Anyone know anything about the Nale Speedball?

[drcr]

I'm an intermediate level softbooter and am starting to snowboard often enough where buying a board rather than renting is an economic move. I actually stumbled on Alpine online (though, sure, I've seen "racers" on the slopes) and EC from hardbooter.com's review.

I'm looking at buying a Nale Speedball for cheap. Anyone know where I could find information about this board? The only thing I could find out is that Elan made snowboards under the Nale name a while back when Elan was really just a ski company.

Here's some pics of the board the seller sent me.
Clickable Thumbnails:
(Nale on the far right)


I'll also looking at a Burton Speed, but this Nale board's ~1/3 the asking price. Why don't I just buy the Swoard as my size may still be available? That's a lot of capital for a softbooter convert, post-renter to layout for a first board and unsure (for me) technique/style.

Thanks,
DrCR

[pokkis]

nalE is former "brand" by Elan, (Elan spelled backwards) so they are quite old boards.
It is tough call tio say if it is god call, but i doubt that
But your option B sounds quitye bad too so no more advice from here

[drcr]

I heard the Burton Speed described as the "Poor man's Swoard" though. Back to square one then I guess lol. Maybe I should just stick with softbooting and get that cheap CustomX I saw... The board I would really like to get for a first-time board would be a used Axis, but I haven't been able to find any. My thought is that its all-mountainness would complement something like a Swoard very well in my quiver. But it looks like all the Axis owners want to keep theirs lol.

[raphael]

To start with little money i'd suggest one of thoose on ebay:
-1- Hot Blast or older Hot Shine... well any alpine from Hot snowboards
-2- F2 Eliminator LTD or any alpine from F2
-3- Any alpine from Nidecker

Well, you'd better try to buy one of the largest and longest one's, with a large sidecut.

it may be easier to buy them from the german ebay (www.ebay.de). They've got quite a lot of alpine boards and some sell them worldwide.

[raphael]

Some links:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 49097&rd=1
This one seems great.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 44175&rd=1

[pokkis]

If lookin substitute for Swoard, i would go with Oxy/atomic last years modell, specially if you are small feeted another option is Völkl, both boards are quite cheap in Europe.
If you are in US then check Prior used/Demo 4WD section.

[raphael]

Some links:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 49097&rd=1
This one seems great.

By the way look at what's written on it >

Reminds me of somebody ...

[drcr]

Sweet action, thanks for the help guys! I'm lurking both of those eBay posts raphael, a big thanks to you.

Yea, I'm State side. South-east USA to be more specific. Not exactly the best place to live if you love snowboarding lol. My "specs": ~150lb. (67kg), 5'8" (172cm), foot 26.7cm actual (Mondo 25.5-26?)

raphael, the Wild Duck is really hardpack and corduroy only while the F2 is all-mountain, correct? I am very interested in that Wild Duck.

I was actually just talking to the guy who heads up my uni's annual ski/snowboard trip to Colorado. He was saying he loved his Buron T6, Driver setup for "cruising" Colorado powder, but he also said he's never even heard of hardboots on a snowboard. My thought is that if I ever go out there I can just pick up a cheap powder board.

Pokkis, you mean something like the Oxygen KR56C (pictured in the far right pic (the thumbnail link is dead but the full size isn't)). Also, are you recommending the 4WD over the Axis or just that a used 4WD may be easier to get a hold of?

FYI I’ve decided to splurge on bindings and perhaps boots. I’ll probably get a pair of F2 Race Titaniums from yyzcanuck.com. They’re selling them for $245CAD = ~200USD, which is the cheapest I’ve been able to find in NA. I'm thinking it’s worth the $50USD more than the Xbones at hardbooter.com.

Any comments on this board. Just curious.:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW
Even as a stiff board, it’s probably too small for me and probably too advanced for me.

Watching that Wild Duck auction...

DrCR

________

[Jakob]

Hi!

I guess I'm too late, but nevertheless. I don't know if Nale's speedball is the same board as is now the only Elan alpine snowboard Ballistic. I have Elan Ballistic board and so do many other riders in Slovenia. I don't know if and where is it possible to get that board outside of Slovenia, but ballistic is a good board for a cheap price. I am very satisfied with it, although it is of the same width as most other race boards (that's about 19cm) and it has rather small sidecut radius (around 11), but that's OK on crowded slopes we have quite often. It does well on nearly every surface and I think is a good choice. As said, good compromise between price and quality. All that goes for Ballistic, but I know that besides from design Ballistic hasn't changed in a couple of years, so if Snowball is a predecessor od Ballistic it could have been a very similar board.

Bye,

Jakob

[pokkis]

drcr wrote:

Pokkis, you mean something like the Oxygen KR56C (pictured in the far right pic (the thumbnail link is dead but the full size isn't)). Also, are you recommending the 4WD over the Axis or just that a used 4WD may be easier to get a hold of?

As stated i was refering newer models, Proton.
My point to 4WD was due slightly cheaper price tags and right away availability of these demo/used boards.
Both Axis and 4WD are great board as such

[raphael]

Some links:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 49097&rd=1
This one seems great.

By the way look at what's written on it >

Reminds me of somebody ...

I'm surpised Jaques Rilliet didn't comment on his own board. Can't you tell how good it would be for Drcr ?

[raphael]

Any comments on this board. Just curious.:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW
Even as a stiff board, it’s probably too small for me and probably too advanced for me.

Well, it doesn't look like an easy board at all for someone used to softboots. Plus it's nothing like intermediate between softboot and EC. I think it's the kind of board that risks to disgust you of hardboot before you achieve anything new. It's most probably a good raceboard but i think it will be a bit expensive if you don't have fun with it...
Just my 2 cents.

[drcr]

Cool deal, thanks for all your help.

[drcr]

Bummer. In a furry of last-minute bidding, I was not the victor and lost the F2. Will see on the Wild Duck.

What about this Nitro GT. I dont know if it is a GTO or GTX though.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... RK:MEWA:IT

Also looking at a Nitro Range 156. Pretty tempting.

Thanks for your help raphael.

DrCR