Yes it’s August and yes we’re still reviewing snowboards! The Ride DH2 has been the go to rocker board for your popping needs for the past few seasons. I remember last season when the rep told me that they had to reduce the pop in the 2011 DH2 because they were getting complaints about it having too much pop. Good times. Let’s see how this beast changed for 2012.
Size: Leo – 157w; Dave 158
Stance: Leo – 23.5″ regs 18/-12 size 10; Dave – 24″ regs 15/-15 size 11 booties
Shape: Hybrid Prorize
Bindings: Ride El Hefe
Stats: Leo – 5’9, 180lbs; Dave – 6′, 210 lbs
Conditions: Boyne Mountain, cold, overcast. 17 degrees not too windy. dust on crust about 1″ of natural snow but mostly hardpacked groomers. Small amounts of sidepow but nothing to write home about. Decent test conditions for a variety of boards.
Flex:
Leo says: Given that this was a wide board, which I have no business being on, I will say this beast was a 9/10. Basically put, it’s a mofo’n TANK. I could barely flex this thing while standing still.
Dave says: I’d say this is an easy 8 on a 10-pt stiffness scale. It is not a plank, but you’re not gonna butter this bad boy without putting a lot of effort into it.
Ollie/Pop:
Leo says: Let’s put it this way, whenever I ride snow surfer sticks, I find myself comparing the pop to the DH2. For 2012 (and last year’s limited ed models) the DH2 didn’t disappoint. I can’t quite explain it, but the pop actually feels better with the hybrid Prorize profile. Not “ZOMG this has more pop”, but a more effortless one. Just think about an ollie and off you go.
Dave says: Superb! like everything Ride does the DH2 had a great amount of pop so it’ll boost you to the moon if you want.
Handling:
Dave says: They had just peeled the ’58 out of the plastic and it hadn’t been broken in. I felt like this board really didn’t come alive until I was pushing it. Like it’s the type of board that will ride you if you don’t ride it. Although it could handle lower speeds but it wasn’t impressive in that regard. At speed the DH2 is a monster absorbing everything underfoot, and really hugs the hardpack when laying a carve.
Leo says: Since I was on the 57w the only rational thing to do was to charge down the fastest run. Edge to edge? A bit sluggish for me but the 2011 DH2 had really good response. When I did engage an edge, this beast bit and stayed locked in the turn. Absolutely n0 chatter even on cruddy East Coast conditions. When pointed straight, I thought I was going to die. The DH2 was scary fast. All in all, the 2012 Ride DH2 is very stable and damp board. Yes, it was a wide model for my size 10, but I remember last year’s DH2 being very stable and damp as well.
Jibs/Playfulness:
Dave says: Don’t do it in the park. Unless you’re hitting that triple line all day.
Leo says: Pffft. Refer to my above comments. That is all.
