I added a 161 Wide to my collection this year mainly for use in powder and spring snow. (see my review of the 2001 Donek Incline 160 as well). As I commented last year my Incline tended to sink into powder too much under the weight of my 180 (now 175) pounds. The extra two centimeters on this board remedies that problem very well, as well as allowing me to place my size 8 Salomon boots (size 9 in other brands) at 15/9 degrees with no worries about toe/heel drag. The Wide is exceedingly quick edge-to-edge for a board with a 26 cm waist. Definitely better in that respect than my old Custom or Supermodel. It definitely feels stiffer than my Incline does but then again my Incline has 70 or so riding days on it now. Otherwise it has the same characteristics as my Incline - stable as hell, a joy to land, craves speed, bashes crud with authority. Negatives? Some nits: Snow sticks to the topsheet more so than other boards; this year's new base graphic is white and the One Ball Jay graphite wax I use doesn't look so great on the graphic; the price went up. Still my favorite freeride board, especially for the money.

----=( For more info on this board E-mail me @ mtovino@yahoo.com)=----

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