Board: DC PBJ

Size: 152

Camber Option: Traditional camber. If you don’t know what this is you’re looking at the wrong board.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Sunny bluebird skies, heavy firm fast snow, and next to no wind.

Flex: Just below a middle of the road flex ebbing more towards jib friendly. The tips are soft and playful, while the main part of the board is slightly more stiff and snappy.

Stability: There’s a mild amount of stability on this board as it’s designed for riding around a park and not through chunder fields of doom or side hits from hell. Basically you will feel everything.

Ollies: This board has a ton of snap. I mean a ton. I was loading it up and popping over everything in my path.

Pop On Jumps: I wouldn’t take it to the big line but keeping it around 30 feet or so this board will be perfectly fine. It snaps off the lips with ease and sucks up landings.

Butterability: Even with having a traditional camber profile this board is fun to press on the snow. You just have to put a little more gusto into the tips to have it lock in, but once it does you’re golden.

Jibbing: This board was designed for jibbing. The sweet spot isn’t the biggest but once you know where it is you can lock in a press any time you want. Sliding sideways the board hugs the rail but doesn’t catch.

Carving: Would I rip Euro-carves on this deck every turn? No. But it can handle a good hard carve from time to time. Short quick turns initiate easily and the board has enough snap out of the tail to get you to boost through a turn.

Rider in Mind: Jib kid that jumps.

Personal Thoughts: Since switching factories always means there’s going to be a change or slight tweak I felt the need to ride this board. I have loved the way it’s ridden in the past but the new version from the new Capita Mothership Factory kills it. The board is lighter weight, more snappy, and yet has just a bit more flex in the tips. Over all this board is a blast for small to medium park features.

Check out the past reviews of the 2010, 2010 Bittner Model, 2015, and 2016 DC PBJ.

Comparable Boards: Capita Ultrafear, Rome Gangplank, Endeavor Vice

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This board was loaned to us for review from DC Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 DC PBJ Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Endeavor B.O.D.

Size: 156

Camber Option: 3D Camber with raised contacts. Traditional camber with the contact points beveled up.

Bindings: K2 Lein AT

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: A foot and a half of fresh snow, more snow coming down, overcast, and colder temps.

Flex: This board is a little bit past middle of the road in terms of flex. That makes it ebb more towards the freeride spectrum. The torsional give is there but not overly abundant. The tips do have a little bit more play than underfoot and through the middle.

Stability: If you wanted to run over a rampaging moose you could with this board. It’s super stable yet lively. When busting through the chunder and hitting hidden obstacles under the snow it never once bucked me.

Ollies/Pop: Having camber on a pow day does have its perks, the 3D camber was great for loading up and popping off natural hits. I boosted off so many little powder poppers and bush gaps I’m surprised my knees didn’t give out.

Butterability: You do want to go a little faster and press a little harder with this board to get your butters around on firm snow, but in pow it’s actually pretty easy to initiate as the only thing you’re fighting is the camber to get over top of it.

Carving: I got into some hairy steeps where I had to set a hard edge in and this thing did not disappoint. When doing mellow turns it locked in and if I wanted to really press it through a carve it would do what I needed.

Rider in Mind: The guy that’s charging all over and wants a board that’s stable yet poppy and has life.

Personal Thoughts: I was a little hesitant that this might not have been the right board for the conditions, but it didn’t let me down. There were numerous things I popped over that the boards snap and camber helped me with. To be honest this board lucked out and got to ride on the best powder day of the year on some of the best terrain Summit County has to offer.

Check out the past review of the 2016 Endeavor B.O.D.

Comparable Boards: Jones Mountain Twin, Burton Custom, Capita Mercury

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Endeavor Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Endeavor B.O.D. Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Yes Optimistic

Size: 154

Camber Option: Camrock 2-4-2. Camber underfoot with rocker in the tips.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Puking snow, cold blistery temps, and visibility that had me regulated to the lower mountain.

Flex: This board is on the stiffer side. You notice it the most in the torsional flex. The nose seems to have a bit more play than the tail as well due to the shape and rocker.

Stability: This board is short, wide, and stiff. It has the stability you crave when you’re charging around the mountain in variable conditions. While stable it’s still not one of those dead damp rides though.

Ollies/Pop: Load up the camber zone and be prepared to boost. This board has insane amounts of pop, mostly due to having more surface area to really load up on it.

Butterability: Unless you’re going fast and in deep snow I strongly urge you to reconsider trying to butter it. But if you are going to butter just do high speed skid wheelies, those were actually fun.

Carving: I’m a huge fan of Underbite and it works well with this board. I found myself laying down Euro-carves into the lift line when I wasn’t just ripping turns down an open face or getting from one little powder stash or another on the mountain.

Rider in Mind: Someone that likes to ride a shorter wide board that can charge.

Personal Thoughts: I don’t think there’s enough good things to say about this revamp in the Optimistic. It needed it! I found myself jumping off everything I could as well as just trying to rail slalom turns through side hits and laying trenches all over the mountain.

Check out the past reviews of the 2010 and 2016 Yes Optimistic.

Comparable Boards: K2 Party Platter, Marhar Lumberjack, Ride Warpig

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Yes Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Yes Optimistic Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Arbor Bryan Iguchi Camber

Size: 156

Camber Option: System Camber. Parabolic camber with Griptech sidecut and “fenders” that lift the contact points.

Bindings: Arbor Cypress

Stance: Goofy, 21in wide, 12/-6

Boots: Ride Fuse 8

My Weight: 155lbs

Resort: Brighton

Conditions: 8in of super windblown fresh from overnight.

Flex: Mid flex in the nose and steadily stiffening up as you get towards the tail. Middle of the road for torsional flex.

