Korua Transition Finder Plus 2019-2024 Snowboard Review

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List Price $799 (USD)

Positives

Light And Poppy
Fast Base
Not Too Chattery For a Plus Model

Negatives

Still Less Damp Than the Classic

Summary

The Korua Transition Finder Plus has exceptional pop, a fast base, and an easier all-around feel compared to the classic, but the classic is still better for all-day riding. So, if you are lighter or see good conditions often, this might be the call. Just like the classic, this got a re-design to give it less taper and a more jump/transition-friendly design.

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Riding Style	Alternative Freeride
Riding Level	Advanced - Expert
Fits Boot size (US)	8-10, 10-12
Manufactured in	Poland
Shape	Tapered Directional
Camber Profile	Directional Camber
Stance	Setback -20mm
Approx. Weight	Feels Light
Split	Comes in split

Powder Great
Base Glide Great
Carving Great
Speed Good
Uneven Terrain Good
Switch Average
Jumps Great
Jibbing Poor
Pipe Good

On Snow Feel	Semi-Locked In
Turn Initiation	Medium
Skidded Turns	Semi-Hard

Flex	Medium/Stiff
Buttering	Moderate
Edge Hold	Hard Snow

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Korua Transition Finder Plus Written Review Review by The Good Ride

Ethics Statement: We don’t get paid by the manufacturer to write these reviews and this is our unfiltered opinion. 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.

A Breakdown Of How It Rides And Who Its For

How This Korua Transition Finder Plus Review Happened:

Borrowed this for an extended demo and sent it back.
Size: 157
Days: 6+
Conditions: We got this at the end of the season.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-190lbs), Davey (Size 12, 240lbs, 6’4”)
Boots: Ride Torrent, Ride Fuse, Burton Ion,
Insoles: F.I.T. Gamechangers
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Force
Redunancy: 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,

Similar Boards We Like (but not the same): Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Yes Hybrid, Jones Hovercraft, Lib Tech Orca, Gnu Gremlin, Ride Psychocandy, Korua Transition Finder, Salomon Dancehaul, K2 Excavator, Nidecker Mellow, Rome Stale Fish, Amplid Surfari

James’s Set Up: 21.5” Wide. Sance Angles +18/-3, +18/+3, +24/+6. Close to Reference.
Davey’s Set Up: 23” Wide. Sance Angles +18/+3, +24/+6. Close to Reference.

How It Was Tested

Almost every day I rode this I tested it against the Classic model with the same boots, same bindings and same run.

Approximate Weight

Korua Transition Finder Plus feels very light for this much surface area and it’s noticeably lighter than the classic model. (We don’t put in the exact weight because with wood cores there is no consistency in a boards weight)

Sizing

There is only one size and it fit me pretty well. If I had 10-11 boots this would be perfect but as it stands it was a little easier to control vs. the same size in the classic. I didn’t feel the same magic though that many Kroua boards have that can fit a smaller size boot better than you would think for its width.
157: 10-11

For weight I would stay close to or a good bit under Korua’s recommended weight ranges. If it comes down to boot size or weight, I would make sure it fits your boot first and then your weight a close second.

Shape

You still have a pretty tapered and directional shape here with the Korua Transition Finder Plus. It went from 31mm of taper to 18mm so that is a pretty big design change. You really feel the difference too. It doesn’t feel anywhere near as light in the tail as it used to.

Camber/On Snow Feel/Ability Level

The Korua Transition Finder Plus has a good bit of camber almost from the tail to a little bit before the nose. It’s not super locked in like camber but best for advanced to expert riders. Strong intermediates could handle it though. It one foots and tracks super well.

Flex Personality

There is a pretty stiff flex from the tail to past the front inserts but it softens up a good bit in the nose. What was cool is I could tail butter much easier than you would think. Nose butters were pretty easy too but where this board shines is in the pop. It just snaps so quickly on an ollie and makes you look better than you are.

Uneven Terrain

So for a plus model the Korua Transition Finder Plus isn’t that bad but it still has more chatter than the classic model. This was a bit of a deal breaker for me just because of how damp the classic is. I like damp boards with good pop and so does Davey but you just have to live with this problem if you want something this light and poppy.

Edge Hold

Very competent grip for not having a disruption in the sidecut. It’s no ice specialist but it can handle hard snow well.

Speed

The sidecut lets you straight line easy so its great for jumps but not ideal for bombing a whole run. The classic model is much better here.

Base Glide

So the Korua Transition Finder Plus has such an easy gliding base and it feels a good bit faster than the classic model. The classic model isn’t any slouch either.

Turning Experience/Carving

So this Korua Transition Finder Plus can carve hard in any way you want to weight your turns or set up your stance angles. It initiates a turn easy too. In clean conditions this balanced turning experience blows doors on the classic. There is just soo much spring out of the turn and it’s an absolute joy to turn…as long as the conditions are good.

Powder

I didn’t get the Korua Transition Finder Plus in powder but got the classic (same shape/design/float) in a lot of pow so I know this floats very well. You have a pretty good set back on board with the Korua Transition Finder Plus. At a 22” stance width you can get -4.875” back from center of board. That is further than most alt freeride boards out there so you get great directional float. It’s not up there with the Dart, Pencil, Café Racer, Pintonic and others when it comes to float but it is still better than most alt freeride boards out there.

Final Thoughts

So overall we were both torn between the easy springy pop and fast base of the Korua Transition Finder Plus. On same day tests the Classic felt heavier and harder to ride but the minute the conditions started getting a touch messy it came alive. So it really comes down to your weight and the conditions you often ride in. If you are light and/or see good conditions have at this Plus.

