Thursday, January 26, 2012

Board Exam: 2011/2012 K2 Turbo Dream Snowboard Review



What the rep said:
 The Turbo Dream is flat between the feet with an early rise nose and tail (slightly higher nose), Harshmellow dampens vibration underfoot, Carbon web stringers will pop your socks off.

Stats/Setup: I'm checking in at 6'1" and 170#. I rode the Turbo Dream in a 159 with Salomon Dialogue Boots (size 9.5) and K2 Formula Bindings at Mt. Bachelor, Oregon.

Conditions: 
Hardpack, ice, some slush


First impression: 
Some bright-ass bindings, but nothing else out of the ordinary.

The Ride: 
Right off the lift all systems were go. The board went edge to edge just fine on slow, short-radius turns. Pop was OK, probably due to its stiffness and carbon webbing and in spite of its reverse camber profile. Stability at speed and on landings was a high point. Nothing bothered the Dream on that front. Again, this board is pretty stiff longitudinally, maybe a little less so torsionally. Also not a board you'll be pressing too much.

Then, it came time to crank a turn. Higher speed carving was a sore spot as the board wanted to wash or rotate a little. I would attribute this to the camber profile and traditional sidecut. Reverse camber boards that carve best have some sidecut augmentation, whether it's magne-traction, grip techvario power grip or what have you.

Stolen from K2's 2011/2012 site. Check it while you can.
Bottom Line: I was disappointed in this board. It might serve well as a pow board, but I can't see riding it in all-around resort conditions. The stability was there, but the sidecut didn't lock on like some of the alternative sidecuts that are available leading to a looser turn than I'd like. Overall, I think this board might work better with regular camber.

I have a buddy who has an older model of this board, maybe I can get him to weigh in on it in the comments.

Similar Boards: 
Bataleon Omni

3 comments:

  1. Um, you're supposed to LOVE everything. Not sure you have what it takes to be the #1 Snow Blogger on the e-Nets.

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  2. I thought I'd get a crock-pot comment out of you on this one. Disappointed.

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  3. Unfortunately, I have to agree. I have a verison that is a season older than this. I am 6'2" and weigh 175 lbs. I usually ride a regular camber around 164 cm in length. Due to the rocker, a 159 is a nice size for me. However, it doesnt handle well on the groomers or ice and it's not hefty enough for a true powder day. There are plenty of other boards that fill that niche better. It is easy to bring around so it's fun in the trees and I enjoy riding it in the park. It was a ton of fun in the half pipe (albeit a bit slow) and jibs nicely in general. For the money, there a better boards out there, though.

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