am looking for something in the 95-99cm range. The Snowjams have kind of intrigued me since i've heard nothing but good things about them. Problem is the 90cm sort of has me irked. I get the feeling that they're kind of short. But then again the extra 5-10cm might not be much of a difference. I don't know.

The Line Bullet i see on this site is 95cm. I like to mainly just do runs and carve it up. I am also looking for something that's good in powder. It seems that the Bullets aren't the best option for powder but are they good in this area?

Any feedback as to what you guys think i should get would be great. Thanks in advance

[Gargantula]

Welcome to the forum!

I haven't got to try my Snowjams yet, but the 90cm length I thought were going to be too long, since I started on short 65cm K2 Fattys and I had a blast on them even though it had a foam core and the pair I had was in need of repairs. I can't wait to try my Snowjams this season. It depends on your style of riding. If you like to do deep fast carves a longer length of at least 99cm is advisable to avoid chattering. I do everything so 90cm is a good overall size for me I think...I hope. :)

[Mindcircus]

Thanks for the feedback. Are 90cm boards not ideal for carving?

[SBtx82]

The Snowjams are coming out with a 99cm board this year SBOL just hasnt gotten them in stock yet...The snowjams would probly be better in powder because theyre wider and theyll be longer than the 95cm.

[Gargantula]

I don't have experience yet on my 90cms, but the 65cm didn't carve that well, unless you really push hard. Even then, I would sometimes catch an edge and almost fell over because the 65cm length can't handle much.

Visually, the Snowjams 90cms are pretty wide and thick near the middle compared to skis.

[kirk]

I'd say the bullets would work fine for you for carving. I ride weapons normally, and they're a little shorter than the bullets and still work fine for carving. Plus, the bullets were designed for carving the groomers. They'll be harder to ride in powder than wider and longer boards, but you shouldn't have much trouble.

Also, this is probably the last chance you'll have to get a new pair of them.

[mtnsk8r]

I own 7 pairs of skiboards including bullets. The bullets are the fastest pair I own. But when I get a pow day I will go with something wider like a bg pro. The bullets are a carvers dream.

[Roussel]

the new snojams 99's are narrowish.

[skhan90]

are 98 cm skiboards easy to controllll such as the mike nick pro model? or should i stick wit something at 95? btw does anyone know what size skiboards they usually rent out ski rental places at ski mountains?


also are the mike nick pros easy to carve in as well?

but im just worried that 98 cm will be too big for me... cuz i measured myself and i am 5 "9". im not sure yet...but the mike nick pros look sick... if i pick those up...im probs gonn await till spring to pick up a pair of lokens which kinda sucks cuz i need em soon.. o well

[buns]

skhan90,

I talked to Greco about MNP's vs bullets earlier this year as I was going to go for one or other and his feeling was that the MNP's were not at all bad for carving and he prefferred them all round to the bullets.... which is why i now have a pair of MNP's!

Adam

[skhan90]

yeha but i am just worried thatt they might be alittle too big for me.... cuz i am around 5 "10" and i thought 98 would be a little to big... dont u think cuz i like to have great controll with my skis

[kirk]

95 v. 98 really isn't much of a noticable change. The MNPs would probably work great for you. I think Mike Nick is about 5'10" too.

[Gargantula]

For me, I'm only 5' 6" and 120 lbs so a 90cm is as high as I want to go for now.

[buns]

Im only 5'8 (on a good day) and started out on 94's without any issue..... guess it depends what you want to do on them

[Mindcircus]

Is there a big difference between a 98-99cm board compared to a 90cm board?

I am 5'8 also and i started out on terrible 99cm Salomon's. I made the best of the situation. I felt they were a little long cause maneuverability was an issue. Or maybe it was an issue cause the "snowblades" were horrible. I don't know.

Like i said, i would go with the Snowjam 90 but i'm concerned that they might end up being too short for my liking, especially being sort of used to a 99cm board. That's why my initial question was about the Bullets cause i noticed that they were 95cm which, in my head, is a sweetspot. I know they are probably the best carving boards out there but how good are they going through powder?

