Each year after SIA, there are industry on-snow demo’s for the next year’s products. Not every company is there, but a good amount of them participate in the demos.
February 10-12th at Keystone, I get the opportunity to attend and check it out the 09-10 snowboards. I’ll be spending 3 days on snow to demo boards, bindings, boots, goggles and whatever else is there.
So this is where the readers come in, I want to hear from you on what gear you want me to ride and review. 
I’d also like input on how long you think I should ride each board and review. Typically during these demo’s it’s 3 same runs with each board, giving about 8 boards per day (sometimes more, sometimes less). Do you think that is a fair amount, would you like to see more runs with less boards? Or continue with the same 3 runs? I won’t go below 3 runs, because that’s not fair to the boards and by the 3rd run I have a good idea of the board, enough for me to feel confident about talking about it.
Please remember that I am an average rider, I spend the majority of my time freeriding with boards and I’ll take them through the halfpipe as well. If you want me to ride a straight up jib stick I won’t be judging it on jumps or rails…so remember I’m the rider not some pro snowboarder.
So give me your input, ideas and what you would like to see me check out on the snow. I’ll be flipping through catalogs and writing my own list but I want your input before I make my list up.
optionrider
February 6, 2009 at 5:35 pmCapita Indoor FK / Green Machine (may be on your list already), Rome Pusher ’85, Endeavor Live RC (if they have a booth). Any of those would be spectacular. Thanks!
Anonymous
February 6, 2009 at 6:18 pmI would love to see you compare all the specific powder boards and hopefully see how they hold up in fresh and chop (weather permitting of course).
Burton malolo, rome notch, ride slackcountry and any other similar boards would be great.thanks
Anonymous
February 6, 2009 at 7:37 pmAre you going to ride the MTNOPS boards?
Anonymous
February 6, 2009 at 8:10 pmi forget what its called…but the female version of the horroscope!
Anonymous
February 6, 2009 at 8:33 pmTHE SULLICORN?
Crispy
February 6, 2009 at 8:38 pmWill Arbor have a Coda for 2010? I know how hard it is to demo an Arbor, but that would be the one.
Jordan
February 6, 2009 at 9:27 pmTry something with the K2 Baseline tech please! =D
Mulch
February 6, 2009 at 11:17 pmdefinitely ride the rome agent….it is really fun to ride everywhere. try the arbor draft(?) I heard good things about it.
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 12:20 amThe Gnu Argo binding or any of the new 2010 GNU bindings with Fastec technology.
http://gnu.com/index.php/2009/02/gnu-introduces-the-agro-binding-featuring-bio-renewable-polymers
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 12:44 amk2 fling please!
Alex
February 7, 2009 at 7:09 amHey
I would really like to see how the new Lib C2BTX tech compares to the Never Summers.
Also if you get a chance to have a go on next years Union Danny Kass, i would like to know how it rides as it seems to be a great mix of Unions 2 best bindings
Thanks
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 8:35 amHey Shay
I’d be very interested in seeing what Signal’s new boards (omni something?) with camber and rocker will do outside the park. Also very interested in Lib’s “double banana”. Also, I always appreciate your mention of board size, weight, etc. (stance would be nice to know too) as a few centimeters can make a big difference.
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 8:37 amOh, and, do you ever get a chance to demo Bataleon? Am curious about TBT, especially on the Evil Twin.
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 9:33 amI would like to see comparisions of boards that are offered in both regular and reverse camber options. How do they ride different? I know Burton has the Custom/Feelgood in both versions, but I’m not sure who else will have options like that.
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 10:49 amWhat’s about Drake/Northwave (more for the bindings/boots than the boards)? You don’t talk much about them…
Snowboy
February 7, 2009 at 12:00 pmI say any Arbor. (But you knew I was going to say that.) Also, I’m intrigued by the growing number of “green” boards.
Also, I would love to see a 3-way smackdown between the GNU Agro, K2 Clicker, and the Flow NXT.
