According to the K2 team, the Brigade snowboard is an all-terrain exploration machine. I’m not one to fall for marketing gimmicks, but as my search for the ultimate all-terrain snowboard has not ended yet, it would be unwise of me to pass up a demo opportunity.

What: 2010 155 K2Brigade, $250-$300.

Where & When: Verbier, Swiss Alps in late March 2010.

Conditions: Sunny, clear as crystal skies, and packed powder/hard packed (some areas were hard pack while others were packed powder).

Setup: Burton C60 Bindings + Burton Ion Boots.

First Run: Verbier “Jumbo ” from the bottom of Mont Fort to the La Chaux peak for a combination of off-piste, groomed, corridors, and moguls in one go.

Technology Worth Mentioning

• Twin shape: This board is symmetrical in shape (equal length tip and tail), thus should feel the same whether riding regular or switch
• Dual Progressive sidecut: Sidecuts designed for any level of rider, K2′s DUAL PROGRESSIVE sidecut is a mistake-friendly, fun and forgiving sidecut, which allows for more consistent riding in all situations.
• Catch Free Camber: According to K2, the Catch Free Camber design translates into a small amount of Rocker in the tip and tail with a reduced camber for a ‘fun and easy’ ride. Basically, the tip and tail have been raised a bit while reducing how high the middle of the board archs (camber) upwards from the floor.

Expectations: I was told this was a more intermediate snowboard, so I’ve kept that in mind – though I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist speeding on this board. At one point I was going so fast on this thing, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the corridor turn I was zooming towards, so I just went off the edge. Luckily, there was enough powder to soften my landing.

First Impressions: The K2 Brigade was most certainly a fun and laid back board and the Catch Free Camber was surprisingly evident. I didn’t think the Catch Free Camber design would have any impact but while preserving the feel of a camber, the reduced arch in the middle led to less edge catching.

Flex/Pop/Stability: K2 made sure the flex of this board was forgiving and fun. It wasn’t too soft, but it definitely wasn’t too stiff. If you’ve ever tried a Burton Custom, you’ll notice that they feel very similar. Popping the board was easy and soft on the knees (but just like any other board, make sure you land smoothly lest you hurt your knee). While a fun board, I didn’t feel too comfortable bombing down Verbier’s slopes aggressively. Chatter isn’t a problem under high speeds, but the board will give out if you need to stop quickly or turn sharply.

Park/Jumps: Don’t worry about taking this thing into the park every now and then, but you should be spending more time shredding groomed runs with the Brigade than making a fool of yourself on the rails. However, this board was a ton of fun taking off jumps and landing the m. 180′s and 360′s for anyone!

Carving/Switching: Any beginner and intermediate will find carving and turning with this board pretty easy to do. However, if you start picking up speeds, you’ll notice the board giving out more often than not. Moreover, K2 was successful at maintaining the board’s playfulness by doing a good job with the boards twin design. Long story short, switches feel as natural as possible.

Pros/Best for:

• Fun and forgiving all-mountain board.
• Jumping and on-mountain features.
• Good Value for Money.

Cons/Worst for:

• Not as stable under high speeds and increased riding aggressiveness.
• Rails and boxes.

Conclusion: If you’re more a beginner looking for a fun board that isn’t too expensive to take your riding to the next level, this might just do it. If you’re an intermediate (looking to progress), an expert, a park junkie, or an aggressive rider, this will not be a good board for you.

Related posts:

1. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
2. Top 12 Snowboards for 2010
3. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think

A guest post by David Zemens, snowboarder from Metro-Detroit and author of Shredding Gnar Snowboarding Blog.

2010 is the first year for the RIDE Machete, and it’s been getting rave reviews just about everywhere. I jumped on the bandwagon and bought one over the weekend, so I’m throwing my review out there for all the world to read, hopefully this helps you out!