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Korua Transition Finder Plus Past Reviews

Updade 2023: The Transition Finder Plus (no longer called the Tranny Finder) Changed in 2022-2023 so this review is only applicable to fall of 2021. By mid-winder 2022 they had updated this model to have less taper.

The Korua Tranny Finder Plus is a light version of the Tranny Finder with a faster base, unique ultralight top sheet, and a much more lively poppy feel underfoot. You trade weight for dampness and durability with all ultra-light boards and the Korua Tranny Finder Plus is no exception. However, if it’s worth the sacrifices (for some it certainly is) then this well-made ride could work for you. It can drive a turn well off the front foot as well as off the back.

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.

How This Review Happened: We borrowed this for an extended demo and then returned it.
Size: 157
Days: 5+
Conditions: Good groomers, some messy groomers, some powder and some early morning slackcountry time with Drift Boards in some waist deep powder.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs), Peter (Size 8, 5’11” 185lbs),Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs)
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles, Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata, Union Falcor
Set Up: 22” wide 27 front +6 back, 21.5″ wide 30 front +9 back, 22” wide 21 front -6 back. Close to reference stance and set all the way back.

Approximate Weight: The Korua Tranny Finder Plus is a really light board. What they are doing tech wise here really does lighten up the board. It really is a night and day difference when compared to the Tranny Finder.

Flex/Buttering: The flex with the Korua Tranny Finder Plus feels a little softer flexing it in a shop as well as on snow compared to the Tranny Finder. It has a more dynamic flex to it and you can feel there is more energy underfoot that’s easier to tap into compared to the regular Tranny Finder. We could butter off the tail pretty easy compared to the Tranny Finder as well.

Sizing: Just like the Tranny Finder it fits a lot more boot sizes than you would expect for its specs. You would think it works with Grant’s size 11’s but you wouldn’t think it would work just as well with Peter’s size 8.5 and my size 9’s. Same goes for almost all of the Korua boards we tried. It doesn’t handle the heavier guy as well but that’s expected with an ultralight board like this.

On Snow Feel: The Korua Tranny Finder Plus has that same camber profile and shape as the Tranny Finder so it has that same advanced to expert rider style going for it. However, it’s ultralight personality just makes it feel different underfoot. It favors a more directional stance that has a positive angle for the back foot (like 27 front +6 back) but it also can deal with a slightly negative stance angle in the back like (18 front -3 back) or something like that. Some Korua boards like the Pencil and Dart, in our opinion, seem to ride better with a positive stance angle on the back foot and a more directional angle on the front but this can work both ways. It leans a little more on the side of a more common freeride board that you see with most companies out there but still has a massive taper and a more slashy/surfy/on the back foot kind of ride to it that lives on the alternative freeride side of things.

Skidded Turns: Not super easy to skid a turn with and the camber from the tail to a bit past the front binding makes it semi-catchy/semi-locked in.

Edge Hold: Pretty strong edge hold similar to what we found in the Korua line but we felt the Tranny Finder held a little better edge as the terrain became more uneven.

Turn Initiation: Much faster than you would think for a board of this type. Peter and I were turning this pretty quick and you wouldn’t think that if you looked at the waist width and tip width. However, it must be the massive taper and sidecut that makes it turn as quick as it does for our 8.5 and 9 boots. Its lighter weight feels like it’s a little tiny bit faster than the Korua Tranny Finder but they are pretty close.

Turning Experience/Carving: All Korua boards, including the Korua Tranny Finder Plus, are all about making fun turns and carves. This is no exception. There is a good spring out of the turn and it’s a lot of fun.

Powder: We had a good amount of time on this in some deep powder. Here is our long post powder discussion over some libations and a bit of Shepards Pie.

To elaborate a little more the Korua Tranny Finder Plus has a lot of setback on board in comparison to the setback on sidecut. There is a 10.5-inch difference between nose/tail making it 5.25 inches back from the center of the board when setting it all the way back at a 22″ stance width. Take the almost 3cm of taper, the big nose and the early rise before it you have a great board for powder float. It’s not quite as good as the Stealth, Dart, Pencil and others like it with more set back on board but it’s the best for those that want more tail for air and still floats like a champ. If you see a ton of deep powder maybe the Pencil Plus will be the better call but this can for sure stay afloat in the deepest of deep.

Speed: If you want speed and powerful turns at higher speeds or you like to hit pretty big kickers we all would prefer the Tranny Finder over the Tranny Finder Plus. However, the base is faster and has better glide through long flat runs and we found it kept its speed better. It was really apparent to us in deeper in powder and this could get us a little further out of a flat area than the Tranny Finder. That could mean the difference between walking out or riding out.

Uneven Terrain: For most of us, this was the deal breaker in comparison to the regular Tranny Finder. It’s a common problem with all ultralight boards, and that’s the extra chatter you get from reducing the weight. It’s not ideal for those that see a lot of uneven snow.

Switch: Doable for those that want to ride or land switch on occasion and it offers up a better fakie ride than almost every Korua board except for the Otto.

Jumps: Same thing goes here with the Tranny Finder Plus as it does with Switch. The Otto is the best for all kinds of jumping but the Tranny Finder Plus and Tranny Finder give you a lot more tail than the rest of the line so you have a much more stable air experience and an easier landing. The spring out of the Tranny Finder Plus is also pretty special compared to the Tranny Finder. It’s softer in flex but has more energy when it pops…well as long as you aren’t a heavier guy. The more weight you have the less the Tranny Finder Plus will be able to pop though.

Jibbing: nah….

Pipe: Very doable and a fun board for mostly directional pipe riding. Really drives well from wall to wall.

So, all in all, the Korua Tranny Finder Plus offers up a fast base, super light ride, and all around good time for those that like that very tapered directional feel but still want some tail for air. If you don’t ride in uneven terrain this could for sure work but if you do, you might like the Tranny Finder better.