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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
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    29

    Snowboard: Hovercraft, Mind Expander or Backwoods

    Looking for a fun floaty board that excels in the trees, handles the torn up chop and can rip the groomer on the way back to the chairs.

    Anybody have experience with the three of these: Jones Hovercraft 160, Jones Mind Expander 158 and Weston Backwoods 163?

    Intrigued by the Backwoods, looks like a great new board with a tight radius and floaty. Not much for info out there on it.

    Same as above with the Mind Expander.

    Hovercraft is a more known board. Sounds awesome. Only two concerns I have are if it is too stiff and is the radius too large for tighter trees and quick turning.

    I'm 6'3, 210lb and 12 boot.

    Thanks for the insight!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    BZN
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    Are any of the listed options red?

    They'll know over in Tech Talk, JONG!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    In a parallel universe
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    4,755
    Also, PM Rontele, he's a stone cold shredder.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    2,480
    furberg freeride

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    N side, Terrace, BC
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    5,144
    Firstly, tech talk jong.
    Secondly, compromising photos of your girlfriend with signed consent forms attached in pdf, please.
    Thirdly, you cannot go wrong with the hovercraft. I ride one in hard boots. Not only floats like a dream, turns on a dime (great for trees) but you can carve trenches.

    You should have no issues with the length or turning radius. I have a 156 hovercraft and am 5'6" and a buck eighty.
    “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
    ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

    www.mymountaincoop.ca

    This is OUR mountain - come join us!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    not past the Intercept lot
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    72
    I'm pretty similar in size to you (6'2'' 210 13 boot), so.....

    I find the Hovercraft to be pretty "meh"; The Bataleon Cameltoe is everything the Hovercraft wants to be and more. It's more responsive, carves a little better, and is a little better through chop. Mind Expander is basically a park board for the powder, and when I rode it it was much slower than I expected. Not really a negative but it wasn't charge-y enough for me. Super fun on side hits though. I'd look at the Storm Chaser too.

    Can't say much about Weston other than they make some of the heaviest boards I've ever ridden.

    Take a hard look at the Nitro Quiver lineup. The Pow and Treehugger are a blast and the Squash is one of my favorite boards I've been on recently.

    Also take a look at the Korua Stealth. Extremely fun board and guys our size can more than comfortably ride the 156.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Posts
    5,013
    Look at the Never Summer shaper series boards. They would suit you well. The X models are slightly wider for those with big feet.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
    Posts
    1,837
    Praxis RX
    27° 18°

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    29
    What generation Hovercraft were you riding? From what I've heard the newer current model and last year from the new factory are a little softer and quicker edge to edge.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Up in ya face!
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    3,825
    Funny, I've been debating some of these same decks myself for a while now. I'm 6' 2", 240, 13 feet, usually on a big 'ol Flagship. I am getting old and slow, though, so I am leaning strongly towards the Mind Expander for it's supposedly carvey playfulness.

    Also tech talk jong.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    106
    I haven't ridden any of the boards you've listed so I can't speak from experience but I would go for the tried and true hovercraft, I've heard lots of great things about it.

    I wouldn't worry about it being too stiff, you'll want the stiffness in torn up chop and when you're ripping groomers. I also wouldn't worry about the radius either, I believe most snowboards have sidecut radiuses that are too tight actually. There are exceptions but for the most part you'll see jibbers in the park going 10mph riding the same sidecut as someone riding deep pow or ripping groomer turns at 50mph. It doesn't make any sense.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    2,480
    Quote Originally Posted by pureshred View Post
    I believe most snowboards have sidecut radiuses that are too tight actually.
    QFT, furberg freeride.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    I picked up Never Summer Insta/Gator.
    I would love to give you a review, but I haven’t had to chance to ride it yet.
    Last edited by nutmegchoi; 12-05-2017 at 09:57 PM.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
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    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490
    Mainly came here to ask permnation if theres any way to demo a furberg in salt lake city for cheap. But fwiw, I've had a Weston Big Chief split the last two seasons. Compared to Jones boards I've had, its slightly less well built. I went back to a Jones this year

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
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    2,480
    Quote Originally Posted by claymond View Post
    Mainly came here to ask permnation if theres any way to demo a furberg in salt lake city for cheap.
    Try these guys: https://www.thesplitboardshop.com/new-splitboards

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Posts
    126
    I have actually been wanting to demo a furberg for a couple years too, but I am not interested in a split since I already have one. I just want to check out the freeride with some lift accessed laps to see how it handles (I'm a big dude, 6'4", and it's hard to find boards stiff/long enough for my liking).

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Salt Lake City
    Posts
    490
    Thanks perm, forgot those guys were here. Looks like they have a solid furberg demo. I'm in same boat as you board to death, I want to bang out laps at the bird to get some real time on it. And I just bought a Solution

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    The Wilds of Maine
    Posts
    2,851
    I weigh much less, am shorter, and am a relatively newby JONG when it comes to snowboarding, but I am absolutely obsessed with the Goldfish I bought from Aaron aka Spicoli 2.0 at Soul Motion: http://www.elevatedsurfcraft.com/snowsurf-boards/

    Not sure what sizes he has, I got a 147, but that board is so surfy and quick in the trees and lays down a harder turn than any pair of skis or board I've been on. Not sure how you feel about super short boards with no tail, but I've greatly enjoyed it. I know he's built custom ones for bigger dudes.

    I'm just about to order a Backwoods as a split though. Would love to get a Storm Chaser or Goldfish for splitting but seems pretty wonky for walking.
    "We're in the eye of a shiticane here Julian, and Ricky's a low shit system!" - Jim Lahey, RIP

    Former Managing Editor @ TGR, forever mag.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    29
    Quote Originally Posted by biggins View Post
    Funny, I've been debating some of these same decks myself for a while now. I'm 6' 2", 240, 13 feet, usually on a big 'ol Flagship. I am getting old and slow, though, so I am leaning strongly towards the Mind Expander for it's supposedly carvey playfulness.

    Also tech talk jong.
    Thing with the Mind Expander is it only goes up to 158 and that weight limit on the range is way down there for us big fellas.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Quote Originally Posted by recoveringflatlander View Post
    Thing with the Mind Expander is it only goes up to 158 and that weight limit on the range is way down there for us big fellas.
    I feel like all 'weight ranges' max out at 210 or so, so I tend to disregard that as a guide. That said, I will be demoing a 154 to see if I like the feel and I worry that will not hold up to my girth. We'll see, has to snow first...

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    29
    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan Dunfee View Post
    I weigh much less, am shorter, and am a relatively newby JONG when it comes to snowboarding, but I am absolutely obsessed with the Goldfish I bought from Aaron aka Spicoli 2.0 at Soul Motion: http://www.elevatedsurfcraft.com/snowsurf-boards/

    Not sure what sizes he has, I got a 147, but that board is so surfy and quick in the trees and lays down a harder turn than any pair of skis or board I've been on. Not sure how you feel about super short boards with no tail, but I've greatly enjoyed it. I know he's built custom ones for bigger dudes.

    I'm just about to order a Backwoods as a split though. Would love to get a Storm Chaser or Goldfish for splitting but seems pretty wonky for walking.

    That Goldfish looks legit....although it only comes in a 147 without going custom.

    Seems to be that nobody really has time on the Backwoods. At this point, and along with the quality comment from earlier, I'm going to pull the trigger on a Hovercraft 160. From the people I've talked to you that have been on the mind expander, they describe it as a pow friendly park board.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    O+Positive
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    2,929
    6' 190 and loving my Hovercraft 160. The hype is justified.
    Montani Semper Liberi

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