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Mid experienced skiboarder (mostly grooves) thinking about a 120? spruce? Thoughts?

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  • Mid experienced skiboarder (mostly grooves) thinking about a 120? spruce? Thoughts?

    Hey guys, been skiboarding for about 4 years on and off.. probably only 3-5 times a season (stevens pass has nearly doubled in price so I don't as much). I'm mostly used to groove skiboards about 82-86 size (I think I have a pair of line's that are 89?). Anyways.. Lately my gf's father has been saying how strong of legs I must have to ride those tiny boards down the hill and I should try the longer but 'fatter' skis... I've never skied so I always kind of shrug it off.. I started skiboarding because I hated snowboarding and only ever heard how hard skiing was.

    So I was thinking about what he said and read a few reviews of those old 120 spruces and am wondering if those would be a good option to go with? I'm about 41.. 5'7 and 215 pounds (bout 30-35 pounds overweight I plan to lose it over the next year or so). Would a spruce 120 be the choice? Here's what i'd like...

    I'd like to ride groomers mostly, carving is fun and a lot of what I do, but I'd like to be able to point the skis down the mountain and keep up without being exhausted ?? also may handle powder occasionally (I've only ever struggled with powder on groove 82's so I hate it right now usually avoid it).
    I want to be able to keep up with them (gf and dad) they are on snowboard and regular ski's respectively.. They can go down the mountain in one straight run. my legs burn and I'm tired as hell half way down and need to take breaks to keep up. Yes partially out of shape, but those things get my thighs burning.

    What would I expect from something like spruce 120s? just more stability at speed? easier/harder turning? less control? Death on moguls?

    Also is there any other boards are directly comparable with the reviews/outcomes I've read of people loving their spruce 120's? they seem rather hard to find these days and almost impossible used .. (I'd rather go used with bindings on them as I don't own any release bindings and I don't really want to 'build' anything, i'd rather have a nice experience right away and just enjoy them, not tweak em). Or is it spruce or nothing?

    For years the person who got me into skiboarding told me the long ones are just dumb its all about the short, but after reading reviews and realizing i'm not gonna be in the parks ever, and only rake small little bumps in the snow as 'jump's' maybe I don't need to listen to old advice, maybe some relaxing cruising could be fine but still having some of the control and ease of use of shortboards... is that would some 120's would bring me?

    Thanks for my long winded post guys!! hopefully talking about long skiboards isn't taboo!! I'm guessing no to poles even with 120s??

  • #2
    If your goal is to try to keep up with long skis and snowboards on the groomers, then perhaps you should consider long skis yourself? It is what they are designed for afterall. Equipment is always a performance trade off, and with skiboards we trade stability at speed for the fun of quick turns, agility and ease of use. Maybe it's time to head into the trees and see if they can keep up with you

    But yes.....longboards like the 120s are a good compromise between skiboards and skis.
    Just these, nothing else !

    Comment


    • #3
      No keep up necessarily speed wise, just how much energy it takes me to get down the mountain. its so much work to go go go without breaks on my little 82's..

      also I see the spruce 120's are fairly old now and a little tougher to find, is there a more modern model that is very close in performance? preferably easier to find used ?

      Comment


      • #4
        The 120s were my second pair of skiboards, I had the Revolts 105cm which are very nimble, they turn on a handkerchief, but was struggling a bit in less than perfectly groomed conditions, they were a bit sensitive to afternoon crud and such. The 120s were going easily through such stuff, were significantly faster, no stability problems, I was surprised to see how fast I can go on them. Only on icy conditions there were not very catchy, but still felt in control. Have not tried powder or moguls at that time, but overall it's a good all conditions board I think.