Conditions: very-hard pack, light dusting of man-made + real snow, some ice, ~22F and windy

Length: 161cm Wide

Tech Specs:

• Available Sizes: 52, 55, 57W, 58, 60, 61W, 62, 64
• Sidecut: LowRize rocker
• Shape: Twin
• Stance: Center
• Flex: 6.5ish/10 stiff
• Retail price: $429

First Impressions: The Machete is flat between bindings and reverses from foot to tip/tail, a very mild rocker. I thought adjusting to this from camber was pretty much effortless. The edges are beveled 1 degree, and I’m pretty sure this saved me once or twice on the icy.

Switch/Pop: Rode switch nicely, but this is to be expected on true twin. It had a good amount of pop and was awesome stable landing ollies off rollers & small park jump (I didn’t go big).

Stability/Handling: The Machete handled speed very well (thank you, slimewalls!!!), landed jumps effortlessly, and pressed with the best of them.really suits me; even though I want a “park” board I’m really more of an “all mountain” rider who sometimes hits park jumps and very occasionally wipes his ass on boxes & rails. The Machete held its edge well on the very-very-hardpack, didn’t wash out on icy patches. The “slimewall” has an amazing ability to absorb chatter. I’d ride over frozen snowmobile tracks expected to get that chop-chop-chop-chop but nothing. Smooth sailing broseph.

Flex: RIDE says the flex on the Machete is 6/10 but I thought it had waaaay more flex than the most recent park board I’ve ridden (’09 Burton X8)—I was able to practically double the height on my tail presses. This flex lends to the overall playful feel of this deck, but don’t be put-off by that if you’re looking for a charger.

Overall: I probably wouldn’t use this for my “powder” board, and I might not prefer it for bombing black diamonds and steeps, but for an all-around board that’ll cruise the groomers and be equally comfortable rocking out in the park for a few hours, you can’t go wrong.

It’s almost February, and if you’ve been considering a new deck and you want to be able to use it for the remainder of this shred season, try and find one of these, but do it quick. Sources tell me that RIDE is selling out of the Machetes and quickly, so when they’re gone from the shelves, they’re gone for good.

Related posts:

1. Ride DH2 In-Depth Review
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think

There’s no better known snowboarding stick out there than the Burton Custom. And if there’s a snowboard that Burton is known for, it’s the Custom board.

In line with all the improvements, redesigns, reintroductions, etc… Burton added their own version of the reverse camber technology to their most popular snowboard and I finally got a chance to try it out over the weekend. Here’s my review:

Conditions: Very cold and icy.
Setup: Burton Mission Bindings.

Technology Worth Mentioning

Expectations - Given Burton’s Custom snowboard great track record, the rocker design, and more importantly the hype I’ve heard and read, I was expecting this thing to rock the mountain.

First Impression - Burton’s Custom V-rocker is a fun board to muck about and butter the snow with as the rocker shape nicely lifts up the tips and gives you a center base to pivot on. Unfortunately this meant the board did not hold any edge on icy/somewhat icy surfaces. I felt uncomfortable bombing down the mountain, and the V-rocker does take some getting used to. But boy did I have a blast switching and doing spins with the board.

Flex – The Custom V-rocker is a truly flexible board and you’ll feel it right away under your feet. Obviously this is where the rocker design comes in play.

Feel/Turning – The board feels light and steady through straight lines, but it’s when you start going faster that things get ‘iffy’. Although the board is stable under higher speeds, making turns is not the most natural thing with the Custom V-rocker. My guess is that the lifted tips make it extra hard to grab an edge if there isn’t enough snow on the surface. You’ll find yourself feeling somewhat off balance when making turns, so make sure you have enough space.

Park Riding - Naturally this board would fare well in the park and the reality is very close to that. Although I’m not a park person, I found myself wanting to spend more time in the park, because it’s a fun board for the park. Once again, the rocker design really helps as it softens the landings and makes spins easier to pull off. I highly recommend that you take this on boxes, but be careful with rails. The rocker shape will take some getting used to, but once you settle into it, you’ll enjoy the park very much. Unfortunately the half pipe was in bad shape so I couldn’t test this thing properly, but I felt a lot potential fun to be had from the few half pipe runs I got.

