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Not sure on the exact relationship, but yeah, the base is Nidecker Kayon for sure. The straps, ratchets and highback are something else though that I haven't seen from Nidecker. I forgot to address the similarities. Thanks for bringing this up.

Many Thanks! The Skyline Fuse is the best jacket I've ever owned.

thanks for your take.

What size jacket do you normally wear? Also what is your chest size?

Tough call. I would worry more about boot size, and you are somewhat in between sizes, so it depends on what make/model/size board you are used to now. With 1.5he 161 will probably have toe/heel drag if you like to carve hard or ride a lot of steep terrain. The 164w is not going to have toe/heel drag but it's a little wide for you. You might like a different board but if you want to force a Megalight go 164w if you carve hard and ride steeper terrain. You should be able to still turn it medium fast in tight spots. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

Pretty medium just like its tip to tail flex. Maybe a touch stiffer but close

@@thegoodridesnow thank you! Is that for your size 9 boots in 156 or 154 when you said it’s a torch stiffer than medium? :) thanks again!

No prob. The 156 I have now and just finished testing (review coming) and that was a great size for me but the flex is pretty consistent throughout the sizes.

Ah! Okay! Looking forward to your new review. I am the exact same height, same boots, same foot width too as you! But I’m 167-170lbs, not sure to try the 154 or 156. By the way, have you guys tested K2 Almanac?

Steph is 5'3" it fit great but she did have a little extra room in the length of the bag. The regular is rated for up to 5'7". But if you are that close to the limit, it may depend on what is more important, extra comfort or saving the little extra weight and room in your pack.

Its sooo much fun! Maybe I'll see ya there

What is your weight?

Many thanks! Renegade review coming and cleaver is up. Only difference is the straps are the same as the 2024 Katana review. thegoodride.com/snowboard-binding-reviews/rome-cleaver-2022-snowboard-binding-review/

No. You can do a lot better in hard snow and it's not something I recommend for east coast riders. It's also not that great in pow if you like to set it back to get directional float. It's ok if you ride pow centered and like to ride switch but most don't. Boards like the YES Standard Uninc, Basic Uninc, and a lot of boards from Gnu and Lib Tech do massively better in hard snow. You should go to thegoodride.com/snowboard-reviews/?mens=1 and use the filter "icy" in "Edge Hold" to see what boards would work well out east. Or, if you want to do this right, hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

yes.

If you want a "Step Up" then maybe consider the Jones Storm Wolf. That might match what you are looking for better than both boards you are considering. Flagship isn't very surfy and doesn't seem like a good fit for where you ride. Hovercraft could work but it doesn't turn that quick. Or consider the Korua Pencil or Cafe Racer. If you want to do this right hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

So hard to say knowing absolutely nothing about you. Depends on how and where you ride. Dart if you like a super posi stance on groomers and are ok driving a turn on your front foot. If you see really deep pow dart is the call. If you like more of a normal freeride feel in a shorter wider package or see really hard snow go Optimistic. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

@@thegoodridesnow thank you for your time, much appreciated. I’m in Australia, so optimistic ( which is have , but not ridden yet ) sounds like a better option for here, but I am going back to niseko japan 🇯🇵 at the end of the year, so was wondering if optimistic would be a viable option or would I be wise to acquire a dart in addition to.

Optimistic floats very well so you dont need another board. I wpuld only consider the dart if you want something compleetly different than what you have now. Also, if you are going to Japan consider renting a Moss or Gentemstick if it gets super deep.

@@thegoodridesnow thank you 🙏🏽

Your english is a hell of a lot better than my french ;-) Some tapered (nose wider than the tail) need more back foot weight on a harder turn/carve to keep the tail from washing out on groomers. It's not about edge grip as much as how to weight the turn.

@@thegoodridesnow would you say it’s a dealbreaker or it’s only something you easily get used to on the first few days of riding ? Would you say setting a bit back the stance at first would help make it easier with that back foot weight needs to get used to it ?

Something you get used to. Depends on the board but usually more back foot weight is better than setting back the stance.

@@thegoodridesnow I got 155 uninc pyl cheap as it’s the end of the season so I’ll understand next season what you mean better when I’ll get to try it. I’ll probably match it with some nitro phantom + bindings and nitro team boots :) hope everything will match together and that it won’t make the whole set up too stiff to ride.

No. It wont

No they are not tiring/fatiguing and they are not like the typical high end binding in a line. Yes it would match well with the PYL. Yes you can chill.

Yes you can. It has their .5/mellow mag which grips super hard but isn't their full on super grippy mag. Take a look at the Banked Country, TRS, Gremlin, YES Basic Uninc, or go here thegoodride.com/snowboard-reviews/?mens=1 and sort by Edge Hold to find more. Don't go Arbor as the lifted sides/uprise fender make the board feel edgeless and washy in hard snow. Or hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

@@thegoodridesnow Thanks man. I just used the link you sent and submitted my questions. I appreciate all you do!

Man they are very different boards even though they are kind of in the same family. The Bullet train is much more stiff, has more camber, is more aggressive, much wider and meaner. The Pentaquark is more forgiving easier to control, and is much narrower. If you are a little off your game it's not going to ride you.

Thanks for the donation!

Ha! With the Arete you can go duck but with the Copper Spur Expedition definitely posi.

You need XL and not L. I think they only make XL in the reg force but only go XL with 14s.

@@thegoodridesnow thanks for reply any doff brand bindings you recommend who do XL?

The new Union Force XL are some of the best fitting bindings for people with feet your size. Hit me here if you want to get into it more and make sure your whole set up is dialed. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

Sorry it took so long!