        The pain in your legs is also very familiar, I had that for some years as well, I used to have to stop a couple of times on each run to rest, turns out it was the boots, at least for me. My boots had a bit too much forward lean angle I think, and I still had some skiing bad habits, I was using too much muscle work instead of using the gravity. I've read quite a bit ( this and some skiing forums and a couple of books ) to understand what I can improve, but the big change came when I changed the boots ... suddenly everything was easier, I was cruising at speed without any need to rest like before. Certainly my technique improved, but the boots helped achieve a better position on the boards.

        If you search in the "buy & sell" section you'll probably find some used, there is one recent pair sold in Europe
        https://forums.skiboardsonline.com/f...ce-120s-yellow
        I suggest to dig through unsold posts from last winter and you might find more. It's been a while since these are out, so most likely they will be quite inexpensive, leaving room for some other boards in the future

        Poles are a matter of preference and can help mainly when in line, waiting for the lift I don't use and don't feel the need on the slope, other people use them, it's however you feel better ...
        Myself: RVL8 2011 KTP, Spruce 125 LE, RVL8 "Drooling Clouds" RCs, Spruce 2016 Osprey
        Daughter: Twoowt Pirania 95cm; RVL8 2015 Blunt XL; RVL8 2021 SII; Spruce Crossbows
        Past: RVL8 2010 Revolt Trees, RVL8 2014 Condor, RVL8 2009 ALPdors, Spruce 120 Yellow/Red

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by jinx View Post
          No keep up necessarily speed wise, just how much energy it takes me to get down the mountain. its so much work to go go go without breaks on my little 82's..

          also I see the spruce 120's are fairly old now and a little tougher to find, is there a more modern model that is very close in performance? preferably easier to find used ?
          The replacement for the Spruce 120 would be the Spruce Crossbow.

          The Crossbow is a superb board. I've just bought a pair in the new graphic design.

          You may be lucky and find a used pair in the old graphic design. Both graphic designs are still available new too.
          Spruce Crossbow 115 "Ski Track" skiboards - My Go To skiboards
          Tyrolia Attack2 13 GW release bindings on Spruce Risers
          Nordica HF110 ski boots

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks guys! I did try emailing one person who had some 120s for sale from the UK but their inbox is full.

            So the crossbows are very similar in terms of dealing and things that made the 120s easier and smooth to ride? The Sherpas are just longer and fatter right? Not quite as smooth for a lower/mid level guy on mostly groomers?

            Let me restate it's not about matching speed of the snowboarder and skiier. It's more about when they say we'll meet at the bottom and I watch them just ride all the way down and I have to plan my stops for recovery time and takes me so much longer to get down.

            My boots are not great mainly old Salomon exp 93s rear entry. I do have older symbiotes too but those have a tad more forward lean.

            Any other thoughts what I may face going from being used to 82-85 to something as big as 120? And would a fat ski that's 120 be similar to these skiboards at 120? Or is it just not the same?

