Korua Otto Classic Snowboard Review

Korua Otto 2018-2025 Snowboard Review Write Up Review by The Good Ride

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An Un-Paid, Un-Biased Breakdown Of How the Korua Otto Classic Rides And Who It Is For

How The Korua Otto Classic Was Tested:

I liked it so much I asked to keep it (only do this with favorites). I’ve used this as a base liner when riding many All Mountain Boards out there.

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Size: 157
Days:30+
Conditions: Just about everything from varied spring conditions to good powder
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10”, 185-195lbs). I’ve tested and compared 800+ boards
Boots: Ride Deadbolt, Bataleon Acid BOA, and so many others.
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force, and many other bindings.
Redundancy: Strapins in case boots or bindings break.
Jacket: Jones Mtn Surf Anorak, Skyline Fuse Jacket, 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 Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex Pro 3L Hover Pant, Skyline Faze Pant, Burton AK Gore-Tex 2L Swash Pant, Burton Gore-Tex Ballast Pant, Jones Shralpinist Stretch Bib, Jones Mountain Surf Bib,
Helmet: Smith Method, Smith Scout, 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. Stance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +18/-9, +15/-15. Close to Reference on groomers and Set all the way back in powder.

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same):

Jones Frontier, Ride Algorythm, Ride Shadowban, Salomon Highpath, Yes Standard Uninc, Yes Basic Uninc, Capita Black Snowboard Of Death, Jones Rally Cat, Cardiff Crane, Cardiff Lynx, Nitro Alternator, Korua Otto Plus

Approximate Weight

The Korua Otto Classic is more on the heavy side of normal, and if you like a lighter board, the Korua Otto Plus is considerably lighter.

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

Sizing

Sizing is all about balancing what fits your boot size and your weight for how you like to ride. If your boot is too wide, you can’t turn it; if it’s too narrow, you get the dreaded Toe & Heel Drag. Your weight is a close second to boot size because it determines how the board will feel under your foot.  Height comes in a distant 3^rd. Some prefer control, so matching the boot size is the priority. Others prefer dampness over control and like to size up.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for a normal all-mountain experience.
153: 9-10
157: 9.5-10.5
161: 10-11
I would first ensure it fits your boots and then try to stay within Korua’s recommended weight ranges.

Here are some ideal US boot sizes for a more carve-friendly experience.
153: 7.5-8.5
157: 8-9
161: 9.5-10.5

Shape

You have a pretty directional but not tapered shape with the Korua Otto Classic. It’s pretty centered on sidecut but not as much on board. Still, it has a very centered feel on board for a Korua.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

There is a good bit of camber happening, but these days, it’s not full-on aggressive and technical like some full-camber boards are or were. It has an almost stable, bordering on semi-locked-in feel underfoot that strong intermediates could easily handle. It’s a great ride for advanced to expert riders who don’t want to be punished if they get off their game. It has one-foot and flat bases like full camber without the catch of full camber.

Edge Hold

The Korua Otto Classic isn’t bad for not having any disruption in the side cut. You do feel it missing when the snow gets pretty hard, and you do have to dial back your carves.

Flex Personality

Their is a medium-stiff freeride flex put into this all-mountain board but yet it’s still much easier to butter than what you would think on snow. I attribute that to the early rise in the nose and tail. It’s a little more work in the tail though.

The Korua Otto Classic’s extra rocker in the nose makes it pretty easy to nose butter.

The stiffer flex and somewhat heavy feel makes the Otto Classic a little more work to Ollie but when you put that work in it pops well.

If you want a lighter poppier ride, the Otto Plus is the call. You get more chatter but a good bit more pop.

Uneven Snow

I was pretty impressed with how well the Korua Otto Classic handles uneven snow. It’s close to excellent in soft, uneven snow, but it’s not as good in hard, uneven snow. As my friend Mason said, it feels a little hollow compared to some damper boards with lots of rubber or other secret sauce under the hood. It’s still far from bad, but it just isn’t on the level of the soft, uneven snow performance.

In comparison to the Korua Otto Plus, the Classic does massively better.

Speed

This is one of the best all-mountain boards for going straight and fast while still having a balanced turning experience. It doesn’t just want to go straight but can point it with many straight liners.

Base Glide

You get a pretty easy gliding base that is fast but not the fastest of fast. I like the Otto Plus’ all black faster base better though and that is up there with some of the fastest bases out there.

Turning Experience/Carving

This is where the Korua Otto Classic shines. If you don’t like carving tapered directional boards, this is a top contender. I love how hard I can push this all-mountain ride in all conditions. It carves harder than its camber would lead you to believe. I like the Otto Plus better in perfect conditions, but this is the better all-day carver. The edges stay set more and don’t buck you out of your line mid to late day. You can front, center, or back foot weight your turns, which are equally great.

There is a pretty balanced turning experience that can make any radius turn you want, and for a wider board for 9US boots, it turns pretty well.

Powder

You get float that rivals many true tapered, directional freeride boards, and I find this is better than almost every all-mountain board except maybe the United Shapes Horizon. It really has easy directional float for a non-tapered ride. That long nose with lots of early rise floats well, and the shorter tail with a lot less surface area sinks pretty well. The touch of rocker in the tail also helps it wheelie up if you want.

If you set the Korua Otto Classic all the way back at a 22″ stance width, you can get 3.625″ back from the center of the board. That is a lot for an all-mountain board and on par with the average freeride setback on board.

Switch/Jumps/Pipe/Jibs

It’s a very easy switch for a Korua and good for an all-mountain board, but not great. It’s a great board for any size air your insurance policy and ability level are capable of. For me, it’s not a great pipe board, but if you have bigger feet, it wouldn’t be bad. It’s not ideal for jibbing.

Final Thoughts

So, after all these years, I’m still stoked on the Otto and glad I have it in my quiver. I’ve compared it to many boards, and it is always the same or better for how I ride. If I were a bit lighter or just rode in good conditions, I’d go for the Otto Plus because it has a fast base, a sleek look, and a lively, energetic flex.