[PureVenom]

Yeah....from 90cm to 98cm is like 3+ inches. Three inches doesnt seem like that big of a difference but it is. You have more running surface on the 98cm. That equals more speed and a little more float if you are in powder. Plus more stability on landings and rails. I have not ridden my MNP's yet but just going from my five-o's (90cm) to my Weapons (94cm) I could for sure feel the difference. That was only a size difference of like 1 5/8" so I cant imagine how much better a 98cm is going to be.

[Gargantula]

Well, this season I'm going from 65cm to 90cm. I know that's going to be a big change.

[kirk]

I don't notice much a difference at all from 94 to 99, but 90s feel really different in comparassion.

[zenderfall]

The length of the skiboards is just one of the factors in the ride.

Line bullets are 94-95 cm, directional (asymmetrical), very stiff due to that carbon fiber strip in the middle, and a tad skinnier than most current models. For me I found they carve a lot easier than most, but getting unstable as conditions get more uneven and powdery. This has to do with their width. Also, their sidecut is not very deep, so don't expectt super-razor sharp turns. What you're getting is a fast downhill groomer board.

As far as 99cm models go, I only have the BG Pros to compare the bullets to, and overall, I like the 99 Pro's much better, because its a lot more well rounded. They have a deep sidecut, extremely flexible, symmetrical stance, and wide tips.

The Snowjam 90's are almost like the 99 Pros to me, but lack the flexibility, length, speed, and symmetry.

This is my second pair of Snowjams, my first was purchased from me by a snowboarder turned skiboards.

[Mindcircus]

I appreciate the feedback from you all.

It seems that the Bullet's aren't an ideal choice for what i'm looking to do, but i have no doubt that they'll be 100X better at it than those Salomons. So chances are i'll be happy with them regardless, since i really don't know any better.

Or... should i just shell out the extra cash for the MN Pros and be 100% satisfied?

[SkaFreak]

If you don't need the boards immediately, I'd suggest you wait a week or 2 until G gets the new site up with all the new boards for the upcoming season. There's a good chance you could get a good set of boards for less than the bullets are even. If you need the boards now I'd suggest going with the MNP's simply because they are so nice, and the extra little bit will be worth it anytime you need to float powder or hold a good edge on ice and such.

[Greco]

fyi, good news and bad news:
bad news - boards this coming season are all going to be more expensive than last season (except snowjam) because all the manufacturer's costs have risen and they are all spending a premium for high quality, no one wants a repeat of what happened last season.
good news - more high quality boards to choose from that last longer. i think our total board count for this coming season is going to be 14-16 different models, the most ever.

g

[Mindcircus]

Hey Greco, how many more Mike Nick Pros do you have in stock? I'm leaning towards just spending the extra cash and getting them. I just want to get an idea how much time i have to make a last decision. And if a sale is in the pipeline, that'd be sweet too. :)

Also, is there a board coming out this season that you think would fit my riding style?

Just a recap, i like to do runs mostly. I like to carve and do the occassional jump and fakey. I don't think i'll ever make it to the parks. Maneuverability is something that i'm looking for as well. Basically i've just become bitter at the Salomon 99cms that i've had to rent the last few years. Too long, i know. Last year i bought new boots because the rentals were ripping my feet apart. This year is the skiboard year.

Thanks.

[Greco]

they're will be a bunch of boards coming out that would fit your style, however probably not until late november or december and they are going to be more expensive then the mike nick pro's, which we won't sell out of anytime soon. no sales planned until the spring.

g

[Gargantula]

14-16 different models! That's great to hear!

[zenderfall]

I don't know much about the MNP's but I've ridden Line Pro 99 (a rare red/black with a horserider graphic), 4-hole board and can say it's a very good skiboard. I think they're made nowadays with either 8-holes or proprietary 4-hole mounts.

