Splitboard.com Forums

Hey Dave (Voile)
Any chance of getting some swallowtail love next season?
How about something like this, an RX/ST hybrid 178 with the new top sheet?
NOTE THIS IS A PHOTOSHOP MOCK UP, NOT AN OFFICIAL VOILE PRODUCT

You want something LONGER than a 200? You must have a brain tumor...

You turds can keep your 195cm Swallowtails. I'll ride my 158 Hovercraft and slash all the spots you wankers are too slow turning to even think about!

I know, it's a lot of board, but when it's double overhead and barreling you will be in the lodge sipping hot cocoa.

Russman,
Sorry man your opinion doesn't carry any weight for the riding experience I'm pursuing. Just as mine clearly won't change your experience.
After thirty years riding everything from a snurfer to asym alpine boards, I'm pretty confident in my choice of board for the riding I do. I'm not looking for the latest board, just another ST for the quiver.

I've done thirty+ tours this year in mostly shit snow conditions exclusively on the 195 swallowtail. For me it comes down to the ride, not the float. The ride is completely different than a non-directional skate deck. I don't like the way those feel under foot.
It has nothing to do with the ability to turn either. Its how fast you go on an ST, properly initiating the turn and committing to the line.
Most riders who choose a swallowtail intend to ride long, fast lines and sweeping turns. I like that style as well, however I don't have a problem riding trees. Going through trees is a matter of commitment and skill.

Bottom line.... The post is about the Voile swallowtail. (We get it, you love the Jone's boards and JJ is lucky to have the kind of loyalty you've shown)
Less people snatching up swallowtails just leaves more of them for us turds & wankers.

Hey Snurfer

I totally just meant that post to be poking fun!! If you think about it, we're all turds and wankers!!

Anyway, I would love to learn more about giant boards.... I tend to prefer big, fast, powerful turns in open pow... I've never ridden a 195 swallowtail. Maybe I should check it out!?

When you're riding a board like that, you can probably open your throttle up SUPER hard, huh? The level of high speed stability is probably off the hook?

No worries Russman... You strike me as being passionate about your riding and write ups, so I figure you would probably really like the swallowtail. Definitely not for everyone, and can be weird if the rider fights the board. On the other hand if you go with it, the feel can add another dimension to your riding. I'm definitely short on the freestyle side of things myself, mostly due to age and creeky joints.
Anyways happy shreding!

The Voile 195 was my first splitboard, bought it new for $400

For me, the true beauty of the board was how well it ate up the crud at unbelievable speeds. You're just chillin out in the back seat with your legs barely even bent while this huge nose soaks up all the junk that normally will chuck you off your line. As an analogy, it's the difference between hitting those railroad tracks in your 1973 Impala or your 97 Honda Civic... some of us enjoy the smooth ride of our hoopty boards.

Additionally, I loved how nice all that surface area felt when you were flying across the flats in two feet of new without busting out the poles. I never had a problem with the trees, you knew it wasn't going to turn well at lower speeds so just pick a clean line and commit, tons of fun.

In the end what killed it for me was my need to make every powder day involve some crappy mountaineering route on steep, icy conditions. Since I want to hold a nice edge on the ice and still cruise the powder down below, I've been rolling a 178 Spearhead which does both very well. However, for anyone that stays primarily in the soft stuff on their powder days, I would highly recommend a nice huge ST.

Love the car analogy, it's a good way too put it. Personally I only have mini swallows in split form. I have a 76 that gets out on the hill from time to time and it is a joy to ride. They are versatile. Even in tight trees the thing can turn on a dime thanks to the tail being able to drop. Like you said the glide factor on lower angles is way noticeable. Most of the boards have close to 30cm of nose past the end of the effective edge so they don't ride as long most would think. All the haters have never set foot on one. I've never heard someone dog one that has actually ridden one before. The ride is like nothing else.

Can someone just get an email list going with those guys. I mean I know my wife doesn t want me to have another, but Man ! I ll just have to come up with the money somehow....

Bring it on.... One more F-ing big rig in my quiver...

I had about 6 days on my195 this year, the board is F-ing amazing....

I love it, some Kat who rides 158 knows enough to get on a ST blog with devotees to the Big gun....

Bring a snorkel too 158 slasher.... we need more of you guys on the big days here in the Tahoe Basin, so we can continue to kill those 30+ inch days, or more so those 11 ft in three day snow bashes... Too bad its the end of the season....

Right on, Snurfer. I'm a big proponent of smaller boards, but I'd snap up a swallow tail in a second if i found one. That's the mainline to the soul of snowboarding.

I do feel that sometimes we're all way too conservative about what we ride out there. Christ, the whole point is to blast powder, yet a lot of us insist on something that is basically just a variant on the resort board.

Who here speaks Italian??
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