Ride DH2 In-Depth Review

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for more details on the DH2 by Ride. There’s been a lot of buzz about this board among snowboarders for 2010. My friends that bought the board at the beginning of the season have fallen deeply in love with it and were hesitant to give it up for me to review it. After much negotiation, I managed to get my hands on one and really put it to the test on the slopes.

Setup: Ride DH2 155, ’08 Burton Cartel bindings, ’10 Burton Ion boots.

Location/Conditions: Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Machine groomed powder, kind of cold, North face of the mountain was a bit more on the powdery side.

Technology (worth mentioning)

• Low-Rise Rocker – The area at the center of the board running between the bindings is dead flat but the board pivots up slightly in shape just outside each of the bindings towards each tip.
• Carbon Pop Rods – Fiber-like structures in each of the tips give an added stiffness to the ends to enhance the pop of the board without adding stiffness to the core.
• Carbon Rays – A technology being adopted by a lot of manufacturers that features rods running from your bindings to the edges for quicker power transfer.
• Slimewalls – Ride’s coveted sidewall technology that features it’s own dampening system and is ultra durable for sliding on snow, metal, or wood.
• Membrain Topsheet – Ultra light topsheet to reduce board weight.

First Impression – As the bottom graphic so casually puts it… HELLSYEAH. This is one super fun board that translates really well over the mountain but finds its roots in the park. Past all the marketing and tech, pressing rails and landing jumps just felt a lot better on this board.

Flex – The board had a relaxed, fun feel to it. It’s definitely stiffer between the bindings than in the tips to give it the best of both worlds in terms of freeride/freestyle riding. Overall, a nice ride.

Feel/Turning – Although the way this board is built in a very complicated way, it all comes together for a very natural, balanced feel. My first couple of runs felt great going relatively fast and transitioning slowly on longer S-shaped turns. Transitioning into turns was easier than I expected and held onto a carve very smoothly as opposed to being aggressive. At even higher speeds the board felt stable and damp thanks to the stiffer core but would chatter if I pushed it past this point. The board felt relatively light under my feet and the base was waxy and fast.

Powder Riding – Took the board to the North face of the mountain that had significantly more powder and really enjoyed the way it floated. In deeper pow situations, I did need to ride the back seat a little to prevent it from sinking but it never really happened. In choppy areas the board did get a little bumpy but nothing to worry about too much. Pulling switches and buttering around in the pow was effortless compared to my Vapor and was definitely a lot easier to swing around.

Park Riding – This board is well equipped for the freestyle park rider. Despite being a reverse camber, it had really nice pop to it that made the entrance and exits to boxes and rails very nice. You can jib your brains out with this thing. The stiffer core wasn’t so nice for balancing the center of the board on rails but it was still very doable. The rocker made landings very smooth. This is definitely something I noticed in comparison to my regular board, a Burton Vapor. The Vapor is always shaky for the first split second or two after a big landing and I need to smooth it out. The DH2 however just felt a lot more comfortable getting back to the snow from the air. The one place I didn’t particularly enjoy this board was in the pipe. I wasn’t expecting it to perform because of the rocker tech on it. It felt a little fussy and couldn’t hold on to the walls of the pipe properly.

Stopping/Switching – I loved the way this board dug into the snow. It was effortless and did it in such a way that you would expect out of a freeride board without the aggressive grip on the ice. The board also has a twin shape to it, which made riding switch a lot more comfortable and controlled. The transition to switch was a lot easier because of the rocker. You could spend the day buttering up the slopes with this thing.

Pros

• Decent price for all the tech involved ($500).
• Park board that you can charge the mountain with.
• Natural, smooth switching.
• Durable edges will last you longer than most boards.

Cons

• Flex profile might not be suitable for everyone.
• Tailored mostly for park riders.
• Underperformer in the half pipe.

Overall Impression – Ride listened to snowboarders and tweaked the DH into this really cool all-mountain machine. If you live nearby a smaller resort and spend most of your time in the park, you’re going to love this thing. Outside the park, it will still keep up with your needs but won’t handle as well as a freeride board on very high speeds. Switching, buttering around, and just plain old fooling around just feels a lot cooler on this board. The jibbing experience on this thing is insane and to be honest, that might justify adding this stick to your arsenal. Definitely on my short list for 2010.

