SECTIONS IN THIS GUIDE

Freestyle Snowboards

If you jib every feature in sight—even the stumps, branches, and bumps no one else thought were legit features—then freestyle boards are right up your pleasure alley. If you don’t know what any of that means, but you get more excited about the stunts you see pros and older park rats throwing down than you do about a new season of Family Guy, then check out what these freestyle boards have to offer and learn the tools of the trade. From specially constructed cores that maximize ollie power and minimize weight, to intelligent sidecut designs that allow you to spin and jib with ease, these boards use innovation to provide you with the ability to express yourself freely without your needing to pierce your nipples and dye your hair purple.

Ride Society Snowboard: The Pinnacle of Park-Rat Civilization

• New Pop Glass laminate consists of carbon fibers to add tons of extra pop and response without extra stiffness
• 1-degree beveled edges offer precision turns and eliminate edge catching
• Carbon Array 5 and Pop Rods give this board so much snap you might ollie into the stars
• Cleave Edges have extra steel durability on rails
• Thin Con-struction reduces swing weight for more spins
  

Capita Green Machine Snowboard: Greener & Meaner than Captain Planet

• Core is made from sustainable wood which gives you karma points, smooth flex, and plenty of power
• A radial sidecut allows you to start and finish your turns on the same arc—that means you get super smooth turns out of this twin-shaped steed
• The topsheet will biodegrade, and the base is made from 95% recycled material. Plus, Capita has taken the Earth-killing bit out of the fiberglass construction
• Stay in the park for a day, hit some backcountry kickers, slam some rails in the city, or kidnap some hippies to use as wax for the board—anything goes with the Green Machine
  

Nitro T1 Snowboard: The Rail Whisperer

• This board gives you the power to press rails whenever and however you please
• A skate-influenced shape combined with a buttery-soft flex lets you have your way with park features
• Railkiller edges pack extra material so you can beat them to hell and back
• Tip-to-tail X Powercore provides the buttery flex but gives you enough stiffness to stomp big features too
• Make love to rails everywhere and sweet, sweet war on park features across the globe

All-Mountain/Powder Snowboards

In order for an all-mountain board to be ideal for hitting every natural and manmade feature, pointing steep lines on the most aggressive terrain, and holding an edge at Mach speed, versatility has to start in the core. Typically constructed with light or midweight wood, the core is usually reinforced with fiberglass layers or carbon strips to add rigidity where more edge pressure or pop is needed. The directional or directional-twin shape of an all-mountain board means that you can ride or land it switch but with slightly less performance than a true-twin freestyle board (which is designed to ride identical forward or switch). If your style ranges from slicing through corduroy on a vacant groomer, exploding through pillows of puffy pow, or linking spins from one table to the next through the park, enlist an all-mountain snowboard and see why this is a category full of quiver killers.

K2 Slayblade Snowboard: Cuts like Conan

• Hyperprogressive sidecut and directional-twin shape allows the rider to effortlessly transition from one edge to the other
• Flatline technology creates consistent contact with the snow throughout the entire length of the board
• Honeykomb core provides ultra-lightweight strength, and it has Harshmellow polymer infused into the core to absorb vibration
  

Arbor Wasteland Snowboard: Fighting Stance

• Directional-twin shape means this board is comfortable riding switch, but set-back binding inserts leave a longer nose for better float in powder
• Sumo-stance offers expanded width for superior control of the tip and tail
• Poplar and Paulownia wood core provides a strong, poppy ride with reduced weight
  

Rome Notch Snowboard: Seek the Deep

• Directional-tapered shape promotes lift in the nose for better float in pow and quicker edge-to-edge transition
• Titanal aluminum impact plates around the inserts add strength and shock absorbtion underfoot
• Low Density Control (LDC) Technology utilizes low-density wood in low-pressure areas to reduce weight

Women's Freestyle Snowboard

After years of sacrificing total comfort and performance due to riding boards built for men, women finally have their own boards to choose from. Women’s freestyle boards utilize the strengths and physical characteristics specific to female riders, so their boards deliver the balanced flex and response needed to jib every feature in sight, spin faster than Russian ballerinas, and ride switch any time. Softer park-specific flex, lightweight cores with crazy pop, and twintip shapes generally characterize freestyle boards, while the best in class often feature dampening layers, beefy sidewalls, and lower swing weights for easier spins. Here are three we think you’ll like.

