Method 17.1 Gear Guide

Y’all like wild rides? We know you do, and we love you for it. In anticipation of the rapidly approaching season, we’ve wrangled in some wisdom from the ladies and gentlemen who know this year’s crop of decks best for our compilation of wild rides available for the 2016/2017 season.

As you’re well aware, today’s board harvest has more variety than a mid-century traveling circus. Crafted in all sizes, shapes, colors, contours, cambers and flex patterns the only mistake you can make is not getting out there... *Cover Rider: Levi Luggen Photo: Silvano Zeiter

*Opening Spread Rider: Victor Daviet Photo: Rudi Wyhlidal

* model

GOLIATH

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Bataleon Goliath has carbon Kevlar and hardwood additives packed into Bataleon’s patented Freestyle 3BT so you can plow through variable snow conditions and maintain speed and stability. It’s a directional twim, mid flex board with traditional camber.

This wild ride was influenced by?

With an 80’s Hotdog skier inspired graphic and built for all mountain riders who want to get in the air, the Goliath is a top choice for Bataleon team rider Tor Lundstrom.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The Goliath is designed to be ridden on all terrain and suits advanced to expert riders looking for a freestyle board they can take anywhere.

This board is wilder than...?

Harkin Banks on two leg splitters at the 1984 freestyle world champs . * LENGTHS: 151, 154, 156, 157, 158, 158w, 160w, 161, 163 SHAPE: Directional Twin CAMBER/ROCKER: Camber with Freestyle 3BT

* Tor Lundstrom P H O T O : Cyril Müller

R E A L

* model

DISASTER

bataleon.com

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Bataleon Disaster features a poplar wood core with beech hardwood stringers running tip to tail along the insert packs to improve pop and enhance the board’s jib characteristics. It’s a soft and playful board with Bataleon’s patented Jib 3BT, blending a 3D base profile with traditional camber for an unparalleled ride.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Inspired by Ethan “Big Show” Morgan and Jaeger Bailey’s hard hitting street styles, and featuring a Tupac inspired graphic, this board is made for the streets and jibbers who want to go hard.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The Disaster is best suited for jibbing, but many Bataleon team riders use it for everything, including big jumps.

This board is wilder than...?

Kanye off his Lexapro. * LENGTHS: 134, 138, 142, 144, 148, 151, 153, 154w, 155 SHAPE: Twin CAMBER/ROCKER: Camber with Jib 3BT

* Jaeger Bailey P H O T O : Cyril Müller

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

CAPITA X SPRING BREAK SLUSH SLASHER

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Spring Break Slush Slasher is the super fun party board that started it all!

This wild ride was influenced by?

Developed as the antithesis to serious snowboarding, the Slush Slasher lets you take last night’s party directly to the mid-day snow with zero intermission.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

Chilled out mellow carves on your way down the hill through slush, pow, and chunder.

This board is wilder than...?

A piña colada in space. * LENGTHS: 143, 147, 151 SHAPE: A zero camber mid-section with a kinked flat kick nose and vacation v-shape tail.

Camber/Rocker: Zero camber from outside insert to outside insert with a flat kick nose and a surf rocker tail.

”A piña colada in space.”

R E A L

* Kazu Kokubo P H O T O : Darcy Bacha

capitasnowboarding.com

* model

KAZU

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

This board is the switchblade of powder boards. It’s quick, maneuverable, and it will slash the backcountry like none other. While many great powder boards are large and surfy, the Kazu Kokubo Pro comes in a compact chassis with a powder nose and a slightly tapered tail.

This wild ride was influenced by?

This board is 100% purely influenced by Kazu’s riding style. The base for the shape and taper can be rooted back to the Charlie Slasher although the Kazu Kokubo Pro adds its own unique more freestyle friendly twist. The board has a slightly tapered tail, positive camber under foot and is loaded with high end attributes like a panda core with bamboo power rods and four engineered carbon arcs in the nose and tail.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

All mountain powder days.