Kelly
February 7, 2009 at 5:52 pmI think 3 runs is more then fair. It gives you a chance to vary the terrain.
You gotta check out K2’s Eco Pop,Ride’s Canvas and Compact. Also I would love to know what you think of the graphics on those 3 boards. Personally I would have loved to have seen the graphic from Ride’s Promise on the Canvas and vice versa. Oh and I wouldn’t mind knowing which brands rocker board you liked the best.
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 6:30 pm3 runs is just right. If you spend more time on a board I don’t think that the feedback would be much better, it would only allow you more time to adjust to it yourself. The more boards you cover the better for us.
As long as you can ride different terrain and tell us how it feels it handles each one.
Burton malolo please
Anonymous
February 7, 2009 at 7:43 pmk2 duchess please!
COoLleR
February 8, 2009 at 11:46 amLib’s C2BTX tech on Dark Series, if you’ll have an opportunity. Thanks a lot!
Anonymous
February 8, 2009 at 1:56 pmi’d like for you to check up on bataleon! and i want a purple jacket for next year. straight up purple. did you see anything like that? keep up the good work!
mark
Shayboarder
February 8, 2009 at 4:39 pmWow that is a lot of great input and ideas!
Comparisions between Lib’s C2 and Never Summer’s is a must. I’ll probably be riding the Dark to compare to the Premier.
I’ll definitely try the Danny Kass bindings and probably on the GNU Danny Kass board since the pipe will be open.
For the powder boards, if it’s even remotely close to powder i’ll try to take them out. I am interested in the slackcountry and malolo.
Comparisions of regular camber/reverse camber is a good idea as well. That might mean a straight up demo day where I can try one brand only. This demo i’ll be trying to ride more brands especially ones I haven’t yet.
Arbor I hope will be there and Bataleon I can’t remember them being there so we’ll see.
Glad the 3 runs is enough and you guys agree. I’ll keep to that again this year. Since I have chairlift time with each board, I’ll twitter from the day on what I’m riding.
Some brands like Lib/NS/Flow I can ride outside of demos so keep in mind that if I miss them this demo that I should be able to borrow them still to try out.
keep the ideas coming and I’m making up my list tonight with everyone’s input.
apartment 4
February 8, 2009 at 10:33 pmI would love to hear your thoughts on the Prior Brandywine (or anything else from them) so hopefully you can get your hands on one!
LateBloomer
February 9, 2009 at 9:24 amI’ll second the request for Bataleon and I’d also like to see some Omatic in there…
Pat
February 10, 2009 at 5:47 pmI saw your tweet on rocking the c2… cant wait to see the write up!!! How was riding with SOS??
Mark
February 10, 2009 at 7:57 pmI’d love a review from you for the new Gnu Park Pickle, and see if that heelside edging concept is worth the hype.
Anything by Signal, except I just ordered a Park Rocker. 🙂
Obviously NS boards esp the 2 new park ones, and anything that just newly received RC tech beyond the 5 this year
And I “think” I really need a deep pow board so any help you can shed on the whole concept of does rocker/camber kill the need for boards like the Fish, Malolo, Gyrator etc.
Everyone talks about how great the rocker floats you, but does it beat pintail/swallowtail design etc. ?
Lastly, pretty much any crazy rocker board, and if they’re fun to add to a quiver
Thanks very much!!!
Mark (again)
February 10, 2009 at 7:59 pmOops, sorry, not to be a pig but also the Ride Mvmnt bindings. I hear the Deltas and Betas are being made over to more of an Alpha style. Wondering if they are going to be cool.
Shayboarder
February 13, 2009 at 1:52 amPat, I did the write up about SOS here
I put up the list of what I rode, I should be able to demo more later in the season and borrow some gear this year for reviews…so hopefully more soon!
Anonymous
February 15, 2009 at 4:41 pmdark series c2btx 155, phoenix btx 154, evo-r 155 and d.i.r.t rocker will be rad to see reviews of ! thanks