Snowboard Review: 09-10 O-matic Extr-eco

Because I rode both models with regular camber and BS Technology, I’m putting the review as one but I’ll write about how each rode with the different technology. I took both boards on the same runs.

Location: Keystone, Colorado

Snow Conditions: Overcast/Bluebird with hardpacked groomers to a mixture of conditions.

Setup: I rode the O-matic Extr-eco regular camber with Drake SuperSport bindings and the BS Technology board with Union Forces in my Rome Vamps size 8.

First Impression Comparison: The BS board didn’t remind me of TBT as I was expecting.

Size: 154cm for both models

Weight: average

Flex: The flex difference between the two wasn’t very noticeable, they both were similiar in flex for riding. Stiffer towards the tip and tail with a softer flex between the bindings, on the BS board it was noticeable that it was easier to press and butter than with the regular cambered board. It was easy to torsionally flex and get into sharp quicker turns. Overall the board isn’t soft, it’s not stiff but definitely towards the softer side of the midway point.

Turning: The BS rocker made the board a lot easier to turn and less likely to catch an edge with the bowed surface. Both of the boards had a quicker sidecut so it was easy to get the board into a turn fast but when carving the BS it wasn’t as grippy at TBT where you feel locked into the turn, definitely holds the edge but with control over the edging.

Stable: The cambered version definitely felt more stable in the conditions, through some chop than the BS version handled. Definitely with the BS board, I felt more in control when I rode centered above the bindings versus in the backseat it felt looser.

Pop: I took it off a couple rollers and didn’t notice being off during an ollie with the BS tech, both boards had pretty good pop and I just had to adjust to them. I felt better when I popped off the BS and landed right on the bindings versus when I landed towards the backseat.

Switch: I didn’t encounter any problems with riding either board switch, even with a slight setback it handled fine and wasn’t hard to transition into switch riding.

Overall Impression: For those not familiar with the BS Tech, it’s not rocker and it’s not TBT. The wiggle stick base as they call it,the board is bowed edge to edge creating somewhat of a rocker edge to edge, but it’s flat from tip to tail and the edges are slightly lifted off the snow. You can ride without your edges touching the snow until you initiate them into a turn, less catch, easy to maneuver.

I’d recommend demo’ing the BS Tech to see if you like it, definitely for another park board it does the job, the bowed surface won’t catch on rails and makes it an easy more forgiving ride. I wouldn’t call it a do-everything, ride the whole mountain board but that’s just my first impression of the demo.

There is a lot of discussion is about the TBT and these boards, since the bowed surface on the o-matic runs the whole length it’s not the same ride as TBT where it’s variable and towards the tip and tail. TBT has it’s place and BS will have it’s place but they ride nothing alike other than good carving.

Shay’s Honesty Box: At the end of the day and the first time riding the extr-eco series, I actually preferred the board without the BS technology. I can definitely see a place for the BS board, fun to ride and cool to try both tech but also for my own riding, I felt more comfortable on the cambered version.

*This Review was done in February 2009, please be aware that products may change.

Ready to buy? Head over to evo for women’s snowboards or shop their full line of snowboards