Korua Shapes Transition Finder

Korua Shapes Transition Finder Review

This review was based on the older model, which had more taper and was made in Poland. The newer models made in China are noticably softer.

The Korua Shapes Transition Finder was one of those boards that was recommended to me, and once I got used to it, was one of the most fun boards to carve on. The wide width gives you all the potential to get the board right on edge without hitting your boots, and makes it float through deep snow easily.

The version that I bought was called/labeled the Tranny Finder, though it has since been updated, so the boards with the label Transition Finder on them have less taper than the version I rode.

Features of the Korua Shapes Transition Finder

• Directional Shape
  Pretty obvious from the picture, but it has a directional shape, with a setback stance, as well as quite a bit of taper (wider nose than tail).
• Float Camber
  
  Overall it has the benefits that you get from a full traditional camber board, but with rocker on the nose for easier float in deep snow.
• 7/10 Flex
• Poplar Light Core
• Biaxial Fiberglass
• UV Lacquer Topsheet
• P-TEX 2000 Sintered Base
  A sintered materials, that will do a good job at keeping the board moving fast, as long as you keep it waxed.
• Board Weight
  The 154cm version weighs 2.9kg, and the 157cm is 3.1kg

Sizes available:

• 154cm
• 157cm

How the transition finder Rides

Board size: 157cm

Boots: Salomon Launch Boa 27.5

Bindings: Burton Cartel

I am 6 foot tall and weigh 155lbs – or 183cm tall and 70kg. My weight puts me right in the weight range for both the 154 and the 157, but I figured that if I was buying a big solid board to carve on, I wouldn’t be getting the most (out of the length and width) if I chose the 154.

I bought it before I had ridden any Korua Shapes boards, and although I have now ridden a couple more (Dart and Pencil), on paper it sounded like a board I would like.

It ticks quite a few boxes for things I like in a board – camber, setback stance, stiff flex and wide width with plenty of taper, and I also like the clean and simple look.

I have had the board now for a couple of months, and have been able to ride it in all kinds of conditions, from light powder, hard and soft groomers, to windblown and very hard packed snow.

I originally set it up with my normal angles that are around +12 -9, and rode it for a few days like that. It was fine, though it seemed like I did have to work quite a bit to make it do what I wanted. After that I changed the angles to +21 and +6, which completely changed how it rides.

All of a sudden I was able to drop my back knee more easily, and I felt like I could almost always accelerate out of a turn with as much speed as necessary. I am not a crazy carver, I can’t get that low yet, but it is definitely helping me.

Camber Profile

The float camber profile is mainly traditional camber, with rocker on the nose. To me it really just feels like a full camber board, though the rocker on the nose might actually be helping make a smooth start to the turn, especially considering how wide the nose is.

Flex and Pop

It is rated as having a 7/10 flex, and to me (at my weight) overall it feels quite stiff. I can flex it, though it takes a bit of effort. There is plenty of pop if you are going to work for it, which makes sense with the short tail, camber and stiffer flex.

Edge Hold

I find that the edge hold on the Transition Finder is up there with the best that I have ridden. It has a very solid and reliable feel, which was very close to the feel of an Oxess race board, but with a much more friendly and easy to move around shape.

In general, I am a lot more confident on fast toeside turns that I can put a lot of pressure into the edge, but this is one of the first when I feel I can ride as hard on my heels, and not worry about it sliding out – something that I notice is missing on my other boards.

Hardpacked, icy and windblown snow doesn’t make me feel like I have to slow down on the Transition Finder, it will still cut through and grip without a problem.

Turns

Even if you never rode it, or got the chance to ride it in powder, it is loads of fun to just turn. It isn’t super quick edge to edge, but bigger turns feel great, and it is easy to take up the width of the whole run. Even boring green and blue runs become so much more interesting on a board like this.

It doesn’t take much effort to start a turn, but by the middle and end of a turn it really seems to be doing the most work – you can feel it gripping in super hard to the snow, and pushing you quickly out of the turn.

Float

In powder, it takes almost no effort to stay up on top of the snow. The long, wide nose floats easily, and the tail wants to sink in just enough for a nice surfy feel. It is a bit more work for quick turns in tight trees, but the tradeoff of great float make it worthwhile, and it doesn’t take long to get used to it.

Speed

Other than the race board I mentioned above, I have the most confidence on this board riding as fast as I want – I never feel unstable, or that I am at the limit of what the board can handle. I noticed that it never felt like it had a “catchy” feel even riding very fast and swapping edges, and I never touched/detuned them.

On top of feeling very stable at high speed, the base seems to do a good job, even in variable snow conditions, but I do make sure to always keep it waxed.

Switch

I only occasionally ride it switch, and it feels a bit weird at first, but it is do-able if you need to.

Overall

Overall the Transition Finder is a lot of board, and it does take some getting used to. You do need to put in more effort in riding it, but once you get used to what it needs, all of a sudden you can carve harder and ride faster than most boards out there.

I don’t find that it is a very playful board, but that is also not helped by my weight and the fact I chose the bigger size, but that also isn’t why I bought it. I wouldn’t really say that it is heavy, but it does feel very solid.

I could easily recommend it for the someone who wants a board that they can carve easily on, ride fast and float really well in powder.

Overall the Similar boards:

• Korua Shapes Transition Finder Plus
• Nitro Woodcarver
• Bataleon Surfer LTD

Korua Shapes Transition Finder 2021 Technical Specs

Length	Effective Edge (mm)	Setback (mm)	Waist Width (mm)	Sidecut (m)	Taper	Weight Range (kg)
154	1180	20	260	7.6	26	50-80
157	1200	20	269	8.2	31	60-90