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  5 of 5, "A mix of technology transforms the boards feel" 01/04/2010 @ 13:02 |
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| Revision #2 (Last edited: 03/04/2010 @ 16:03) |
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| Price Paid |
| £350 |
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| Bought From |
| Locally in Davos, Switzerland |
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| Times Ridden |
| 15 Times + |
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| Review Detail |
The Angus is one of only 3 boards on the market right now that has taken on board the latest technologies and come up with a blend that truly makes a difference to the feel of a board without sacrificing any particular trait in doing so.
Reverse camber boards have taken the world by storm but as an aggressive all mountain rider (and professional coach) I am all too aware of the inherent weaknesses of RC so I have always opted for standard camber.
The Ross Angus uses a duel camber or Amptek as they call it! This means it has a standard positive camber between the feet and a reverse camber/rocker from the bindings to the nose and tail.
I recognise the benefits to RC such as it being more playful and WAY superior in the deep stuff (even with a much shorter board) but I have never been prepared to sacrifice the performance characteristics of standard camber (greater rebound 'pop', stability and grip on a edge) just because I could get away with a little less effort when riding. RC certainly has its place but dont replace your standard camber just because your lazy!!
So, the idea of having a bit of both was very intriguing. I usually ride 162 - 165 for most things including lots of park and pipe but going with what they say about RC I went slightly smaller with this one at 158cm. I can't tell you how different this thing felt! It took me about 5 days to get to grips with it and it reacted just so differently to my inputs.
Yes its a little softer and smaller but has tons of life that I felt I lost in full RC boards. Tortionally between the feet I feel it still makes me work and allows me to be quite hard with it and despite the RC tip and tail there it enough support to make olliies big and fun but reassuringly stable (not as poppy as Standard camber however)
At mid to high speed there is loads of grip when on an edge and I don't ever feel like I can reverse the camber too much and risk blowing out. At low speed however its super sketchy! So running into rail for example can be a little worrying unless I am on a good degree of slope. The cat tracks at the end of the day can be a nightmare!
In the park the raised tip and tail is enough to making early rotations a breeze and I have not felt wash on landings is unmanageable. That said SC is certainly better for the bigger booters in the park.
Boxes and rails have been great but I do prefer riding bigger faster boxes than getting low down and too tech so I sometimes miss the stability of my Ride DH!
All in all this board is no better than my other SC boards but I will never not have one on account of just how different a snowboard can feel on your feet! Did I mention how insane it is in the pow too! I did a couple of heli drops the other week and my usual choice would be the 169 Yukon...not this time!! It was really impressive in open fields and narrow chutes alike.
I will never permanently replace my SC set up as I enjoy speed and carving the pistes too much on a daily basis but I'll spend half the season on an ANGUS in a heart beat! Actually I already have one on order for next season! The graphics next year fpr 2010/11 are also a little bit nicer!
pics are here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3947974&id=44791341731 |
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| Strengths |
playful, light, relatively stable with some speed and great edge hold considering its flex and RC characteristics.
Comes in WIDE.
Fantastic in the POW and a very confidence inspiring park board.
Super fast base. |
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| Weaknesses |
| Terrible at low speeds. Slightly set back stance. Horrible graphics! |
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| Similar Snowboards Ridden |
| Nidecker Legacy, Never Summer Evo |
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