Experiences with SWOARD

[harald]

Having used the SWOARD 168 hard since the beginning of March, I would like to share some of my experiences with the Forum. This is my 4th full carving season, sharing my time between skiing (enjoy both running gates and freeriding) and carving, and have reached a moderate carving level. My boards before I bought the SWOARD are F2 Speedster GTS 158 and F2 Speedster RS 173. The board was mounted with F2 Race Titanium bindings according to the recommended settings, 55/48 angles and 49 cm stance and I used Raichle 323 boots.
The morning after the board arrived, I went to a slope just outside Oslo to give it the first test. The first impression was that the SWOARD needs a lot of effort and determination to put on edge and carve, especially on the heelside, otherwise it will skid around. The second observation was that the boots felt a little bit too soft, especially in the backside turn, so they had to be buckled up quit firmly to be stiff enough. However, after getting used to the board and running with more speed, it felt very stable and smooth in the turns. It goes were you want in a smooth curve, without tendencies of nosediving on softer spots, as my narrower boards often do. The third time I used it, I succeeded in the first laid down frontside turn. Thereafter, I went to Hemsedal in excellent conditions. There I succeeded in three consequtive laid down frontal turns even at moderate speed.
Back to Oslo the conditions has varied from icy in the morning to slushy in the afternoon. The SWOARD handles all conditions with excellence. The laid down backside turn is almost there, buth the hill that was open during the easter might have been to flat. I also have to add that I bought a pair of UPS booths. They are stiffer than my 323s and work much better with the SWOARD. In addition I have narrowed the stance to 48 cm and set the angles at 54/47, which appear to suit my riding style and ability level better.
The conclusion is that the SWOARD is a great board, but it needs some time to get used to its width. It also needs to be driven with a lot of determination to be put on the edge. Once on the edge, it provides a very solide platform for both tight and wide carved turns without loosing its grip. It is highly recommended. Many of my carving friends want to by one themselves.
Regards,
Harald