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi Jinx, Here are some of my thoughts . I have ridden everything from 88's to long skis. I do think you will save energy going to a longer skiboard ,just less tiring , more stable ride when following skiers and skiboarders. You could think of stepping half way up to the longer regular skiboards rather then longboard skiboards. I am thinking of boards like the Sticky Icky , the Revolts , or the Dlps. They would be more like your short skiboards but giving you a bit more stability. I like the Sticky Icky particularly in terms of easy of turning , stability at speed , if you use a spruce riser and set them up in the rear inserts they also are a bit more error tolerant of variable snow and bumps etc . then a Revolt center mounted. The bit of rocker in the tips and the rear mount let the tips rise up and over better. Going to Longboard skiboards I think the Spruce 120's , the Crossbows , and the new Slingshots are excellent choices for stability at speed . You can use poles or not . I find that poles are a useful energy saver as when you stop you can rest on your poles and take pressure over your quads when stopped on an incline. Like Bad wolf says , no skiboard longboard skiboard or regular skiboards will be as stable as long skis. I would not get a childs or junior ski in the 120 , 130 length for your weight and size and think they will perform like longboard spruce skiboards which are designed for adult size folks .Most kid's skis will be unstable and squirrly at your weight . Allthough Spruce and some folks have experiment with repurposing junior /woman's skis in the 140 to 150 to 160 range for big adult guys successfully .
              You can look at the reviews of the Ethan Twos on the Spruce site. If you want to to go long skis you might need to go all the way up to 150 to 160 for them to be stable and work well for you .
              The Sherpa is wide and not as easy to get up on edge and carve on firm snow but rides fast and stable almost like a regular ski for a guy your weight . I weigh about as much as you and if I am with folks on skis or snowboards doing mostly groomers , I used to reach for my Crossbows and now my Slingshots .
              Boards :
              Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
              Boots
              K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
              Bindings:
              Zero Pro Non release Binding
              Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
              Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
              Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
              Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by jjue View Post
                Hi Jinx, Here are some of my thoughts . I have ridden everything from 88's to long skis. I do think you will save energy going to a longer skiboard ,just less tiring , more stable ride when following skiers and skiboarders. You could think of stepping half way up to the longer regular skiboards rather then longboard skiboards. I am thinking of boards like the Sticky Icky , the Revolts , or the Dlps. They would be more like your short skiboards but giving you a bit more stability. I like the Sticky Icky particularly in terms of easy of turning , stability at speed , if you use a spruce riser and set them up in the rear inserts they also are a bit more error tolerant of variable snow and bumps etc . then a Revolt center mounted. The bit of rocker in the tips and the rear mount let the tips rise up and over better. Going to Longboard skiboards I think the Spruce 120's , the Crossbows , and the new Slingshots are excellent choices for stability at speed . You can use poles or not . I find that poles are a useful energy saver as when you stop you can rest on your poles and take pressure over your quads when stopped on an incline. Like Bad wolf says , no skiboard longboard skiboard or regular skiboards will be as stable as long skis. I would not get a childs or junior ski in the 120 , 130 length for your weight and size and think they will perform like longboard spruce skiboards which are designed for adult size folks .Most kid's skis will be unstable and squirrly at your weight . Allthough Spruce and some folks have experiment with repurposing junior /woman's skis in the 140 to 150 to 160 range for big adult guys successfully .
                You can look at the reviews of the Ethan Twos on the Spruce site. If you want to to go long skis you might need to go all the way up to 150 to 160 for them to be stable and work well for you .
                The Sherpa is wide and not as easy to get up on edge and carve on firm snow but rides fast and stable almost like a regular ski for a guy your weight . I weigh about as much as you and if I am with folks on skis or snowboards doing mostly groomers , I used to reach for my Crossbows and now my Slingshots .
                Thanks for your reply jjue! i've been reading all the reviews (yours in particular!) of the spruce boards lately. I saw you went from the crossbows to the slingshot. I emailed Jeff and he said the slingshot is still kind of new and seems like he would recommend the crossbows to me. I thinks i could probably master the sherpas after not too long, but seems to think the crossbows are a safer bet.

                I see that you now favor the slingshot.. and you have skiied all three i believe? I'm not as interested in something like a sii as i've already got a nice 80-82cm grooves and a 89 line jedi, so if i'm going to get another pair i want them to be longer and most stable i can get with still nice easy turning. From what i can gather, the Sherpas are close but the turning takes a bit more effort and can be a little bit more work to ski when compared to the crossbows? It sounds like the crossbows will have that easier turning i'm used to on my super shorties (80cms) but still give me some stability and more speed so i can try to keep up with the snowboarder and skiier i run with (they can just go and go and dont seem to get exhausted thigh syndrome like i do on my shorties, i just cant go for very long without the burn!).