Stability: Camber with extra grip at your feet and a solid all mountain flex lead to a very stable and power capably ride. Blasting through chunder and late day powder mounds I felt confident and comfortable. The board just cruises.

Ollies/Pop: Solid pop out of the tail. With the shape of the parabolic camber if you run out of space or time and need some quick snap you can actually get some skate style quick pop out of it, but the goodness comes when you load it. It’s not the most boostiful all mountain deck I’ve rideen but it’s plenty enough to put a smile on your face and get you over whatever is in front of you.

Butterability: The tail is take some muscle to get into on both hardpack and soft snow, the nose is more accessible and super fun to lean into in deeper snow. The fenders on the contact are nice cause they get everything out of the way and make sliding around more catch free.

Carving: System camber is a unique feel when carving. It’s a combination of traditional camber and Arbors System Rocker where you start your turn with the Griptech like on rocker, you can pressure you edges and sidecut like on camber, and you generally keep your weight more centered between your feet like rocker. It takes a bit to get used to but once I did you can really drive through the back Griptech contact point and accelerate through the apex. I found it to be a really comfortable and locked in feeling.

Rider in Mind: All mountain freerider who still appreciates the power of full camber.

Personal Thoughts: This was one of my favorite all mountain freeride decks of the year. It floats great, powers through crud really well, and is lively and fun on a groomer. It’s something I could ride as my go to deck on days I’m not planning to ride much or any park. System camber is unique and may not be for everyone, but if you find yourself keeping your weight more centered and usually find rocker dominant decks too loose or lacking on power than this is something to take a good look at.

Comparable Boards: Jones Mountain Twin, Ride Berzerker, Flow Whiteout

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This board was loaned to us for review from Arbor Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Arbor Bryan Iguchi Pro Camber Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Project X

Size: 158

Camber Option: Camrocker. Camber underfoot rocker in the tips.

Bindings: K2 Lien AT

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Mix of sun and clouds, some fresh snow in spots, and perfect corduroy everywhere else.

Flex: This board isn’t stiff it’s just really snappy and lively. You have to man handle it to get what you want, but it’s not stiff I can’t stress that enough.

Stability: You’ll feel micro vibrations resonating through this board due to the lightweight construction. It does suck up variable terrain really well and won’t buck you if you get too off balance.

Ollies: The snap from the camber and the internal components of this boards makes it want to boost. It does take a bit more to get it to load up and pop, but when it does you’ll know you’re going to the high heavens.

Pop On Jumps: If you like over shooting jumps this might be the board for you. It just goes fast and boosts hard.

Butterability: It takes a bit of work to get this board to press into the snow, but it is doable. I would suggest high speed buttering only as you won’t like what happens if you’re going slow and being lazy.

Jibbing: Not exactly a board I would jib on but you can do it. I’ll leave it at that.

Carving: This board slingshots in and out of turns. It locks into carves and pushes hard out of them. The edge to edge transitions are easy and as long as you’re on point you won’t have any issues riding this board.

Rider in Mind: The tech nerd that has to have the lightest most expensive board they can find and who wants to go really fast.

Personal Thoughts: This board sits in that echelon of boards that exist solely to gloat about all the tech they have in them. It’s not a board for the every-man and that’s OK. It’s the board that will do what you want only if it’s turned up to 11 at all times.

Comparable Boards: Salomon Ultimate Ride, Ride Timeless, Rossignol Krypto

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Jones Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Jones Project X Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Yes 420 Powderhull

Size: 154

Camber Option: Directional 3D Powderfull. Flat between the feet with powderhull tip and tail contours. It’s a concave shape in the tips like adding side to side positive camber.

Bindings: Fix EPK

Stance: Goofy, 21in wide, 15/-3

Boots: Ride Fuse 8

My Weight: 155lbs

Resort: A-Basin

Conditions: Dumped about 18in overnight and still puking. Late season.

Flex: Middle flex for an all mountain pow deck. The powderfull being 3D shaped is pretty stiff itself but it softens up towards the feet with a responsive torsional flex between the feet.

Stability: It’s wide, above mid flex, and tapered, so it just crushes through just about anything. Through all the heavy chopped up crud it held it’s line really well. The powderfull really helps to keep it driving straight through crud as it sort of directs any uneven crud you run over towards the middle of the board and you just skip over it all.

Ollies/Pop: In deeper snow the powderhull in the tail actually kind of limits how much you can really snap. It’s like having extra rocker in the tail so you have to push through that before you can get into the board. Snapping through the contact points for snap was great as the torsional stiffness of the 3D tips is strong and snappy. Out on more firm snow you do loose a little bit to the 3D shaping, but since the contact points are more or less still on the same plane as the rest of the board you get a more traditional feel. It’s nothing to be super excited about but I always got what I needed.

Butterability: Deep snow is really all you’re gonna get buttering this. The 3D shape just makes buttering firm snow super weird and sketchy. When you do get up on the tips and lean into them in deep snow it’s awesome. The hulling gathers more snow under the board in the tips and gives you more snow to play with and push on. Super fun blend of surfy and powerful.

Carving: Out in deep snow there are kind of two key things that are going on with this. For starters it floats great, but pointing it straight I didn’t really feel like it had any better float than a traditional board of this shape. Carving through deep snow is where I noticed the hulling. I’ve never had quite so much power pushing through a pow carve keeping my weight centered than I have on this board. The 3D shape gathers more snow under the nose and give you more snow to push on. One of the cool things about that effect is that on a pow field traverse I found myself being able to stay way higher up with less effort than the other guys I was riding with. Now the hulling in the tail is a bit of a different story. Even on decks like this I like to power through my tail on pow carves and with the 3D shaping you loose a little bit of that power as the snow actually exits from under the board faster. On firm snow it’s still carveable but the 3D shaping has a bit of a weird flex when you really lean it over. Doable, but not the most precise.

