Rated Radical

Rob Kingwill’s Shaper Summit Board Test is held annually at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. A motley crew of shredders assembles for three days and tests hundreds of boards. This event is the proving grounds for our Rated Radical board recommendations. We sift through the results after the test to find boards that stand out. We keep the riders’ opinions in their own words, so you get an unvarnished take on what’s Rated Radical this season.

TESTER: KNUT CARTER

SIZE: 155

“ e Ark is one of my favorite boards to ride. For me, the Arkane made hard snow even easier to ride. For the icy conditions we had in the morning, this board was on point. Hard bumps had less jolts to my knees than most boards. e dampness was amazing while keeping control. ”

TESTER: VALERIE BLACK

SIZE: 144

“My rst impression of this board was that it would be too big for me and I shied away from it previously for that reason. It is a little heavier than the others, but I LOVED it. It rides like a surfboard; it has zero wobble and snaps tight turns. It’s perfectly suited to both tree riding and wide open groomers. ere is a noticeable dampness and shock absorption to the ride. I would love to know what this is like in a powder situation, I bet it’s funnnnn...”

Burton Family Tree Straight Chuter

Never Summer Lady FR Telos Ranquet

TESTER: MICHAEL INGERSOLL

SIZE: 162

“ is board ticks all the boxes for me: traditional camber bend (Burton’s directional camber is only a slight rise in the nose), good amount of taper (18mm), and 8.1m side-cut for those good turns (not too short, not too long). A very similar feel to past Burton tapered/freeride shapes i.e. Malolo, Piranha, Landlord, Dump Truck, etc. If you loved any of those shapes I just listed, it’s likely you will love the Straight Chuter too.”

TESTER: KELLY COLLADO

SIZE: 147

“Super playful and had great maneuverability and responsiveness with my turns. I honestly want this board in my arsenal. Had a great feel on the snow. Was able to hold my edge no problem. Had awesome pop and was light, making jumping super fun. Decently stable in uneven terrain for the size. Moderately fast. Awesome surf shape.”

TESTER: ROB KINGWILL

SIZE: 156

“ is is a powerful free ride charger snowboard, designed by one of the most unique characters in snowboarding. e shape on this board is just about perfect, and the construction and urethane sidewalls allow it to ride like a true smooth operator. e graphics are a throwback and call out to the old days and the history of Mike Ranquet. Overall just a damn good snowboard!”

Pallas Epiphany Jones Ultra Mind Expander

Rossignol After Hours

TESTER: REBECCA HAIL

SIZE: 151

“ is board is a stable table, baby. It will never let you down and you can dance on it if you want to with the peace of mind every party girl needs. It’s like if your best friend was turned into a snowboard. You know they’ll always have your back no matter what! Wide, long, and big– not what you’d expect to love but what you need to love. Can pop but also can lock and drop it.”

TESTER: ERIC DOYLE

SIZE: 158

“ is board has been dialed to perfection. e addition of camber and the carbon build add to an already great shape and ex to make a solid, fast, fun little rally car of a board. Could easily ride this 80% of the time, just leave it at home when you want to get jibby.”

TESTER: JEN FOX

SIZE: 153

“So playful and fun for spring and low tide. I love this board. Great stability at high speed.”

Never Summer Proto Synthesis

Igneous Dark Star

TESTER: JOHN REED

SIZE: 160

“I really love this shape. My son has this board and I’ve compared it all around. I like the camber and long sidecut better than my Westbound. I know it might not oat as well, but I’d prefer a directional version of this with early rise keeping the tail and sidecut from this board. ”

TESTER: VALERIE BLACK

SIZE: 148

“It’s PERFECT. Not only do I have the time of my life on the Dark Star, people bigger than me and way smaller than me have the time of their lives on this board. I am fearless on this board! It is poppy and stable; it’s so dense and shock absorbing, it’s like ying with absolutely e ortless steering. I want to borrow this one for a really deep day. ”

TESTER: JENELLE LINN

SIZE: 147

“I only got one run on this beauty, but it will live in my memory for a long time because it was so fun to carve. is board is super responsive, even to the most subtle of movements. It wasn’t too sti which I personally love. I could plough through deep, sticky slush with no problem. Very damp, very fun. Rated radical for sure!”