Hey so I’m looking at 3 boards the Burton Blender & Lip-stick and the Ride Compact. I live in Ontario so the conditions are basically ice, corked, and/or Sugar. I do a lot of freeride & cruising and I’m fresh to the park but can still jib alrite (the park here is closed half the time so I make do with the ridges that I can find). I’m looking for board with a lot of pop/play, responds well, easy to ride switch, but can still handle being powered down on.

Any suggestions and comparisons?

Anyone ridden the Ride Bandita Contraband biding?

Thanks A Tone!!

got the bandita contrabands.. i like them alot!  they’re pretty flexy and no pressure pts on toes =)  quick to strap in, and everything

I won a Ride Compact just before this season started, and got to ride a little pre-season stuff with it… I was REALLY surprised with how well it did!!  It did so good over ice too!  It definitely made me comfortable and confident, as long as I was careful over the ice.  It was also very stable when going fast and I liked the rocker it has, it’s very mellow and doesn’t feel weird.  It’s pretty catch-free.  The board is also press-able right out of the wrapper, but don’t count on doing HUGE presses just yet- maybe when it’s more broken in haha.  I sold that board to my friend, and now she LOVES it.

I have also tried the Banditas, but I can’t get them to quite fit my boots… maybe because the boots are too squared at the toes.  Also, whenever I ollied, my front foot would pop out a little bit, so the left side of my foot would be on top of the left side of the binding… I just had to stop and twist my foot back in the binding.  It got old quick, but ellegrlboarder1 is right, no pressure points.  I’m a Rome-or-Die binding girl though haha so Romes for me!

ok update- i dunno if this will help, but i got a chance to demo the burton lipstick (which i had wanted to try out ever since my friend was raving about his fix)  i normally ride 143 but they only had 145 so i took that one out, with scribe est bindings. 

i rode it at hunter for about 2 hrs, and was pretty excited to have a board w/ edges to try and ride on the trails cause they’re all ice (cause my k2 vvv has like no edge hold on ice whatsoever)  so if your main thing is cruising… stay away from the lipstick!!!  going down the black diamond trail to get to the park, i felt like i was learning how to snowboard again.  i could not carve at all going down the trail, it was pretty scary honestly lol.  but once i got it in the park, it was like a complete 180.  it was really fun to buttter on boxes (which i technically wasn’t supposed to hit boxes/rails but i did anyway) and it stuck nice to the rails.  had really good pop, and was really smoothe off jumps and landings. (i didnt spin off jumps w/ it, but straight airs were really nice) oh, and its good riding switch too.  so i think if your strictly a park rat, this boarrd would be great.  but when it comes to ice….  def look elsewhere.

and the bindings, they were horrible in case your interested.  i usually use ride bindings (contraband banditas and ride zetas) and i have rome madisons too.  and the scribes were like stiff on the high back, and loose in the straps, so it was a weird inconsistancy.  i felt like no matter how tight i made them, they couldn’t be tight enough to feel secure on the board.

p.s.  i rode the 2011 version of the board.  i doubt its much different from the 2010, but the graphic was pretty sweet too… like straight outta the 70s haha

Thanks everyone. Your opinions are totally appreciated.  Also has anyone had the chance to check out Rome Madisons Bindings? And the Ride Canvas?