Rider in Mind: Someone who needs a deep snow deck in their quiver, maybe riding a lot of trees.

Personal Thoughts: The powderhull on the nose was awesome and really made the board come alive carving and turning through deep snow, but I’d really like to see how much you’d lose, if anything, by eliminating the hulling in the tail. I really don’t think there’d be much lost and you gain back that power. It’s still a really good deck and something that should be on anybody’s list who’s deep snow riding is often in the trees or wants that extra power through the turns from the nose.

Comparable Boards: K2 Cool Bean, Salomon Derby, Rome Blur

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This board was loaned to us for review from Yes Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Yes 420 Powderhull Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: DC Focus

Size: 156

Camber Option: Supposed to be flat to rocker, this sample had camber.

Bindings: K2 Lein AT

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Sunny bluebird skies, firm fast snow, and zero wind.

Flex: This board is a little stiffer than middle of the road. There’s a fair amount of torsional give that matches nicely to the overall flex of the board. The tips are firm yet have an ideal sweet spot to flex into them when pressing.

Stability: This board is super stable when charging through moguls, chunder, side hits, bumps, and variable terrain. It just wanted to push through it all and come out the other side.

Ollies: This board has insane amounts of pop. I mean like send it to the moon and realize the ground is no where near you insane. Load it up and just boost, that’s all you could ask for.

Pop On Jumps: This board was great on jumps and wanted to send them further and higher than they were built for. Over all this board was great at boosting.

Butterability: Pushing the tips into the snow the board wanted to rebound out but once you found the sweet spot you could just lay some sweet sweet margarine based love all over the snow. Every variation of butter was yours for the taking if you were willing to work for it.

Jibbing: This board locks really well into presses and has the snap out of it you want when hitting the end of the feature. Sliding sideways the camber profile gripped the features and slid perfectly.

Carving: You can rail a hard turn on this deck and it would slingshot you through the other side with ease. It didn’t matter whether doing short quick radius turns or long drawn out ones this board was at home on edge.

Rider in Mind: The guy that’s going to rip the whole mountain and make it a freestyle fiesta.

Personal Thoughts: So they claim this board has camber and rocker in it. I put it flat on a wall and it clearly has camber. It rode like it had camber. I was blown away with the performance of this board and it stuck out as one of those decks that could just handle it all and ask for more. It was very aggressive in the turns and pushed through the snow with ease. Over all I probably can’t say enough good things about this deck except that sadly the production model will have a different camber profile.

Comparable Boards: Salomon Pulse, Flow Merc, Rossignol District

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from DC Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 DC Focus Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Dinosaurs Will Die Larson

Size: 155

Camber Option: Repop Camber. Flat between the feet and just past the inserts to rocker in the tips.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Everything from puking heavy wet snow, to sun poking through, with zero wind, and snow that was either slushy, firm, or death chunder.

Flex: This board is playful yet responsive. You have an abundance of flex in the tips with it being just a hair stiffer between the feet. There was a lot of torsional flex which added to the playful nature of this board.

Stability: I found this board mildly stable when cruising around the mountain and getting into variable terrain. It would get bounced around in frozen moguls and death chunder.

Ollies: This board actually has a lot of snap out of the tips. Hitting side hits and rollers I found I was popping a bit higher than I thought I was going to. It has a very skate style of pop instead of the load up and snap you get from a traditional camber.

Pop On Jumps: This board can handle small to medium jumps with ease. Anything bigger just be on your game. There is a lot of flex in the tips so if you do land a little backseat you will more than likely wash out.

Butterability: Here’s where this board shined. There’s an immense sweet spot that lets you lock into butters but still have snap when you want to pop out. Twisted, swiveling, and sliding is just super easy on this deck.

Jibbing: Having a bit of rocker in the tips really makes it easy to do presses, the blunt shape adds to this boards ability to jib as well. If you know how to really press into a board like this you can get great snap out of it.

Carving: The flex of this board allows you to really carve. You can center flex aggressively and drive this board through a deep turn. The overall turn initiation is super easy edge to edge.

Rider in Mind: Someone that likes to play around on the whole mountain making it a giant skatepark or someone that’s lapping the rail line from open till close.

Personal Thoughts: I really dug this board from the shape, camber profile, to the overall flex. It’s a versatile board for playing around on the mountain. It turns sidehits into decent sized poppers and makes snow curbs into skate inspired obstacles. This board is just super playful yet lively which also adds to its versatility.

Comparable Boards: Spring Break Twin, Interior Plain Project Harrow, Rome Gangplank

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us from Dinosaurs Will Die marketing department.

The post 2017 Dinosaurs Will Die Larson Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: DC Ply

Size: 153

Camber Option: Locked and loaded camber. Traditional camber through the middle and inserts to flat right before the upkick.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Low light, puking snow, chunder snow to heavy powder on the runs, a little bit of wind, and overall shit conditions.

Flex: This board comes in at just below a middle of the road park flex. You have more flex in the tips, more stable under foot, and then an abundance of flex in the middle. The torsional flex matches the over all flex of the board which makes it playful.

Stability: While not an overly damp or stable board it gets the job done, especially if you’re charging around a park or perfectly groomed runs. In choppier variable terrain the board did buck me around a bit.

Ollies: Having camber added pop to this board. The softer flex of the tips really lets you press in and load this board up. Lets just say there’s some seriously good pop in this thing.

