March 24, 2010
Rossignol's MagTek is the 'One'
by Matt Boxler/
Rossignol's One MagTek snowboard combines AmpTek reverse camber and Magne-Traction sidecut technologies.
Magne-Traction plus Amp Tek equals MagTek.
What, you may wonder, does all that mean? It’s Rossignol’s formula for the future of snowboard technology and it’s in the new board that retailers and riders are already talking about – even though it won’t be available in stores until the 2010-2011 season.
Introduced in January at the SIA Snow Show in Denver, Rossignol’s MagTek snowboard combines AmpTek reverse camber and Magne-Traction sidecut technologies. By blending these innovative functions into a rockered deck, the result is a snowboard that provides unparalleled control on everything the mountain has to offer.
The technology will be available in the “One” for men and the “Diva” for women.
AmpTek – which isn’t a new concept in Rossignol boards – is the combination of traditional camber underfoot with rocker (reverse camber) at the tip and tail. This technology effectively lengthens the edge, giving riders the benefit of a fully-loaded sidecut without sacrificing the flotation benefits provided by the rocker.
The exciting part of the formula is combining an AmpTek board with Magne-Traction, a technology invented by Mervin Manufacturing that features strategically located “bumps” of varying sizes along each snowboard edge.
The size and location of these “bumps” helps riders maximize the edge pressure between their feet, traditionally the area of the board where maximizing pressure is the biggest challenge. Due to physics, a board’s tip and tail are its most pressurized contact points when engaged in a carve. The Magne-Traction helps to spread this pressure throughout the full length of the board, greatly enhancing a rider’s control.
How do the bumps work? Picture a serrated knife slicing into a tomato. Now imagine the control and precision you’ll have when you lay the serrated edge of your snowboard into the snow. Combined with Amp Tek camber, the length and pressure of that serrated “knife” is maximized not just at the tips and tail, but along the entire sidecut.
“One of the great things about the One MagTek,” says Rossignol’s National Snowboard Sales Manager Eric Hutchison, “is that it works for any rider level. You can literally feel confident selling it to anyone. The response at the on-snow trade fairs has been phenomenal. Regardless of location or conditions the One MagTek has been the talk of the shows.”
The board is designed to excel everywhere. For freestylers who detune their edges for sliding rails and boxes, the mag bumps will still dig in and hold the edge. Halfpipers will maximize their transition lines and speed to help them increase boost and big air. And freeriders will benefit most of all from superior edge hold and control.
“This is the ultimate all-mountain slayer,” Hutchison says. “It’s the only board to have if you can have only one. This board can do anything. It can ride powder, it can ride pipe, it can ride park. It’s incredibly versatile.”
The One MagTek is projected to retail next season for $449.