This board is wilder than...?

Kazu’s dreads, no hat on, flying down a deep pow run in the Japanese backcountry. * LENGTHS: 151, 154, 157 Camber/Rocker: Positive camber under foot with a reverse camber nose.

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

TELEGRAPH

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

This women’s true twin shape has a traditional camber combined with a forgiving flex of 6/10 and a fresh deck top sheet that allows for natural progression in the park. Also built with a radius 2 flat which makes this board versatile and a Stratus core for the poppy feel.

This wild ride was influenced by?

This board is inspired by nature and the search for our roots.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This board is like a Swiss Army Knife: You can bring it with you to the park and show who has the balls, and then take it straight to deep powder thanks to the radius 2 flat, which makes things effortless.

This board is wilder than...?

You riding a unicorn after six gin and tonics. * LENGTHS: 144 / 148 / 152 SHAPE: True twin shape CAMBER/ROCKER: Traditional Camber

* Torstein Horgmo P H O T O : Andy Wright

R E A L

dcshoes.com

* Torstein Horgmo P H O T O : Andy Wright

* model

MEDIA BLITZ

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

As a best seller, this updated model has a new double camber profile, which is exclusively on the Media Blitz. This freestyle domination board combines a flex rating of 9/10 with an Impact core and carbon stringers.

Added to the double camber, the fresh deck top sheet allows for the fresh poppy feel of a new skate deck, all finished with bleeding goth-babe graphics.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Inspired, designed and ridden by Torstein himself, this board was built for all-around freestyle domination. The collaboration with Torstein over many years has made this board one of the best sellers in our line. It has allowed us to reach a new level of perfection each year in the freestyle range and offers high quality certified by a pro rider.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

Thanks to its flex profile, the board delivers high performance for the whole spectrum of tech freestyle trickery, from rails and street to park jumps and powder landings.

This board is wilder than...?

A zombie goth babe who hasn’t eaten in (at least) a century. No one can stop her!

* LENGTHS: 150 / 154 / 158 SHAPE: true twin shape CAMBER/ROCKER: Double Camber

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

thedegenerati.com

* model

MODEL #1

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Model #1 features a directional shape perfect for nose pressing or tail blocking whatever’s in your path. Built with super-charged flat camber for freakish nollie power and Flex Society Contours that let you know this board is different the minute you pick it up.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Designed for riders who roll 10 deep in a van all season, who shotgun beers mid-session, hike parks well after the chairs stop spinning, kids that hustle the nightshift so they can get first drop each morning: park rats, urban fiends, locals, vagrants and car camping gypsies.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

Rope tows, backyard parks, side hits on repeat, frozen street spots, slushy hand-dug pipes, house parties, natural jibs, parked cars, moving cars & rope gaps.

This board is wilder than...?

A night out in Reno after drinking Ayahuasca in the desert all day. * LENGTHS: 148, 153, 157

* Corey Caswell

P H O T O : Emily Tidwell

R E A L

koruashapes.com * model

CAFÉ RACER

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Café Racer is a softboot carving board, ideal for tight aggressive turns when tearing up resort groomers. The full camber on this board gives you more grip in turns from tip to tail, and rides like a train on tracks. It’s a good board to learn how to carve properly, but also able to handle the perfect turns of a powerful experienced rider. Even though it is built for groomers it can also handle some powder and due to the sintered P-Tex 2000 base, it’s also a banked slalom winner. It’s Polyamide 3CPA topsheet, Biaxial glassfiber and Poplar Light Core make it a solid board with a slightly stiffer than medium flex.

This wild ride was influenced by?

The Café Racer is the brainchild of our good friend and amazing photographer Thomas Stöckli. After riding our Pencil model on groomers a lot on his car danchi adventures all over Switzerland, he came to us with the idea of a shorter, less wide and even more responsive board that, because of it’s full camber and stiffer tail, would still give him the grip and support he liked so much about longer boards.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

All-mountain really, we developed this board with a focus on riding groomers, but it can also handle powder and really works great anywhere where you need short turns and quick changing of directions.

