Thanks for a very good detailed review. I can bomb black slopes with some chatter thinking "You better not catch an edge now", all this is of course done with skidded turns in survival mode. I really want to add some style and some nice turning to those steeps, I know is very hard to keep a nice edge in a steep run with hard snow but the boards I have do not help. I feel I miss some effective edge and stiffness. I also want to get better at carving and if possible use the same board for a whole day on a big mountain covering from perfect pow in the morning to smashed runs at the end of the day (no park). I think Korua can cover those needs with carving and pow riding. However, I'm not sure about which Korua fits my bill. My stats: 177cm, 75kg, 27,5Mondo. Advanced rider (30 years riding), actual quiver: * YES. Greats 51 (+ -12 / 55cm) for playing with the kids, switch, presses, and some park. * YES. Hybrid 53 ( +15 -3 /58cm) for low-angle pow and trees. * YES. Standard 56 (+15 -3 /54,6cm): All mountain, some carving, and bigger park features. I'm torn between Cafe Racer 159 and Dart 156 (but open to other models like the TF). Will they be the right sizes for me? Which one of them will fit better my stability, carving, and pow needs? I ride duck stance on all my boards now, I'm not sure I want to go to posi posi due to an ankle injury. I have Camrock on all my boards, but I can ride camber, although I don't want something that demands A game constantly and feels catchy, my legs are getting older for that. Thanks in advance!
Thanks! So based on what you have now and what you want from this next board, I would go 159 Cafe Racer but any Korua you choose will be a huge departure from what you are used to. Maybe the Transition Finder 157 but not 100% on that one either. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the rest of the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
No idea because I know nothing about you. If you want to get into it more hit me here so I can learn about you and really help. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
Both are great boards but it's hard to say what would be right for you since I don't know anything about you. If you like a little faster turning front foot driver that likes really positive stance angle go Pencil. It has a little easier float but it's close. If you want a harder carver go Cafe. and Hit me here so I can learn about you and help.
Great review! I want a board for carving & pow but can’t decide between the Cafe Racer and the Dart 🤷🏻♂️ I’m 5’9” 75kg size 10 boot(US). I’m based in the uk and I currently have a Jones Flagship which I love as it’s super dependable & is a great board for bc missions. However, I get a bit bored riding piste on it as you can just zoom about on it & it doesn’t really encourage you to play & turn on it! I can only afford to buy one Korua Shapes board for now and want something different to what I have but not sure if I should go with the Cafe Racer or Dart or something else. Going on the info in your reviews I’m leaning towards the Cafe Racer. Any help would be greatly appreciated as i’m suffering from analysis paralysis 🤷🏻♂️.
Tough call. If you want something to really rail turns and go pretty fast that is the cafe racer. It's a lot different though than your Flagship. The Transition Finder would be a better transition into Korua. The Dart really needs you to go posi in stance and turn very differently than you ride the Flagship. Hit me up here if you want to get into it more. I need a lot more from you to help properly. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
@@thegoodridesnow I’m definitely looking for different. What’s the point of building a quiver if they’re all similar 🤷🏻♂️ ...”tough call” are the words I was dreading to hear 😂 I’m ok with speed as it can be handy to get out of tight spots & also to keep up with my skier mates. Back in the day I used to ride posi so will be interesting to go back to that and play. Basically I want something that will be fun on piste, enable me to get into my carving and improve in that area & won’t suck in powder, trees & slack country stuff. I had a Jones Mountain Twin as I thought it would be a fun alternative to my Flagship but it wasn’t for me & I sold it. It didn’t really do anything well enough for me. It didn’t excite me & I thought it wasn’t great in powder. I was considering a Jones Freecarver 6000 but I thought it would underperform in powder which would frustrate me as I mainly ride in the European Alps & the board I go up the mountain with is the board I’m stuck with for the day. As a 50 something that’s been riding for 25 years I have to be honest about what I want & ride and that’s just piste carving & pow. I love your channel & website it’s a really great resource and fun to spend hours building my fantasy quiver 🤣 Thanks for the link I may hit you up for more in-depth advice 👊🏼
I’m 5’10, 160lb, Vans size 8 boots, I will use it mostly for groomer carving 80%, 20% pow/chop/tree. Should I go with 156 or 159 cafe racer? How does it compare to Optimistic? Any other carving board recommendations? Thanks!