Stopping/Switching – Stopping with the Burton Custom V-rocker required more effort and space than expected. Like I said, the rocker design lifts up the tips so much that, unless there’s enough snow, holding an edge was more frustrating than expected. Switching on the other hand was SO MUCH fun. Given my disappointment with the turns and stops, I was stoked at how much fun this board was at switches. If it means anything to anyone, I’ve (un)officially renamed this board the Burton Buttertom V-rocker.

Pros

• Rocker design is a lot of fun
• Fun in the park
• Amazing for buttering/switching and overall mucking about

Cons

• Does not hold or grab as much edge as advertised/hyped

Overall Impression – Despite what Burton says about the Custom V-rocker being a “mountain monopolizer”, I regret to inform you that it isn’t. Unless snow conditions are great all over, you’ll find yourself frustrated with its stopping/turning abilities. Admittedly, snow conditions were (annoyingly) mostly icy, I still don’t think this stick is meant for all-mountain freestylers. But at the same time, if you’re going to stick around the park, you’re better off getting a park board. I feel the biggest culprit behind this is the imbalance between the traditional Custom feel and the V-rocker design. Needless to say, I’ve changed my mind about buying this board.

Who is this board for? If I really had to describe the ideal rider for this board, I’d say it’s for the intermediate freestyle rider that wants a bit more speed and more mountain ride time without sacrificing the goodness of effortless buttering, switching, and spinning.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Burton Rider Review: Method, Jussi, Custom V-rocker, Jeremey Jones, Easy Living
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. K2 Brigade 2010 Snowboard Review

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for more details on the DH2 by Ride. There’s been a lot of buzz about this board among snowboarders for 2010. My friends that bought the board at the beginning of the season have fallen deeply in love with it and were hesitant to give it up for me to review it. After much negotiation, I managed to get my hands on one and really put it to the test on the slopes.

Setup: Ride DH2 155, ’08 Burton Cartel bindings, ’10 Burton Ion boots.

Location/Conditions: Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada. Machine groomed powder, kind of cold, North face of the mountain was a bit more on the powdery side.

Technology (worth mentioning)

• Low-Rise Rocker – The area at the center of the board running between the bindings is dead flat but the board pivots up slightly in shape just outside each of the bindings towards each tip.
• Carbon Pop Rods – Fiber-like structures in each of the tips give an added stiffness to the ends to enhance the pop of the board without adding stiffness to the core.
• Carbon Rays – A technology being adopted by a lot of manufacturers that features rods running from your bindings to the edges for quicker power transfer.
• Slimewalls – Ride’s coveted sidewall technology that features it’s own dampening system and is ultra durable for sliding on snow, metal, or wood.
• Membrain Topsheet – Ultra light topsheet to reduce board weight.

First Impression – As the bottom graphic so casually puts it… HELLSYEAH. This is one super fun board that translates really well over the mountain but finds its roots in the park. Past all the marketing and tech, pressing rails and landing jumps just felt a lot better on this board.

Flex – The board had a relaxed, fun feel to it. It’s definitely stiffer between the bindings than in the tips to give it the best of both worlds in terms of freeride/freestyle riding. Overall, a nice ride.

Feel/Turning – Although the way this board is built in a very complicated way, it all comes together for a very natural, balanced feel. My first couple of runs felt great going relatively fast and transitioning slowly on longer S-shaped turns. Transitioning into turns was easier than I expected and held onto a carve very smoothly as opposed to being aggressive. At even higher speeds the board felt stable and damp thanks to the stiffer core but would chatter if I pushed it past this point. The board felt relatively light under my feet and the base was waxy and fast.