This board is wilder than...?

The ferry ride Stephan Maurer supposedly had a couple weeks ago on his way back from the Mentawai Islands while having food poisoning and diarrhea… Ha, good times! * LENGTHS: 156 SHAPE: Directional CAMBER/ROCKER: Camber

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* Nicholas Wolken

P H O T O : Aaron Schwartz

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

FINSANITY

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Finsanity has Mike Olsons original fin design updated with modern sidecut and a C2 contour to rip the entire mountain. Take the fins off and Finsanity is a good time park and all mountain stick. It also has a set back stance, or „set back the clock”, fin engagement stance option for surfy powdery early ‚80s style.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Finsanity is an homage to Gnu’s storied boarding past, when we pioneered the first finless carving geometries as snowboarding emerged from the untracked and onto ski areas and hardpack. This year we revisit the Finsanity of our past with this new model. The graphic and overall design concept flow from the brain of Mike Olson himself.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

If you want to let the fins fly, powder will be your best bet, but this board has setup options to rip groomers as well.

This board is wilder than...?

Than the era when it was developed! Ahead of it’s time in the ‚80s, the Finsanity is reissued with the same aerospace engineering influence and advance geometries it’s predecessor featured in its gold years. Still, nothing can touch!

It’s unreal! * LENGTHS: 157 Camber/Rocker: c2 contour The perfect rocker/camber hybrid. Unreal everywhereincluding pow!

* Alex Lopez

PHOTO:TIM ZIMMERMAN

R E A L

gnu.com * model

FOREST BAILEY´S SPACE CASE

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Forest continues to evolve his space collection to take on the galaxy’s most technically challenging lines. The Space Case makes regular planetary shredding effortless, even in the darkest, most dangerous corners of space. The Space Case features a perfectly balanced asymmetry with an unreal XC2 contour for added control and stability.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Forest! He collaborated with Gnu’s Weird Science Space Team to develop a naturally balanced all-terrain jib stick that allows him to take on the galaxy’s most technically challenging lines and come home safely.

Oh, and the night sky art gallery between the feet? The lunar calendar lays there for an additional harvest of energy. Ever since Forest was a kid, his mom had the phases of the moon on every calendar to source energy and guide through the wild lines, on and off hill.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

Forest’s dream board comes equipped with the perfect aggressive XC2 contour, catered to your every freeride/freestyle need. It rips everything with control, precision, and float. Take it from the man himself - as Forest says, „You can do anything on it.”

This board is wilder than...?

Than getting the call that you have 20 minutes to pack a bag and jump on the spaceship that will take you on an out-of-this-world ride, ripping the outer edges of the universe… * LENGTHS: 147, 150, 153, 156, 159 Camber/Rocker: ASYM TWIN Camber/Rocker: XC2 AGGRESSIVE PERFECTION

* Max Warbington

PHOTO:TIM ZIMMERMAN

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

COOL BEAN / COOL BEAN SPLIT

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Cool Bean’s Volume Shift™ is a totally new look on snowboard philosophy: shorter, wider, and with an innovative swallow-like tail. These attributes give the K2 Cool Bean a surf-inspired flow, glide on all types of snow and effortless glory on the groomers. We’ve amped the K2 All-Terrain Baseline™ construction with Tweekend™ tips, extending the rocker to the very ends of the board for even more float.

This wild ride was influenced by?

The K2 ENJOYERS believe we´ve just scratched the surface of what´s possible on a snowboard. Influenced by a clean flowing riding style that is more about enjoying the feeling than going bigger or conquering the terrain. The Cool Bean and its vibe behind it is a more soulful and internal drive to let your riding fit the terrain in a smooth and classic style.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

You won´t believe it but this little bastard lets you carve groomers as deep as ever before, floats through powder without making your legs burn and surfs around trees as cool as its name. The Cool Bean´s purpose is enjoying every terrain with slashy bashy easiness.

