Amazing Softboard

[Tom H.]

I just rode (and then of course had to buy) the most amazing soft board for carving I have ever come across... and just had to tell everyone.

Last weekend they had a demo tent set up at Sugarbush. I was checking out the boards and spotted off to the side this beautiful, giant board. It was a 183 INCA Freeride. The "techs" said nobody ever takes that out, it's too big.

I've heard of INCA, but never actually seen one. They definitely look different.

So, I took it for a spin. Even though it looked like it had never been waxed or tuned and they mounted really flimsy demo bindings on it; this baby carved like a dream!

The dual-camber, extra-stiff and extra-wide construction felt a little weird for the first few turns, but midway through my first run, I was laying down turns like never before on a soft board (and I spend a lot of time carving on a "soft board").

The dual-camber gives you soo much edge control. It holds like magic! I couldn't make the board wash out on heel side turns, no matter how hard I tried.

After a few runs I went back down to the demo tent and convinced them that if nobody ever takes it out, a few bucks in their pocket would be better than a big board that takes up that much space. They bought my pitch and I took home the board.

After mounting my own bindings and giving it a tune job the board rides even better!

I can't believe that more boards aren't using the dual-camber design; maybe it a paten issue. If that's the case, I find it hard to believe that more people aren't riding INCAs.

They also have some great looking alpine decks. I think the Freecarve will have to be an addition to the quiver next season.

Sorry for the long ranting post, but in 20 years of snowboarding, I've never been this excited or impressed with the performance of a product.

Check them out:

www.incaempire.com

(weak site, great boards)

Tom H.

[Todd Stewart]

the dual chamber idea seems like an interesting concept, it looks like they have the pattent to it so it seems like it will take a long time for this to catch on if it truely is that good.

[Jack Michaud]

101.6mm of reverse taper on the 164?!? Holy crap!

I can see how the dual camber thing might work, but what is with that shape??

[philw]

Well if it works for you...

Someone had a bag of those at a back-country place I was at a few years ago. Some people tried them for a day, but I didn't see anyone taking them out for a second day.

I suppose I'm prejudiced because I can't see how they might work: the engineering doesn't stack up. They look weird though.

[Mike T]

One of the guys I ride with now and again at Mt Hood uses the 177 for powder days. He sometimes uses ski poles (!) with it. He makes very short, tight, skier-like turns and easily picks his way through trees that I have to work really hard to get through on my Axis 172. I'm curious enough such that if they did a demo day I'd try one out.

[jason_watkins]

It's only the alpine boards that have the funky reverse taper. The freeride boards have 0 taper.

I'd love to ride one sometime. I've talked with a couple owners now, and the only consistant disadvantage to the dual camber from their reviews is that the boards don't glide flat as well.

[Maciek]

Originally posted by jason_watkins
It's only the alpine boards that have the funky reverse taper. The freeride boards have 0 taper.


That's actually not true. Most of alpine boards (if any) have NORMAL taper - not reverse. Many alpine have also taper 0. Donek is an example.

Inca is an example of very rare reverse taper.


Taper is to finish a turn. You choose how. With zero taper you rely more on board and it "hooks" easily. That may be good for freecarve/freeride, but if you need correction of a course then it could bring some problems (not neccessarily though because flex is another thing to help).

[jason_watkins]

Maicek:

what the heck dude? What I said is perfectly true: only the INCA apline boards have reverse taper, the INCA freeride/freestyle boards do not. I wasn't takling about boards in general, I'm _talking_ about the taper on INCA boards specificly, which is aparent since this is a thread specificly about INCA boards.

Anyone with a web browser can figure out what taper is and what taper is available on donek, coiler or nearly any other brand/model of board.

I'm going to assume english is not your native tounge... the remaining explinations I can think of wouldn't be polite.

[Maciek]

Allright if you meant Inca then sorry.

I thought you were generalizing and extending to any alpine boards.


I am not sure if you could justify that with language understanding, but I believe that from your post, one could deduct you were refering to any alpine... Could you take a look at your original post?

[lonerider]

When I read your post quickly... I too didn't realize you were refering to "the alpine boards" either.. but after reading Maciek's reply and having already been to the INCA website several times (and noticing the reverse taper board myself). I realized what you were talking about.

However, your initial post was slightly ambiguous.


[i]Originally posted by jason_watkins
Maicek:

what the heck dude? What I said is perfectly true: only the INCA apline boards have reverse taper, the INCA freeride/freestyle boards do not. I wasn't takling about boards in general, I'm _talking_ about the taper on INCA boards specificly, which is aparent since this is a thread specificly about INCA boards.

Anyone with a web browser can figure out what taper is and what taper is available on donek, coiler or nearly any other brand/model of board.

I'm going to assume english is not your native tounge... the remaining explinations I can think of wouldn't be polite.

[cliffh]

get back to work, all of you. your wasteing my time ;)

[jason_watkins]

Sorry if my reply hurt anyone's feelings.