Snowboard Review: 09-10 Option Redline

This review was done through Board Insiders and will be featured on their site as a review with video of me explaining the board and riding it. I’ll update this link to that when it goes live.

Location: Stevens Pass, WA

Snow Conditions: Snowing with powder, deep powder.  It was day 2 of the Board Insiders Reviews.

Setup: I rode the Option Redline with Union Forces and my Rome Vamps size 8.

First Impression: This will be interesting to ride camber in powder again, lets hope for the setback stance.

Size: 157cm

Weight: average

Flex: The redline was stiffer longitudinally and torsionally which surprised me since it’s meant to be a beginner to intermediate progressing board.   It was harder to manuever the board in the trees when I needed quick response.  The stiffer flex did help in the powder and freeriding for holding stability.

Turning: It wasn’t as responsive edge to edge for quick turns in the trees.  In the wide open powder and groomers, the best turns were on long drawn out S turns with the longer effective edge.   I never caught an edge with the board and once on edge the Redline carved great throughout the turn.  It held an edge good.

Stable: In an open field of powder I felt very stable on it versus in tight spaces where it wasn’t as responsive edge to edge.  Wider drawn out turns felt the most stable especially in the powder or on groomers.  At speeds it was fine, felt more comfortable on it.  Through some cruddy choppy terrain, there wasn’t a lot of dampness to help absorb the terrain.

Pop: It was a powder day so did not play with the pop in some deep powder unfortunately.

Switch: Took some adjustment since I was setback and it’s a directional shape board plus the setback plus powder riding on it.

Overall Impression: For a freeride board it was stable and held a good edge on longer  S turns down the mountain.  It wasn’t as quick edge to edge and the stiffer flex which I found worked best in the powder.  For 09-10 the Redline has an upgraded base, it used to be a extruded 4400 and now is sintered 7200 which I was happy for, it deserves the better base.  It was an okay ride overall but I didn’t find it suitable for me as a rider.

Shay’s Honesty Box: This was a real test for me going back to camber on a powder day and I definitely struggled with keeping the board afloat when I’m used to not struggling to keep the board afloat.  However in the conditions, it did good in the heavier powder and I had some great turns on it but definitely me as a rider prefers reverse camber in the powder.  I’ve been hesitant about putting this review up since I had heard that Option might not be around but it’s a review and there are still Redlines out there and hopes that Option continues on.

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