Comments on: A rocker start or a rocky start?

By: Grays On Trays » Blog Archive » Is technology a tool or a crutch?

Grays On Trays » Blog Archive » Is technology a tool or a crutch? — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:04:35 +0000

[…] are a variety of opinions about which board is preferable. Some people say that the rocker makes it easier to learn riding, but more difficult to become an advanced […]

By: Nich

Nich — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:09:30 +0000

I agree with all the rocker haters….isn’t every body paying more $$$ and buying boards and equipment that will make it easier and more comfortable for them? Why would any idiot spend a crapload of money on something that’s going to make it more difficult? ~especially a beginner??

By: Carl Hungus

Carl Hungus — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:54:19 +0000

Oh, and I suppose I should add my two cents, even though they are similar to what’s been mentioned. I learned on a camber and it probably hurt more than a rocker would have, esp. on ice. But my first day riding was a religious epiphany and there was no way I was going to stop. I now ride a NS rocker and it has unquestionably took my riding up to the next level as far as more subtle control, particularly on hard pack and ice. Its more playful, which is what I want now, and I dare say it even makes me carve better. Although I’d still love to try a Titan, now that I’m progressing.
That said, my wife, new to the sport, is having a much harder time learning and falls all the time. For her, snowboarding is less important. She is riding a camber, and frankly I’m considering renting her a rocker for a day to see if it helps. If it does, then the people who cry “cheater!” can bite me. I’m not trying to make GS snowboarder out of her, just someone who understands why snowboarding is fun before she throws down her cambered board and quits.
As people said, some people are weekend warriors/one-week-a-year-ers. They should have as much fun as possible in the short time they give themselves.

But Jeremy still cracked me up….

By: Carl Hungus

Carl Hungus — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:15:20 +0000

Thanks Shay. Even though I ride an NS rocker, Jeremy Jones cracked me the f— up with his comments. “As rollerbladey as it is…”, lol….

By: David (aka Kimchi)

David (aka Kimchi) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:19:19 +0000

While I agree that the whole “rocker is cheating” thing is extreme, I personally have reservations about starting beginners on rockered boards. Yes, it makes riding much easier and more accessible, but at the same time, that ease of use can develop a lot of bad habits. For example, on a cambered board, when you catch a bit of air at speed, you instinctively adjust to stay on the line and avoid catching an edge. With the lifted contact points, you don’t need need that sort of subtle edge control, you can just slide out of it and keep hauling. If you start out on rockers, you might never learn those hard lessons and were you to shift to cambered boards, you’d be a less competent rider for it.

In the end, I think both technologies have a place in snowboarding and it really depends on the rider. If it’s someone who’s only going to be a casual rider anyway or someone who is content with riding only reverse camber boards, then what’s the harm on starting them out with easier tech? But if it’s someone thinks they might get pretty involved in the sport, I feel camber’s the better choice at the start. Learning on a cambered provides a lot of lessons that carry over to riding reverse camber boards; I’m not so sure that the opposite is true.

By: paul

paul — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 02:26:04 +0000

read and read and read about reverse camber/v-rocker/etc/etc…

contemplated for a while… and then just went for it.

just got my burton hero (private stock) in… can’t wait!

By: Brek Leines

Brek Leines — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:18:54 +0000

About the whole “is reverse camber cheating” thing. I dont think that is a good comment or idea to even have I mean if rocker is cheating than so is sidecut, or riding a soft 152 for park, or riding a 174 in pow. Even camber would be cheating. They all make certain aspects of snowboarding easier. I love rocker, great for jibbing and great for pow! People should quite hating on rocker, mainly the park vets. More people have more fun because of it.

By: Shay

Shay — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:13:13 +0000

I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s thoughts on the reverse camber for beginners post, from beginners replying to people who have been snowboarding a while.

It’ll be interesting to see where reverse camber goes, how people pick it up and how it changes snowboarding.

Someone mentioned recently the Black Death being a rocker board in the future in an email to me and I think I was taken aback because when I think of that board (a board I still own) I would never want it to be rocker, I love it as camber exactly how it is…whether it’s my old BSOD (now with no camber) or the next years black death inc. Interesting to see how people think when it comes to specific boards and rocker.

Minimal you have some great points on people buying boards to early and buying boards that aren’t easy to learn on. Rentals play a role and it’ll be interesting to see how reverse camber boards play into rentals. Burton’s LTR’s definitely make sense so it’ll be cool if other companies that do rental programs pick up on that or not, and why.

Personally for me when I started snowboarding, it took a couple years of being a beginner…because I didn’t go up enough and started over the next year. Gear plays a role but there are other factors. It would be nice to have the gear factor just be easier for people.

Qubek, good point on the tail or nose press for a beginner. I taught snowboarding years ago and I would always teach beginners something fun like ollie’ing or a press…because through all the falls and rough parts of getting down the hill, being on flat ground and having everyone try something they could get ended the day on a high note…like something they could show their friends and a sense of accomplishment. Sure they needed to get their turns down but look it’s something basic and fun. Loved that part of it and reverse helps a lot with that.

Keep the thoughts coming, looking forward to what everyone thinks.

By: Kristi

Kristi — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:10:45 +0000

Last year when I first learned about the reintroduction of rocker technology to snowboarding I was a little bit skeptical. It seemed like it shouldn’t/wouldn’t make a huge amount of difference. I demoed one of these boards “just to see” and ended up purchasing a NS infinity because it seemed like a good compromise between what I was used to and what I wanted to work towards being comfortable with. My riding progressed so much on the NS infinity and I’m stocked to have the NS circuit for the upcoming winter to play on as well as hopefully aquiring a skate banana at some point. I think rocker doesn’t make it easier to ride, per se, it just makes it more “fun”. The boards are softer and for me, that makes a huge difference. I agree withe the comment that if camber is so important it can always be learned later once a love for the sport has been firmly established.

By: Jarred

Jarred — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:57:55 +0000

My brother just got his first board. It is a GNU Carbon Credit board with magnatraction and banana tech. I was really tryign to get him to get a regular camber board just for the fact that when he is trying to progress in the park it my either be eisier or harder for him on a reverse camber. if he lands on hs backside. flop on his butt. but his rails will be much easier. thats just my opinion