The 156 will feel kind of small and not like we described in the review but it will be quick and easier to ride all day by a good bit as it's a lot narrower than the 159. The 159 will be glorious on clean groomers and not that tracked up pow but it will be very hard to manage when conditions change.
Both have their own unique thing going for them. The Cafe' Racer carves a little harder and feels a little more aggressive. It can respond to all kinds of stance angles and you can weight your feet into a turn in a lot of different ways. The Pencil is more fun for me in deeper low angle pow with that extra length and has a more down the line front foot weighted turn that is really fun too. It's all personal preference and both are great boards.
Thanks for the nice review. Looking for a carving board that can be used as a one board quiver as well. At 6'3", 165 pounds and size 12 Burton Photons, would you recommend the 159? If possible waist width wise, I usually lile to downsize a little bit due to lack of weight and am afraid the 164 might be too much board for me to handle. We often have variable consitions, a bit of pow and hardpack to ice quite a bit. What's your take in terms od sizing here? Is there a difference between the 2020 and 2023 version? Would appreciate a reply.
Thanks for the good words and the Cafe Racer is one hell of a great carver. The 159 would be a better call for a daily driver for sure. With reduced footprint Burton's you should be good.
@@thegoodridesnow thanks a lot for the quick reply and the helpful info. Have they done any changes to the board from 2020 to 2023? If I was looking for a carving only (and, of course some pow here and there ;) ) board, would you say that with 165 pounds the 164 would buck me around or would I be able to get the camber to engage as I am more to the lower end of the weight range? I do know how to carve properly, just hate the toe- and heeldrag on ma Flight Attendant 159w when doing deeper carves (if that was just a bit wider, the longer FA boards I just couldn't get to decamber properly, as I am more of a cruiser, not a bomber) and just saw that the 164 has 27,8cm waist width, which would be just awesome! Enjoying your videos a lot. You guys rock!
No changes. No the 164 would be damp but just hard to handle/turn in uneven snow. The 159 Cafe' Racer is a good bit wider than the 159w Flight Attendant and a lot more board than what you have now. Thanks!
159 is a super wide board, so you don't need more at your specs. I'd only go 164 if you want the biggest/widest/meanest carver, have a very supportive/responsive binding and are only going out in clean conditions. I'm a size 9 US, 185-195lbs and 5'10". I've never wanted more than the 159 and it's not always easy to control.
Thanks for the great review. This is definitely going to be my next board (after 2 seasons with the beginner Burton Ripcord) Quick questions..I’m 5’8 and 167lbs, size 10 boots, would the 156 or 159 be a better option? Also, are there any shops in CA that demo or sell these boards?
Thanks. Tough call. I think overall the 159 is a better fit if you want the experience we talked about in the review. It will be a bit on the big side and tough to manage when conditions are uneven. Especially coming from the Ripcord which is a much softer more forgiving ride. The 156 is much more narrow and has a lot less width/surface area for only being 3 CM shorter. It will just barely work for size 10's depending on your boots footprint but it will be a lot easier to manage in all conditions. When it's time to buy hit me up here so we can make sure this will work for you. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
I am a size 11.5 boot and 170 lbs. I'm hesitant to get the 164 as I think thats a bit too much board for me. But I'm also worried about having big boots on the 159. What do you guys think?
sorry for the slow response. didn't see this. Its hard to find replies to my replies. Oh the Cafe Racer is no Westbound. You should be on the Westbound 161x and the 160 regular is too narrow for you and comparing this to a 159 Cafe racer doesn't really work. The 159 Cafe Racer will be wider and can fit up to a 12.5 US boot depending on stance angles so if you go 11.5 with the 159 you should be fine. Now if you want a harder carving harder charging ride you can for sure go 164 too. Its just more about what conditions you want to ride this in. If they are clean go 164. If they are variable go 159. Hope this helps.
Thanks for a very good detailed review.
I can bomb black slopes with some chatter thinking "You better not catch an edge now", all this is of course done with skidded turns in survival mode. I really want to add some style and some nice turning to those steeps, I know is very hard to keep a nice edge in a steep run with hard snow but the boards I have do not help. I feel I miss some effective edge and stiffness.
I also want to get better at carving and if possible use the same board for a whole day on a big mountain covering from perfect pow in the morning to smashed runs at the end of the day (no park). I think Korua can cover those needs with carving and pow riding. However, I'm not sure about which Korua fits my bill.
