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Did anyone happen to get any photos of the Prior carbon fibre topsheet prototype decks at the Canuck Splitfest? If so, can you post some pics and if you rode one can you give us your thoughts? Those decks were badass and the weight savings were pretty significant! In particular that swallowtail Pow-Stick was a thing of beauty!

I think you are going to see a lot of companies go with the Carbon fiber topsheet. Neversummer is using it and it definitely lightens the board up a ton.

Isn't carbon fiber expensive? And they're using it just to lighten the board? Carbon fiber has to be on the bottom of the board to have any effect on performance anyway (strength/stiffness...?). Seems gimmicky and a good reason to charge more $$$.

I have a carbon Prior Spearhead from a few years back. Nice board and notably lighter. It was my understanding that the weight savings mainly comes from the fact they can use a thinner profile core. So its not a gimmick, it allows for less wood which means less weight. The carbon compensates for less wood by adding stiffness back to the board that was lost due to the thinner core. They stopped making them but it sounds like they might be bringing them back. I can confirm later...

There are actually two advantages to CF:
1. More strength than glass, hence one can use less material and save weight.
2. Better natural vibration damping than glass.
Like any material, just slapping CF on a board will not necessarily result in improvements, how one uses CF is very important. For the best weight savings, using unidirectional CF (or glass for that matter) results in a better resin/fiber ratio, and more strength/less weight.
One problem with trying to produce light weight boards, is that if one goes to light in the core, one loses damping, and the board becomes chattery and unstable at speed-the good thing about CF is that when used correctly it can lighten the board and improve damping.
Carbon fiber is more expensive than glass, hence it is normal to see boards built with a combination of carbon and glass laminates. The price difference is not huge though, and a carbon laminate option, for a premium price, would be welcome by those wishing to spend a little more in order to save a half pound or so. Just like in other sporting goods (tennis rackets, bikes, fishing rods, F-1 cars, etc) snowboards and skis will see more and more use of carbon fiber as advances are made. Carbon fiber bikes are pretty much standard now, 15 years ago they were "special".

my understanding from dean at prior was that the carbon fibre would add approximately $200/average per board. that's not too bad of an upcharge considering the weight savings in my opinion....plus the board just looked bad ass...ha....at the same time, i didn't have the chance to ride one so if someone who actually got to ride one could comment that would be great.

Just posted this on the splitfest thread:

Carbon Fibre Prior Backcountry Split 165



As for a review, it felt stupid light on the up and floated amazingly well on the down. My only concerns are durability and torsional stability on harder snow, but I have no reason to doubt that it would be good on both counts.

Now I have to decide if I should wait for this one to come out or go with the current model.

Anyone know why they canned the idea the first time round? Lamination issues? Expense/demand?

Response from Dean @ Prior:

FYI, carbon laminates for one board, top and bottom, are about $40 dollars bought retail, by the yard, not the roll, the prefinished carbon topsheets cost more though.

I would not buy an all carbon board with a thinned out core, you want the same thickness core, and use about half the weight in carbon as glass, the core can be routed out with channels to lighten it, or made with lighter wood, but thinning the core drastically reduces stiffness and deep bending like in a mogul field or stream bed is what fiberglass and kevlar are good at, not carbon -snap!-

that's sweet, I'd love to see one of those in person!