This snowboard has many technical features that make it way better than the beaten up K2 that I used to ride. It has sidewalls that make the board stronger while also absorbing impact. It has a special core called, “Negative Core Profile”, that is designed to make the board more flexible. Aiding the Negative Core Profile is its special “Biax React Fiberglass” core. Board flex makes park snowboarding much easier because you can lean forward or backwards on your board to do specific tricks way easier. Also, if you land wrong coming out of a trick, board flex can help you regain your balance.
This being said, the “Rail Ready Edge Tune” makes the snowboard’s metal edges dull enough so that they won’t dig into rails, but sharp enough to grip into the snow. Another feature that helps the board in the park is its, “PRO-TIP” shape, which makes the board much easier to spin with off jumps. The special tips of the board also are supposed to help you maintain your “float” in powder easier. Float means that you are riding right on top of deep powder. Floating in powder feels like your board is a knife cutting through warm butter. Riding powder is challenging at first; you have to lean far back on your board or else your board will sink into the snow and you will tumble head over heels several times.
The first thing that I noticed when I rode this board was that its dulled edges did not help me out while I was riding through snow. The special edges made it much harder to control my board, which was difficult at first. This board would not be ideal for the snowboarder who is just learning how to carve. Its edges don’t cut into hard pack snow as well as other boards can. Whenever I hit a patch of ice or hard pack snow I didn’t even try and turn. The edges would just scrape across the surface of the snow and wouldn’t dig in. I was able to get used to this, but a snowboarder who is used to making deep carves all the time might have some difficulty. However, I can say that my edges have never gotten caught on a rail or box ever. The park ready edges are great for freestyle riding. I can turn my board completely sideways on a box and be confident that my edges won’t catch.
When this board was brand new, it was flexible, but stiff at the same time. This made the board have amazing pop off of jumps and hills. Now the board seems to have lost the majority of its stiffness, which I like. The increased flex of the board makes it more playful on the hill. It is way easier to butter with the loads of flex that the board has now. Buttering is when the rider leans backwards or forwards while riding so that one tip of the board is off the ground. Some people have different preferences about board stiffness. If you prefer a stiffer ride than the Primo is not for you. This board also is very short; it is 148 centimeters long. This is a few centimeters shorter than a board person of my height should be riding. The shortness of the board makes it really entertaining to spin around with on the mountain. I noticed that the board flows through the air very well when doing spins and the PRO TIP shape really helps. This board performs very well in deep powder too.
Overall my Burton Primo was a great jib stick (park snowboard) for beginners. It was not really too good for riding down trails due to its dull edges at first. Its performance in the park made up for its lack of agility around the mountain. It has helped me learn how to do specific rail slides and I have slowly been able to conquer my fear of jumps with my Primo. I would recommend this board for beginner to intermediate park snowboarders.
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