Amplid Pentaquark Snowboard Review

A Detailed Breakdown Of How The Amplid Pentaquark Rides And Who Its For Review by The Good Ride

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Amplid Pentaquark Written Review

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How This Amplid Pentaquark Review Happened:

I borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 158
Days: 2
Conditions: Excellent Groomers, Good Groomers, and some moderately messy snow.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-190lbs)
Boots: Ride Fuse
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Jacket, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Tusk Jacket, Volcom Guide Jacket, Burton Gore-Tex 3L Treeline Jacket, Jones Peak Bagger Jacket. Burton AK Helitak Gore-Tex Jacket
Pant: Jones Mountain Surf Bib, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib,  Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant
Helmet: Smith Maze
Goggle: Smith 4D Mag
Gloves: Burton AK Clutch Mitt, Burton AK Tech Leather Glove, Drop Tahoma Mitt,

James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6. Close to Reference.

Approximate Weight

The Amplid Pentaquark feels pretty normal in weight.

(We don’t put in the exact weight because, with wood cores, there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

The Amplid Pentaquark felt like the right size, and it worked well for my specs listed above. I was glad that I was on the upper end of the recommended weight and that my 9 boots could turn this.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for the Amplid Pentaquark. You can, of course, go bigger or smaller depending on your riding style and boot’s footprint, but these work best for not turning the board slower than it should be and not having the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag.

158: 8.5-9.5. It can handle bigger boots, but you want to ride this wider to really rail turns.

For weight, I would stay close to Amplid’s recommended weight ranges if you want to ride the board the way it’s described, but it can handle a heavier rider.

Shape

The Amplid Pentaquark is tapered and directional but doesn’t have much taper and rides very centered on the board and sidecut. You don’t feel like you are on a set-back directional carver like the Jones Freecarver I had at the same time.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Amplid Pentaquark has a full camber, but it’s not a full-on super camber, where you stick your whole hand under the board as some carver boards can be. It’s enough to feel technical and catchy but not unattainable by an average rider. It just isn’t for beginners and intermediates who need a board that is easy to skid a turn on.

Edge Hold

The Amplid Pentaquark has no disruption in the sidecut but a very damp/quiet edge that makes it very hard to buck out of a line once it’s set. It’s good for most conditions in which people want to ride.

Flex Personality

For a normal snowboard, the Amplid Pentaquark has a medium/stiff flex and this mellower, more modern carver flex. Don’t confuse that with it not being damp and aggressive, though. I’ll get into that more shortly in Speed and Uneven Snow. It’s not a butter or easy ollie kind of ride unless you are a pretty strong rider. If you are, it will pop well.

Uneven Snow

The Amplid Pentaquark doesn’t have that older school super stiff flex, but it feels damper than most of those boards I’ve ridden. The Antiphase tech is no bullshit. It’s amazing how quiet the board can feel underfoot in uneven snow of any kind. Even though I mainly took this out in good conditions, it didn’t flinch when I hit a rough patch of snow. This is special and a good call for those who like to carve but often have to ride on busy days.

Speed

You can straight-up bomb with this 158. It rides bigger than its size, for sure. The sidecut isn’t a full on straight liner and leans towards the balanced side of things but can easily go straight. I felt zero chatter on the Amplid Pentaquark at the speeds I could give it.

Base Glide

The Amplid Pentaquark isn’t the fastest base, but it’s pretty good and far from a slouch.

Turning Experience/Carving

This is why you get the Amplid Pentaquark. This just rails a turn. Turn initiation wasn’t bad for my size 9s, but you don’t get this for the trees. You get this for powerful high-speed carves. It leans a little on the straight line side of balanced, but it can make all kinds of turns. What I liked about this was how it didn’t need to be going full-on to enjoy a turnout of it, but when you do, it really lights up. You can front foot, center, or back foot weight your carves without issue.

Powder

So, the Amplid Pentaquark isn’t the best board for powder. You have a setback of -2.65” set all the way back at a 22.5” stance width. That’s not great for a tapered directional ride. The Souly Grail is an inch further back on board and has a much bigger nose with early rise. The Pentaquark isn’t going to send you cartwheeling, but it’s going to cause you a lot of back-leg burn. It’s only good for rippers who know how to keep full camber at the surface and always keep their speed.

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed this Pentaquark. If you aren’t into those set-back, super-directional carvers, this might be a lot of fun.