This board is wilder than...?

Vegas, baby! * LENGTHS: 138, 144, 150 (Volume Shift Shaping: Downsize 10-15cm from your standard board length) SHAPE: Volume Shift for surfy maneuverable feel, Swallow Tail functionally tuned for powder glide and groomer carves, Directional Outline, 20mm Taper and 287mm waist width (@144cm) Camber/Rocker: AT Baseline with flat mid-section to medium rocker tip and tail, Tweekend for smooth rocker predictability

* Levi Luggen

P H O T O : S I LVA N O Z E I T E R

R E A L

k2snowboarding.com

* model

PARTY PLATTER

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Chopping 7-10cm from your standard snowboard size, the all new K2 Party Platter carries a hot new vision of freestyle right out the oven and onto the hill. Never-before-seen Volume Shift tech delivers a surfier feel and better maneuverability than ever. Life is about trying new things, and the Party Platter is one new flavor that’s sure to become a classic.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Team riders Tim Eddy and Levi Luggen asked for more freestyle versatility after shredding the gnar with the Cool Bean, so the Party Platter is logically the next step after the Cool Bean´s success with added park precision and clean switch capability.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This is an everyday shred stick carrying tons of fun. You won´t use it in AK´s hard pack but dude, who goes there?! It´s designed to make your home mountain a playground where you enjoy all jibs, hips, banks and bonks.

This board is wilder than...?

Method Mag! * LENGTHS: 143, 150 (Volume Shift Shaping: Downsize 7-10cm from your standard board length) SHAPE: Volume Shift for surfy maneuverable feel, Tail Kick for surf style with switch freestyle capability, Directional Outline, 270mm waist width (@150cm) Camber/Rocker: AT Baseline with flat mid-section to medium rocker tip and tail, Tweekend for smooth rocker predictability

* Jens Anselstetter

P H O T O : E L O OA

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

JAMIE LYNN COLLAB - LOST X LIB

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

This Jamie Lynn x Lost collab is a short, fat cambered pow lover. It’s directional and wide, with a floaty nose and plenty of surface area to keep that surfy feel.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Epic Baldface sessions. Jamie Lynn and legendary shaper Matt Biolos first met in the ‚80s but it took until this year for them to work together and create this ripper.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This one is perfect for pow! It carries speed through the flats, is stable in the steeps and can maneuver in tight pockets. This board makes great days even better - snow surfing at its finest!

This board is wilder than...?

A three-month-long road trip from SoCal to Seattle with your board(s), bike, axe, and art to pay your way. * LENGTHS: 146 Camber/Rocker: SP contours, Directional Camber

* Jamie Lynn

PHOTO:TIM ZIMMERMAN

R E A L

lib-tech.com

* model

T:RICE CLIMAX

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

When it comes to decks, what is better than carbon?

More carbon! The T Rice Climax features carbon wrapped in carbon with magnesium fiber reinforcement.

It’s got the aggressive XC2 riding rocker/camber combination - lengthened camber and a shortened rocker between your feet.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Travis is constantly searching for higher performance in both his riding and equipment and this board is the culmination of that hunt!

Best terrain to rip this deck?

You ever seen any terrain Travis Rice can’t ride?

This board is wilder than...?

The energy of crashing waves, the ripples of ecstasy pulsing through you, and the electricity that exists between you and your snowboard. * LENGTHS: 155, 159, 163

PHOTO:TIM ZIMMERMAN

* Travis Rice

Camber/Rocker: AGGRESSIVE RIDING ROCKER / CAMBER COMBINATION. Aggreessive Perfection CONTROL / PRECISION / FLOAT

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

HALLDOR HELGASON PRO MODEL

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Halldor’s pro model is built on an asymmetrical outline with added uplift on the toe side to boost edge control. It features a poplar wood core with beech hardwood running parallel to the steel edges for added strength and stability. It’s a soft/medium flex with traditional camber and Asym 3BT. Halldor’s pro model .

