Justin Bobb (see bio)
I. What’s your one-board quiver (of currently available boards) for where you ride most?
See below.
II. What’s your one-board quiver for Taos?
• Venture Zelix, 158cm
I absolutely love Taos, and a majority of my time in the winter is spent there working on patrol and riding around for fun. When I’m not at Taos, I seek out mountains with similar terrain like Crested Butte, Silverton, and Telluride. Taos is steep, narrow, and rocky, and after five years of patrolling there, I am still finding new, really cool zones that impress and scare me.
I chose the Venture Zelix as my one-board quiver last year, and am going with it again for this year’s selection. The Zelix is one of the most solid and durable boards I have ridden, but is still just as playful as most other all-mountain boards I’ve been on. Even though it has a flat profile, the Zelix is super snappy through each turn. While a lot of people prefer boards with camber, I’ve found flat boards to have the best performance in a wider range of conditions. Where I sometimes have to worry about a cambered board catching the snow when scrubbing my speed on steep terrain, I have not found that to be as much of an issue on a flat board. The Zelix is durable, fast, and playful, which makes it a great all-around board for Taos.
Runner Up:
• K2 Slayblade, 158cm
I have ridden multiple models of the K2 Slayblade over the years, and it’s remained one of my favorite boards. The most recent Slayblade was released for the 2013-2014 season, and will be unchanged for the 2014-2015 season (review coming soon).
The updated Slayblade now has a “lifted” profile instead of a completely flat base, which basically just adds some camber to the board. The Slayblade has always been K2’s stiffest board and is capable of handling variable snow, challenging terrain, and high speeds. Considering how stiff its flex is, the Slayblade is also quite playful, with a relatively long rocker line in the nose and tail that improve its butter and jibbing capabilities. The Slayblade is also pretty durable, and is another good option for a one-board quiver for Taos.
III. What’s your one-board quiver for the Canterbury Club Fields, New Zealand?
Like Taos, the Club Fields have a lot of steep, rocky terrain, as well as wide-open bowls. Since it is playful, but also quite stable at speed in variable conditions, I’m sticking with the Zelix for my Canterbury board.
• Venture Zelix, 158cm
Runner Up:
• Smokin Jetson, 159cm
The Smokin Jetson is another board that I think would do well at the Club Fields. It’s a pretty playful board, with a rockered tip, a little camber underfoot, and a pretty low swing weight. The Jetson is softer and more freestyle-oriented than the Zelix and Slayblade, but is still stiff and stable enough to charge through deep chop at relatively high speeds.
IV. What’s your one-board quiver for riding around the East Coast?
Although I haven’t spent a lot of time riding the East Coast, I know I’d want a board that is an excellent carver and does really well in firm conditions. One of the best boards I’ve ridden for carving is the Amplid UNW8 (review coming soon).
• Amplid UNW8, 159cm
The Amplid UNW8 is fully cambered, very light, strong, and fast. The board’s camber gives it a snappy feel, while its lighter weight provides a bit of playfulness, despite its stiff flex. The UNW8 is one of the most responsive boards I’ve ridden, in fact, and it’s very confidence-inspiring at high speeds. However, it’s no noodle, so if you’re not in charge of this board, it can seem a little unforgiving at times.
Runner Up:
• K2 Slayblade, 158cm
The slight amount of camber from its “lifted” profile makes the Slayblade a stable carver, capable of high speeds, and I think it would also do really well on the East Coast.
V. What’s your “one-ride” quiver for the next 2 years, regardless of location?
• Venture Zelix, 158cm
The Zelix is a very versatile board, as I’ve said above, and it’s the most durable one I’ve ever ridden. I enjoy riding it, and believe it would hold up very well to two years of abuse.
VI. What board was most difficult to leave off your list?
The K2 Slayblade wasn’t my top pick for any of the categories, but it is still one of my favorite boards that I look forward to riding more this coming season.
• K2 Slayblade, 158cm
VII. What board do you imagine has the greatest likelihood of making your list, if and when you get to ride it, or get to ride it more?
I’m really looking forward to getting some time on the K2 Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper is pretty similar to the old Slayblade, with its flat profile and some early rise in the tip and tail (a shape I really like).
The entire Jones lineup also looks really exciting. I am most interested in getting on the Jones Aviator.
Next: Colin Boyd’s Selections