Powder Riding – Took the board to the North face of the mountain that had significantly more powder and really enjoyed the way it floated. In deeper pow situations, I did need to ride the back seat a little to prevent it from sinking but it never really happened. In choppy areas the board did get a little bumpy but nothing to worry about too much. Pulling switches and buttering around in the pow was effortless compared to my Vapor and was definitely a lot easier to swing around.

Park Riding – This board is well equipped for the freestyle park rider. Despite being a reverse camber, it had really nice pop to it that made the entrance and exits to boxes and rails very nice. You can jib your brains out with this thing. The stiffer core wasn’t so nice for balancing the center of the board on rails but it was still very doable. The rocker made landings very smooth. This is definitely something I noticed in comparison to my regular board, a Burton Vapor. The Vapor is always shaky for the first split second or two after a big landing and I need to smooth it out. The DH2 however just felt a lot more comfortable getting back to the snow from the air. The one place I didn’t particularly enjoy this board was in the pipe. I wasn’t expecting it to perform because of the rocker tech on it. It felt a little fussy and couldn’t hold on to the walls of the pipe properly.

Stopping/Switching – I loved the way this board dug into the snow. It was effortless and did it in such a way that you would expect out of a freeride board without the aggressive grip on the ice. The board also has a twin shape to it, which made riding switch a lot more comfortable and controlled. The transition to switch was a lot easier because of the rocker. You could spend the day buttering up the slopes with this thing.

Pros

• Decent price for all the tech involved ($500).
• Park board that you can charge the mountain with.
• Natural, smooth switching.
• Durable edges will last you longer than most boards.

Cons

• Flex profile might not be suitable for everyone.
• Tailored mostly for park riders.
• Underperformer in the half pipe.

Overall Impression – Ride listened to snowboarders and tweaked the DH into this really cool all-mountain machine. If you live nearby a smaller resort and spend most of your time in the park, you’re going to love this thing. Outside the park, it will still keep up with your needs but won’t handle as well as a freeride board on very high speeds. Switching, buttering around, and just plain old fooling around just feels a lot cooler on this board. The jibbing experience on this thing is insane and to be honest, that might justify adding this stick to your arsenal. Definitely on my short list for 2010.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Ride Machete Review
2. Review: 2010 Lib Tech Banana Magic
3. Burton Jussi 2010 Review

I’ve been wanting to get this board for a couple seasons now, and I finally did this season. After a few weeks riding the Burton Jussi, it’s time to put up a review.

Setup: Burton Jussi 159, Burton C60 (with the ICS adapters) bindings, Burton Ion Boots.
Conditions: machine groomed and very cold!

Technology
Twin Shape – this board is symmetrical and should feel the same whether riding regular or switch, though it has a directional flex pattern, meaning the nose has less pop/flex than the tail to maintain better stability at higher speeds.
Inifite Channel System – supposedly provides a more direct connection between the bindings and the board (I don’t buy it), while easily letting you mount your bindings any way you choose (this, I buy).
Freestyle Scoop – exaggerated spoon shape which creates a forgiving feel by turning the edges up at the tip and tail.

First Impressions: This is an excellent all mountain freestyle board for the aggressive rider in you with a lot of pop and spring to it. Given that this is Jussi Oksanen’s board (and designed by him), you can only expect it to be that good, but the board is a bit too stiff to rock just anywhere.

Flex/Stability: Stiffer in the tail, with more pop in the nose, but overall pretty flexible board and fun to ride. Burton’s feel/stiff rating is 6/10, but the board felt a little stiffer than that (think of it more of a relative thing). In any case, it works out well, because the board felt very stable compared to many other freestyle mountain boards. Buttering with the Jussi board was fun.

Park/Jumps: Taking off jumps with the Jussi is great, and landing is not too hard on the knees, but don’t get too excited, because this is not a park board. I definitely wouldn’t recommend jibbing with it too much, because it wasn’t designed for the park in the first place.