Switchback Bindings perfectly match this board.

* LENGTHS: 153, 156, 159 SHAPE: Asymmetrical twin CAMBER/ROCKER: Camber with Asym 3BT

This wild ride was influenced by?

This board was influenced by the king himself: Halldor “Tiffany Cray Cray” Helgason, and features his favorite tools for everyday livin, a flosser and a hammer cheese slicer combo. Something everyone needs.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This board is best suited for park riding and all-mountain terrain.

This board is wilder than...?

Halldor on rv juice at an Alice Cooper concert.

”Halldor on rv juice at an Alice Cooper concert.”

R E A L

* model

EIKI HELGASON PRO MODEL

lobstersnowboards.com

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Eiki Helgason pro model is a spec’d up Jib Board with horizontal carbon stringers. They improve pop and reinforce the binding area while still allowing for smooth presses. It has a harder, faster base material that can take a beating in the streets or park.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Eiki thought it made sense to have a badass wizard on the board because wizards rule everything. Except there aren’t any wizards in Iceland, only Vikings and trolls.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This board is designed to be ridden in the park and streets. It excels as a jib board, but the carbon additives make it sturdy enough for all freestyle riding.

This board is wilder than...?

Late night game of dungeons and dragons on acid in your uncle’s basement. * LENGTHS: 148, 151, 153, 155 SHAPE: Twin CAMBER/ROCKER: Camber with Jib 3BT

* Eiki Helgason

P H O T O : RYA N S C A R D I G L I

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

NITRO QUIVER TREEHUGGER

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The short 149 cm swallowtail length and Cam-Out Camber combine to deliver a pow floater that knows how to take aggressive hairpin turns through the tightest of trees with ease. It is very lightweight, yet full of power, while faster than most because of the Sintered Speed Formula HD Base. The graphic is a collaboration graphic with Poler Stuff, because the best way to really enjoy a board like this is to go out on a snow camping adventure in the mountains. Bryan Fox created the graphic together with the Poler team.

This wild ride was influenced by?

This new super-stubby 149 cm swallowtail surf shape is the offspring of Austin Smith & Bryan Fox´s original Quiver Pow Board, designed to take tree runs one step further, and quicker. Together with Smith & Fox we saw that this type of small tree run pow board was missing from our line. We know that riding in the trees is one of the most fun things to do and that is usually where the pow is at the end of the day, so why not have a board that excels at this type of boarding.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The best terrain is in the trees; the Treehugger was designed specifically to float like a boat and turn like a Formula 1 car. But, don’t worry once the pow is all destroyed it is super fun to just surf the whole mountain with because of its sidecut and short length. The perfect resort surfboard!

This board is wilder than...?

This board is wilder than a presidential election between Hillary and Trump, but more fun than a day at Six Flags with all of your homies! * LENGTHS: 149 SHAPE: Tapered Swallowtail Shape

PHOTO: BOB PLUMB

* Austin Smith

Camber/Rocker: Cam-Out Camber: Standard Camber with early rise in the tip and tail.

R E A L

* model

NITRO DIABLO

nitrousa.com

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

This asymmetrical twin tip board allows you to float with style in any condition. Because of the exaggerated nose and tail lengths you get insane float in pow, but the turning radius is shorter so you can easily get technical in the park. It has our Cam-Out Camber and an all-terrain flex to provide you with a responsive, yet very forgiving ride for all mountain destruction. The combination of the Power Pods and the Asymmetrical shape lets you really lay down your turns and drag a nipple with ease.

This wild ride was influenced by?

This board was introduced in the Nitro line over a decade ago.

We brought it back because we saw that people were getting into carving and turning again, which is awesome because that is something everyone who snowboards can appreciate and enjoy.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The Diablo is basically a board sent from hell, because it destroys every other board when it comes to the versatility it offers in every type of terrain and conditions. Austin Smith has ridden this board down the steepest of lines in AK, and then taken it for back lips down El Toro at High Cascade in June.

