Stranda Snowboards

[unsatisfiedus]

dont have one but looking hard. shorty in particular as the daily. cheater maaaaybe for the quiver. pretty sure spencer had the cheater and liked it. anyone got thoughts?

[Spenser]

I have both. Strandas are special. The cheater is one of the best things I’ve ever ridden - I added a review on their product page. Might have ridden it the most last year? Still getting to know the Shorty - mine was a little wonky with a strangely soft nose, so I’m supposed to be getting a replacement. But damn, it’s smooth and flowy. I really want a pipeliner next.

Mats is a senior rider & has been designing “mature” carving/turning oriented boards for years. The thing that makes his stuff stand out is simple material choice that isn’t common or standard, although nothing fancy, just good math. They’re made at GP87. Ash cores are very calm, damp, smooth, and strong, and the wood retains its shape for a long time. He uses resins that cure into more of an elastomer - hardened, but not hard & nearly brittle like is standard, which adds dampness and prolonged life. Real bamboo top layer = damp & strong, then the water based laquer topsheet makes it super beautiful. Shaping is calm and smooth, like Fullbag really. These two board makers have become my favorite.

Still don’t know the best/right way to post pictures here..

00AC3F3A-5380-4E0E-9AA1-8963CDB864CC.jpeg (3.1 MiB) Viewed 2528 times

[Spenser]

2 different days, first on the Shorty then the Cheater



Super mashed potato day on the Shorty, top was kinda slow but lower half was stiiiiick city



Showed some friends around from Tahoe on the Shorty. I think my footage is the beginning portion, feel free to skip the skiing. Looks better than it was - blower on crust, so had to feather it a bit.

[Spenser]

Last, I can’t enter a Stranda thread without sharing my friend Lars I’ve known a long time. He is an incredible carver and great freerider all around. He’s a good friend, and has become my mentor (honestly like a personal Craig) over the last few years.

[unsuspected]

The Descender is great in crappy snow. plows thru and holds a edge while being damp.

[unsatisfiedus]

thanks spencer. was interested in how the materials felt. and i'm curious how the shorty is when its less than ideal. and the cheater for that matter.

unsuspected what size descender did you ride?

[Spenser]

For my taste in damp/smooth boards, they are awesome. Very calm, not “nervous” like some aggressive designs.

The thing to keep in mind with his description of the cheater is it’s relative to true carving boards. It’s still a beast - it just has a design that, within those types of boards, makes it super calm overall, and a lot of people will have fun on it. You can just cruise if you want, but it’s still a powerhouse. Another factor is it doesn’t use a huge radius, just 8.5. It can take some muscle in mixed or less than ideal conditions due to stiffness and length, but because it’s so smooth and damp, it’s also comfortable. In search of smooth flowing lines, not really something to be speed checking or getting in tight wiggly spaces with. I carved a lot of groomers, but also spent a lot of time in soft snow and a couple pretty good powder days. I knew it would do well enough, but I was surprised just how much I liked it. Seems like the kind of freeride board someone like Craig Kelly would like.

The Shorty does really well in all conditions. It has good edge bite and a strong backbone, but a very gradual, long rockered nose for good glide, and obviously floats like crazy. Definitely has the soul of a freeride board. I got the Shorty with the idea it could be a daily driver for my style of riding.

The descender is a bit “traditional” for my taste, but I’d still love to try one. That thing & the split keep winning awards.

[unsuspected]

thanks spencer. was interested in how the materials felt. and i'm curious how the shorty is when its less than ideal. and the cheater for that matter.

unsuspected what size descender did you ride?

161

[unsatisfiedus]

you good with the setback spencer? can't help but notice that things are getting bumped back up again for a lot of models

[Spenser]

The cheater feels perfect to me. The Shorty is good, but I liked it just a little more when I did it like a fish - just a hair forward. I think the 164 ref is about 21.25? I put my rear foot at ref and front 1/2 forward to achieve my 21.75 width. I’m happy with it either way.