Pop On Jumps: When you’re riding questionable jumps it’s always good to have a board that can send it just a hair farther than you think. This is that board.

Butterability: The softer flexing tips with their slight flat spot are ample for locking into a butter. Spin, press, play, do whatever you want and this board will do it.

Jibbing: Here’s where this board stands out in my opinion. You can pop hard on to urban approach features that don’t have a good lip, it will press with ease, and sliding sideways is not a chore.

Carving: The softer flex of the board allows for some fun carves. You can really center flex this deck to drive it through the carve and get low while doing it. Will it buckle? Eventually but I wasn’t able to make it do that.

Rider in Mind: The all around park rider that wants a camber dominate deck that can do it all.

Personal Thoughts: It’s been a while since I’ve been on the Ply and it sends it. This could be one of the most well rounded park decks from DC. The camber is just right so you don’t get leg fatigue from loading and unloading it all day, while the tips are still soft enough to dig in and press well with.

Check out the past review of the 2012 DC Ply.

Comparable Boards: Interior Plain Project Harrow, Niche Knew, Dinosaurs Will Die Larson

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from DC Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 DC Ply Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Salomon Pulse

Size: 156

Camber Option: Flat Out Camber. This is camber 2.0 as we know it as it doesn’t have the center arc of traditional camber and is more flat through the middle till the downward angles that give the spring.

Bindings: K2 Lien AT

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Sunny bluebird skies, no wind, warm spring like temps, and snow that some might say was corn like.

Flex: This board isn’t as soft as a jib deck but not as stiff as a well rounded park board. It’s very playful with a lot of flex in the tips and dead center. This makes twisting the board while transitioning from edge to edge a breeze.

Stability: This board isn’t stable, it’s not designed to be stable. You will feel everything with it and I mean EVERYTHING!

Ollies: This board had a surprising amount of snap for how soft it was. You could really load it up and the board would just spring off anything in its path.

Pop On Jumps: Keep it to the small and medium line and you will be alright. Push it to anything past that and the limits of the board will be hit and you’ll suffer. It did have great pop which was nice for boosting off the lip.

Butterability: This board is designed to be spun around on snow like a hot knife through a tub of margarine. You can do any variation you want and not worry.

Jibbing: This board is at home on all kinds of features and locks into presses with ease. Want to send it and gap, go for it. Want to just be mellow and lazy, go for it.

Carving: Don’t expect to hammer any hard carves on this without the tail washing out just a bit. It’s designed for mellow carves and quick turns.

Rider in Mind: Someone just starting out that’s going to quickly progress with a more freestyle focus.

Personal Thoughts: To say I had fun on this board is an understatement. This board was a blast to ride. Yes it’s a beginner board. Yes, I am riding at a level beyond it. But it was a blast it handled the terrain perfectly and wanted to do more.

Comparable Boards: DC Focus, Flow Merc, Rossignol District

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This board was loaned to us for review by Salomon Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Salomon Pulse Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Burton Branch Manager

Size: 155

Camber Option: Directional Camber. Rocker and camber in the nose with traditional camber under the back foot. Think of this like Burton’s old S Camber.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Overcast skies, a little wind, and a few inches of fresh snow on top of the almost 3 feet that had fallen in the last 2 days.

Flex: The overall flex felt a little bit past middle of the road making it a bit of a stiffer ride. The nose with the rocker had a lot more play than the tail which had camber. There was a fair amount of torsional give.

Stability: This board is stable. Riding over chunder, frozen wind scoured snow, fresh pow, rutted out terrain, and everything in between the board never once wanted to buckled or wash out. This board was lively yet precise.

Ollies/Pop: Having camber in this board really let you load it up and boost it. The snap was precise and lively which made it a force to be reckoned with when jumping over varying snow and natural obstacles.

Butterability: You have to push this board a bit more to get a good deep butter out of it. Which is nice because it gives you snap back out of the butter.

Carving: Setting an edge on a groomer really let you rail a hard turn on this thing. I found myself just laying carves whenever I had the chance and knowing this board would spring out of them. Edge to edge transitioning was super easy.

Rider in Mind: Someone that’s going to take this board from the steeps to the trees and still ride around on a groomer if they have to.

Personal Thoughts: It’s been a long time since Burton made a board that stood out as being awesome as fuck. This is that board. It was surfy, yet snappy, and had a lot of precision behind it. I could rail a hard turn then slash through some knee deep snow with ease. In the trees this board wanted to go fast and push itself through the turns. The synopsis for this board is; just buy it and you won’t be disappointed.

Comparable Boards: Venture Zelix, Rome Sawtooth, Dinosaurs Will Die PowReaper

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Burton Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Burton Branch Manager Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Custom Twin

Size: 156

Camber Option: Traditional Camber. If you’re asking what this is, you’ve come to the wrong review.

Bindings: Stay Calm EST

Stance: 21 Wide 12 Negative 9

Boots: DC Lynx 8.5

My Weight: 155

Resort: Keystone

Conditions: Early morning spring conditions with really firm snow.

Flex: Solid mid all mountain flex softening up just a little bit outside the feet.

Stability: Full camber, fancy asym core profiling, and a solid flex. It was stable. Super speeds felt great and comfortable. Definitely something you can send it on.

Ollies: They are incorporating the carbon straight into the glass in a 45 deg pattern the whole length of the deck. So the snap kinda comes from wherever you want it to. It’s still camber so you do still have to pre-load or you might get bucked, but you can get the snap out of the tail, the center, or load the middle and snap the tail. Any way you do it, it’s got boost.

Pop On Jumps: Camber. Lots of carbon coupled with the traditional camber make it really poppy. So, yes it can jump. It jumps very very well.