This board is wilder than...?

This board is wilder than a day with Dan Bilzerian! * LENGTHS: 163,6 - 160,6 - 158,6 - 155,6 SHAPE: Asymmetrical Twin Shape Camber/Rocker: Cam-Out Camber

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model THE TIMELESS Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

An all-new shape for the relaunch of a classic RIDE model, this new Timeless is true to the roots of the name, with a Directional Hybrid Camber profile made for all-mountain shredding. The aluminum topsheet makes for the smoothest RIDE possible at any speed. No limits. No top speed. This board can take more than you can give. Fast. Controlled. Powerful. Timeless!

This wild ride was influenced by?

This board is developed to win the Baker Banked Slalom and the idea was born while watching Formula 1. We want to build the fastest board ever, one that will kill it in every terrain. All our riders who go to the banked slalom are using this board.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The Timeless knows no limits. Honestly, the Timeless does his job in any conditions. It is a must try!

This board is wilder than...?

A honey badger! Fearless! * LENGTHS: 150/153/155/158/161 SHAPE: True Twin Camber/Rocker: Quad Camber

�The Timeless knows no limits.

Honestly, the Timeless does his job in any conditions. It is a must try!�

R E A L

ridesnowboardscom * model

WARPIG

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Available in two sizes, small and large, this odd-looking creature is all about fun. We tested a bunch of prototypes over the past year to get this thing dialed. It’s an aggressive slashing, skier spraying, park-lapping machine. The compact size and quick sidecut makes for a RIDE like nothing else. The Warpig will destroy a derby course or outrun ski patrol. This board will do anything you want to do and freak out all the squares while you are doing it. When the snow starts falling fast, you better believe that extra width will float like a board twice its size This wild ride was influenced by?

The Warpig was developed in-house during a bad weather session at Mt. Baker. We were looking for a board to have more than fun on slushy conditions, so we cut an old board and the idea was born. Now Brandon Davis is on The Warpig and he kills everything with it Best terrain to rip this deck?

No doubt, the best place for the Warpig is the slope and all the hidden hits beside it. It is just an awesome board for having real fun on the slope and destroying all obstacles that Mother Nature throws in your way.

This board is wilder than...?

A pig with rabies. * LENGTHS: small – 148; large -154 SHAPE: tapered directional Rocker

* Jake Blauvelt

P H O T O : R I D E S N OW B OA R D S

Camber/Rocker: Rocker

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

BLUR

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Rome’s shaper created a new weapon for riding mountains with speed and power. Loaded with TurboRods, Basalt Impact Plates and our brand new Hybrid Stay Positive Camber this board is a true weapon. The new camber profile offers a positive camber through most of the running length with a small touch of rocker at the contact points, which only gets activated when you flex the board. This gives the board an incredible responsiveness but with a smoother turn initiation and more float in powder than a regular camber. To add even more power and support to your turn we have milled two arcing TurboRods into the core of this board near the sidecut. These carbon TurboRods run all the way from nose to tail and give this board superpowers. In order to make the board more durable and reduce core compressions a thin layer of basalt is layed under your bindings, we call it the Basalt Impact Plates.

This wild ride was influenced by?

We innovated the concept behind this board back in 2010 and ran it for several years in the Anthem SS—possibly a bit ahead of its time given the fruity anti-camber craze of those times. Through the intervening years, 100-day locals and industry insiders have told us that this is their favorite camber of all time, so we decided to bring back a new version of it. This board was brought back to life by those people that live for snowboarding and shred 100 days a year.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This new board series is for high-octane down-mountain snowboarding.

If you’re a rider who likes to run tram laps at a place like Jackson, this board is equally happy sending big drops as it is sending rooster sprays of pow.

