Well I bought this board in the summer of 2001. I had known that I wanted it from day 1, and when I finally had the dough I walked into the shop and plunked down $500 CDN. This board is a thing of beauty. I had previously been riding a 2000 Gnu Haulin' Oats 170cm, and the Woody is far superior to it in almost every way. My old board was fairly narrow through the waist, with a deep sidecut, which would have been fine had I not been blessed with size 12 feet (I don't mind though, as big feet come in handy with the ladies if you know what I mean). Unfortunately I had a constant problem of either toe or heel drag, no matter how I set up my stance. The Woody is the perfect width for my clodhoppers that I call feet. While this added width does reduce sidecut, the wider board actually performs better in a hard carve, as I can get a much sharper angle on the board without worrying about my toes or heels digging in and throwing me to the ground. I'm also a fairly strong guy, so I don't need as much of a sidecut as a smaller rider might. The length is also just right for me. The 170 cm Gnu was good on the groomies, and in the powder, but didn't quite have the maneuverability in the trees that I required (I found out about that one the hard way). The Woody is a little stiffer than the Gnu, and has a little more snap to it, but it could still use a little more camber, and maybe a stiffer wood in its core considering the size of the average Arbor rider. Every one that I've met has been 180lbs +. I shouldn't gripe though as it still has enough snap to throw me out of turns, which is no small feat considering my size and build. The board is also nice and light, considering its size. It is a cap construction though, so this is probably to be expected. I've read that for 2002 they've resorted to sandwich construction for their upper-end boards. I guess the one and only thing that I would have to complain about is the finish. It looks gorgeous, but is very easily scratched. The website has instructions for repair, but maybe in future the company could find a thicker, more durable laminate to lay over the Koa topsheet. I just used the board for the first time this past Sunday (Jan 13/02) for fear of damaging it on a rock, and am thrilled about this board. I do a lot of hiking and this seems to be the perfect board for the backcountry; lightweight, big, and with just the right flex for a steep, powdery descent. I would definitely buy this board again.

----=( For more info on this board E-mail me @ mcantafi@ucalgary.ca)=----

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