Carving/Switching: The board is stiff and tuned enough to hold its edge under pretty high speeds. Switching was a lot of fun and riding regular felt pretty much the same as switch – no board will ever feel the exact same riding switch or regular since humans are not anatomically symmetrical, but this is as good as it gets.

Pro’s:

• Very playful thanks to the exaggerated spoon shape
• Stable under high speeds
• Switching is as natural as it gets

Con’s

• $$$ – somewhat expensive
• Not a fan of the board art
• Not for the park and jibs

My thoughts: The Burton Jussie is a wicked board designed for anyone looking for a fun, yet aggressive stick. Moving forward, this is going to be my primary board (replacing my much more aggressive Burton T6)

If you have any questions about the board, please leave a comment and I will answer you!

Related posts:

1. 2010 Burton Rider Review: Method, Jussi, Custom V-rocker, Jeremey Jones, Easy Living
2. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think
3. Burton T6 2010 Rider Review

With so many snowboards out there to choose from, the addition of all the new technology made available the past two seasons just makes life a whole lot more complicated. Cambers, reverse cambers, dead-flats, rockers, cambered-end rockers… It’s a zoo out there. To make your life easier we took a look at twelve of the best boards for this season, researched the crap out of them, and helped breakdown some of the tech that goes along with them. Here they are, in no particular order…

#1. Lib Tech’s “Skate Banana” ($490)

Although many snowboarding companies have been familiar with reverse camber technology for quite some time, you really have to give props to Lib Tech for reviving it with the Skate Banana. Over the past 2-3 seasons, the company has also been tweaking this board with minor adjustments just to make it better and better. I absolutely LOVE riding this board and so does everyone else who tries it.

The board features Lib Tech’s take on the “reverse camber” where the board is kinked upwards between the feet and from there runs flat to either end of the board. The result? A very loose, fun board that will have you jibbing around and pulling tricks like you never thought possible. Critics will say that this thing is unstable at high speeds but they’re wrong with this board cause the length of it from tip to tail will be on the snow when you carve. With eight contact points digging into the ice on a turn, you’ll also be more stable thanks to the Magne Traction tech.

Sizes: 148N, 151N, 152, 156, 156W, 159, 159W

#2. Ride’s DH2 ($500)

There’s been a lot of talk about the Ride DH2 among the snowboarding community for 2010.  The board features a different kind of reverse camber technology with the board running flat underneath your feet and then kicking up outside the bindings. This allows for a fun, relaxed feel that makes it ideal for the pipe, jumps, and pressing rails.

Haven’t tried this board myself but fellow boarders out there have told me that apart from being incredible in the park, the board can be used with no problems for aggressive riding as well. Ride adds what it likes to call “Carbon Pop Rods” in each tip that give a lot of character to the feel of this board. Apart from being lightweight, it also has thicker steel edges to help with the wear and tear that happens from park riding over time.

Sizes: 151, 153, 155, 156W, 157, 159, 159W

#3. Burton’s Joystick ($530)

With a name like “Joystick” you know fun is just around the corner with this board. Had the chance to try out this board from a Burton demo tent early into the season and was thoroughly impressed with it. Featuring Burton’s “rocker” reverse camber design, this board is similar to the Skate Banana in it’s between-the-feet kinkness. The board’s got a slightly wider feel with tips that scoop up (technology similar to Morrow’s spoon).

The Joystick is very fun to ride, whether it be for jibs, jumps, or pipe attacks. The nice thing about it is that it is insanely forgiving, so you can go big trying new tricks on it. The scooped tips maintain the boards very free feel even when you lean hard on it. With a very balanced stiffness and quick edge-to-edge movement, the board can do pretty much whatever you want.

Sizes: 150, 154, 156W, 157, 159W, 161, 163

#4. Omatic’s EXTR-ECO (aka The Wigglestick, $390)

Omatic took a different direction with this board. Instead of throwing in a reverse camber or “rocker” tech on it they opted to keep the board dead flat from tip to tail.  What they did do is play around with the stiffness of the board in different parts of it and add carbon fiber points to adjust its feeling. With their new BS technology (stands for Bowed Surface, no joke), Omatic have virtually eliminated any edge catching on rails with this board.