Or if you’re a rider who likes to get out on first-chair groomers, this board will snap around quickly and let you enjoy the g-forces of leaving ruts in corduroy. Wherever you get down, this board is a high-performing surgical tool.

This board is wilder than...?

He-Man vs Skeletor.

* LENGTHS: 156, 159, 162 SHAPE: Directional Camber/Rocker: Hybrid Stay Positive

* Matt Stillman

P H O T O : G R A DY S K E LT O N

R E A L

romesnowboards.com

* model

BUCKSHOT

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

The Buckshot is made for creative and heavy park riding. It features a Stay Positive camber with a sintered base which still provides the most POP out of all camber profiles and has always been a team favourite. To deal with abuse, the Buckshot features a triple dose of strength technologies. The Rebound Sidewalls absorb shocks from hitting rails and smooth out your performance on obstacles. The Bamboo HotRods add strength and POP to your nose and tail while still making your board flex very naturally. And the Basalt Impact Plates reduce core compressions from heavy landings. All in all this board is ready to take your creative snowboarding to the next level..

This wild ride was influenced by?

The Buckshot was created by Toni Kerkelä and Ozzy Henning. Both riders wanted a camber board that they can take anywhere, one that will give them the POP, Flex and durability they need. They have found a board that lets them bring their creativity and progressive riding style into the streets and onto the hill with no compromises.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

As mentioned, The Buckshot is a new series designed with Ozzy Henning and Toni Kerkela, so that should give a strong idea of what this board is all about.

From park to street to resort, Ozzy and Toni are constantly taking new lines, innovating new tricks and putting their own stamps on old standards. And they do it all with heavy style that makes it super fun to watch.

This board is wilder than...?

Ty Segall on acid. * LENGTHS: 147, 151, 155 SHAPE: True Twin Camber/Rocker: Stay Positive

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* Toni Kerkelä

P H O T O : Z A N E K R AU J I N A

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

THE ULTIMATE RIDE

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Built for all snowboarding environments, AK lines to the streets. The one-of-a-kind shape is designed by Bode Merrill, featuring Quadralizer sidecuts to enable both arching carves and fast aggressive turns. This board also features Quad Camber hybrid design, Ghost Carbon Beam for pop and stability during deep landings, the new for 2016 Gunslinger Sidewalls, Ghost Green Core to shed weight, and Area 51 sintered base for lightning speed.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Bode Merrill inspired the creation of this board. His no compromise type of snowboarding needed a high performing board to support the abuse. He made the shape with a jigsaw and we applied it to the board.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

This board will perform everywhere from the steeps of Alaska to the rails in the park. You will need a good pair of legs to tame this beast.

This board is wilder than...?

A night at Dante’s.

* LENGTHS: 150/153/155/158/161 SHAPE: True Twin Camber/Rocker: Quad Camber

* Bode Merrill

P H O T O : O L I G AG N O N

R E A L

salomon.com * model

THE VILLAIN

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

Crafted under the watchful eye of Louif Paradis and featuring art by Dave Banks, the Villain Snowboard has become one of the most popular boards in the line for good reason. Rock Out Camber, now with Triax fiber, blends to make the perfect balance of flex and response, while Slingshot Sidewall puts the power underfoot where Lou needs it.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Louif is at the heart of this board. He has been working with Salomon to evolve the board with his riding throughout the years. He has made a board that has become a team favorite in the park.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The streets and the park are where this board expresses itself the best.

This board is wilder than...?

A night at the greek. * LENGTHS: 147/150/153/155/158/155w/158w SHAPE: True Twin Camber/Rocker: Rock out Camber

* Louif Paradis

P H O T O : O L I G AG N O N

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

THE CLONE

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

This board comes in signature lengths by Markku Koski, Fredrik Austbo and Michi Albin. It’s a high speed, directional charger equipped with our most aggressive sidecut to date. WIth its balanced flex and one inch setback, The Clone will give you response like no other. Take it to the backcountry and enjoy effortless turning. Ride it on a freshly groomed piste and finally nail that full-circle carve. Perfectly balanced, full confidence.

