Please explain the actual benefits of rocker boards

There are a bunch of threads about this already but, what the hell.

Short answer, Rocker is way better than trad camber. Not hyberbole at all.

The theory behind rocker is that powder in particular behaves much more like water than say, concrete. Therefore, it makes sense to borrow from surf, wakeboard, water ski, etc. designs and have a rockered shape to improve float.

Basically, a rockered board shape makes it easier to keep the tip of you snowboard raised above the surface of deep snow. Some people complain of a loss of pop with rocker, arguing that you first have to decamber the tail before it pops. While this may occur on board shapes with rocker outside the bindings, on a rocker shape like Lib-Tech’s where the rocker is between your feet, your board is stomped flat by your weight from standing on it. Therefore, when you pop it, you don’t have to decamber anything because it is already flat and in contact with the snow.

The Rocker between your feet means that a slight shift of your weight back allows you to float much better, rather than having to shift your weight all the way to your back foot on a traditional camber board, especially those with out any taper or additional length.

The result is you get a much more floaty board that is also really playful on hardpack, less catchy, less likely to send you for a somersault in chop or curd and just a better all around board.

You should probably also do a search, as I believe that there is a 2 page or more thread on this very subject.

HA…good review ehcarley…i would have saved my fingers repeating you…i think we posted at the same time

Rocker is definitely not marketing hype. In my opinion it’s the future of snowboards (bold statement, I know). But I think that most people that have ridden one would agree. They make it easier to turn, almost intuitive. And w/ the introduction of rocker and camber (Never Summer, Lib and a few others I think) you can kinda get the best of both worlds. However, it’s hard to break the old habit of decambering the board before each turn so it took me a few days to get really comfortable on my rockered stick.

And the float in powder is no joke either. I especially notice it when going between my rockered resort board and my split (’61 Mojo). I am utterly salivating to split a rockered board.

Just one man’s opinion, but as a snowboarder of almost 20 years, I’m sold. :thumpsup:

Edit: posted this same time as everyone else I guess, kinda repetitious.

It’s odd to me that as progressive minded as the snowboarding community has been over the past 20 years, more riders simply won’t even give rockered boards a try before passing thier end all judgement.

I ride rockered boards in all conditions and I am generally hauling ass. I have yet to run up against any of the supposed negetives of a rockered deck. In fact, my experience and that of everyone I know who rides similar boards is the opposite.

I can’t say I have an opinion since I haven’t ridden one or even bothered to check em out when at the local REI. Personally, their isn’t a factory split out there that seems to meet my needs, but I haven’t done much research since it will be a long while till I have the funds to buy a factory split, I just going to keep splitting my own, seems to work just fine for me.

What I was going to throw out here is I been getting out with a local ripper/pro once in a while. I was asking him his opinion on rocker, a little Q and A so I could learn something. His response was in short, rocker more like riding a beat 6 year board, great for riding switch but most the pros like T. Rice aren’t even riding them anymore, and he’s not looking to hop on the bandwagon anytime soon. Not sure just another opinion, right or wrong.

Bones I don’t that people are being resistant or closed. I would love to try a rocker splitty some time, but it’s commitment to throw down the amount of money it takes to buy a factory splitty these days. So I think most of just analyze the idea in theory with no real experience to draw from. I have serious doubts how it would respond on a steep firm face, if it’s designed to enhance pow riding. I think for guys like me looking to ride some commiting steep lines I want as much edge as possible and I want it to be responsive/firm. I still need to check out magna traction. Plus like Colin said boards ride different, people ride different. Different strokes for different folks. I wish all I rode was pow, but dam those high pressure systems and seasonal changes.

I just got the 66 storm R and have only rode it at the resort on a semi decent pow day and loved it, took it out yesterday for 3k+ up and down, from windboard to pow and death crust, Thing killed it. Only question, what am I going to with all these cambered boards?
Actual benefit-happiness

Don’t know, but I want one. Already have cambered splits in the quiver (NS Titan and Prior Spearhead), why not add another that is different?

Looking to get either a Venture or NS in a factory split if I have $ burning a hole in my pocket, or have Monk split me a Lib if I can find one lightly used.

If I don’t like it it appears there are plenty of folks interested enough that I won’t have a problem passing it along.

UB

I have been out on my Venture Storm 163 rockered split and i’m not riding a cambered board anymore that’s for sure! Floats like a dream, surf turns in pow have never been tighter. The only drawback i have seen is in hardpack skin tracks. My cambered split seems to hold better. Big deal…. i have a split to shred pow! Ventures rocker, flat in between the bindings and rockered from inserts out to the tip and tail seems great. I have a Burton s-rocker fish and i am liking the venture.
Stopped by the Venture factory the other day after riding some sick san juan lines. They said the decision on the rocker they use is to keep it simple. I’ve had my venture for over a month and have ridden it in varied bc conditions mostly wolf creek, monarch and some other san juan bc in colorado and the board has handled it all. After stopping by the factory and talking to the crew and riding my new split for over a month….. I would say Venture all the way! They are building what They and We want! Great to see awesome products coming from some like minded individuals!!! :rock:

Hey TEX, you ever go over to Coronado?
I used to live in one of those condos just south of The Hotel Del Coronado. Decent swell on the North end of the beach if I remember right.

I second the madsadsalad…
The TRice C2 is the board for me. It floats better than my prior kyber and suites my style of riding a little better. The benefits of the magnatraction are pretty amazing too if you ever do hit an icy patch. When it comes down to its more fun to ride my trice than my kyhber. Can’t wait for the factory split next season!