1) Arbor Wasteland-$699 – I rode this board on day one in the morning on skierpack/groomed conditions. This is a very well rounded board that was able to stay extremely stable at high speeds and hold an edge and follow through on carves really well. It felt like a solid choice for an aggressive all mountain rider who wants something that initiates quickly and can provide a fun experience anywhere on the mountain aside from being a bit on the stiff side for playing around on rails. The largest drawback I found with the Wasteland was the price, while it is packed full of technology, at $699 I found the price to be a little steep and feel there were multiple boards that performed better than the Wasteland at a lower price. The Graphic is a fairly neutral wood grain that would not offend anyone and may please the audience that this board is crafted towards. 41/50
2) Arbor Formula - $299 – This was the best value board I got on hands down. I rode this directly after the Wasteland ($699) and was stunned at how well it performed compared to a board more than twice its price. This board did very well in all areas. It was quick initiating, poppy and fun, stable at high speeds and an all-around pleasure to be on. I was still able to put it on a rail and really follow through on carves and then slow the board down and put it through some more playful maneuvers that its flex really responded well to. The graphic is a bit understated as is on most Arbor boards but still pleasing to the eye. People who buy this board are going to be very happy with their purchase. 44/50
3) Rossignol Krypto Magtek – This is a great all mountain directional board that grips astonishingly well and still retains a nice amount of playfulness in the flex. I was able to get a couple turns with this board in a few inches of fresh and it responded well with a surfy feel that immediately switched back to a locked in feel once I came back onto the hardpack. My only complaint would be that the board felt like it would hang up a bit at times, but I think this is partially due to the binding I was using. I don’t recall the model but the Rossi bindings did feel like they increased my forward lean a bit beyond what I would find comfortable even when loosened all the way out. 42/50
4) Burton Custom Flying-V - $529.99 – Wow, this board exemplifies everything that an all mountain board should be! I am embarrassed to say that this is the first Burton I had been on in years and I cannot believe what I have been missing. The flying V rocker/camber profile is far and away my favorite. This board tracks like no other without ever hooking up and then surfs the untracked stuff like a monster. The pop this board harnesses is amazing. Bringing it back to the groomers, I was able to make long sweeping carves at very high speeds and feel 100% comfortable with the stability of the board. I would absolutely recommend this board to anyone, especially advanced riders and may even purchase one for myself. 47/50
5) Burton Process Flying-V - $?– This board ranks right up there with the Burton Custom Flying-V. While this board is not as stiff as its Custom counterpart, it is by far one of the lightest weight boards I have seen and still retains an incredible amount of pop. The softer flex allows for this board to be a little more playful and forgiving than the Custom but is still rigid enough to handle high speeds though varying terrain. For the rider who spends as much time in the park as they do all over the rest of the mountain, this board would be a great fit. Turn initiation is effortless and stability is great. I had some fun buttering around on this board on the flatter portions of the hill and for those who want something a little more playful/softer than the Custom or weigh under 165 pounds, this board would be a great alternative. 45/50
6) Rome Tour - $350 – This was one of the more disappointing boards I rode. While I am a huge fan of Rome’s rockered boards, especially the Agent Rocker being right up there with the Burton Custom FV, Rome’s attempt on tri-base technology on one of their more entry level boards seemed to come up short. While I can understand its benefits in the early stages of learning to snowboard by lifting the edges off the snow, at any decent speed this board became very squirrely. I found it difficult to ever garnish any trust in the board. Being able to shift the board back forth approximately 10 degrees in either direction while flat based and moving at a high rate of speed was somewhat unnerving and I feel that it may teach bad habits to beginner-intermediate riders. The board did behave much better in the couple inches of untouched I found but I was once again uncomfortable once I returned to the groomers. The board in general just lacked stability, control and performance on varying terrain although it was easy to initiate. Cool concept, poor execution. 35/50
7) Rome CorssRocket - $479? – This is another tri-base technology board from Rome that performed much better than its entry level sibling, Tour. While it shared a very similar shape with the Tour that did not work well in my eyes, the added stiffness of this board seemed to help counter some of the negative attributes I found in the Tour. While this board did still feel a little on the disengaged side, it did much better maintaining stability at high speeds and could still carve. Turn initiation was quick and putting together the camber combined with the tri-base, this board exuded a lot of pop. I could see this board being fun perhaps in the park or for the less aggressive but still talented playful all-mountain snowboarder, but for a rider who likes stability and something that can be locked in and put on a rail, this may not be the best bet. I did speak to to some who loved this board however, so I am guessing that the tri-base boards will invoke a lot of love-hate reviews. 40/50
8) Gnu Riders Choice – This board has quite a reputation preceding it and I am happy to say that it lived up to the hype. The combination of the unique rocker profile and magne-taction provided incredible grip and flawlessly easy turn initiation. This board remained stable at incredibly high speeds and was comfortable from the first turn I made on it. In the more variable areas the board felt smooth and predictable and was able to effortlessly transition between snow conditions and trail pitch. This board essentially used a different array of technologies to achieve very similar characteristics as the Burton Custom FV. A solid choice for any experienced rider. 47/50
Boards I ride and use daily, Ride dh2 and Ride Slackcountry, both awesome.
