Stepchild Dirtbag Review 2015/2016
The Stepchild Dirtbag is a flat camber, asymmetrical medium-soft flexing twin snowboard.
[tabs type=”tabs”]
[tab title=”Description” active=”true”]
Sizes available:
- 148cm
- 150cm
- 154cm
- 154cm Wide
- 157cm Wide
- 158cm
- 160cm Wide
Technology in the Stepchild Dirtbag:
TGIF Flat Camber
The TGIF Flat Camber is a flat for the length of the board, which is made to have the same feel as a broken in camber board, but still having the pop of a new board.
Extruded Base
The extruded base is a tough and easy to repair if you do damage it.
Biax Glass
Biax glass is made of two layers blended at 45 degrees.
Not Symmetrical
Most brands keep their asymmetrical boards on the higher end (more expensive), but Stepchild has now added it to their cheaper end. What this means is that the sidecut on the heelside is made from a smaller radius circle, which is designed to make heelside turns easier. On normal boards, it is easy to get a solid toeside edge turn in as you can easily get your bodyweight over your toes, but it is much harder to do that over your heels, as your body doesnt bend that way naturally. One way to get a stronger heelside turn is to add some more forward lean on your bindings, so that less effort will still get a lot of weight on the heelside edge, but lots of forward lean it tough on your legs.
The tighter sidecut on a asymmetrical board means that when you are moving your weight over your heels for a heelside turn, it acts like you are much further over giving you a stronger edge hold and more aggressive turn.
You don’t need to worry too much about how it works, but the easy explanation is that it makes turning the board feel better.
True Twin
The Dirtbag is a True Twin board, so even though it has an asymmetrical sidecut, whether you ride it regular or switch, it has the same feel. On most twin boards, there is a nose and a tail of the board. On an asymmetrical twin board, there is a side that has to have your heels on it, but it can still be ridden either way.
How the Stepchild Dirtbag rides
Flex & Camber Profile
The Dirtbag has a flex rating of about a 4, which is medium soft. Nothing too soft, and nothing too stiff. Combined with the flat camber profile it kept the board easy to press. It has a loose and fun feel riding, but the flat profile can still hold a good edge without the catchy feel.
Shape
The asymmetrical shape is very fun to ride, once you get used to the feeling heelside turns are much easier. It is hard to say exactly, but it definitely takes a lot less effort and weight on your heels to get the same feel as a good toeside turn. Linking turns together is very smooth and easy, it needs hardly any effort. I wouldn’t be surprised if most brands have more than just a few asym boards in their lineups in the next few seasons.
Speed
The Dirtbag has an extruded base, which isn’t as fast as a sintered base, but it keeps the cost down and is easy to repair. I rode the Dirtbag on a warm and slushy day, which is normally much slower for boards, but I had no problem keeping speed.
Pop
The pop on the board is nothing crazy, but it is also not a noodle. Loading up the tail will still give a good pop for an ollie.
Overall
The Stepchild Dirtbag is a fun board for all sorts of riding, the flat camber keeps it stable enough for riding everywhere, and still keeps it loose enough for spinning and buttering. The definite highlight of the board is the asymmetrical shape, turning is just so comfortable, easy and natural feeling.
The board is going be a good choice for someone who doesn’t want to spend much money, but still get a solid board that they can ride anywhere.
Another couple of boards with a similar feel to have a look at would be the Nitro T1 and the Endeavor New Standard.
[/tab]
[tab title=”Technical Specs”]
| Size (cm) | Waist Width (mm) | Sidecut Radius (m) | Effective Edge (mm) | Weight Range (lbs) |
| 148 | 246 | 7.7 / 7.3 | 1156 | 90 – 160 |
| 150 | 248 | 7.8 / 7.4 | 1190 | 100 – 170 |
| 154 | 250 | 7.9 / 7.5 | 1226 | 110 – 185 |
| 154 Wide | 258 | 8 / 7.6 | 1220 | 120 – 190 |
| 157 Wide | 258 | 8 / 7.6 | 1232 | 140 – 210 |
| 158 | 252 | 8.1 / 7.7 | 1266 | 140 – 200 |
| 160 | 258 | 8 / 7.6 | 1261 | 150 – 220 |
Because it is an asymmetrical board, there are two different measurments for the sidecut radius. The first number is the frontside edge (toes), and the second is the backside edge (heels). The heels have the smaller, tighter radius sidecut so that the turning takes less effort.
[/tab]
[tab title=”Pictures”]
[/tab]
[/tabs]
Find the best price on the Stepchild Dirtbag