Top 5 Snowboarding Boots for 2010

With snowboarding season in full gear, I wanted to the time and spit out a list of the top 10 snowboarding boots for the season for both men and women. This is based on my research, reading endless numbers of (boring) reviews, comments, talking to people and my own personal experience with snowboarding boots. The list isn’t in any particular order (who can really say that one Boot is numerically better than another boot?) but you’ll notice that my personal favorite is numero uno!

1. Men’s Burton Ion - If you’re a regular reader of this blog you’ll know that the Burton Ion boots are my personal favorite. In my full Burton Ion review I only had good things to say about them. Given their balanced comfort level and stiffness, they are the ultimate snowboarding boots for the aggressive rider who likes to have fun. You’ll find yourself comfortable enough to bomb down a mountain while switching and taking jumps. Click here for full product details.

Made For: Freeriding/All-mountain

Pro’s

• Amazing build quality, thus they last quite a bit – I’ve packed over 200 riding days in them and they are just like new
• Very comfortable
• Super responsive
  
• Easy to put on and take off

Con’s

• Expensive ($400)
• Minor heel lift

2. Men’s Burton Hail Coalition - Freestyle choice for the past number of years, this boot has all the essentials for park domination, including a softer yet supportive flex and an articulating cuff to keep it consistent. It also features traditional lacing for the perfect fit, plush cushioning throughout the sole to hinder the big impacts, and just an overall comfortable design. We recommend the Hail to any serious rider that is looking for a time-tested, softer boot to abuse in the park or around the mountain. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestyling/Park fun

Pro’s

• Well priced ($249)
• Easy to put on and take off
• Minimal heel lift

Con’s

• A bit too flexible for non-park riding
• Uses traditional lacing system (personally, I prefer the Speed Zone lacing system)

3. Women’s Roxy Track Lace – Made for the skills levels of beginner to intermediate, these Roxy boots are developed with comfort in mind. They have a padded spine panel, low rise calf pocket, triple density ankle pads, and 3 piece padded tongue. In addition, the boot has a memory foam liner to ensure even more comfort. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestyle/Freeride/All around snowboarding

Pro’s:

• Well priced ($149)
• Nicely designed
• Comfortable

Con’s:

• Traditional lacing system

4. Men’s ThirtyTwo Lashed - The Lashed is ThirtyTwo’s best selling boot. I dare you to find a boot with a better price that offers what the Lashed does: outstanding response, comfort, and versatility for everyone. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freestlye/Freeride/All around snowboarding

Pro’s

• Well priced ($199)
• Light
• Very responsive

Con’s

• Not the sexiest looking boots

5. Women’s Flow Lotus Boa Coiler - These boots offer great performance and comfort for a decent price. The BOA Coiler system is very useful for those who hate tying their boots and will amplify the close snug fit that you are always looking for. Along with that, you receive the Silver liner which is heat-moldable so you can acquire a perfect custom fit, and thus reduce heel-lift and sloppiness. Click here for full product details.

Made for: Freeriding/All-mountain snowboarding

Pro’s

• Well priced ($189)
• BOA lacing system
• Comfortable

Con’s

• None

So that sums up the top 5 snowboarding boots for 2010. Of course, boot feel and response will vary from person to person, but if you’re looking for a good pair of boots and don’t know where to start, this list is your answer.

Burton Jussi 2010 Review

I’ve been wanting to get this board for a couple seasons now, and I finally did this season. After a few weeks riding the Burton Jussi, it’s time to put up a review.

Setup: Burton Jussi 159, Burton C60 (with the ICS adapters) bindings, Burton Ion Boots.
Conditions: machine groomed and very cold!

Technology
Twin Shape – this board is symmetrical and should feel the same whether riding regular or switch, though it has a directional flex pattern, meaning the nose has less pop/flex than the tail to maintain better stability at higher speeds.
Inifite Channel System – supposedly provides a more direct connection between the bindings and the board (I don’t buy it), while easily letting you mount your bindings any way you choose (this, I buy).
Freestyle Scoop – exaggerated spoon shape which creates a forgiving feel by turning the edges up at the tip and tail.

