Category Archives: Reviews
Unless otherwise noted all reviews and gear in this category are from my personal gear closet. Nothing has been given to me solely for the purpose of a review and blogpost. I just thought that I would give an opinion on what Im wearing and riding…. Burrito
Review Niche “Knew”
Niche is a new snowboard company coming out of Salt Lake City. Chances are you have heard or seen of them already as their environmentally friendly ways are making lots of news in the snow world. The 2011/2012 season will be Niche’s first season with a line of boards in stores but since they are here in the SLC Ive been lucky enough to meet the gang behind the brand and was given one of their boards, The Knew, to ride around for a bit. Heres my review of the product.
I first rode the Knew at a regional demo-fest at Snowbasin Resort here in Utah. That day had about 8 inches of fresh snow to play in but when I got on the Niche board is was close to the end of the day and the snow had become pretty chopped. The size I rode that day is the same one I have now the Knew 152. Being a pretty big dude at 6 feet 205 I was a bit apprehensive about taking out the 152 especially on 8 inches of chop but I was really surprised at how damp the Knew was. I was able to cut right through chop and have a blast on the board. Not too long ago Niche came through and gave me a Knew when my other board started to blow out. As I stated above I got he 152 and I’m having a blast on it.
The Knew is Niches “park” board and has flat camber which is my preferred camber style. The Knew is a tad stiff torsionally for me on boxes and rails since I generally prefer noodles in the park but Im still able to butter and play on it it just takes a bit more effort. On jumps, bumps, side hits etc it really excels however as that bit of stiffness gives it great pop. Its also that stiffness and extra dampening from the HempHop stringers that enable me to charge it in the summer slush at Snowbird.. yes you heard me Im charging steep lines at the Bird on this 152, its that damp. Overall its a good board with a stable, damp ride, thats good to go on the boxes and rails in the park but really excelling on the jumps. If I had this in the 156 as well it would be my all mountain board for sure but thats not a knock on its park label just more of a product of me liking super soft boards in the park. If you need a comparative I would say It very much reminded me of the Ride Machete which is a good board to be compared to in my opinion.
In short if youre looking to support a small company with solid principles Niche is a great place to look. The people behind the brand are dedicated riders and great folks who are part of whats right in snowboarding. The Knew is a flat cambered park board with a mid flex and super damp ride that can do it all in the park, really loves the jumps, and can even handle some aggressive steep riding. Check their site for info on all the other boards that will be in shops this upcoming fall.
Also check out Niche on Facebook , Twitter, and as luck would have it Niche is also currently running a board give away which you can enter here
My Niche Knew 152 ... if you get yours youll have to decorate it your self
Powder Mountain
Last night I received a call from a guy looking to buy one of my extra boards I had sitting around. The only problem was that he lived up north a bit about 40 miles away. So I said what the hell I’ll bring the board to you and make a day of it by hitting up Powder Mountain. Powder Mountain if you dont know is very aptly named. Known locally as a sure fire place to get pow stashes days and even weeks after a storm Powder Mountain should be a must on everyones list of places to visit. In addition to 7000 acres of trees, open glades, rocks/cliffs, a terrain park, a half pipe and a few natural half pipes they also have Cat accessed terrain. Powder is a no frills resort with old school EVERYTHING ( Rope Tows people) but I like that. Much like my home mountain of Brighton its all about the ride not base village shopping plazas. Come to Powder Mountain and you come to ride period. The snow gods were with me today as todays storm was sitting heavy on the Ogden resorts vs. the normal SLC Cottonwood Canyons pattern. As a result my tracks were being covered every run but I was unable to really explore as much as I would have liked. I lapped the Hidden Lake Express most of the day and had a blast. Unfortunately since my trip was so quickly planned I wasnt able to get up a crew with me so I dont have a ton of pictures or video but heres a few things…..
looky what I found in the parking lot .... guess Powder is down with angrysnowboarder.com
The lady in the ticket office said today was very busy because of the snow. Powder is known for extremely sparse crowds .. for example "very busy" meant about 75 cars in the lot. That 75 cars for 7000 acres .. now you kinda get why freshies are always easy to find!
If you know me you know I LOVE MUSHROOMS .. I spotted this from the lift and it was untouched .. really untouched and visible from the lift WTF!! Its a 6 foot drop off with a 2-3 foot ollie on... my day pretty much centered around this thing...
