Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

RVL8 and control issues

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • RVL8 and control issues

    Hey all,

    I have '11 Snowjams 75cm and RVL8 BWP '07s. I live in PA and mostly ski on the east coast. I'm going to Mont Tremblant in late Jan. I really really enjoy the Snowjams as they're easy to maneuver and rarely get caught. I have trouble in deep powder since they're small. I will try and BWPs and I just hate them. I get caught on snow. I find them to chatter and I'm just exhausted by the end of the day.

    Question: Are all RVL8s this way? Is it because of the fat end camber? (different year, same shape). Is it because of the bindings? I want a longer board for the deeper powder. Would the spliffs give me the same issues? The shape looks better, at least.

    thanks guys!

  • #2
    Hey there,

    I haven't noticed this on any of the RVL8 boards I've ridden, but it could be related to the way you ride. The wider your board is, the less you can ride on the flat base without feeling squirrely. Try taking the BWPs out and focus on using your edges even when cruising.

    Another thing to consider is whether the bases are dry and need a wax. I've been out riding and everything was normal on groomed manmade snow, but the second I tracked through some real stuff my boards felt terrible. They were just super dry and the natural snow was sticking to the base causing them to ride strangely.

    Can you post some photos of the boards side by side? Every bit of info helps

    Comment


    • #3
      It would help to know your size, experience, etc. for forum readers to better respond to your questions but I'll take the first pass ....
      Originally posted by haxormax View Post
      Question: Are all RVL8s this way? Is it because of the fat end camber? (different year, same shape).
      RVL8 offers a wide range of skiboards from traditional full camber boards to rocker boards with a variety of shapes/widths. They each perform differently in differently conditions

      Originally posted by haxormax View Post
      Is it because of the bindings?
      Likely NO, but what bindings are you using? Release, Non-Release, Softboot? Brand?

      Originally posted by haxormax View Post
      I want a longer board for the deeper powder. Would the spliffs give me the same issues? The shape looks better, at least.
      The Spliffs will outperform the BWP/Slapdashs in Powder they are wider, longer, and the rocker in the tips and tails helps to keep them from tip diving. You could also consider the RVL8 Rockered Condors or Blunt XL. If you are riding release bindings you can add the Spruce Sherpas, Ospreys, or Crossbows to the consideration list.
      Boards:
      2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
      2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
      2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
      2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
      2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
      2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
      2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
      2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

      Comment


      • #4

        Always wax and sharpen the edges before I leave for a trip.


        I'm 5'9, been skiing all my life... 32 years

        Been skiboarding since 2002.

        I like going fast.

        Comment


        • #5
          Are your issues with the BWPs just in powder or do you not like them at all? Is the "chatter" you describe something that is happening with the BWPs in powder or hardpack?
          Boards:
          2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
          2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
          2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
          2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
          2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
          2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
          2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
          2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Wookie View Post
            Are your issues with the BWPs just in powder or do you not like them at all? Is the "chatter" you describe something that is happening with the BWPs in powder or hardpack?

            I know this is unhelpful, but I don't recall. I used them last at Mt. Killington when it was snowing a foot last year. Thought they'd be good on powder, but all I did was get tired. I feel like the ends got caught a lot.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by haxormax View Post
              I know this is unhelpful, but I don't recall. I used them last at Mt. Killington when it was snowing a foot last year. Thought they'd be good on powder, but all I did was get tired. I feel like the ends got caught a lot.
              Riding center mount on a traditional all camber board that don't have a ton of width, like the BWPs, can be very tiring. You need to lean back and ride the tails a lot. If that, coupled with busting through that pow and catching the hard pack below, was what was happening that makes sense but I am just taking a shot in the dark.