Nitro Women’s T1 Snowboard: The Porsche of Park Boards

• Powercore uses tip-to-tail poplar wood to provide strength, a buttery smooth ride, and plenty of flex
• Radial sidecut allows you to start and finish your turns on the same arc, ensuring super smooth turns with predictable initiation and exit
• Lower camber makes flat ground tricks and box presses easier for female riders
• Profile Tip is tapered to disperse energy and cut down on swing weight
• Railkiller Edge adds steel to resist impacts and improve durability
  

DC women’s BFF Snowboard: Banger Freestyle Forever

• Aeron core is a superlight, vertically laminated Aspen wood core with pop and power, as well as a low profile in the tip and tail for a low swing weight
• Fluid Drive flex mapping adds strips of Kevlar and carbon between the binding inserts for a smooth, stable ride and rapid-fire response, while still retaining a freestyle-specific flex
• Seven Radius sidecut improves edge hold and helps reduce catch-free landings and take-offs
• Dual Radius tip and tail improve float in pow, make presses easier, and still ride aggressively when you are cruising at Mach speeds
• Soft flex and narrow width make this DC board easy to maneuver in and out of the park
  

Capita Women’s Space Metal Fantasy Snowboard: Unicorns & Reverse Camber

• A flat-camber profile and Flat-Kick (reverse-camber) technology at the tip and tail provide catch-free forgiveness with added freestyle pop, pressing, and float
• WDT Engineered Jib Core is a new wood composite core that Capita dreamed up to give jibbers and park rats softer flex patterns and lightweight strength
• Pre-Cured 420 Fiberglass Configuration compliments the WDT core by providing a flex pattern that plays nicely with the soft but powerful core flex
• Screened ABS Bomb Proof Sidewalls keep your board in one piece and dampen vibrations

Women's All-Mountain Snowboards

An insane amount of research and development with the world’s finest female riders has expanded women’s all-mountain snowboard options. No longer do you simply have to settle for a smaller version of men’s boards. These days snowboard companies offer expanded lines to match different riding styles and meet the demand for multiple sizes. Lightweight cores with reinforcements for stability and snap, super fast bases, directional shaping, and medium flex profiles characterize all-mountain boards. If you can be spotted carving wind-blown hardpack on your way to a powder stash after a few laps through the park, then a women’s all-mountain board is probably the right choice for you. Below are three of our favorites.

Arbor Push Snowboard: Push Yourself

• Directional shape puts your binding mounts slightly back on the board, making the nose longer than the tail for enhanced float in powder
• Tri-radial sidecut lets you make either short and snappy, or long and fast turns, and promotes stability on edge at higher speeds
• Lightweight Poplar wood core promotes easier flex, while a bamboo topsheet adds rebound and durability
  

Salomon Ivy Snowboard: No Hang-Ups

• Directional-twin shape means this board rides awesome switch, but binding inserts are set back slightly, leaving a longer nose for better float in powder
• Beveled (or lifted) edges between the bindings reduce edge-hook, and quadratic sidecut makes for effortless turn initiation and aggressive edge-to-edge transitions
• Popster core profile combined with the ABC sandwich construction of the bamboo core dishes out insane pop in an easy-to-ride package
  

Forum Star Snowboard: Shining Star

• Directional-twin shape means this board is comfortable riding switch, but set-back binding inserts create a longer nose for insatiable float in powder
• Quadrax fiberglass layering adds rigidity for rebound and pop while keeping a super-soft flex throughout the board
• Poplar wood core provides noticeable flex, making this a versatile, easy-riding board

Rockered/Reverse-Camber Snowboards

Whether you ride park or powder, join the revolution and jump on a rockered board. Reverse camber between the bindings and lifted at the tips and tails, rockered boards deliver catch-free freestyle fun times that turn cambered frowns upside down. Forgiving and flexible for jib-friendly park sessions full of turbo presses, double butters, and nollie to board slides, a rockered board guarantees enhanced f-u-n. The following three boards also add extra tech features for more versatility and smooth riding on all types of terrain.

Burton Custom V-Rocker Snowboard: V-ery V-ersatile V-riendship

• V-Rocker reverse camber is a three-stage rocker that lifts traditional contact points off the snow for catch-free forgiveness, float in pow, and a loose skate-like ride
• Negative profile for softer flex and torsion excels in a variety of terrain
• Lightning Bolts and Carbon I-Beam add more snap, response, and control
• Pro-Tip tapered tip and tail reduce swing weight, so you can throw an extra rotation into your bag of tricks
• Pressure Distribution edges with Grip and Rip tune apply added edge hold on hard, icy terrain, but also tons of playfulness in softer snow
  

Never Summer SL-R Snowboard: The Reverse of Limited

• R.C. Technology rocker-camber shape delivers the floaty, loose, freestyle benefits of rocker with the snap, power and control of camber
• Vario Power Grip’s variable sidecut increases grip and edge hold to initiate turns easily and maintain control at high speeds
• RDS 3 Dampening System reduces chatter for a smoother ride
• Custom Flightcore provides a lightweight, snappy, and smooth ride
• STS pre-tensioned fiberglass reinforces BI-LITE fiberglass and Carbon VXR Laminate Technology for incredible strength, pop, edge hold, and durability
  

Lib Technologies Dark Series C2BTX Snowboard: Power Protein Liberation

• C2-Power Banana rocker-camber technology brings end-to-end stability, super pop, float in pow in either direction, catch-free forgiveness, and smooth carving
• Magne-Traction gives you gazelle-like agility on ice and hardpack
• ORG Throttle riser directly transfers energy to your edges for the precision carving and rapid response aggressive riders need
• Power transfer spine increases control and snap
• Correct Sandwich for low spin weight without sacrificed pop
• Eco-friendly construction