This wild ride was influenced by?

We asked Markku, Freddy and Michi to build their perfect ride. The result is a slightly tapered directional freestyle board in signature lengths for each riding style.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The Clone is basically good on any terrain. Markku uses it for park and pow, Freddy rides it for anything from pipe to pow and Michi uses it to slashes his backyard in the Engadin.

This board is wilder than…?

Lemmy Kilmister - full of speed and solid as a railroad. * LENGTHS: 153, 157 and 161 SHAPE: Asym Twin Camber/Rocker: CamRock

* Fredrik Austbo

PHOTO: CARL ØSTBERG

R E A L

vimanasnow.com

* model

THE ENNITIME Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

This one is a must for the quiver of a world traveler, available in signature lengths chosen by Enni Rukajärvi. From podiums to big mountain lines, the Ennitime PowTwin is a direct reflection of her riding style – playful, creative, and fast.

143 - 147 Twin camber boards to hit kickers, rails and jib around the park 151 - 153 Directional rockers for all-mountain slashing This wild ride was influenced by?

We asked Enni Rukajärvi to build her perfect setup of boards. These boards are crafted to her riding style and needs.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

The Ennitime PowTwin is a twin tip powder board for women. It’s got deep sidecut and is ultra responsive with a little bit of rocker to keep you afloat.

This board is wilder than…?

Johnny Thunders 1970s New York rampage. Like Enni herself, it`s rock and roll and an all-in sender. * LENGTHS: 143, 147, 149 SHAPE: Twin Camber/Rocker: Camber or Rocker

* Enni Rukajarvi

PHOTO: CARL ØSTBERG

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17

* model

GREATS UN…INC

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

On the technical end, the Greats is graced with the original asym-twin outline. Tighter heel sidecut than toe rebalances and enhances the body’s natural strengths. And this year we’ve gone a step further by adding a carbon stringer on the heel-side of the board that effectively creates an asymmetrical flex. The additional weight and power applied to your heel edge is now matched without overpowering your toe edge.

This wild ride was influenced by?

JP Solberg, Romain DeMarchi and DCP. Those guys proposed the idea and PJ Devilliers made it happen.

The graphic is made up some of our favorite Un..Inc graphics. The brief but monumental years that DCP, JP, Romain, Jeffy and Gigi had creative freedom with the project are curated here in a single celebratory homage.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

Park laps to park-inspired backcountry booters.

This board is wilder than...?

What’s with the word “wild”?

* LENGTHS: 152, 154, 156, 158 SHAPE: Asym Twin Camber/Rocker: CamRock

* DCP

PHOTO:DEAN BLOTTO GREY

R E A L

* model

420 POWDERHULL

yesnowboard.com

Explain the highlights of this board in a few sentences.

By applying PowderHull to a narrower, slightly longer version of the 420, we’ve created a board that is more reactive, livelier and more floaty than you ever thought possible.

This wild ride was influenced by?

Last year we caused a paradigm shift with the 20/20 Powderhull with a complex bottom contour that quite literally made a true twin outline float as well as a directional board does in powder.

This opened up a world of possibility in powder to freestyle riders who do not want to leave the symmetrical balance of their twins.

It was only natural that we would apply that to one of the most revered and copied boards of the modern era – The 420.

Best terrain to rip this deck?

If you can afford to dedicate yourself to the search for powder - whether by airline, cat, heli or a decadent combination of all three - you can’t afford not to have this board in your quiver.

This board is wilder than...?

Seriously…

* LENGTHS: 151 SHAPE: Directional/ Wide Camber/Rocker: Powderhull

“If you can afford to dedicate yourself to the search

for powder - whether by airline, cat, heli or a decadent combination of all three – You can’t afford not to have this board in your quiver.”

S N OW B OA R D I N G

* buyers guide BOARDS 17