Snowboard Review: 09-10 Drake DF2

Location: Whistler, BC

Snow Conditions: Bluebird with hardpacked ice in the morning and slush in the afternoon. The DF2 was the 3rd board of the day so the snow was getting softer and less ice on the mountain.

Setup: I rode the Drake DF2 with Union Forces and my Rome Vamps size 8.

First Impression: Not bad, not bad at all

Size: 156cm

Weight: lighter than average

Flex: I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first stepped on it, but the U camber was pretty easy to flex the nose and tail of the board with the center of the board having a bit more stiffness to it.  The stiffness underfoot made also allowed for good stability when I ollied off a roller and when I was just freeriding down the runs.

Turning: The best part about the DF2 was it was a really easy ride to adapt to, easy to transition into each turn and a good mix of flex torsionally and longitudinally so it rode well when freeriding, never felt like a park board that couldn’t handle the rest of the mountain.   When you wanted to really rally the board on edge, it gave that performance back to you with a quick edge response into sharper turns.  The more drawn out turns didn’t feel limited either.

Stable: I didn’t encounter any problems with the DF2 handling speed down runs and when I landed from a roller ollie down a hill, I never worried about it not needing adjustment.  It was pretty consistent on the snow with no surprises.

Pop: When I first got it, I played with it on the flat ground while waiting around and just did flat spin tail presses in circles while holding the nose and popping presses from nose to tail which was super fun and easy to do on it.  When I took it on a roller to ollie and get a better feel for it, it impressed because I didn’t need to readjust how I ollied and it landed fine, no problems with wobbling or feeling off.  Each roller it was easy to pop on the board.

Switch: It rode the same switch as it did regular for me, no edges catching when switching around.

Overall Impression: Overall I was impressed, I think Drake did a great job with the DF2 because it’s not anything crazy for a reverse camber but a good ride whether you want to ride park or just play around freeriding, it’s a good mix of both.   It had a good fun flex, with good pop and was still rideable outside of the park if you were just cruising with friends.  There wasn’t an adjustment to it, which was nice.

Shay’s Honesty Box: Last year when I first tried a Drake board, I wasn’t impressed but I went back on the saddle and tried the new DF2 for 09-10 and found myself on a board I really enjoyed.

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


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