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Revel8 Revolt Tested
By: Kirk Thompson
Date: 24/12/05
 I got a chance to ride the Revel8 Revolts yesterday, and they are amazing. I'm 6' 3", about 190lbs, and ride mostly park, but I also love glades, powder, and big carves. Until now, I was convinced that I would never find a board better than my old Line weapons. I've ridden a lot of boards: Canon M7s, Groove BGPros, Salomon SB10s, pretty much all old Lines, and a few others. The M7s, BGPs, and SB10s always seemed to be too soft and felt weak compared to old Lines. The only board that I rode that I could compare to the weapons was the Mike Nick Pro. It was a little longer, so it had more stability, but the weapons was very similar, and the advantage of the grindplate made it an easy decision for me.
Enter Revel8. I'm really partial to my Weapons and am generally skeptical toward other boards. When I first started hearing about the Revolt, there were a few things that worried me. First was the length. I love the skatelike feel of the weapons, and I wasn't sure how 105cm would feel. Next was the flex. I loved the old line boards because they had a stiff feel that made them seem indestructible, and I was worried that the Revolts would have a soft feel like the M7s and others. The final thing was tip and tail height. I've been use to the 5cm tip/tail height of the lines, and I wasn't sure how smaller tips would fare.
After an evening of riding, all of my expectations and fears were blown away. These boards perfrom amazing. Unlike any other skiboard I've ever ridden, these boards hold an edge on anything. They gripped to ice better than other boards grip to groomers. It was nearly impossible to get them to sketch out. They held a carve on ice so good that I actually ended up falling because i was laying on the snow before they would lose an edge. I couldn't tell if I was riding on ice or soft snow because they felt the same over all conditions.
In the park, they performed great. A lot of the landings were choppy and carved out, and I was having trouble with them on my Weapons. Once I was on the Revolts, it was a completely different story. Their flex is strong and supportive. They feel at least as strong as the weapons. Besides the old lines, these are the only boards I've ridden that I feel like I won't break them. But unlike the weapons, the flex has a little bit of give, that lets them handle rough landings amazingly. I finally found the successor to my Weapons.
The extra length turned out not to be a problem at all. I've always been a stong supporter of shorter boards, but these boards feel just as agile as any 99cm board I have ridden. The big change is the width. These boards are unbelievably fat. This makes them more stable than any board I've ever ridden. There wasn't much powder at bear creek, but these boards feel like they will be able to handle the deepest pow and the nastiest crud. The tip and tail height that I was worried about ended up being perfect. They looked low at first compared to the size of the board, but they floated over everything with ease. I can't wait to try these in some really deep and nasty stuff. I'm pretty big, but I definately think these will let me float through any powder.
"I really can't imagine
a better board..."
Now for the real test: rails. I hit rails more than pretty much anything else, and I haven't hit a rail on anything but weapons in a few years. I was a bit worried about the transition to riding a board without a grind plate, but after my first hit, I felt just as comfortable on these. Grinds were just as easy, and everything I could do on the weapons I could do on these. The only difference is it doesn't have that buttery smooth feel of the grindplate, but with the added width and stability, it more than makes up for it. Also, the sidewall construction seems very solid, and there was no damage after a day of heavy grinding.
After riding these for a day, I really can't imagine a better board. They hold an edge better than skis, handle choppy Pennsylvania conditions without a problem, float through anything, carry tons of speed, all while maintaining the feel of a 99cm board. I truly didn't think I'd see the day that I'd retire my weapons, but I'm glad I have. These are the first boards I've ridden that seem like the perfect all mountian board. Park, ice, crud, groomers, powder: this board handles it all.
The only downfall is the length, only because you might have to use releasables if you are smaller. But for the bigger guys, this board will be just what you've been looking for in pretty much any situation I can imagine.
Get your own pair of Revel8 Revolts at SkiboardsOnline.com!
sbm
Picture from SkiboardsOnline.com
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