Butterability: It’s surprisingly good. They made the tips just soft enough to make this fun. I actually had a blast snapping around flat ground 3 to back 1’s and the like. Fun fun flat ground for those with a little bit of muscle and control.

Jibbing: Like buttering I was pleasantly surprised. The camber Customs before this one were kind of a slope deck where you can do jib things but mostly just basic stuff and enough to get from the rail, to that jump ahead of you. This one will actually let you get techy on them rails. They aren’t just there on your way to the bonus ramps any longer. The press has a good lock right outside the foot where it should be.

Carving: So the Twin has the fancy Asym Squeezebox that gives you better edge purchase on your heels. That and the Twins have narrower waists and a little deeper sidecuts than the standards. All that and it being camber was great. Long turns, short ones, trenches, and nipple draggers you can have them all.

Rider in Mind: All around park kid focused a little more on jumps than jibs or the all mountain freestyle specialist who still prefers a true twin.

Personal Thoughts: One of the highlights of the deck is the Asym Squeezebox and I’ve always really like Burton’s take on Asym. I think it works really well to help you get into the sidecut better on your heels so that they can keep the toes and heels the same thereby avoiding the two different boards syndrome some people feel when they get on an asym deck. Overall this is the best the Custom has been in probably a decade. I feel like this one is up there with the best do everything twins on the market.

Check out the 2016 review of the Burton Custom Twin here.

Comparable Boards: Yes Great Dudes, Arbor Relapse, Interior Plain Project Honalee

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This snowboard was loaned to us for product review from Burton Snowboards marketing department.

*Disclaimer this board did not change for 2017 so we carried the 2016 review over.

The post 2017 Burton Custom Twin Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Spring Break Twin

Size: 154

Camber Option: Hybrid Camber Profile. Camber through the middle and 5cm’s past the insert pack, then a flat section, then a micro reverse section by the contact points.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: Sunny blue skies, zero wind, warmer temps, and that perfect hero snow for aggressive carving.

Flex: A true middle of the road park flex that makes it playful in the tips, slightly stiffer under foot, and more playful between the feet. There was an abundance of torsional flex.

Stability: This board was stable when it need to be and lively the rest of the time. When charging through varying terrain it didn’t want to buckle or be pushed around, but didn’t sacrifice it’s playful snappy nature.

Ollies: This board has serious snap. You can load it up and boost to the moon. Hitting rollers, side hits, and natural features it just wants to pop off everything.

Pop On Jumps: This board is great on jumps it sucks up the lip and sends you to the landing no problem. Hit jumps how you feel and just go for it.

Butterability: I will say this the Shovel Head tip shape can catch when aggressively buttering. I had it happen and it sprung me forward and almost into the ground. But aside from that, this deck wants to butter. It locks in to presses but still has the snap to pop you back out.

Jibbing: Fast or slow it doesn’t matter this board will press with ease and give you the snap you want out of it. Sliding sideways the camber zone between the feet locks into the rail and holds you there. It’s an easy board to jib on but won’t over-flex when you push it too hard.

Carving: Here’s what you need to know about this asymmetrical sidecut. It rips! Deep hard carves are awesome on this board it just sets an edge and goes for it. When you push into the carve you can center flex the board to get it to aggressively turn or you can be mellow and it will still carve. The edge to edge initiation is quick and snappy.

Rider in Mind: Park rider that likes to carve all over the mountain.

Personal Thoughts: When you can set up a turn and rip almost 90 degree carves you know the board is built for some serious turning. That’s how I felt about this board. It was great for just going for it and pushing it to the limit. The snap was awesome and turned even the smallest sidehit into a park feature with the snap it had. I would highly recommend this unique shaped deck.

Comparable Boards: Smokin Awesymetrical, Ride Helix, Yes Great Dudes

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Spring Break Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Spring Break Twin Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Capita Mercury

Size: 155

Camber Option: Freeride FK. Camber to past the inserts, rocker, and then a Wah-Pow tip kick.

Bindings: K2 Lien AT

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 177lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: A mix of sun and clouds, some snow falling, colder temps, pockets of powder around the mountain, and groomers elsewhere.

Flex: This deck has that smooth yet powerful all mountain flex you want for versatility. It’s playful in the tips, stiffer under foot and through the middle, and has just the right amount of torsional give to flex the board when carving. It’s not over powerful, yet still has precision behind it.

Stability: Blasting through sections of knee to mid thigh deep snow with frozen chunder underneath this board never faltered, it just wanted more. It pushed itself through moguls, ruts, and the trees with ease. The only spot on the deck that seemed mildly chattery at times were the ends of the tips when pointing it down steep groomed runs.

Ollies: This board has some serious snap. Between the Carbon Arcs and Bamboo Rods in the core that couple with the camber profile you can boost. Load it up and prepare to send it to the moon. Side hits, rollers, and natural drops are this boards best friend.

Pop On Jumps: Jumping comes with ease on this deck. Come in hot, pop, and prepare to make it to or past the sweet spot. It’s one of those decks where it can handle anything in front of it.

Butterability: The slight rocker and the drastic upkick of the tips gives a big platform to butter with. Lock in right at the sweet spot which is where the camber zone meets the rocker zone and you will press your way to glory.

Jibbing: Much like this boards buttering skills it excels at jibbing as well. It locks in with ease and holds it press. Sliding sideways on anything it won’t hook up and feels like it’s hugging the feature.

Carving: The sidecut on this board not only grips in crappy conditions but rips deep hard turns when you want it. If you like soul carving then you might have found the board that has the sidecut for you. I never once had it buckle or push out when driving hard through the apex of the carve. Edge to edge initiation comes quick and fast with minimal effort.