                Here's the thing. the only experience i've had with powder was mostly knee to thigh high, and falling right into it with tips digging in (its hard to lean back on a 80cm for me!) and spending 15 minutes wasting all my energy to get out, so right at this moment i hate powder with a passion, it was just frustration! I know i'm still new to skiboarding in many aspects because of that mentality, as most of you seem to love powder. but it makes me NOT value a boarder that does great powder handling, so it makes me think maybe the sherpa should not be the top choice. I want something that is great for groomers thats where i spend most of time. I've never back-country skiied and probably wont. i occasionally hit an ankle high jump for a tiny bit of air, but i always land on my butt with my 80's so i'm not too into that.. I do not visit parks at all... I do value something that can handle almost any condition. I just want to have a good time without having to worry about switching boards, so the closest 'all mountain any condition' board is high in importance to me. I'd prefer not to have poles at this point in my life at least. and I never ever go "god the groomers are GREAT today i wish i had that extra 2% that a sicky would give me!"... matter of fact if i can go smooth or fast when i want, and not fall i have a great time. I did enjoy doing spins and some backwards on my 80's but i can give that up if need be.

                I've never used release bindings, is it tricky to stay in them? do they pop out easy? less controll? To be honest,i was taught by someone who did not like longer skiboards, he said anything over 90 you might as well go skii's. and never had a high opinion. So at this point i'm branching out as i should have when i was learning under them. I only got into skiiboarding becuase i was a roller skater and it was fairly easy.. my second run down the mountain was on black diamonds because i took to them so easily and if i'm with other lower level skiboards we just take our time and have fun, i just need a bit more versatility when i go with a snowboarder or occasional skier.

                How much slower are the crossbows than say the Sherpas?
                how much better can sherpas handle all those conditions over the crossbows? (like mashed potatoes, crumple, corduroy, ice, short 1-3 inch powder?)
                How much easier turning are the crossbows than the Sherpas?
                Would Sherpas be mostly recommended for use with poles and crossbows without?
                Is there a huge stability difference between the two?
                Do you personally like the slingshots better than the crossbows because they fit your particular need/wants or are just superior to the crossbows in every way?
                lastly, if you had to sum up the crossbows, sherpas, and slingshots basically describing them to a beginning longboarder how would you do it in a sentance or two?

                Did i annoy yet?? ha so many questions i just dont have tons of extra cash to buy and sell gear to find the 'right' fit, just trying to get a good solid shot first time if possible!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Hi Jinx ,Thanks for all the additional info . I think for you the Crossbows would be best among the Spruce boards. Sherpas are beasts , they need to be driven aggressively and are not easy going , but are super stable and more stable then Crossbows in broken up powder, crust , variable condiitions. . On groomed snow the Crossbows are just as fast and plenty stable but have the advantage of being much more easy going and easier to carve. Ridden center mount , they are nice and skiboard like , and very amenable to riding without poles. There are many crossbow riders who ride without poles.
                  I think the Slingshot shape and design is more of a multifaceted board useful for guys like me who do variable snow conditions including powder , junky snow but also want a board that will carve nicely center mount. So bottom line go with the Crossbows. Riding with a Spruce riser/ release combo is just heavier then riding with non releaseables. otherwise very little to no difference. If your bindings are properly adjusted you will be fine and not pop out prematurely .
                  Cheers!
                  Jack
                  Boards :
                  Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                  Boots
                  K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                  Bindings:
                  Zero Pro Non release Binding
                  Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                  Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                  Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                  Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by jjue View Post
                    Hi Jinx ,Thanks for all the additional info . I think for you the Crossbows would be best among the Spruce boards. Sherpas are beasts , they need to be driven aggressively and are not easy going , but are super stable and more stable then Crossbows in broken up powder, crust , variable condiitions. . On groomed snow the Crossbows are just as fast and plenty stable but have the advantage of being much more easy going and easier to carve. Ridden center mount , they are nice and skiboard like , and very amenable to riding without poles. There are many crossbow riders who ride without poles.
                    I think the Slingshot shape and design is more of a multifaceted board useful for guys like me who do variable snow conditions including powder , junky snow but also want a board that will carve nicely center mount. So bottom line go with the Crossbows. Riding with a Spruce riser/ release combo is just heavier then riding with non releaseables. otherwise very little to no difference. If your bindings are properly adjusted you will be fine and not pop out prematurely .
                    Cheers!
                    Jack
                    Awesome! thank you for this! Do you feel owning the crossbows and sherpas would be a little redudant? (might look for used sherpas if the price ever gets right if i needed both).