The boards are great. Symmetrical, decent sidecut, balanced flex, not too wide or too skinny, definately a board you can grow into.

The specs of the MNP's are very similar to the Pro 99's, I'm starting to think that the MNP's are the same build as the red/black Line Pro 99's of 2 years back.



If that's the case, then the MNP's gotta be a great board. And if you know a source to get them brand new, I suggest you get them, as they're much cheaper than the boards that will be coming in a few months.

[Gargantula]

Originally posted by zenderfall
The boards are great. Symmetrical, decent sidecut, balanced flex, not too wide or too skinny, definately a board you can grow into.

The 98cm length is what scared me away, I think since I meet the minimum height for it. I think I would have problems with switching turn directions. For example, to do a 360 ground spin. It was easy on K2 Big Air skiboards since they were short. I think 80cm.

[zenderfall]

Originally posted by Gargantula
I think I would have problems with switching turn directions.

And you would be right. One of the factors in a skiboard (like snowboards) is SWING WEIGHT. This is determined by how much mass the board is and how far it is away from your body.

In easy terms, a fat, wide, 100cm board would have a lot more swing weight than a skinny 75cm (like an AF1)

Swing weight affects spin difficulty. Boards with less swing weight spin easier. Imagine if you took a jump and stretched your arms far out. It would take you more effort to spin, than say, an olympic ice skater who usually hold their arms above their heads. This is probably another factor why it gets difficult to design skiboards over 120cm.

You probably think that the length of the board doesn't matter in the air, but it does.

Shorter boards would naturally be easier to spin with than longer boards. But, they're also harder to land on. That's probably why 80-90cm boards are so popular. They have less swing weight than 99's and up, and they're easy to land.

[Gargantula]

Originally posted by zenderfall
You probably think that the length of the board doesn't matter in the air, but it does.

Shorter boards would naturally be easier to spin with than longer boards. But, they're also harder to land on. That's probably why 80-90cm boards are so popular. They have less swing weight than 99's and up, and they're easy to land.

Ah physics, love it. Yeah, even though the MNP's sound tempting, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to spin in the air as well, due to my height.

I mean, even going from K2 Big Air 80cms to Snowjams 90cms (About a 4 inch difference) has me worried about spinning effectively in the air since the K2 Big Airs were easy to turn.

[Mindcircus]

Originally posted by Gargantula
Ah physics, love it. Yeah, even though the MNP's sound tempting, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to spin in the air as well, due to my height.

I mean, even going from K2 Big Air 80cms to Snowjams 90cms (About a 4 inch difference) has me worried about spinning effectively in the air since the K2 Big Airs were easy to turn.

How tall are you Gargantula? I'm about 5'8 so i don't think i'll have much trouble with the MNPs. Also it looks like Bomber Elite bindings could help with maneuverability if you go that route.

Anyone know how heavy the MNPs are in relation to other boards of relatively the same length?

[Greco]

all boards are pretty much the same weight so it's not an issue.

g

[zenderfall]

That's right, skiboards, being as small as they are, don't have much variation in terms of length and width (meaning 75cm - 110cm isn't as far) when compared to skis, which can vary from 120 to 200cm and up, and snowboards, which are say, as low as 130's or so up to 180 something? And, Snowboards have a huge variation in width in addition to length!

So in reality, when we're talking swing weight, what's really of concern isn't how heavy the board is, since the difference is so slight, but how wide the tips are and how far they are from the center. That plays a bigger part.

That's swing weight. I think it's a misnamed concept. Either that or weight has more to do with it when dealing with Snowboards and Skis than skiboards.

[Mindcircus]

I understand what you're saying when compared to so many different ski and snowboard lengths, skiboards just don't have as much variation. I'm assuming though that a 75cm board is much shorter than a 110cm board and would offer a much different ride. Isn't deciding length and width of a skiboard pretty crucial when you're looking to buy?

[Gargantula]

I'm 5' 6" Mindcircus. I have the Bomber bindings so hopefully no problem on the ground, but spinning in the air is a different story.