OZ Woody 2017 - 2015 Review by The Good Ride

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The 2016-2017 OZ Woody is a great take on what we feel a modern All Mountain board should be and a great choice for those looking to have a one board quiver.  If you are wondering why this isn’t a favorite it’s because the Oz Custom Woody is.  So check this review out to see how the OZ Woody rides and then check out the custom review to see if you want to do your own.

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews.  We do make money from the “Where To Buy” links, but this is our best attempt at an honest and objective review from an average riders’ perspective.

 

2016-2017 OZ Woody Review

What’s and all mountain board to us?  Well it’s a board that can double as a capable All Mountain Freestyle board on groomer/park days and a Freeride board on powder days. The Oz Woody nails the All Mountain Freestyle section and does a good job for set back directional surfy powder riding too.  For the 2016-2017 Woody Oz added 2 x 2 set back inserts per binding totaling 8 x 2 inserts per binding. What that means is you can now easily ride centered on the 6 x 2 inserts most days and in the powder use the set back 2 x 2 inserts for easier directional surfy float.

Size: 157
Days:  5 and more to come.
Conditions:  Good snow to hard snow, messy snow, spring slush, and medium bordering on hard snow.
Riders: James,Jimbo, Jack, Matt
Boots: Burton SLX, Burton AMB, Burton Imperial, Burton Rover,
Bindings: Union Atlas, Burton Cartel, Burton Genesis X, Union Force,
Set Up: Centered 22.75″ wide 15 front -15 back

Approximate Weight: Felt normal.  Not heavy and not light. Right in the middle.

On Snow Feel: What we love about this board is the camber that runs a little past the inserts feel great and like a camber board but the semi pronounced rocker in the tip/tail really make for a catch-free ride.  It feels locked in enough to be fun and springy in turns but catch-free enough for most riders to not feel like they are going to catch an edge if you get off your game.  So easy to one foot and flat base. It’s the kind of board that makes all mountain riding fun and there was an instant connection with all of us when we got it underfoot. On a side note, the Woody and all Oz boards have this really cool top sheet that’s got a texture like a mellow skateboard deck that isn’t rough on your hands if you are carrying it but helps your boots grip the surface when one footing.  If you have good rubber soles on your boots most won’t want a traction pad.  It’s also more durable and seems like it would take a lot to scuff up this board.  It seems really well made and should last a long time.  It seems right up there with Never Summer in terms of quality of construction and durability and we think NS is one of the best in the industry.

Edge Hold: Really great grip.  Not sure what’s going on with the sidecut tech but it really grabbed well in harder snow and had confidence inspiring edge hold. It also didn’t grab in softer to slushy snow.  It’s got that almost all conditions grip that is great for riders that never know what they are going to get into when they head out for a trip.

Flex: On snow, the Oz Woody seems a little stiffer between the feet and a little softer in the rocker in the tip/tail. That makes buttering very doable and fun. It’s a little more work than the ATS and Fantasy Blaster but not so much that it’s challenging.

Turn Initiation:  Very quick edge to edge and it’s kind of in between med/fast and fast so I’ll call it fast. Quick radius turns to wide radius turns are really fun and springy.  If you like to get a lot out of your turns then the Woody is not going to disappoint here.

Skidded Turns: It’s not super easy but there is enough rocker in the tip tail to make it easy enough skid a turn when you have to.

Carving: Really fun board to carve and when centered you can ride it regular or switch. There is really good spring out of a carve and if you like to lay it out this is going to be a fun ride.

Powder:  No powder yet but I plan to ride it when it snows as I now own one.  There are now 8 x 2 inserts per binding.  6 x 2 are centered like the old woody but the extra 2 x 2 inserts per binding are set back. So it’s a lot more than most boards with a -20mm set back on effective edge. With approximately a 22.75″ wide stance width I could get back about -4.75″ on board which is a lot compared to most all mountain boards. With most all mountain boards  I’m lucky to get 1.5″ to 3″ back so it’s more in the freeride realm of set back on board and you will get a ton of directional float. This really helps this board get very set back and surfy for a directional twin. You combine that with the rocker it should float really well even though it doesn’t really have much volume in the tip and tail.

Speed: So this board is damp for the medium flex. It’s got a bit of a rubbery flex that seems to absorb chatter from tip to tail rather well. It’s not a freeride bomber but it’s about as good as you can get for the flex and size.

Uneven Terrain: That rubbery damp feel described above combined with the medium flex works really well when it’s messy or bumpy.  It weaves in and out of off-piste bumps really well but you can power over it too at moderate to pretty fast speeds as well without hammering on your joints.

Switch: When centered up this board acts just like a true twin and it is one of the better all mountain boards out there.

Jibbing: Not it’s the strongest point and we liked the ATS better here but it’s not bad for an all mountain board. On par with many other boards in its category.

Pipe: What a fun pipe board.  It can work with the average rider who just wants to drive from wall to wall with maybe a bit of air to the more accomplished rider that really gets out, spins and takes it fakie or regular.  It’s the board I’d like to have underfoot when lapping the pipe is on the brain.

Jumps: Even with the rubbery feel there is still lots of pop.  It has that similar feel to Never Summer boards that we love so much.  It makes the board damper than it’s flex would make you think but still acts snappy and pop really well on an Ollie. It’s a true twin when the stance is centered so it will approach a kicker in a stable manner, spring off the lip really well and will handle anything from small to massive kickers.

So, all in all, adding a set back to the OZ Woody really brought this to a wider range of riders.  If you are looking for a one board quiver then this is one of the better options out there and it’s an excellent take on a modern all-mountain ride. All mountain boards are always a compromise but we only felt moderately compromised.