Stepchild Dirtbag 2014 Snowboard

Solid construction methods such as the hardened SnagFree base material and Armadillo Plates are signs that Stepchild takes board manufacture and durability seriously. It’s about the only thing they do take seriously, however the 2 year warranty on defects in materials and craftsmanship backs this up. The Dirtbag is low-cost but it isn’t ‘cheap’. Low key graphics and simple (yet solid) construction keep the costs down so If you’re looking for a low cost board then you can’t do better than getting one made by a true ‘by snowboarders for snowboards’ brand like Stepchild. Specification: Profile: Zero Camber Running length: 1200mm Waist width: 250mm Sidecut radius: 7.7m Setback: Centred Flex (1 soft, 10 stiff): 4 (Specification based on the 153cm board) Note: Topsheet colours
are size specific Features: The highly flexible yet durable Armocore combines poplar wood stringers with an advanced wood derived composite which makes up the core. This strength and flex is well suited to park riders and jibbers. SnagFree Base Material has been hardened during the pressing process, this makes the base more durable and easier to maintain and is applied to all Stepchild snowboards. An additional diamond shaped layer of fibreglass re-enforces the binding insert area. These Armadillo Plates help to prevent inset blowouts from high impacts and heavy landings. FutureGlue is a standard on all Stepchild boards due to its unparalleled strength in bonding the base to the core. Specifically chosen to allow for more torsional flex Biax Fibreglass is made up of interweaving vertical
and horizontal fibreglass stands. I like the approach taken by Stepchild. They definitely have a focus on fun and don’t take themselves too seriously. They make simple boards, that are well built (in Austria), at a price that means you still have some change for a lift ticket and maybe even enough to pay your rent. The zero camber profile makes the board extremely forgiving as well as incredibly agile. It turns on a six-pence and is a dream when it comes to butters and presses. You can’t help but have fun spinning, sliding and jumping every hit in sight. Is it for me? The flat profile and low flex rating makes for a pretty soft ride. If you prefer buttering around the resort and hitting rails in the park than charging everything at mach-10 speed then the Dirtbag is the board for
you. It would make a fine board for both indoor and dry slopes - handy for us British snowboarders and has such a favourable fun-to-price ratio that you should probably have one in your quiver anyway.