Thursday, March 28, 2024

ALL CAPS Review: The Flow Darwin

THE FLOW DARWIN IS OF THE ILK OF THE POWDER BOARD THAT BRANDS AND PROS ARE SO KEEN ON. IT SEEMS PEOPLE WHO SNOWBOARD ARE GETTING OLDER AND WANT TO PUT LESS EFFORT INTO SNOWBOARDING WITH THE SAME REWARD. AT LEAST, I KNOW I AM. SO WHEN DALE HOOKED UP THIS BOARD FOR MY TRIP TO SILVERTON LAST, I WAS A LITTLE GIDDY.

LONG STORY SHORT, I NEVER RODE IT IN SILVERTON, BUT DID GET TO BREAK IT OUT FOR THE FIRST DAY OF THE MT. BAKER BANKED SLALOM, WHICH ALSO HAPPENED TO BE A OH-SO-RARE SUNNY POW DAY AT BAKER. WHEN I WAS FIRST OFFLOADING THOUGH, I STARTED TO FREAK A LITTLE. IT LITERALLY FELT LIKE A PIECE OF PLYWOOD UNDER MY FEET. STAN REASSURED ME THOUGH, “JUST REMEMBER YOU KNOW HOW TO RIDE A SNOWBOARD AND IT WILL BE THE MOST FUN YOU’VE EVER HAD.”

I TOOK HIS ADVICE AND WOULDN’T YA KNOW, THIS THING FLOATED THROUGH EVERYTHING  WITH EASE AND DIDN’T EVEN THINK TWICE WHEN I TRAPPED MYSELF INTO A DECENT SIZED DROP. IT GENUINELY MADE ME FEEL BETTER AT SNOWBOARDING. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT, GETTING ALL POETIC WITH METAPHORS. IT’S THE FIXED GEAR OF BIKES. THE FULLY LOADED SPEED BOAT OF WATER VESSELS, OR THE CADILLAC OF CARS.

OF COURSE WITH THAT COME SOME DRAW BACKS. IT’S NOT SUPER RESPONSIVE FOR TURNING (THOUGH MORE SO THAN I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT) AND THERE WERE A FEW TIMES I FOUND IT RIDING ME, ESPECIALLY IN NON-POW. IF YOU’RE DEALING WITH VARIABLE CONDITIONS, OR YA KNOW, NOT RIDING POW, IT’S ACTUALLY NOT THAT BAD EITHER. I WOULDN’T TAKE IT ON GLARE ICE, BUT FOR MUSHY CHOP IT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU A SIMILAR FLOATING FEELING (NO JOKE.)

AT THE END OF THE SECOND DAY ON IT, (A LEGENDARY STATUS POW DAY AT ALPENTAL, AFTER WHICH I WASN’T EVEN SORE) WAS DEFINITELY CONVINCED. I’D SAY THE SWALLOW TAIL TREND IS ACTUALLY NOT A TREND. THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING.

9 COMMENTS

  1. This review is a wash. No one in their right mind would take the opinion of a girl snowboarder into consideration. I’ve ridden the Flow Darwin and it is literally one of the best boards ever.

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