Rider in Mind: The all mountain rider that could spend the morning blasting pow and the afternoon hitting the park.

Personal Thoughts: The versatility of this deck was great. Whether charging through some chunder and powder to get to a hit or blasting through the park it just wanted to do more. The camber profile coupled with the core construction give great pop and response but aren’t so overwhelming you find yourself having to drastically work for it. If you can only afford one board and want a quiver killer, I would strongly recommend this deck.

Comparable Boards: Arbor Coda Camber, Rome Mod Stale, Marhar Axiom

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Capita Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Capita Mercury Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Arbor Bryan Iguchi Camber

Size: 156

Camber Option: System Camber. Parabolic camber with Griptech sidecut and “fenders” that lift the contact points.

Bindings: Arbor Cypress

Stance: Goofy, 21in wide, 12/-6

Boots: Ride Fuse 8

My Weight: 155lbs

Resort: Brighton

Conditions: 8in of super windblown fresh from overnight.

Flex: Mid flex in the nose and steadily stiffening up as you get towards the tail. Middle of the road for torsional flex.

Stability: Camber with extra grip at your feet and a solid all mountain flex lead to a very stable and power capably ride. Blasting through chunder and late day powder mounds I felt confident and comfortable. The board just cruises.

Ollies/Pop: Solid pop out of the tail. With the shape of the parabolic camber if you run out of space or time and need some quick snap you can actually get some skate style quick pop out of it, but the goodness comes when you load it. It’s not the most boostiful all mountain deck I’ve rideen but it’s plenty enough to put a smile on your face and get you over whatever is in front of you.

Butterability: The tail is take some muscle to get into on both hardpack and soft snow, the nose is more accessible and super fun to lean into in deeper snow. The fenders on the contact are nice cause they get everything out of the way and make sliding around more catch free.

Carving: System camber is a unique feel when carving. It’s a combination of traditional camber and Arbors System Rocker where you start your turn with the Griptech like on rocker, you can pressure you edges and sidecut like on camber, and you generally keep your weight more centered between your feet like rocker. It takes a bit to get used to but once I did you can really drive through the back Griptech contact point and accelerate through the apex. I found it to be a really comfortable and locked in feeling.

Rider in Mind: All mountain freerider who still appreciates the power of full camber.

Personal Thoughts: This was one of my favorite all mountain freeride decks of the year. It floats great, powers through crud really well, and is lively and fun on a groomer. It’s something I could ride as my go to deck on days I’m not planning to ride much or any park. System camber is unique and may not be for everyone, but if you find yourself keeping your weight more centered and usually find rocker dominant decks too loose or lacking on power than this is something to take a good look at.

Comparable Boards: Jones Mountain Twin, Ride Berzerker, Flow Whiteout

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Arbor Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2017 Arbor Bryan Iguchi Pro Camber Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

It’s no small undertaking to go out and actively ride a sizeable portion of the snowboards available on the market. Every year I say to myself, “I’m going to cut back, I’m going to do less.” And every year that’s a lie that I tell myself so I can muscle my way through a 150 plus day season of riding all kinds of snowboards for product reviews.

Some might think I’m a bit insane, others have no clue why I do it, and it definitely isn’t profitable (hence why if you shop online you should buy it through one of our listed affiliates). The truth is as someone that has worked in a snowboard shop and was an early adopter of the Internet being a fundamental game changer in snowboarding, I do it because I personally can’t stand seeing fucking idiots that have no tech, sales, or even snowboarding background talk about something they don’t understand. There’s something to be said about knowing the difference between how the various factories build their products as well as knowing that company X and company Y share molds, but that company Y’s board is the better bang for the buck. This is what differentiates the reviews on this site from some of the others you’ll see out there. We don’t make claims about being real riders or being upset with having too much down time so we decided to make a review site. We just snowboard a lot, have a love of snowboarding, and have the industry knowledge to back up what we’re saying. You can see it in our reviews and you can see it in the products that we’ve helped innovate over the years. Without further ado here’s a breakdown of all the boards we reviewed for this past season organized with our picks from best to worst. Do you agree? Do you want to argue? If so leave a comment below.

Beginner Boards: Because you have to start somewhere. Some people, mainly those inside the industry laugh when I ask to review these decks. The truth is these are the first hit that get people hooked and if someone is dropping even $349 for a new board they should have someone say, “yeah it’s not a pile of suck and you can progress on it”.

Salomon Pulse
DC Focus
K2 Raygun
Arbor Formula
Salomon Sight
Flow Merc
Yes Basic
Flow Viper
Rossignol Circuit

All Mountain Freestyle Boards: The broadest category of snowboards. When a company doesn’t know how to tell you it can freeride and freestyle they shove it here. The truth is this is the dumping grounds for a lot of great decks that get lumped into the middle somewhere.

Capita Mercury
Jones Mountain Twin
Rome Mod Rocker
K2 Party Platter
Endeavor High Five
Rome Mod Stale
Marhar Regent
Yes Typo
Arbor Element
Yes The Greats
Ride Warpig
Dinosaurs Will Die Wizard Stick
K2 Happy Hour
Ride Machete
Smokin Awesymmetrical
Niche Aether
Arbor Coda Camber
Dinosaurs Will Die Maet
Rossignol Angus
Niche Theme
Flow Blackout
K2 Turbo Dream
Sims Blade
Monument Tragedy
Capita DOA
DC Space Echo
Marhar Archaic
Salomon Official
Dinosaurs Will Die Kwon
Flow Rush
K2 Subculture
Smokin Buck Ferton
Endeavor Clout
Smoking Big Wig
Burton Custom Flying V
Venture Paragon
Capita Outerspace Living
Ride Helix
Capita X Volcom Pat Moore
Burton Trick Pony
Dinosaurs Will Die Geeves
Jones Ultra Mountain Twin
DC Mega
Slash Spectrum
Salomon Ultimate Ride
Ride Machete GT

All Mountain Freeride Boards: While not as broad as the All Mountain Freestyle category, it’s still a vast swooping category that has room to encompass a large spectrum of the boards out there. When they’re less freestyle and more hard charging this is where they go.