              A couple of thoughts:

              Any of the RVL8 boards with rocker will perform better than the BWPs in deep snow plus the rocker at the tips and tails make them less "grabby"

              If you still want to get the most out of the BWPs in powder and see if you can make them work try adding a little setback with your binding. Instead of mounting your boot dead center shift the heal bail and toe bail an equal amount towards the rear of the binding/board. It looks like you have enough play in the binding to do this. This will shift your weight back a bit and require less of that quad burning lean to keep the tips up.
              Boards:
              2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
              2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
              2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
              2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
              2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
              2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
              2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
              2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

              Comment


              • #8
                Rocker, eh? I really like the look of the Blunt XLs.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by haxormax View Post
                  Rocker, eh? I really like the look of the Blunt XLs.
                  It would likely be a pow performance upgrade over your BWPs. Many riders use them as their powder boards and some swear by them as their only board. For me at 6'4" and over 200lbs they are a bit smaller than I would like in pow but you're not my size. What you get is a slightly longer and noticeably wider board than your BWPs. Along with that the rocker at the tips and tails helps them float in Pow and prevents tip/tail grab on hardpack. On hard snow these may feel shorter than your BWPs due to the rocker which shortens the flat running length. They also have a second set of inserts so you can setback the binding position on deep days without adjusting the binding toe/heel bails.
                  Boards:
                  2016 Spruce tuned Head Jr. Caddys - 131cm
                  2013 Spruce "CTS" 120s
                  2010 Spruce "Yellow/Red" 120s
                  2018 Spruce "CTS" Crossbows - 115cm
                  2016 RVL8 Spliffs - 109cm
                  2008 RVL8 Revolt "City" - 105cm
                  2017 RVL8 Sticky Icky Icky - 104cm
                  2011 Defiance Blades - 101cm

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Hmm, I remember one of my sets of boards chattering pretty badly.... The Canon M7s did in harder conditions, but I seem to think I had chatter issues the first day or two on my Spliffs (on flat cattracks and groomers, early season conditions). The Spliffs certainly don't chatter on me at all any more, so it must have been how I was riding them.

                    I'll second Wookie on the setback; I noticed a huge performance improvement on my old Canons simply by setting the heel bail all the way back, then dialing in the front to fit the boot. I'm pretty sure that helped with the chatter on groomers. Courtney's bang on things feeling squirrely when riding flat base; I've had it throw my tips and tails back and forth when cruising cattracks (also on the M7s).

                    I've been riding the Spliffs for over a season now, and they just pound through anything you throw at them. They're super stable at high speed in powder, crud and variable terrain, although I find they are a bit lacking when it comes to carving on hardpack.
                    BOARDSLAYER
                    Base / Edge Destruction X X X
                    Cores Snapped X X X

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by haxormax View Post
                      Hey all,

                      I have '11 Snowjams 75cm and RVL8 BWP '07s. I live in PA and mostly ski on the east coast. I'm going to Mont Tremblant in late Jan. I really really enjoy the Snowjams as they're easy to maneuver and rarely get caught. I have trouble in deep powder since they're small. I will try and BWPs and I just hate them. I get caught on snow. I find them to chatter and I'm just exhausted by the end of the day.

                      Question: Are all RVL8s this way? Is it because of the fat end camber? (different year, same shape). Is it because of the bindings? I want a longer board for the deeper powder. Would the spliffs give me the same issues? The shape looks better, at least.

                      thanks guys!
                      I rode Slapdashes quite a bit - they are the renamed BWPs. They are fine boards for beginners and intermediates who like leisurely on-piste riding, especially those coming from skiing or blading into modern skiboarding. Or light and short riders. But in general they don't perform as well as other boards when pushed all over the mountain. They do chatter badly on east coast groomers in fast, hard carves, sink in powder unless you are riding the tails, and tend to get get caught up in any spring slush. It's unfortunate that these don't have a setback option as I think that would help a ton. They are OK in the park, but the pro boards are far superior. I used to loan them out to friends and family, but I have since sold them and use Stickys for loaners instead.

