Prior Legacy 2020 - 2019 Review by The Good Ride

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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:149 Hybrid Rocker (We call it Hybrid Camber) with regular construction.
Days: 5
Conditions: Late Spring conditions. Some harder snow, lots of softer wet snow and some morning groomers that weren’t too hard.
Riders: James (Size 9, 5’10” 185-195lbs),Grant (Size 11 6’ 160lbs),  Jimbo (Size 11, 5’11” 160lbs) and our Friend Mason at Gravity Sports.
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Insoles: Sandsole Custom Insoles,  Footprint Insole Technology Gameghangers Low Profile
Bindings: Union Atlas, Union Strata

Similar Boards (but not the same):  Gentemstick Mantaray 156, Korua Dart, Korua Pencil, United Shapes Orbit, Yes Optimistic, Rome Pow Division MT and a few others but none felt comparable.

Set-Up: 22” Wide. 21 front -6 back and 27 front +6 front. Close to Reference and Set all the way back.

Approximate Weight: Doesn’t feel heavy but doesn’t feel like even a short fat 149. Feels heavier.

Sizing: The Prior Legacy comes in one size for men at a 149 but its waist is wider than some noses on other boards. It rides best if you are more of a normal-ish size boot but it can work for a bigger boot without toe/heel drag.

Flex/Buttering: Not very doable for buttering with this stiffer flex throughout the Prior Legacy’s short wide frame. It’s doable if you are a strong rider. What is really cool about this board is this flex. The overall feel of this board is very damp but you still feel this pop and energy. We haven’t felt anything like it underfoot. It’s just very well done and it’s incredibly well constructed.

On Snow Feel/Ability Level/Skidded Turns: The Prior Legacy has a mellowish camber going to a mellow rocker a little before the nose. There is a lot of width underfoot riding this and the width just makes it more technical than you would think. It’s not a mellow board for those who skid their turns a lot but it sure does track well and you feel like you have a wide semi-catchy platform underfoot that is consistent in most conditions. It doesn’t need as much back foot weight on the tail as you would think for the taper but it still appreciates it and you can set it up with any stance angle and have a good time.

Edge Hold: Pretty strong grip in harder snow but we did have to dial back our turns as it got harder.

Turn Initiation: Just slow but that is expected with this width and that isn’t a bad thing. It’s super fun and predictable to turn the Prior Legacy. Match it up with some pretty responsive bindings.

Turning Experience/Carving: So all you hear about on the Prior site is powder but man this fireplug can carve hard. If you kept this on the shelf for all days except powder you would be seriously missing out as it rails a really hard turn. We didn’t even ride this in powder and the turning experience on groomers made us want to buy it. It has a big boy carve and can take all the weight you can put into the edge and still springs out hard.

Powder: No powder to speak of in the late spring when Prior sent this board so we can’t say for sure but with this width, set back on board, taper, fast base, and early rise in the nose it would be hard to think it can’t float with the best of them. Hopefully, we’ll find out one day.

Speed: I can’t remember riding another short fat board under 150cm with this much speed. The Prior Legacy rides damp and big. The base has a very smooth glide to it that keeps it’s speed well in long flat sections. It’s hard to believe the personality underfoot unless you ride it but it seems like they took the surface area of a 174cm board and put it into a 149.

Uneven Terrain: Powers over stuff and sucks up chop better than almost any short fat board we have ever tried. It never bucked us around in some slushy off-piste adventures but it sure doesn’t turn quickly and easily around bumps. So it’s for those who just want to power over everything.

Switch: Nah….felt sketchy but better riders than myself, like Jimbo, can.

Getting Air/Park: Based on the missing specs on the site we think this might be centered on sidecut but it sure isn’t on board. It’s very set back on board and there isn’t much tail no matter how far forward you set the stance. It pops well though…just feels a little light on the tail landing.

So the Prior Legacy is no mellow riding alternative ride. It is very short, very very fat, very fast, damp. slow turning, weird and entertaining board that sits in its own world.