I was able to get 4 hits off of it... one on each side, a roll over on the middle, and finally a good launch off at the end of the day.. this was awesome
There is a shuttle that goes up and down the canyon road that leads to Powder Mountain. It stops and picks up people off the side of the road that have ventured into the off piste area known as Powder Country and also people who took advantage of cat riding.. oh yeah its free. The shuttle knows whats up "Real Snow Real Fun!"
At the end of the day ( or at the beginning if youd prefer) swing by the Eden Coffee and Cocoa stand in the grocery store parking lot for some liquid yummy. Right there at the four way stop sign.... keep it local kids!
I’ll admit its been years since I’ve been up to Powder Mountain, in fact over a decade but I will never let another season pass without multiple trips to this awesome spot. In fact Im going to try and get some of the homies up there before they close this season. Hopefully then we can get some great pictures and a bit of video. Check out their site for yourself and be amazed at all the open terrain as well as great off piste terrain and the available Cat Riding
POWDER MOUNTAIN ON THE INTERWEBZ
Randoms, Celtek family tradition, Electric’s EG 2.5, 686/New Balance’s 2012 790 Boot, Brighton’s RFID park photos, Absinthes YouTube channel, and the SLC stop on the Campus Rail Jam (whew)
Lots of quick random stuff in this post but first a few notes on whats to come on the Blahg. I have three SIA posts left Rome, Nitro/L1, and finally a post about three companies to be on the lookout for in the future. Also I have a half dozen board reviews a couple interviews in the works and finally Ive thought about my next give away. All of that should hopefully come in March with a few surprises and contest coverage as the contest season gets into full swing. So once again thanks for reading and stay tuned for all the above content. Now for the randoms post…
Celtek is a family ( literally)….
I was at the grocery store the other day and saw this FJCruiser in the parking lot…..
So I thought “I guess Erik is in here some where I have to say hello if I see him” We got our items checked out and never saw Mule but no worries I figured I’d see him at some other point. As we are walking to my car theres a lady walking in front of us and its her that walks up to the FJ. Im like hey are you BJ and Mules mom? Shes says yeah and we talk for a few secs about Celtek and the site. Shes super stoked haha. Not only was mom rocking the Celtek logo on the door she also had a full hood die cut she also had the Doman monster on the back window. Dont you wish your mom was as cool?
Electric 2.5′s ….
Earlier in the season on a big storm day I rolled up to Brighton and realized that I forgot my goggles. It was dumping so going without was not an option. Reluctantly I went into the shop and ended up buying a pair of Electric 2.5′s. New for this season the 2.5′s are a bit smaller than the EG2′s I have been rocking the EG 1.5′s for the last two seasons and was very pleased with their fit and performance so I bit the bullet and paid $60 more than I could get them with Milos discount because there was no way in hell I was going back down that canyon for my goggles. It took me awhile to get the 2.5′s adjusted to fit comfortably on my face but once I did I liked them. I dont think they have as good of a vision field as my 1.5′s but I’ll get used to them over time. The best/worst thing about the 2.5 is the lens. I have the amber lens with the mirror coating. These are for sure the darkest amber lenses Ive ever seen. Even after having the goggles on for hours I can still see a noticeable amber tint on the terrain. While that is great for bright days it definitely doesnt allow you to get by at night with them. Its a minor thing to think about if you were looking to purchase them but overall these are a great goggle.
EG 2.5's
686/New Balance 2012 790 Boot….
OK lets start out with a disclaimer.. boots reviews are pointless. Everyone has a different foot and my comfy boot is your foot nightmare. The best way to buy a boot is to go into your local shop with no pre-dispositions and tell your shop kid what your are looking for in flex and lacing and let the kid bring out lots of boots for you to try on. Dont be dead set on a particular brand. One of the best boots Ive ever had was from a company I would have never tried out if my shop kid hadnt made me put them on. Look all you see are the tips of your toes anyway so dont get hung up on brand names and just find the one that feels best on you…
686/NewBalance 790's for 2011/2012
With that being said if you are someone whose tried the 790′s from 686/NewBalance and they fit you well and you are looking for some impressions on the product let me help you out. The 790 is 686′s park flex boot with a 6 rating on their stiffness scale and a traditional lacing system. The liner has a standard pull tight lacing system and as an added touch the 790 has a velcro strap added mid way up the top portion of the boot. Personally I thought these were a tad too stiff for a park boot but remember Im the guy that rides jibs boards on two foot pow days. I just like really soft boards, bindings, and of course boots as well. That doesnt mean the 790′s were a bad boot. In fact quite the opposite, I rather liked them despite being a bit stiffer than what Im used to. They were super comfy for me, in fact I was able to put in 5 hours riding and never really had any discomfort. Thats a big deal for a brand new boot with stock insoles. The thing I liked most about the 790′s was a few little touches that 686 put into the boot. First the liner has velcro anchors in the heel as well as around the cuff of the liner. I liked the velcro to secure the liner, in fact Ive been doing it DIY in my boots for about 6 seasons. Another thing that I liked on the boot was the double stitched leather area over the toe where you would set your board as you are riding up the lift. Little things like these touches show me 686 is paying attention to the details and really trying to put out a great product. As I said the boots never felt uncomfortable in the 5 hours I was laced up in them and at the end of day 1 they were already starting to break in well. If you have ever had a pair of boots that takes weeks to break in you know its maddening. So feeling it conform to how and where I flex on day one was a great thing and a good sign. All in all I dont think these would be my day to day boot but could see them being a great choice for me on days where we hike some steeper back country terrain and I would like a little bit better response than what I get from my very mushy park boot. Normally I dont have extra sets of boots for such purposes but feeling the comfort level on these 790′s I want to keep them around for sure.