Carbon fiber V’s extending form the bindings to the edges help increase your stability when recovering from a jump or rail. They also help give a more dramatic pop to the board making it really fun to ride. The board’s flex is pretty soft in the middle of the board and stiffens as you go towards the tips for maximum control.  I also love the “no such thing as a ‘green’ snowboard’ decal.

Sizes: 149, 151, 154, 157, and 160

#5. Rome’s MOD ($550)

This solid board is designed for the more experienced, aggressive rider due to its conventional camber design. Camber boards are slightly raised in the midsection and run flat to the tips before they scoop up. This tech keeps the board very stable at high speeds. The MOD features a wider waist and mellower sidecut for nailing the landing on those giant jumps. Slightly scooped tips also alleviate the problem with most  camber boards by helping you stay more floaty in powder.

With a camber design and stiffer middle area than most boards, this thing will stick with you through the good times and the bad. The board feels really nice on traditional piste but will be pretty smooth off of it.

Sizes: 151, 154, 156, 158, 160, 162

#6. GNU’s Park Pickle ($490)

Have you ever noticed that when you’re bombing it down the mountain carving away slalom-style that turns on your toe edge are a w hole lot tighter than the turns you pull on your heel edge? The reason behind this is the fact that it’s impossible to dig your heel edge into the snow the way you can your toe edge. When I was first introduced to this board, I didn’t quite agree with that statement but then I took a closer look at the way I ride… My toe edge turns are so tight sometimes, my face skims inches away from the ground and I usually put my hand on the snow to get even more lean.

The guy’s at GNU came up with a great idea to counter this. The Park Pickle’s heel edge sidecut is one whole meter tighter than the toe edge, giving you that extra bit of digging power to make your turns nearly symmetrical. And guess what, it actually works! I tried this board at Mont Tremblant at the beginning of this month and difference is feelable. Mervin (the company that owns both GNU and Lib Tech) put the same banana reverse camber that you see in the Skate Banana into this board. They also added Magne Traction, softened the waist, and stiffened the tips for a perfectly balanced board. The board’s asymmetrical sidecuts doesn’t make it look weird or anything. You won’t even notice it.

Sizes: 147, 150, 153, 156, 156W, 159, 159W

#7. K2’s Slayblade ($550)

Meant for high speeds, the Slayblade is stiff from end to end and even from edge to edge. What I love about this board is that it’s your typical aggressive stiff board, but with a dead flat camber profile. This will give the board a much more forgiving, playful feel than other stiff boards out there. So, you can hang around the park, jib and play around, then just bomb it the hell out of there.

I haven’t tried this board personally but I can only imagine it as being something I would definitely be interested in. My riding is fast and aggressive but I have those days when I just want to spend hours in the park and my Burton Vapor just isn’t meant for that with its positive camber and pretty stiff core. I want to play around but still have the freedom to ride the chair to the peak and tear the mountain apart when I want to. A stiff dead flat like the Slayblade sounds just about right.

Sizes: 153, 156, 158, 159W, 160W, 161, 164, 164W

#8. Never Summer’s EVO-R ($480)

I love it when snowboarding companies look at a problem boarders are having and then come up with great solutions to tackle them. A lot of riders that make the switch from camber to reverse camber or rocker boards complain of the “dead” feel they have with reverse camber because the board isn’t as poppy and pulling of an ollie just feels different. Never Summer’s answer? Give the board a reverse camber between the feet but a normal camber design underneat the feet and out to the tips.

This technology is very similar to Lib Tech’s C2 Power Banana, which I had the chance to try this season. All I can say is wow. These boards just combine the best of both worlds. You’ll find yourself twirling on it’s center like a ballerina but when you need that perfect pop to ollie onto a rail, it’s there waiting for you. The design also gives the board a slightly more stable feel at higher speeds than traditional reverse cambers.

