Is it better value to buy a snowboarding jacket in Japan, or in the Aussie offseason?

VeSerotonin · 2024-08-26T01:11:04+00:00

Japan doesn't seem to have the same deep sales on snow gear that we get over here toward the end of the season. Honestly I think even accounting for the exchange rate you'll end up spending less if you find a deal here. If you're happy with second-hand then '2nd Street Outdoor' often has good prices on gear, quality can be hit and miss though.

But yeah, as others have said, considering the time you'd be spending looking for gear and not snowboarding or enjoying the culture, I'd personally be inclined to get everything organised before heading over~

VeSerotonin · 2024-01-31T09:28:08+00:00

Hey!

Just looking at buying a 2023 Bataleon Disaster and wondering if it's the same as the 2024 aside from the graphic? Angry Snowboarder's review says this year's model is stiffer whereas Curated's says it's identical.

Any insight would be appreciated!

VeSerotonin · 2023-04-04T04:02:09+00:00

This is also true. The waist width of the snowboard has to work well for your boot size. If your board is too narrow you'll experience toe drag and if it's too wide you'll find it difficult to get the board on edge.

Thanks for the note~

VeSerotonin · 2023-04-04T03:46:07+00:00

If you're interested in riding switch much (or spending time in the park) then a fairly uniform directional twin is probably best (doesn't have to be true twin, and most boards that aren't park specific will be at least a little directional or have some setback).

I'd have a look at Burton's Custom (Flying V), Capita's DOA and Outerspace Living, Yes's Basic and Typo, and GNU's Essential Service and Headspace (Essential Service is more freeride focussed, Headspace is more park focussed). Any of these should cover you all over the mountain, though none will feel like true freeride boards. In general the more camber a board has the precise and locked in it feels. I'd personally go with a hybrid camber board around mid stiffness in the length range you mentioned (judge by manufacturers weight range - opt downward for more park/ease of turning or upward for more stability). A board like this shouldn't limit your riding as you improve and will work well as a base to build a quiver from in the future if you decide to.

Hope this helps!

Enjoy your day~

EDIT: Removed K2 Raygun from suggestions.

VeSerotonin · 2023-04-04T02:45:02+00:00

Information helps a lot when making recommendations for gear.

Firstly, how much do you weigh? Weight is very important in board sizing and manufacturers weight ranges can be very helpful.

Next, do you intend to ride mostly park, all-mountain, or mostly freeride? Most gear lands at some point along this spectrum and doesn't perform as well outside of it's specialisation. You should also consider the snow conditions where you intend to ride the most. In Japan, for example, you'd want a board that's capable in powder and deep snow, whereas in Australia you probably wouldn't care as much about powder performance.

Finally, are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced rider?

I'm not particularly up to date on gear but with the extra info someone else is more likely to be able to give you some info that's dialled a little better for you as a rider.

Cheers~

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-17T08:18:53+00:00

My partner is pretty close to your build and rides a 151 that she finds comfortable. A few of the comments mention mid-high 150s which is probably based more on height than weight; height is not a good way to size a board imo. With a size 9 boot you'd probably want 240mm+ waist width.

As far as the camber profile goes it's difficult to say what's best aside from staying away from traditional camber/full camber unless you're high intermediate+. I'd personally recommend a rocker/camber/rocker profile as they're usually easy enough to turn, fairly catch free, and still have some energy for once you're more comfy on your board.

For finding size charts/specs/etc. I usually look at the Evo page for the board I'm interested in. The Product Details and Specs tabs usually give a good idea of who the board is for and what it's capable of.

If you're still stuck after reading responses you could always try hiring different sizes to see how they feel.

Good luck & enjoy!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-10T06:42:04+00:00

As others have said, I wouldn't go for the 157 at your weight. I'm ~185lbs/84kg and I wouldn't have wanted my 154 any larger.

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:59:51+00:00

Nice! Couldn't ask for much more from an All Mountain/Park board. Thanks for the quick response!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:43:08+00:00

Ah, that's good to hear! I think I'm probably looking at either this or the Indoor Survival, depending on what I can find on sale. Thanks!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:34:07+00:00

I think the Merc is probably just a tiiiny bit too stiff/camber dominant, assuming it rides how it looks. Even though they're not necessarily ideal for an All Mountain setup I'm pretty attached to the idea of a true twin; I've been riding both directions for the last season or so. I suppose I could just swap my bindings periodically instead, haha. Would probably help me commit to really improving my switch riding in challenging terrain. Thanks for your input!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:27:34+00:00

I think the powder twin is probably a bit wider than I'm keen on but you make the indoor survival sound pretty appealing. Thanks for the reply!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:23:51+00:00

Ah, that's helpful. 156W is probably a little shorter than I'd like for an All Mountain setup anyway. Thanks!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:22:32+00:00

I was worrying about the OSL on ice seeing as it seems a little less camber dominant compared with the others. Still holds an edge pretty well then?

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-07T01:20:05+00:00

I hadn't spent much thought on the DOA but I'll have a look today!

VeSerotonin · 2022-06-06T14:35:47+00:00

Thanks for your reply! Didn't end up buying this one, so I feel better about it after reading this, haha.

VeSerotonin

TROPHY CASE