3 pretty different boards. Flagship is the stiffest, dampest and straight lines the best. Stratos is the most fun if you want a more turny ride but it chatters a lot and doesn't ride well when conditions get even slightly uneven. Both the Stratos and Flagship, with their set back inserts, float way better than the Valhala in deep snow if you like to set it back like we do. The Valhalla feels more loose between the feet but more centered and doesn't carve as hard. It likes a more center weighted turn on that smaller camber between the feet. I would say the Cougar is more comparable to the Flagship and Stratos. It has more pop and carves harder than all the boards mentioned here but has less float than all of them though.

​@@thegoodridesnowthanks for the detailed explanation. I already own the Stratos and the Flagship. I was curious about triple camber though and wondered if the Valhalla would've been too similar to the other two. From your response, I guess they are different enough to justify a purchase.

So I thought you were deciding on one out of the three. If you already have 2 freeride boards (Stratos and Flagship) you might be better off going with a short wide or a dedicated pow board or a snowsurf ride to diversify your quiver. Yes, all three ride differently but are still all freeride boards. Hit me here if you want to get into it more and give me the info I need to help more. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

@@thegoodridesnow thanks for the help 😄

I don't have a review up but owned the Exped Megamat 10 for a year and while it's super comfortable and a little more compact than the Foamy when packed up I got rid of it. Mainly because it kept getting tiny holes that were hard to find/repair but would lead to the pad deflating in the middle of the night. That is why I moved over to the Foamy. I'm guaranteed a good sleep and never have to worry about it deflating. I would also say if you like a softer pad, like I do, the Hest is better.

162 would be the best fit. 159 is better for your weight but it's too narrow and I'm afraid you might boot out with 10.5's. If you don't carve hard or ride steep terrain maybe the 159 but I'm hesitant because toe/heel drag can get you hurt. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better and find you a board that better fits your specs/riding style/matches where you ride. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

Thanks for your take.

No. It's got a lot of camber and doesn't feel that surfy. Check my review. It feels like a mtn freestyle twin disguised in a directional shape. If you want real help hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. With the info I have now I can't make a recommendation because I know nothing about you. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

No problem. I would for sure size up to the 156 on this as it's pretty light, chattery but easy to turn. Especially with what you ride and I assume you like now.

@@thegoodridesnow Cheers. Thanks man!

Prob the 139 would be better

Camera perspective is not always to be taken at face value. In person they are 1-2mm longer than my Fuses. Ill be posting exact measurements moving forward to clear up any bad camera angles on my part.

If they fit your inseam right. If you want snowboard pants that you can hike with not in snowboard boots go Burton because they have this cool feature that allows you to pull up your cuffs to match your inseam so they won't drag when you hike.

Both can do it but it really depends on your specs and which board fits them better. Both grip better than the HTH but the Standard Uninc is by far the best when it comes to grip. Both will not float as well as the HTH though. I don't know anything about you to properly help. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

Two very different boards. If you don't ride switch and see a lot of pow the Surfari is for sure better.

Thanks!

Thanks! So they dont make a size for your specs. You need something much wider. Hit me here if you want to get into it more and give me the info i need to fund you the right board. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

Nope.

I don't know of any in the states but you might be able to purchase directly from Amplid with very reasonable shipping. Many brands in the EU have super cheap shipping to the US.

@@thegoodridesnow ya that was my last resort, but i was hoping a shop in the states is carrying them. Edit: sorry, quick question. If you had to choose between the Amplid Souly Grail or the Korua Dart, which one would you choose and why? Ty.

Two massively different boards that are on different sides of the spectrum. I would have to know a lot more about what you are looking for in a board to help. If you want to give me the info I need to help you much better hit me here. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/ If you want a quick generalization. Dart- super tapered, set back directional and pretty much a pow and groomer snowsurfer. Souly Grail- Normal snowboard, minimal taper, centered ride and no where near as floaty in powder but carves super hard, rides fast and is softer.

@@thegoodridesnow i have no swallowtails in my quiver collection. So i am looking on that key characteristic in both boards, ignoring camber type, taper, radius sidecut, displacement from center, base type, weight, etc… My Quiver collection: 22-23 Neversummer Limited Edition Proto Ultra. 23-24 Capita Mega Merc. 23-24 Capita BSOD. 23-24 Bataleon Thumderbolt (broken core). 23-24 Nidecker Alpha APX. 23-24 Burton ConArtist. 23-24 Burton Double Dog 3D. 23-24 Nitro Team Pro Plus. 23-24 Nitro Beast. Essentially i have no ultra-light, Volume shifty and swallowtails boards in my collection. All the boards i have listed above, i have used them with the exception of the Nitro Team Pro. Sizes range from 158 to 162, and my stance is posi posi: 30 deg front, 21 deg back normal rider. I mainly focused on carving and now i am starting to learn jibbing. I consider myself to be in between intermediate to advanced in riding…

Souly isnt really a swallowtail. Your Beta APX is more of a swallowtail than the Souly. The Dart would be more unique to your quiver and better round it out

Yeah if you want something directional like your Cold Brew the Lib Rig would be a good transition and is definitely more forgiving. If you want to stay with Lib and want something more forgiving than the Dynamo that would be the call. It's better in pow too. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/

No. This fit me great. Large is way too big for my specs. Tried it a little while back and not a good fit at all.

So the Basic Uninc says it's "Camber" but it's actually camber with a lot of early rise. So, like I say in the review, it's pretty forgiving. It does have more camber than the Basic so the Basic is more forgiving but it's not by a lot. If you can swing the higher price of the Uninc go that way. Everything about that board is better. If you want to get into it more hit me here to give me the info I need to help you much better. shop.thegoodride.com/merchandise/gear-advice/