Arbor Sin Nombré
Jones Flagship
K2 Carve Air
Rossignol The One
Burton Custom X
Flow Drifter
Arbor Bryan Iguchi Pro Camber
Flow Maverick
Ride Berzerker
Niche Story
Rome Sawtooth
Jones Explorer
Burton Custom Mystery
Jones Project X
Rossignol Krypto
Smokin KT-22
Venture Zelix
Yes PYL
Flow Solitude
K2 Joydriver
Jones Carbon Flagship
Ride Timeless
Slash Nahual
Monument Repeater

Park Boards: Freestyle is what changed snowboarding from being a bunch of lame asses in a one piece speed suit into a cultural revolution. It’s also what adds another fun factor to snowboarding. Plus you don’t really want to hit a rail on a swallow tail… well maybe you do, I don’t know.

Springbreak Twin
DC Ply
Dinosaurs Will Die Larson
Interior Plain Project Honalee
Rossignol Retox
K2 Bottle Rocket
Arbor Westmark Rocker
Salomon Craft
Smokin Team LTD
Rossignol Jibsaw
Smokin AnNIALator
Interior Plain Project Harrow
Capita The Outsiders
Sims Juice
Flow Era
Rossignol Jibsaw HD
Lago Double Barrel
Burton Easy Living
Endeavor Live
Bataleon Global Warmer
Niche Knew
Arbor Relapse
Endeavor BOD
Yes Public
Sims Dealers Choice
Rome Gang Plank
Arbor Zygote Twin
K2 World Wide Weapon
Burton Process Flying V
Capita Horrorscope
Endeavor Vice
Yes Jackpot
Rome Agent
Rocker
DC PBJ
Monument F.V.K.
Rome Agent Alek
Flow Whiteout
Capita Ultrafear
Marhar Half Breed
K2 Fastplant
Arbor Draft
Dinosaurs Will Die The Rat
Flow Verve
Marhar Liftem
Endeavor KTV
Rome Reverb Rocker
Endeavor Color
Smokin Lane Knack
Marhar Axiom
Capita Indoor Survival
Burton Process Off-Axis
Ride Kink
Smokin MIP
Rome Artifact
Dinosaurs Will Die Brewster
Bataleon Evil Twin
Rome Buckshot
Arbor Westmark Camber
Salomon Villain
Ride Burnout
Burton Name Dropper
Salomon Huck Knife
Degenerati
Smokin Shomo LTD
Slash Happy Place
DC Media Blitz

Directional Powder Boards: A directional powder board it has its place in your quiver. Some are short and fat, while others are long and skinny. Their varying characteristics help or hinder them depending on what you’re looking for, but one thing is undeniable their ability to make snowboarding more enjoyable.

Burton Branch Manager
Arbor Cosa Nostra
Flow Darwin
Venture Euphoria
Jones Hovercraft
Dinosaurs Will Die Pow Reaper
Lago Open Road
Yes 420 Powderhull
K2 Cool Bean
Spring Break Slush Slasher
United Shapes Orbit
Rome Blur
Arbor Clovis
Jones Storm Chaser
Rossignol XV Magtek
Salomon Super 8
Burton Gatekeeper
Venture Storm
Rider Alter Ego
Jones Ultracraft
Burton Skipjack

Twinish Powder Boards: The rise of the powder twin shows the prevalence that freestyle has in the future of snowboarding. Plus it’s always fun to make switch pow turn here or there.

Yes Optimistic
Marhar Lumberjack
Bataleon Magic Carpet
Smokin Jetson
Snoplanks Snoday
DC Supernatant
Yes 20/20
K2 Ultra Dream
Yes 420
Marhar Bohemian

The post The 2017 Snowboard Review Recap appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

The 2018 Snowboard Product Review series is underway with filming and editing. Which if you’re a loyal follower of the website you know is something new, if you’re not; well then you might want to subscribe. The one thing you can expect from us is honesty, color commentary, and our unique blend of humor. Which means you’re going to be entertained. As we’re doing over 200 snowboard reviews it is a bit of an undertaking. In this trailer you’ll see some of what we’re working on as well as somethings that might not actually be in the reviews, the only way to know is to tune in July 15th at 8 a.m. MST to find out.

We’re still figuring out if we’re going to drop each review individually, lump all of one companies reviews together, or drop all 200 plus on the same day so you can binge watch them.

As always remember to like, comment, and subscribe. And if you’re one of those people that shops online, remember to check out our affiliate links. Also we’re launching a Patreon so keep an eye out for that in the near future.

Filmed and edited by: Avran LeFeber
Stop motion by: Avran LeFeber
Drunk master played by: Ralph Wigum.
Music provided by:
Dirt Rhodes by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/…)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-…
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

The post The 2018 Snowboard Review Trailer appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Dinosaurs Will Die Rat

Size: 151

Camber Option: Reverse camber. A mellow center reverse camber.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 21.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 Thraxis Size 10

My Weight: 188lbs

Resort: Arapahoe Basin

Conditions: A mix of blue and cloudy skies, high winds, warmer temps, snow that was wind scoured to super firm.