Sizes: 148, 151, 153, 155, 158, 161

#9. DC’s BDR ($430)

For a company that’s not really known for making snowboards, DC pulled off a great board with the BDR. The reverse camber design here runs flat between the feet and kinks up right outside the feet straight to the tail. The boards are playful and super fun for the park rider.

For those occasional back country missions, the “kinkness” in the BDR will help you stay afloat in powder. The board is stiff from tip to tail meaning that there will be zero squirming at high speeds too. An all around, fun yet reliable reverse camber board from Ken Block and his crazies at DC.

Sizes: 149, 153, 156, 159

#10. Capita’s Indoor Survival FK ($400)

FK stands for Flat Kick and helps you get an idea of the design of this board. The core of the board is flat between the bindings and lifts up outside them for that kinked feel we talked about earlier. The tips of the board are different in the sense that they are flatter than most tips you see out there. The design contributes to the versatility this board is meant for.

The Indoor Survival is wider than most boards, which gives it a lot of energy and the right setup to nail big jumps. The board starts out stiff in the center and gets softer towards the tails for a very smooth and clean feel.

Sizes: 152, 154, 156, 158, 160

#11. Smokin’s MIP DTX ($420)

Smokin’ Snowboards purchased the license for Lib Tech’s Magne Traction and threw it on this kinked reverse camber board. Smokin’ have been gaining a lot of attention from riders lately because of their truly versatile fun boards. The MIP DTX is solid at high speeds, stable on sharp turns, yet catch-free on spins and jib landings. This board is truly meant for everywhere on the mountain: park, groomers, powder, and cliff drops.

Sizes: 147, 151, 155, 158

#12. Nitro’s Rook ($470)

If you’re the park rider that’s hesitant on giving up the more traditional positive camber design, the Rook is definitely for you. This thing was made for the park in every sense. Clean presses, clean spins, and clean pipe boosts are all part of the package.

The board is slightly wide and is softer in the middle than in the tips. The nice sidecut profile helps with edge-to-edge transitioning while the rest of the board helps you stay stable on the rails and jump landings. If you’re not ready for the transition to a reverse camber just yet, it may be worth your while to give this stick a shot.

Sizes: 152, 154, 156, 158

Merry Christmas and a Shreddin’ New Year folks!

Related posts:

1. Review: 2010 Lib Tech Banana Magic
2. Top 5 Freeride Snowboards of 2010
3. Burton T6 2010 Rider Review

I got a chance to try this board out for a couple days on the East Coast this past weekend. I’ll spare you the details and jump right into the juicy review stuff.

Where: Mt. Tremblant, Quebec
Snow Conditions: groomed / packed powder
Size: 158 cm.

Notable Technologies/features: Banana/reverse camber design, Magne-traction, made from green-friendly material, and art by Matt French.

First Impression: It’s stiffer than other Banana boards I’ve ridden which makes it more of a freeride board than a freestyle one. It’s official Lib Tech flex rating is 7/10, but it felt less stiff than that (a good thing in my books). The board didn’t feel too heavy or too light, so I was a little concerned with taking jumps with it, but it felt as balanced in the air as it did on the snow.

Feel: So depending on what type of board you’re used to riding, the Banana Magic is on the stiffer end compared to a typical park board and on the more flexible end compared to a typical all-mountain board. In other words, the board is neither overly stiff or flexible and is ideal for a freerider who wants some some extra flex compared to what you get from an all-mountain/freeride board.

Response: To put things in perspective, I ride a T6 (here’s my Burton T6 2010 Review) and I’m an aggressive rider. Given my experience with the T6, responsiveness of other boards is usually weak in comparison. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Lib Tech’s Banana Magic’s responsiveness. It’s deeper sidecut made turning fast and easy and going from edge to edge was a breeze. Overall, there were no issues with sharp turns or wider turns.

