Snowboard Review: 08-09 DC XFB

Location: Keystone, Colorado

Snow Conditions: Cold, overcast with hard packed groomed runs.

Setup: I rode the DC XFB with Technine Suerte’s and my Vans Omni Focus Boots size 8.

First Impression: Really surprised by how it rode but happy with it as well. I hope the bling doesn’t blind me riding down the mountain either.

Size: 159cm

Weight: Average Weight

Flex: I was expecting a softer flexing board, but the XFB is definitely a medium stiffness board. The carbon fiber and kevlar between the feet definitely stiffen up the board to make it rideable outside of the park.

Turning: When I rode the hardpacked groomers with the XFB, it definitely held fine on edge. Didn’t feel grabby at all, no hooking or catching the edges. It was easy to go from toe edge to heel edge. Taking it from long radius to short radius turns, each turn was stable and smooth transitions.

Stable: I was really surprised by how stable this board was when riding. For a more all mountain freestyle board on groomers, it was definitely a board you could carve with outside the park and still feel stable at higher speeds.

Pop: I had a lot of fun with the pop on this board with ollies. This was one of the few boards that I would ollie into a butter with and pull off 180’ing out, just had so much fun with it.

Switch: For a directional twin, had no problems riding switch on the board.

Pipe: It didn’t want to hold an edge in the halfpipe on the icy walls, just washed out each time.

Overall Impression: I enjoyed riding the board, it was fun but still a board you could make turns with. Not overly aggressive and a board any rider could ride. For the first year of DC snowboards, it’s definitely a work in progress. In the end this board isn’t nothing new or special….just a snowboard.

Shay’s Honesty Box: I appreciate companies that offer up feedback and want feedback on the new boards. But really it’s just a new name on an old board. I hated that it washed out in the halfpipe…that to me, is not a board I would want to ride.