Snowboard Review: 09-10 Flow Team

Location: Steamboat, CO; Breckenridge, CO

Snow Conditions: Bluebird to overcast skies with hardpacked to slushy groomers.

Setup: I rode the Flow Team with Union Forces and my Rome Vamps size 8.

First Impression: Light poppy and a pipe riders dream

Size: 157cm

Weight: lighter than average

Flex: The Team is on the stiffer side longitudinally and torsionally, the carbon stringers give it a lot more pop but also increase the stiffness in the board.  Because of the increased stiffness it’s ideal for pipe and jumps, giving it more stability and suited for a more aggressive rider.  With the Whiskey Royale tech you get some nice dampening underfoot to absorb rough landings and vibrations when riding.

Turning: Despite the Flow Team being a more aggressive board it’s actually not difficult to get on edge, easy to initiate but once on edge you can really maneuver it into shorter or longer radius turns depending on how you want to ride the board.  For carving, I found it stable for all the long radius turns just crusing and in the halfpipe, I was able to quickly bring the board back under me edge to edge and rail into the next turn.  It lets the rider play with how quickly you want to turn it.  I felt comfortable right away on it and I haven’t ridden camber that much this year.  It does hold an edge well.

Stable: For just cruising, no problems with stability.  In the halfpipe really stable and smooth on the transitions and never felt it chatter or want to not hold an edge when riding.  During my bad day of riding with it, I definitely felt it ride me a couple days where I wasn’t in control but that was my own riding and it pushing me more than I wanted it to.

Pop: The Team has pop with no question, easy to load up the tail of the board and pop ollies.  In the halfpipe with the lightweight and increased pop, you can really play with it and get some air, definitely for me it made riding pipe a lot easier.  Off little rollers and bonks, easy to throw around and not hard to tail press but it’s a cambered board so not insanely easy either and it’s a stiffer flex.

Switch: The Team is a directional twin but still rideable switch without feeling like it’s a completely different ride.

Overall Impression: At the time I remember how funny it was to be back on a camber snowboard but the Flow Team is definitely meant to be a hardcharging aggressive pipe board and the camber does it good.  When I rode with it at Steamboat I felt comfortable riding with it and filming my friend riding on a tight cat track to get to the park.  It’s not an easy board to ride, it’s easier to turn than one would expect but it’s still a stiffer more controlling board meaning the better the rider who can control it, the better the board treats you and can hold up when you progress with it.  In the two days I spent riding with it, one day it rode me and the other day when I was angry I rode it was the best.  It’s definitely a board you can have rougher days with and feel it come back to you hurting.

Shay’s Honesty Box: I’ve owned the Flow Team before and I think it’s a really fine board but there are days where it can ride you especially in the halfpipe.  When I took out the 09-10 flow, I took it out at my home pipe in Steamboat where I was having a really lousy day and it kicked me hard because of it.  But when I took it to Breckenridge for a day especially when I really was riding better, the board excelled me so much and pushed my riding in the pipe without killing me this time.  I think it’s a fine board, is it for everyone nah but for pipe riding, hitting jumps or just turns to the park it’s solid.

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

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