Venture Odin Review And Buying Advice

13/14 Odin

This board really surprised me. My current rides at the time were the NS Raptor X and the Jones Hovercraft, 161-160cm. While the Raptor has great float, it was not quick turning in tight situations in the powder, as it is more prone to carve turns in powder. I was happy with the Hovercraft at the time in powder, but I got itching for a bigger powder board. I like wide boards and I was initially disappointed that Venture only made the 27cm waisted Odin in a 174...but I thought what the heck, it'll be fun making the first few runs in big open powder fields at the first of the day before I have to go start hunting powder in the trees. I was initially thinking it was going to me more of this kind of specialty board...till I rode it. I have not rode the Hovercraft since. While it is much bigger then the other boards, it rides about the same size. It's rocker shape makes it feel much smaller and even more narrow then it is. Riding this board, I charge faster, it's size gives it a lot of stability, yet I can snake it through the tightest trees and at a faster speed then my other boards. I love this board. It can maneuver like a 160, but has the speed/float and stability of a 174. Low angle powder is way faster now, and amazingly so are tight trees! Big drops? Huge landing platform. Talk about hovering, the "hovercraft" does not know hovering compared to this thing. The last surprise was how well it can carve a groomer...it blows the Hovercraft away, (though the Raptor still bests it by far in carving) I ride it with my stance all the way back on the front foot and about the middle on the back foot and I was not expecting it to hold in a carve like it does. And it feels so quick edge to edge for how big it is.
Negatives: I consider this board to be very heavy. A board this shape with a carbon build would be sick.