Board: Rossignol Sushi Light
Size: 144
Camber Option: Amptek Elite, camrock with blend zones just outside the insert pack.
Bindings: K2 Lien AT, Flow Freeballer FS
Stance:Goofy, 21in wide, 18/0 with the K2’s, 21/+3 with the Flows
Boots: DC Tucknee size 8
My Weight: 155lbs
Resort: Keystone
Conditions: This was during our ridiculous early March storms that we were measuring in feet. Keystone actually has some steep and deep if you know what you’re doing. I know what I’m doing. Not many others do apparently so I was dropping rocks fields and small cliffs, riding tight trees and open trees, all in anywhere from 6-24in (depending on how the zone got loaded) all day. This was also round 2 of the storms so under all the new deep snow was softer packed snow. Really some of the best conditions I’ve had in Summit in a long time.
Flex: Right around average to just below for a volume shifted board like this. The tail being so short doesn’t really have any flex to it, but the board does have a reverse directional flex. The nose being as big as it is isn’t stiff, but benefits from the reverse flex keeping it from being noodely soft.
Stability: Ever skip a stone on across a pond? Yeah, it’s like that. Through smoother more even terrain it’s fine, but the size and flex mean through rougher or choppy terrain you more guide the board than really steer it. It helps to stay light on your feet through rough stuff. It never got me into trouble and it never buckled or blew me out of a turn, but it’s not winning any Freeride World Tour stops.
Ollies/Pop: There is next to nothing behind your foot. Super quick and light footed snaps will give a little bit, but for the most part anything you get just depends on your own leg power.
Butterability: Well there really isn’t anything to butter on behind you back foot, but the softer flex of the light means I could throw my whole body weight into the nose and actually even get some torsional flex from it. In pow it’s great with all that surface area to lay into, on groomers it takes some work with the width, but it’s doable.
Carving: As long as you don’t let your weight get outside your back foot and you make sure to engage the camber it will turn. But with the softer flex and overall lighter feel it gets unruly in anything other than smooth terrain. Short snappy turn are where this really wants to live.
Rider in Mind: Smaller rider or female looking for a downsize pow deck to add to their quiver.
Personal Thoughts: Most extreme volume boards just don’t strike me right. I know this, but even still this was not really my kind of ride. I am technically over the weight limit and some of the stability would come back if I were 40lbs lighter, but for me there just isn’t enough board there. I like my edges and I like more of them. It is very quick in the trees and with the near effortless float does make deep snow tree riding require way less thought and effort though.
