Not the lightest or most stable, but the pintail means it fl oats beautifully in pow and sails sweetly on hardpack. WE SAY: Underneath the old-school long board-inspired graphic, this stick packs in an impressive amount of tech – especially for that price. THEY SAY: Effortless on all terrain types. TESTER SAYS: “Brilliant! I really loved this board, even on the piste.” Not the most solid pow stick, but great if you wanna have fun. WE SAY: The Sickstick has developed a reputation over the past few years for a reason – the twin tapered shape and soft fl ex means you can pretty much throw this around like a jib stick in the pow. THEY SAY: The best pow board in the world. With titanium inserts and Palmer’s ‘Nomex Honeycomb core’ this is one of the lightest, fastest boards ever built. WE SAY: This is only ‘friendly’ if you like speed – if you’re a beginner it’s probably best to take a step back. THEY SAY: Very fast, powerful and friendly. TESTER SAYS: “Really stiff, but so responsive. That fl ex means its not one for beginners – and definitely not one for pussies – but if you really like to charge hard in pow, this is for you. WE SAY: This is Rome’s stiffest, most responsive board. THEY SAY: Line up early for the first chair. TESTER SAYS: “Light and poppier that I expected, making it pretty easy to ride.” With its hemp fabric top-sheet, it’s an eco-friendly ride as well. A directional Twin with a rocker shape sacrifices a bit of stability to keep both your nose and tail clear in the deep stuff. WE SAY: This is Ride’s answer to the K2 Gyrator or Salomon Sickstick. TESTER SAYS: “Surprisingly really good on piste, but comes into its own in the deep stuff.” It’s packed with tech though, and with its stiff flex it’s brilliant on hardpack too. Its extreme swallow-tail gives it spectacular fl oat, but (obviously) makes it impossible to ride switch. WE SAY: A true powder stick for true powder riders. THEY SAY: The most advanced directional powder tool available. Not a race board, but its directional-twin shape and relatively soft flex, mean it’s definitely still one you can stomp tricks on. WE SAY: This was the first new-generation board to apply rocker tech to pow-riding, and this latest incarnation still kills it. TESTER SAYS: “Binding system isn’t original, but works well. WE SAY: With a rocker-camber combo adding to pow float, and ‘magne-traction’ helping with edge hold, this rides as well as any pow board – but also beats approach skis as a way of accessing new areas. THEY SAY: The first ever ‘magne-traction’ split board. TESTER SAYS: “You can tell this is designed by Jones, every detail is so well thought out.”
BIG MOUNTAIN SNOWBOARDING FULL
It’s not the stiffest of pow boards, but it’s packed full of tech for the price. WE SAY: With a directional rocker profile and a spoon nose this board is built for powder, but it’s not so directional you couldn’t stomp a spin on it. THEY SAY: The premier big mountain weapon. TESTER SAYS: “Nice through the turn, and not too twitchy despite the rocker.” So while it’s a bit stiff for beginners, it would suit an intermediate looking for an inexpensive pow stick. WE SAY: This features Flow’s fastest base, their most high tech ‘Re-fl ex’ core and their pow-rock for extra float. TESTER SAYS: “A legendary board for a reason. But while Stefan Maurer can pull double backflips on these (!) not even he can ride one switch. WE SAY: Burton’s legendary powder board now boasts ‘S-Rocker’ – camber under the feet for extra edge hold and a big rockered nose for extra fl oat in powder. TESTER SAYS: “Holds a beautiful edge, even with the rocker, and cheap for the quality you get.” So no great shakes when it comes to freestyle then, but still relatively forgiving because of that rockered profile. WE SAY: Atomic’s big mountain charger, built for blasting through crud and throwing rooster tails.
TESTER SAYS: “So quick, and turns like a dream! Wouldn’t advise jibbing on it though…” Made from environmentally-friendly materials with a stiff fl ex and a ‘Rocket Base’ this board is fast and responsive. WE SAY: This board plays to Arbor’s traditional market– the old-school, big-mountain loving powder hound.
THEY SAY: A big-mountain gun for riders who want superior on-edge performance. TESTER SAYS: “Carves better than your local butcher!” The shorter flat base boards would suit aggressive park riders at a push, but really this is designed for deep stuff – hence the pow rocker in the longer versions.
BIG MOUNTAIN SNOWBOARDING HOW TO
WE SAY: A big beast of a big mountain board from a company that knows how to make ‘em. Published in Whitelines Magazine Buyer’s Guide Issue, Winter 2010-2011