Omega Sidecut– The Revolution Continues

Omega Sidecut– The Revolution Continues

The Omega Sidecut will be the defining characteristic of three boards in the 05.06 line: the ARTEC 2.1, a progressive freestyle deck, the ARTEC 2.3 an all terrain freestyle board and the ASCENT, a big mountain freeride board. The inclusion of this revolutionary feature in these three boards means that even more snowboarders will profit from Elan’s ground-breaking board concept.

The Omega Sidecut – The story so far The Omega Sidecut was developed by the Artec Project by Elan and was first introduced in Elan’s 04.05 board collection. The Artec 1.1 was the only board on the market that could boast of having this innovative technology. Riders, product developers and the trade press alike were equally impressed by this brand new sidecut concept. Onboard, the pan-European snowboard magazine, described the Omega Sidecut as "maybe the only real innovation in freestyle snowboarding to be born over the last few years." Elan international team rider, Aleksi Vanninen has also been won over; "If I had the choice, I would never again ride a traditional board. Thanks to the Omega Sidecut I feel much more confident and safer when trying out new tricks."

How does the Omega Sidecut work?

Characteristic of the Omega Sidecut is a straight sidecut on the tip and tail. The camber line is shorter than with preceding sidecuts, and develops into a straight transition part. This straight sidecut without radius is decisive in radically improving riding ability.

What does the Omega Sidecut achieve?

Only the rarest of jumps are landed levelly on the base of the board. More often than not a rider will land slightly on the frontside or backside edge. Under such circumstances, huge power is exerted onto the edge which in turn then grips onto the radius of the sidecut, thus causing problematic landing for the rider. Thanks to the straight sidecut on the board’s tip and tail, these problems do not occur with the Omega Sidecut. Even when a trick is not landed perfectly, the board remains stable and is easy to control. The Omega Sidecut also effects massive benefits while riding transitions. Boards with traditional sidecuts tend towards loss of stability in half pipes and quarter pipes when large pressure is exerted on the edge. Badly performed tricks executed without the crucial confidence are often a result. Conversely, a board with the Omega Sidecut remains smooth and easily controllable even when extensive pressure is exerted on the edge.The Omega Sidecut can even reduce edge loss while jibbing on the piste or in rutted, bumpy terrain.

Omega Sidecut 05.06

Two brand new boards in the 05.06 collection will also benefit from
this revolutionary technology. The All Terrain Freestyle Board Artec 2.3. features an enhanced version of the Omega Sidecut with a shorter sidecut on the tip and tail than its brother, the Artec 2.1. This feature effects an all-round board which is easy to command in all situations.

The second board in the 05.06 collection which will benefit from the Omega Sidecut is the Big Mountain Freeride Board, Ascent. The idea behind the ASCENT clearly illustrates the resourcefulness of the Omega Sidecut as well as the success of its application. The goal was to achieve the construction of a board which would enable effortless powder turns and backcountry landings without sacrificing the possibility to put the board into action in other terrains. The solution was simple: the Omega Sidecut would only be applied to the board’s tail, thus reducing its surface area. The board sinks effotlessly into the powder, glides smoothly and is easy to control.

The positive feedback on the Ascent from our team riders and the trade press has been enormous. In allowing the Ascent’s application
to other terrain outside of the backcountry, the Omega Sidecut has
also established its own versatility. A new generation of All Mountain Freeride Boards has been born and an end to the Omega Sidecut revolution is nowhere in sight.

Elan Snowboards is the holder of the utility model protection and has applied for the patent of the Omega Sidecut technology.