My stats: 177cm, 75kg, 27,5Mondo. Advanced rider (30 years riding), actual quiver:
* YES. Greats 51 (+ -12 / 55cm) for playing with the kids, switch, presses, and some park. * YES. Hybrid 53 ( +15 -3 /58cm) for low-angle pow and trees. * YES. Standard 56 (+15 -3 /54,6cm): All mountain, some carving, and bigger park features.
I'm torn between Cafe Racer 159 and Dart 156 (but open to other models like the TF). Will they be the right sizes for me? Which one of them will fit better my stability, carving, and pow needs? I ride duck stance on all my boards now, I'm not sure I want to go to posi posi due to an ankle injury. I have Camrock on all my boards, but I can ride camber, although I don't want something that demands A game constantly and feels catchy, my legs are getting older for that.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks! So based on what you have now and what you want from this next board, I would go 159 Cafe Racer but any Korua you choose will be a huge departure from what you are used to. Maybe the Transition Finder 157 but not 100% on that one either. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the rest of the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
Hello ~ Is the board more suitable for carving, backconference, and powder a cafe racer? Or is it a pencil?
Its not a Pencil. Very different ride. Carver first. Powder board second but very good in pow.
Thank you for your answer~
Is the cafe racer the right choice?
No idea because I know nothing about you. If you want to get into it more hit me here so I can learn about you and really help. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
Really wanna get a board for carving and for pow. Can’t choose between pencil and cafe racer, could you give some advice?
Both are great boards but it's hard to say what would be right for you since I don't know anything about you. If you like a little faster turning front foot driver that likes really positive stance angle go Pencil. It has a little easier float but it's close. If you want a harder carver go Cafe. and Hit me here so I can learn about you and help.
Great review! I want a board for carving & pow but can’t decide between the Cafe Racer and the Dart 🤷🏻♂️ I’m 5’9” 75kg size 10 boot(US). I’m based in the uk and I currently have a Jones Flagship which I love as it’s super dependable & is a great board for bc missions. However, I get a bit bored riding piste on it as you can just zoom about on it & it doesn’t really encourage you to play & turn on it! I can only afford to buy one Korua Shapes board for now and want something different to what I have but not sure if I should go with the Cafe Racer or Dart or something else. Going on the info in your reviews I’m leaning towards the Cafe Racer. Any help would be greatly appreciated as i’m suffering from analysis paralysis 🤷🏻♂️.
Tough call. If you want something to really rail turns and go pretty fast that is the cafe racer. It's a lot different though than your Flagship. The Transition Finder would be a better transition into Korua. The Dart really needs you to go posi in stance and turn very differently than you ride the Flagship. Hit me up here if you want to get into it more. I need a lot more from you to help properly. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
@@thegoodridesnow I’m definitely looking for different. What’s the point of building a quiver if they’re all similar 🤷🏻♂️ ...”tough call” are the words I was dreading to hear 😂 I’m ok with speed as it can be handy to get out of tight spots & also to keep up with my skier mates. Back in the day I used to ride posi so will be interesting to go back to that and play. Basically I want something that will be fun on piste, enable me to get into my carving and improve in that area & won’t suck in powder, trees & slack country stuff. I had a Jones Mountain Twin as I thought it would be a fun alternative to my Flagship but it wasn’t for me & I sold it. It didn’t really do anything well enough for me. It didn’t excite me & I thought it wasn’t great in powder. I was considering a Jones Freecarver 6000 but I thought it would underperform in powder which would frustrate me as I mainly ride in the European Alps & the board I go up the mountain with is the board I’m stuck with for the day. As a 50 something that’s been riding for 25 years I have to be honest about what I want & ride and that’s just piste carving & pow. I love your channel & website it’s a really great resource and fun to spend hours building my fantasy quiver 🤣 Thanks for the link I may hit you up for more in-depth advice 👊🏼
I’m 5’10, 160lb, Vans size 8 boots, I will use it mostly for groomer carving 80%, 20% pow/chop/tree. Should I go with 156 or 159 cafe racer? How does it compare to Optimistic? Any other carving board recommendations? Thanks!
The 156 will feel kind of small and not like we described in the review but it will be quick and easier to ride all day by a good bit as it's a lot narrower than the 159. The 159 will be glorious on clean groomers and not that tracked up pow but it will be very hard to manage when conditions change.
What do you prefer pencil or café racer?