Brighton’s RFID park picture system…
There as been quite a bit of bad press recently about Vails RFID system on its ability to track personal information as you are on their mountain and what they may or not do with it. Recently Brighton also installed some RFID technology but at Brighton the R in RFID stands for RAD. See unlike some of the high end hoity toity resorts Brighton knows its all about having fun and their Park Sponsor “The Truth” wants you to have fun too.
Brightons RFID doesnt track movements or days on the hill or vertical feet or anything like that. The RFID at Brighton is used to activate automatic cameras within the terrain park. That way you can have some great pictures of your self getting in some great jibs.
Grab an RFID tag, put it on, get rad, have proof of said radness
Heres how the process works…
Come find some of the Truth workers in the lower section of rails on the Majestic park. They will give you a small badge with an RFID chip in it and a number printed on the outside. When you hit selected jibs the RFID chip in your badge will activate the camera and also relay your badge number to it. Later that night you can log into the site, browse your pictures, and share the ones you like. Simple, non-invasive, fun. YEAH BRIGHTON!
Abisinthe’s Youtube Channel…
If you are savvy enough to be following Absinthe on Twitter you already know this information. If you dont well here it is… Absinthe has been heavily loading old footage of premieres, Flipside episodes, teasers, and all sorts of out takes onto its Youtube page. It is definitely worth checking out for tons of great stuff you may have missed over the last decade.
Campus Rail Jam in SLC…
Last but not least the Campus Rail Jam Tour hit SLC last Thursday and I went up to get a few pics as well as show some support for some local riders. Niche Snowboards rider Erika Vikander won the womens title and Brighton Park Crew Member Everest Arnold took the glory in the mens division. It was fun to go up there to support my friends and to also shout out “its not switch its backwards” at the top of my lungs everytime the announcer said a skier was dropping in switch. Check out the official page for more information about the Campus Rail Jam here and also enjoy a few pics…
Erika Vikander took home the womens title.. box jam Method
The Brighton Park crew has a long line of heavy hitters on its roster.. Jake Welch, Cam Pierce, Ted Borland, Brandon Hobush ... is mens winner Everest Arnold the next big name to come from the crew? Sw 50/50
Well heres the news none of you up and comers wanted to hear ... theres another Hobush .. Christian Hobush shows his mad style here...
Raiden 0 Binding Review
I hate buying bindings, Im the same with trucks on my skateboard, I prefer both well worn in and reliably consistent in how they perform. With new bindings you have to get the straps, heelcups, and highbacks adjusted plus new bindings are just not as comfortable as old worn in ones. Until recently I was still rocking a pair of Drake TM’s from their 08/09 line. They were really getting a bit out of hand with the constant screw tightening and strap adjustments needed. Finally last week I broke two straps in two days and decided that it was time to find a new pair. Heres another reason I was slow to get new bindings, I like low high backs and 0 forward lean so my choices can at times be limited. I was able to find the same 08/09 Drake TM’s for $105 shipped online but decided to see what my other local options were first. Drake stopped making the TM this season and replaced it with the ReLoad but the highbacks were really tall on them so Drake was out. I also looked at Flux (who has low highbacks) but then I had a couple people tell me to check out the Raiden line so I gave them a once over at Milosport and hooked em up.
I like to ride my bindings right out of the box with out making any initial big adjustments other than dialing in the strap placement. Luckily for me the heelcups and angles were good to go and I havent needed to do any of the tinkering normally associated with new bindings. Raiden does include a handy positioning chart in the manual that lets you know exactly where to adjust the bindings for each size boot within the 0′s size range.(noted however the chart is made with Nitro boots in mind which is what Im currently wearing).