Flex: This board is soft and that shouldn’t need to be stated, but it does. It’s a jib board through and through that can handle hitting some jumps here and there. There’s a lot of play in the tips which is matched by the torsional flex of this board. So to sum it up, this board is soft.

Stability: You’ll feel everything on this board due to the flex and camber profile. It’s not meant to be a stable board. So once you know that, bend them knees, and have some fun.

Ollies: There’s actually a tad of snap in this deck which makes it fun. It’s easy to initiate with a more skate style approach to popping. So for those that can’t snap a cambered deck, look at this.

Pop On Jumps: Small jumps are where this board is at home, anything over 20 to 30 feet you might find some issues. Much like popping an ollie it’s easy to initiate.

Butterability: Of course this deck shines here. Any variation of buttering you want to do, you will be able to. It’s soft and playful. There’s a little bit of snap back but not enough that will fight you through the whole thing.

Jibbing: There’s a big ole sweet spot in the tips that really makes it easy to lock into a press with this board. This board is made to jib and it does not disappoint. It’s playful enough to jib anything and yet still has just a little bit of snap to pop you out of it.

Carving: While I wouldn’t go around railing Euro-carves like it’s going out of style, but the sidecut does have enough grip to rip a good turn. It’s easy to initiate turns whether you’re skidding them or carving.

Rider in Mind: Jib guy that wants a soft fun playful board.

Personal Thoughts: This board never disappoints when you want to go have some fun on a soft deck that is super playful. It’s that right blend of being able to rip the park apart but still handle a little freeriding when you need to on mellow terrain.

Check out the past reviews of the 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 Rat.

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

The post 2018 Dinosaurs Will Die Rat Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Smokin MIP

Size: 151

Camber Option: DTX. Flat from just past insert packs with rocker in the tips.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 T1 DB Size 10

My Weight: 175lbs

Resort: Breckenridge

Conditions: Sunny bluebird skies, warm temps, light winds, and that awesome fast spring corn snow.

Flex: Softer in the tips for easier presses, stiffer under foot through the middle to allow you to stomp landings. One of those true middle of the road consistent flex patterns.

Stability: There’s some chatter in the tips due to the rocker. The flat area makes up for this with a smooth and damp ride.

Ollies: There’s consistent pop in this board for boosting up onto or over rails and other obstacles. It’s not the snappiest deck, but it’s not dead by any means.

Pop On Jumps: It’s nice to have a board that’s not overwhelming but also not a whole pile of suck. This board has snap on lips and really lets you pop if you want to put the work in or you can just be a bit more laid back and let the lip throw you. The choice is yours.

Butterability: The flex, rocker in the tips, and blunt shape all add to this boards ability to butter and that’s what makes it great. So lock in and spin around on the snow like the little ballerina you have always wanted to be.

Jibbing: This board was built for jibbing. From the blunt shape to the rocker profile. So lock in on a press or get sideways on a boardslide.

Carving: For a more park oriented board with a jib focus you can rail a turn with ease on this deck. The softer tips really let you initiate a turn and drive the board through the arc of the carve without any problems.

Rider in Mind: The park guy that might throw down a carve here or there.

Personal Thoughts: This board is a well rounded park stick that lets you maximize your fun on the mountain. Whether carving between park features or sliding sidways through a rail, it does it all with ease.

Check out the past reviews of the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Smokin MIP.

Comparable Boards: Endeavor Live, K2 WWW, Rome Blackjack

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review from Smokin Snowboards marketing department.

The post 2018 Smokin M.I.P. Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.

Board: Dinosaurs Will Die Kwon

Size: 156

Camber Option: Hybrid Camber 1. Camber between the feet with rocker in the tips making it a camrocker.

Bindings: K2 Indy

Stance: 22.5 Wide 18 Negative 15 Goofy

Boots: K2 T1DB Size 10

My Weight: 175lbs

Resort: Breckenridge

Conditions: Mix of sun and clouds and slightly warmer temps.

Flex: Softer in the tips and stiffening up under foot with a bit of torsional give. Over all it’s a true mid all mountain freestyle flex.

Stability: This board is meant to be stable under foot. What you do get is a bit of chatter in the tips at high speeds due to the rocker zone.

Ollies: The snap out of the tips is ample enough to boost over features in your way or get up on an urban approach rail. Want to pop over that slow sign? Don’t hesitate.

Pop On Jumps: Approach the lip and snap off the tail and you’re golden. This is a board that you can let work for you as you’re hitting features in the park.

Butterability: Rocker in the tips always helps with butter, what’s nice is that the camber zone gives a bit of rebound so you can really press into the board and get snap out of it.

Jibbing: Locking into a press was a breeze and this board does what needs to be done to slide a feature. The camber under foot is great for board slides and makes you feel secure.

Carving: Rip a quick turn and don’t hesitate. Want to really set an edge in and put your nipples into the corduroy? Well then you better be prepared to work for it.

Rider in Mind: The guy that is making the mountain his playground and will spend just as much time boosting off natural hits as well as hitting park features.

Personal Thoughts: If you’re a camber lover and want to try out a different profile I would recommend this deck. It’s a great way to get introduced to something that’s a bit easier on the knees and body but still has the snap of traditional camber. It was a real fun ride all over the mountain.

Check out the 2015, 2016 and 2017 reviews of the DWD Kwon.

Comparable Boards: Yes Greats, Lago Double Barrel, Arbor Coda Camber

Support your local snowboard shop buy locally. Find a shop here.

This board was loaned to us for review by DWD Snowboards marketing department.

*Disclaimer this board did not change for 2018 so we carried the 2017 review over.

The post 2018 Dinosaurs Will Die Kwon Snowboard Review appeared first on The Angry Snowboarder.