Originally posted by sempai
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Originally posted by valmorel
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Originally posted by wjeong
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Let's start from the beginning of the fest. First day out (Snowbird) I rode the Blunt XLs. There was still powder to be had in the trees a day or two after the last storm. The XLs did their usual job of slaying it. I have to admit though that it took me a while to find my rhythm again on these tiny boards, after having spent most of this season on the much longer and more stable Sherpas.
So on day two at Solitude I broke out the Stickies. I did not take to them on the first run. They seemed overly narrow. I hadn't been on boards so skinny for years. By the next couple of runs I was feeling more comfortable on them. One thing I noticed quickly was that they are plenty stable and plenty fast (if you wanted them to be). I rode them setback all three days. Setback feels great with these boards. With some boards a setback is so obvious and awkward. On the Stickies I felt no different than I do when I ride boards center. By the end of the day I was pretty much sold on these boards.
Day three at Brighton was a nice combination of riding groomers and glades. The Stickies handled both with ease. I made a return to riding fast, something that I haven't really been doing this season. The Stickies gave me the confidence to do so. They have great edge hold. They also cut through the chopped up snow instead of bouncing me around like my wider zero-camber boards do. This makes them not at all tiring to ride.
By day four (which was at Alta) I was totally at home on these boards. We were going off trail riding in variable snow at times. The Stickies didn't let me down. They are keepers!
Let me do a comparison between the Stickies and XLs since those are the only two boards I rode at Westfest. The Stickies are definitely more stable than the XLs. Even setback they have plenty of tail support. The Stickies are easier to skate than the XLs and hold a better edge. The Stickies do fine in a foot or so of powder, but I wouldn't choose them over the XLs if I knew the snow was deeper than a foot. The Stickies did a good job in the glades, but they were a bit more work than the XLs to turn. Plus at times it was hard to take certain tight lines in the trees because the Stickies would get going too fast. The XLs are slower and easier to make quick pivot turns. Oh, and I did take the Stickies down a few mogul runs. I actually prefer the Stickies over the XLs in the bumps because of their added stability.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Stickies is their traditional skiboard feel. That is something that I have lost riding wide rockered boards the past few seasons and what my quiver has been missing. I really like being back on a narrower skiboard that has camber. It takes me back to the days when I rode the skinnier Line boards like the Mike Nick Pros and Bullets. The Stickies aren't quite as narrow as the two boards I just mentioned, but they do give you that old-school skiboard experience with much added performance.
I know the Stickies were supposedly created to be Ice Coast slayers, but I think they are more than that. I know they would work well in the Midwest, which has very similar conditions as the East Coast. They'll get plenty of use from me out here on the West Coast. Will they be what I grab on a powder day, of course not. They'll be what I choose to ride when conditions are hard packed, and I just want to rip groomers and have tons of fun.
So don't let where you ride sway your decision on getting a pair of Stickies. They're very versatile boards capable of handling nearly all conditions. Order a pair. You won't regret it.
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