First Impressions: This is an excellent all mountain freestyle board for the aggressive rider in you with a lot of pop and spring to it. Given that this is Jussi Oksanen’s board (and designed by him), you can only expect it to be that good, but the board is a bit too stiff to rock just anywhere.

Flex/Stability: Stiffer in the tail, with more pop in the nose, but overall pretty flexible board and fun to ride. Burton’s feel/stiff rating is 6/10, but the board felt a little stiffer than that (think of it more of a relative thing). In any case, it works out well, because the board felt very stable compared to many other freestyle mountain boards. Buttering with the Jussi board was fun.

Park/Jumps: Taking off jumps with the Jussi is great, and landing is not too hard on the knees, but don’t get too excited, because this is not a park board. I definitely wouldn’t recommend jibbing with it too much, because it wasn’t designed for the park in the first place.

Carving/Switching: The board is stiff and tuned enough to hold its edge under pretty high speeds. Switching was a lot of fun and riding regular felt pretty much the same as switch – no board will ever feel the exact same riding switch or regular since humans are not anatomically symmetrical, but this is as good as it gets.

Pro’s:

• Very playful thanks to the exaggerated spoon shape
• Stable under high speeds
• Switching is as natural as it gets

Con’s

• $$$ – somewhat expensive
• Not a fan of the board art
• Not for the park and jibs

My thoughts: The Burton Jussie is a wicked board designed for anyone looking for a fun, yet aggressive stick. Moving forward, this is going to be my primary board (replacing my much more aggressive Burton T6)

If you have any questions about the board, please leave a comment and I will answer you!

Top 12 Snowboards for 2010

With so many snowboards out there to choose from, the addition of all the new technology made available the past two seasons just makes life a whole lot more complicated. Cambers, reverse cambers, dead-flats, rockers, cambered-end rockers… It’s a zoo out there. To make your life easier we took a look at twelve of the best boards for this season, researched the crap out of them, and helped breakdown some of the tech that goes along with them. Here they are, in no particular order…

#1. Lib Tech’s “Skate Banana” ($490)

Although many snowboarding companies have been familiar with reverse camber technology for quite some time, you really have to give props to Lib Tech for reviving it with the Skate Banana. Over the past 2-3 seasons, the company has also been tweaking this board with minor adjustments just to make it better and better. I absolutely LOVE riding this board and so does everyone else who tries it.

The board features Lib Tech’s take on the “reverse camber” where the board is kinked upwards between the feet and from there runs flat to either end of the board. The result? A very loose, fun board that will have you jibbing around and pulling tricks like you never thought possible. Critics will say that this thing is unstable at high speeds but they’re wrong with this board cause the length of it from tip to tail will be on the snow when you carve. With eight contact points digging into the ice on a turn, you’ll also be more stable thanks to the Magne Traction tech.

Sizes: 148N, 151N, 152, 156, 156W, 159, 159W

#2. Ride’s DH2 ($500)

There’s been a lot of talk about the Ride DH2 among the snowboarding community for 2010.  The board features a different kind of reverse camber technology with the board running flat underneath your feet and then kicking up outside the bindings. This allows for a fun, relaxed feel that makes it ideal for the pipe, jumps, and pressing rails.

Haven’t tried this board myself but fellow boarders out there have told me that apart from being incredible in the park, the board can be used with no problems for aggressive riding as well. Ride adds what it likes to call “Carbon Pop Rods” in each tip that give a lot of character to the feel of this board. Apart from being lightweight, it also has thicker steel edges to help with the wear and tear that happens from park riding over time.

Sizes: 151, 153, 155, 156W, 157, 159, 159W

#3. Burton’s Joystick ($530)

With a name like “Joystick” you know fun is just around the corner with this board. Had the chance to try out this board from a Burton demo tent early into the season and was thoroughly impressed with it. Featuring Burton’s “rocker” reverse camber design, this board is similar to the Skate Banana in it’s between-the-feet kinkness. The board’s got a slightly wider feel with tips that scoop up (technology similar to Morrow’s spoon).