The Raiden 0 also features the new Mini-Disc setup. The Mini-Disc is, as its named, a smaller than normal disc for the footbed of the bindings. This new smaller Disc allows you to use only two screws to hold the bindings (but has room for four if youre sketched on that idea). The thought behind it is that the smaller disc allows for more room for dampening materials on the binding itself and also gives a smaller footprint of the mounting surface which means it has less effect on board flex.
The Raiden 0 is one of the softer flex bindings within the Raiden line. Its billed as a park/urban slayer with the flex needed for presses and tweaks. Since I ride all over the mountain it would seem this isnt the binding for me but I prefer a bit softer than normal board so I need to pair it with a softer binding. Remember to always match your board flex and binding flex kids. Its not going to do you much good to get a good mushy binding and put it one a super stiff big mountain board and vice versa.
So far Ive only put a couple days on the 0′s but have managed to take them on some pretty varied area within Brighton. They handled great in the park of course but I also found them more than responsive enough to enable me to weave through the dense trees around the bottom of the Rock Garden and cushy enough to feel confident to take them off the drops as well. The Raiden 0 also feature an air cushioned heel bladder to help lessen the impact on those big drops as well as give a good comfortable all around ride. The ratchets on the 0 are aluminum but the teeth are hard plastic. Ive had bindings with plastic teeth before and found that as long as you have your bindings adjusted properly ( and dont live somewhere like Jackson Hole where its perpetually 0 degrees) a plastic tooth will last you as long as you need it to. Remember when properly adjusted you tighten your straps until they are snug but not constricting. If youre tightening your straps all the way down and struggling to get that last final click youre doing it wrong and need to take a few minutes to adjust your straps.
One small thing that I dont like about the 0. The footbed flap that covers the mounting hardware has no heel cup anchor. Basically what this means is that it just rests there. When you initially put the cover on its actually pretty flappy but once you tighten the screw down at the one mounting spot it tends to lower and goes a bit flush. My issue with this is on a deeper day there is the possibility of snow getting wedged underneath it and becoming a pain in the ass. To be clear I havent had this problem I just see it as a possibility and wish Raiden had put in even some small groove and insert to help keep this thing secured. Of course Im also talking about a park oriented binding so I can understand why its not there because if its a deep day you shouldnt be in the park anyways…. remember that.
Overall Im very happy with the Raiden 0 and glad I was able to get a good solid binding that fit my list of needs with very little searching. Im new to the Raiden family but would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a softer skate inspired binding. Check out more on their site here.
Shifty Socks review and interview
I recently became aware of one of the only rider owned snowboard sock companies out there. Shifty is their name and I ordered a pair of their socks in December. I bought the Chuck Browns (in hot pink of course) and have been riding in them comfortably for the past month. The Shifty socks have a great balanced hold on the calf, firm enough to keep the sock up but not so firm that it bites into you. An area of concern for many snowboard socks is the thinner layer. Many times the thin areas can wear too fast eventually causing holes and making the socks useless but the Shifty’s have held up well so far with no noticeable wear and tear on even the thinner layers of the sock.Javi of Shifty; Shifty was started by 3 guys, one to two years out of college. We wanted to pursue our passion outside of our current professions. Rather than limiting snowboarding to just the winter, we wanted to make it part of our lives, year round.
Javi of Shifty; Shifty’s design and R&D team is based in North Lake Tahoe. You might catch one of us shredding Northstar on any given day testing out our products and getting inspiration for designs. Shifty’s logistics and web team is based in San Francisco where the diversity of culture and ideas promote our development.
Javi of Shifty; When someone wants to buy socks for snowboarding, their options are limited to big snowboarding companies whose focus on socks is minimal because their attention is divided among several aspects of snowboarding. Our focus is primarily on socks, not only on performance, but on style. We provide a high quality, comfortable sock with a ridiculous amount of steez for both on and off the mountain shenanigans. Everything produced by Shifty, from the socks, to the packaging and even our stickers are made in America, to not only ensure quality, but to also minimize our impact on the environment.
What plans does Shifty have for expanding the product line for 2011?
Javi of Shifty; We’re all about constant progression. The same way we always strive to improve our riding, we strive to improve our products. We are currently experimenting with different materials for our 2011 product line along with several new developments to come. We are also working with different manufacturers to create a new feature that no one else has in the snowboard sock game (sorry, can’t spill the details on this one). This will differentiate us from every sock out there, so stay tuned… we’re very close to getting the design down right.We will also be exploring a few other apparel categories outside of socks for the next year… but still keep our main focus on making exceptional socks with unique styles.