Both have their own unique thing going for them. The Cafe' Racer carves a little harder and feels a little more aggressive. It can respond to all kinds of stance angles and you can weight your feet into a turn in a lot of different ways. The Pencil is more fun for me in deeper low angle pow with that extra length and has a more down the line front foot weighted turn that is really fun too. It's all personal preference and both are great boards.
Thanks for the nice review. Looking for a carving board that can be used as a one board quiver as well. At 6'3", 165 pounds and size 12 Burton Photons, would you recommend the 159? If possible waist width wise, I usually lile to downsize a little bit due to lack of weight and am afraid the 164 might be too much board for me to handle. We often have variable consitions, a bit of pow and hardpack to ice quite a bit. What's your take in terms od sizing here? Is there a difference between the 2020 and 2023 version? Would appreciate a reply.
Thanks for the good words and the Cafe Racer is one hell of a great carver. The 159 would be a better call for a daily driver for sure. With reduced footprint Burton's you should be good.
@@thegoodridesnow thanks a lot for the quick reply and the helpful info. Have they done any changes to the board from 2020 to 2023? If I was looking for a carving only (and, of course some pow here and there ;) ) board, would you say that with 165 pounds the 164 would buck me around or would I be able to get the camber to engage as I am more to the lower end of the weight range? I do know how to carve properly, just hate the toe- and heeldrag on ma Flight Attendant 159w when doing deeper carves (if that was just a bit wider, the longer FA boards I just couldn't get to decamber properly, as I am more of a cruiser, not a bomber) and just saw that the 164 has 27,8cm waist width, which would be just awesome! Enjoying your videos a lot. You guys rock!
No changes. No the 164 would be damp but just hard to handle/turn in uneven snow. The 159 Cafe' Racer is a good bit wider than the 159w Flight Attendant and a lot more board than what you have now. Thanks!
@@thegoodridesnow Thanks a lot!
Could 164 for 9 boot size be ok? 190 lbs and 5.7 boot 9 and ex carving good skill. should go for 164 or 159? tnx
159 is a super wide board, so you don't need more at your specs. I'd only go 164 if you want the biggest/widest/meanest carver, have a very supportive/responsive binding and are only going out in clean conditions. I'm a size 9 US, 185-195lbs and 5'10". I've never wanted more than the 159 and it's not always easy to control.
@@thegoodridesnow tnxxx .🫡🫡🫡🤘🤘🙏🙏
Thanks for the great review. This is definitely going to be my next board (after 2 seasons with the beginner Burton Ripcord)
Quick questions..I’m 5’8 and 167lbs, size 10 boots, would the 156 or 159 be a better option? Also, are there any shops in CA that demo or sell these boards?
Thanks. Tough call. I think overall the 159 is a better fit if you want the experience we talked about in the review. It will be a bit on the big side and tough to manage when conditions are uneven. Especially coming from the Ripcord which is a much softer more forgiving ride. The 156 is much more narrow and has a lot less width/surface area for only being 3 CM shorter. It will just barely work for size 10's depending on your boots footprint but it will be a lot easier to manage in all conditions. When it's time to buy hit me up here so we can make sure this will work for you. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/
Hi would this be too much over lap with the yes optimistic 2021?
They are very different boards with minimal overlap. They both like a hard carve and float in powder well but both do it in a very different way.
Does it turn, carve better than the Dart?
yes
159 best for 5 10" 83kg 9.5 Boot?
yep
I am a size 11.5 boot and 170 lbs. I'm hesitant to get the 164 as I think thats a bit too much board for me. But I'm also worried about having big boots on the 159. What do you guys think?
What is your height and what make/model/size do you currently ride?
@@thegoodridesnow I'm 6'2". I currently ride the Never Summer Westbound at 160.
I love the board but I do get some toe drag as its a bit narrow.
sorry for the slow response. didn't see this. Its hard to find replies to my replies. Oh the Cafe Racer is no Westbound. You should be on the Westbound 161x and the 160 regular is too narrow for you and comparing this to a 159 Cafe racer doesn't really work. The 159 Cafe Racer will be wider and can fit up to a 12.5 US boot depending on stance angles so if you go 11.5 with the 159 you should be fine. Now if you want a harder carving harder charging ride you can for sure go 164 too. Its just more about what conditions you want to ride this in. If they are clean go 164. If they are variable go 159. Hope this helps.
what is the model of red jacket you are wearing?
Volcom TDS Infared Gore-Tex Jacket
4:39 where is that!!!?
Mammoth
@@thegoodridesnow where at. The backside?
yes