The Joystick is very fun to ride, whether it be for jibs, jumps, or pipe attacks. The nice thing about it is that it is insanely forgiving, so you can go big trying new tricks on it. The scooped tips maintain the boards very free feel even when you lean hard on it. With a very balanced stiffness and quick edge-to-edge movement, the board can do pretty much whatever you want.

Sizes: 150, 154, 156W, 157, 159W, 161, 163

Read more »

Burton Ion Boots 2010 Review

Finding the right snowboard is undoubtedly a very important mission, but finding the right pair of boots is just as important. I’ve had 2008 model of the Burton Ion boots for a couple seasons now, but this year I upgraded to the 2010 model.  I wouldn’t normally review a boot, because the feel of one will differ from person to person, but this will offer some light into your dark search for a boot.

Setup: I used the Burton Ion boots with Burton’s T6 snowboard and Burton’s C60 bindings.

Where: Blue Mountain, Mont Tremblant, Banff, Colorado, and Whistler with all kinds of snow conditions.

Technology:

• Speed Zone Lacing: makes loosening and tightening boots very easy.
• Low-profile EST Optimized Midsole: essentially this tech brings you closer to the binding and thus lowering your center of gravity. In my opinion, every little bit counts.
• RX Adjustable Cushioning: Very fancy way of saying that you can change the gel pack used in the boots, but useful nonetheless. You can opt for more cushioning for easier riding, or less cushioning for more aggressive riding.

Pro’s:

• Very easy to put on/take off: The boots’ speed zone lacing combined with the excellent boot quality and build, putting them on and taking them off was very easy. Just loosen them all the way, tighten the liners (the inside layer), and pull away on the two laces. Done.
• Comfortable: Man are these comfortable boots! Strapped and unstrapped, the Burton Ions hug your feet oh so warmly.
• Flexibility: This is an all-mountain freestyle boot and I must say, it lives up to that designation. Burton pegged the Ion a 8/10 for support (1/10 being least stiff and 10/10 stiffest). In other words, these boots are excellent for all around riding. With over a 100 days of riding, my older Burton Ions are (surprisingly) as stiff as new and thus wear n’ tear has not diminished the boots’ excellent responsiveness.
• Style: The Burton Ion 2010 are very well designed, and unlike most boots, they look sexy (I have the black ones, but they also come in white).

Neutral:

• Heel lift: I didn’t want to put this in the Con’s section, simply because I’m a very aggressive rider who likes taking jumps, so heel lift is inevitable. Nonetheless, I still experienced some heel lift, and I really wasn’t expecting any given that the Burton Ions are Burton’s 2nd most expensive snowboarding boots. With that said, the extra ankle support pads that come with the boots work well to decrease the heel lift. However, those pads were designed to be used after a few years of usage, but instead, I had to install them within the first season.

Con’s:

• Expensive: Did the Italians design these boots or what? I bought my first Ions a season old for $250, but I shelled out $400 for the new ’10 model. Boots that cost more than a decent number of snowboards are expensive any way you spin it.
• Too stiff for the park: The Burton Ions are unfriendly when it comes to park play. While taking and landing jumps are doable in these, you’ll feel the pain when you switching and more so when landing switch jumps. Tip: make sure you are wearing thick socks if you insist on park play.

Current Model v.s. Previous Models

• Design has been changed, albeit slightly, but I like the new ones more.
• The current model has been optimized for EST bindings (explained above in the ‘Technology’ section).
• Speed zone lacing system has been altered to easier usability (I didn’t feel much of a difference, but that just could be my experienced hands).
• Changeable gel pack (explained in ‘Technology’ section), which was also available in the ’09 model, but non-existent in prior to that.

My Suggestions to Burton:

• As always, please find it in your hearts to use less fancy ‘BS’ terminology.
• Let’s work on improving the heel lift issue, even if I’m the only one experiencing.

I love my Burton Ion boots, and there’s a reason why I bought the newer models. As an aggressive rider who likes to play around a bit on the mountain, these boots are as good as they get at the moment. With that said, keep in mind that your experience with boots will be different than my experience, so make sure you try them on first at the store. And when you do, feel free to walk around in them in the store for 5-10 minutes before you make a decision. Finding the right snowboarding boots is important!

If you have any questions, comments, or want to share your experience with the boots, leave a comment below or contact us.