Lastly, we are planning to reserve one design for 2011 to be made by fan creativity. We will announce a contest sometime this year for best design, so look forward to that.
Javi of Shifty; We are currently building our team. We have a few members who we are doing some photo shoots and videos with now. Our team consists of all Tahoe/Reno locals, but we’re looking to expand our crew with a few more members.
Javi of Shifty; We’re planning some company trips, first and foremost Brighton (our favorite destination.. not just because thats where you’re from) and perhaps one down to Mammoth. We are also planning to celebrate our first year of business with a huge rager. Keep your eye out for an invite.
Rome Agent Review and give away…..
So last season I won a Rome Agent in a Rome twitter contest… heres a recap of that if you dont remember. Anyway the board showed up towards the beginning of the season and I waited until a few good storm systems passed through and took it out for a spin. Ill be honest I didnt think I would especially like the Agent for a few reasons: I am not a huge fan of the reverse camber/camber blend, its not a true twin, it has a set back stance, and its listed as “poppy” on the Rome flex chart. For the most part everything I like in a board is directly opposite, I prefer a twin, centered, soft(ish) board but I was willing to give the Agent an honest try. We had a small system come through and put down about 10 inches so I decided to take the Agent over to the Milly side of Brighton for some good all mountain riding. The Agent went through the new snow like a hot knife in butter. I was really surprised at how well it handled the mountain. Even the Camber/Reverse blend that Im not a huge fan of felt good. Perhaps the most notable thing about the Agent was how much pop it had. Reverse camber boards have the stigma of not having the pop you find in a cambered board but Ill tell you what The Agent had crazy pop, probably more than any other non cambered board Ive ever ridden. I didnt get a chance to take it off any park jumps (this was early Dec and Brighton didnt have the jumpline built yet) but I can imagine this thing is great off man made park jumps. It certainly handled great on Milly’s natural rollers, wedges, and side hits. The Agents one weak spot for me was how it handled on the rails and boxes. Although its touted as a do everything board it was just a bit too stiff for my liking in the park. Ive also always felt that this type of camber blend tends to have a “dead spot” around the bindings where the camber/reverse camber blends and The Agent was no exception. Im not saying The Agent cant go into the park Im just saying that someone like me who rides a bit softer board will find The Agent takes a little more effort on the jibs than normal. Much like the Machete I think this board is a great choice for someone who normally rides all over the mountain and likes to dabble in the park for the jumps but never gets too serious on the jibs. If thats your thing youll find The Agent more than capable of providing you with a fun experience.
When I got The Agent I was pretty sure Id use it for a give away here on the site but Im a bit torn. On days like today when theres 20 inches of new snow and I know Ill never even consider the park it would be a great go to deck. However those days dont happen too frequently even here in Utah so I feel like the board would be going to waste in the closet. Plus I mean come on do I really need another deck in the closet I know somewhere out there someone would be stoked to have this board and thats where you come in dear reader…. thats right Blahg give away number three is this virtually new Rome Agent Rocker 155 and heres how you can win it. RomeSDS pro Bjorn Leines rides The Agent……..
and you may have seen him taking a beating on Chads Gap here in Utah in Absinthes newest film Nowhere which he talks about here.
So heres the tie in, I want to see some scars people and best pic wins the board. To make sure you are actually showing me YOUR scars and not going through google images on me (you little cheating bastards) I want you to write “Im killing myself to get a Rome Agent” on a piece of paper and have that in your photo. At the end of the contest Ill pick a winner and post your pic on the site and youll get the board and maybe a couple other little goodies I can find to toss in.
Heres a few rules … 1) U.S. residents only for this one 2) RomeSDS is in no way affiliated with this contest or its judging process .. its all me 3) If youre on my blogroll or have won one of my other contests youre not able to win sorry
Heres how to enter.. send me a mail at burritosandsnow@gmail.com with “Rome contest” in the subject line. The photo should be of your nasty scars from snowboarding or even from coming in late at night and tripping over the dog because you didnt want to turn on the light and wake your dad.. whatever .. just show me some Frankenstein looking shit people. Also remember to have a piece of paper with the phrase “Im killing myself to get a Rome Agent” written on it so I know your pics legit. Today is the 23rd so lets make this one last one week until the 30th. On New Years Eve Day Ill make a post with my choice for nastiest scar and winner of the board and Ill get it shipped out your way… good luck!!