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by jinx View Post

                      Awesome! thank you for this! Do you feel owning the crossbows and sherpas would be a little redudant? (might look for used sherpas if the price ever gets right if i needed both).
                      I think the Crossbows and the Sherpas complement each other and certainly if the price is right having both is always good !
                      Boards :
                      Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                      Boots
                      K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                      Bindings:
                      Zero Pro Non release Binding
                      Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                      Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                      Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                      Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Hey i found a video of me, yet again frustrated with powder snow on my shorties.. I may just suck? but it was nice to see exactly what frustrated me about powder at the time (that i couldn't recall now if i had too). Would the crossbows do fine in this situation?

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eTO...ature=youtu.be

                        and actual footage!

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVEw...ature=youtu.be

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by jinx View Post
                          Hey i found a video of me, yet again frustrated with powder snow on my shorties.. I may just suck? but it was nice to see exactly what frustrated me about powder at the time (that i couldn't recall now if i had too). Would the crossbows do fine in this situation?

                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eTO...ature=youtu.be

                          and actual footage!
                          kin
                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVEw...ature=youtu.be
                          The Crossbows will make a world of difference in that kind of snow ,you will love them ! If it is a pow day ,you may want to move your bindings to the rear inserts , this will lift the nose of the crossbows right out of the snow . They will be super manueverable and you will love that kind of snow and wish for it and deeper snow all the time , might even force to to take a trip out west looking for it ,ha, ha !
                          Boards :
                          Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                          Boots
                          K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                          Bindings:
                          Zero Pro Non release Binding
                          Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                          Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                          Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                          Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jjue View Post

                            The Crossbows will make a world of difference in that kind of snow ,you will love them ! If it is a pow day ,you may want to move your bindings to the rear inserts , this will lift the nose of the crossbows right out of the snow . They will be super manueverable and you will love that kind of snow and wish for it and deeper snow all the time , might even force to to take a trip out west looking for it ,ha, ha !
                            Awesome! i've never done such 'riding back before' and never 'skied' actual skis will be it a challenge at first? I'm used to non release bindings so i dont know if release bindings have some kind of 'quick set back' option? or is it a remount every time you want to ride back? I anticipate mostly riding center to keep that skiboard feel.. I'm assuming from posts of yours that i've read, the sherpa is a bit better in back position while the crossbow is better in center? (I have this wierd feeling i'll still probably be curious about those sherpas even after i pick up a crossbow first ;D goodbye wallet..).

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              The unique feature of the Spruce riser release set up is that the release bindings are permanently attached to the riser ,the riser is then attached to inserts on the board but rather then one set of four inserts like your skiboards, there are eight inserts allowing you to set your binding 5 cm back on the slopes by removing 4 machine screws with a screw driver and moving the riser to the different inserts.
                              Boards :
                              Blunt Xl, DLP, Spliff, Condor, Rockered Condor , Slingshot, Sherpa, Icelantic Shaman
                              Boots
                              K2 BFC 100 Grip walk sole , Dynafit CR Radical AT boot, Ride Insano Snowboard boots
                              Bindings:
                              Zero Pro Non release Binding
                              Modified Receptor Backcountry Bindings (Bill Version and Slow Version)
                              Spruce Riser with Attack 14 GW /AT binding
                              Custom Risers with Fritschi Backcountry Bindings (Jeff Singer version 1, Bill version)
                              Rocker and Sbol Soft Boot Bindings.

                              Comment

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