                      XLs are fantastic powder boards. But they require an adjustment in technique on groomers, especially east coast hard pack. They are not like BWPs or Snowjams.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Fun Machine View Post
                        I rode Slapdashes quite a bit - they are the renamed BWPs. They are fine boards for beginners and intermediates who like leisurely on-piste riding, especially those coming from skiing or blading into modern skiboarding. Or light and short riders. But in general they don't perform as well as other boards when pushed all over the mountain. They do chatter badly on east coast groomers in fast, hard carves, sink in powder unless you are riding the tails, and tend to get get caught up in any spring slush. It's unfortunate that these don't have a setback option as I think that would help a ton. They are OK in the park, but the pro boards are far superior. I used to loan them out to friends and family, but I have since sold them and use Stickys for loaners instead.

                        XLs are fantastic powder boards. But they require an adjustment in technique on groomers, especially east coast hard pack. They are not like BWPs or Snowjams.
                        The Slapdashes are a pro board, one of the originals. Not only were they specifically designed for the park, but, next to the KTPs, they are the stiffest board in the RVL8 line up. It always surprises me when they get recommended for beginners or females, as they are clearly more suited for the aggressive park rider. Since they were rebranded as Slapdashes, and received some less than masculine graphics, they seem to have been misrepresented as some kind of beginner product. And lets not forget, at under 100cm, they are one of the few "true" skiboards we make. Whatever they are, they are not the perfect board for your girlfriend. Given their design parameters, it's not surprising people find the ride harsh and have trouble with them on hard pack groomers.

                        I have a pair, and despite their shortcomings will never sell them. Why, because they epitomize the minimalist attitude.
                        Just these, nothing else !

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Bad Wolf View Post
                          The Slapdashes are a pro board, one of the originals. Not only were they specifically designed for the park, but, next to the KTPs, they are the stiffest board in the RVL8 line up. It always surprises me when they get recommended for beginners or females, as they are clearly more suited for the aggressive park rider. Since they were rebranded as Slapdashes, and received some less than masculine graphics, they seem to have been misrepresented as some kind of beginner product. And lets not forget, at under 100cm, they are one of the few "true" skiboards we make. Whatever they are, they are not the perfect board for your girlfriend. Given their design parameters, it's not surprising people find the ride harsh and have trouble with them on hard pack groomers.

                          I have a pair, and despite their shortcomings will never sell them. Why, because they epitomize the minimalist attitude.
                          I can only speak from first hand and second hand experience. For me they just didn't provide the performance that I needed for my style of riding. It's not just about the stiffness - that is just one part of the equation. For my beginner-intermediate friends and wife, the Slapdashes were very well received. Maybe some other boards might have been more beginner friendly, but that doesn't mean beginners and lightweights won't get enjoyment out of them despite the original intent of the boards to be for pro park use. Keep in mind that most newcomers here aren't true beginners to snow sports but rather coming in from skiing or blading, sometimes with lots of experience. They may not be the perfect board for your girlfriend, but they could be for someone else's. It doesn't hurt to offer options.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I got the boards, look great! I don't know which side is the front lol.

                            These are the bindings from the BWPs.. thought it'd be an easy plug and play.

                            What holes do i use? Is the bend normal?



                            Um what the hell is happening???

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              RVL8 and control issues

                              Originally posted by haxormax View Post
                              I got the boards, look great! I don't know which side is the front lol.
                              The best best to work out which way is up, is to go to the original sales listing on SBOL and look at the images. The boards are always displayed upright. Another way is to look at the graphic on the bases. Most spell RVL8, in some form or another, and should read from right to left when laid horizonal, with the left end being the front of the board and the right the back.



                              Originally posted by haxormax View Post
                              These are the bindings from the BWPs.. thought it'd be an easy plug and play. What holes do i use?
                              Some boards have an extra set of bindings inserts giving them a set back option for powder days to raise up the tips. If you use the front two you will be mounted centered on the board, the back two and you are rear of center. Sometimes it's just a personal riding preference. For example, most of the us believe that the Ickys ride best set back.

                              Originally posted by haxormax View Post
                              Is the bend normal?
                              No, not normal, at least I have never seen a bend on any of my non release bindings. I would guess that someone landed a jump hard on them and caused the bend. It would worry me that they might affect how your boards ride and flex, or even damage the boards. I would try to straighten them, or get them replaced. Others who ride the park may have better experience with this.
                              Just these, nothing else !

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X