Magne-traction & Stability: The MTX technology definitely comes into play with this board, allowing you to be more aggressive with the turns compared to a same-flex board with no MTX. To my surprise, the board was also pretty stable bombing down  the mountain.

Pop & Switching: The Lib Tech Banana Magic isn’t as playful and easy to press as park boards, but it certainly had more pop than typical freeride boards and was fun to butter with. As for switching, the board is designed as a true twin board and it rode that way. My buddy didn’t completely agree with me at first, but after a few runs, he got used to it and felt it did ride like a true twin board.

Overall Impression: Lib Tech is selling this as a stiffer Skata Banana for freeriding, and I think they hit the spot with that. The Banana Magic will be ideal for freeriders who like to get a little rough with their boards, but also enjoy hitting up the park every now and then. I just don’t recommend getting too comfortable in the park. The Banana Magic is definitely one of Lib Tech’s more aggressive boards that’s easy on the legs.

Related posts:

1. Lib Tech Travis Rice C2 Bananarama Rider Review
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. Ride DH2 In-Depth Review

When I got the chance to ride the Burton 2010 T6 (with the C60 EST bindings), I was pretty excited. I had been riding the ’08 model (with C60 bindings) for a couple of seasons now and I was very happy with it as an aggressive bomber board. The major difference between the 2008s and the 2010s is the ICS technology and the EST bindings (click the link if you want my take on those two technologies) and I was looking forward to testing that out. Some of the other relevant tech packed into this board are:

Vaportech Alumafly – Burton’s infamous aluminum honeycomb architecture that makes up the core of this board and allows it to be one of the lightest on the market. Picture holding a metallic honeycomb in your hand that twists and bends like moldable plastic but pops back into position just like real wood. When you hold this board up to a strong light, what do you see? Virtually nothing. That’s because the board is 90% air by volume.

Smooth Ride Technology – Smooth Ride™ dampening technology, exclusive to the T6™, is designed to let you react quicker, go bigger, and ride faster for longer with less impact on your body. Chatter, vibration, and the shock from flat landings gets absorbed by the board before making it to your body.

Feel: According to Burton’s feel scale, the board is rated 8/10. The higher the rating, the stiffer the board is, and vice versa (Burton likes to explain it a little differently, but that’s because they don’t like to use the word ‘stiff’ – apparently it’s not good for marketing). This is Burton’s stiffest board, and I completely agree with them. I’d even go as far as saying that this is one of the stiffest boards I’ve ridden. Ever. The stiffness is a good thing if you like speed. But with all this stiffness comes leg fatigue, and boy did I feel it. Unless you plan on doing some leg work outs, I’d recommend staying away from this thing as your all-purpose board. More importantly, if you want a board to just butter about and mess around, the T6 isn’t that board. It’s a beast on the mountain and was built for high speeds and aggressive riding.

Stability/Response: The board is mighty stable under high speeds and super responsive. The edges are responsive and you can really dig into the hard pack. In the deep stuff you can hop from toe to heel with no problems as well. My only concern is that, I did feel some chatter under the board a few times throughout the day. But that’s probably due to the insane speeds I was doing. As much as the smooth ride dampener helped, there are just some speeds that no kind of tech can keep chatter away. I only bring this up, because I’d hate for you to be disappointed if you feel some chatter at the higher speeds. But comparing this to other boards, the chatter is significantly less (way less). Overall though, the board is very solid and responds insanely well.

Park Riding: I didn’t really try the 2010 model in the park, but from my experience with the 2008 model, this is not a park board. Sure, the board lands jumps very well, but don’t bother taking this into a park. Not only will you be disappointed, you can seriously damage the board too. But if you really insist on hitting the park with your T6, just remember to press hard!

2010 vs. 2008: I have to say, the board was more responsive, while the stiffness remained roughly the same. I can’t  be a 100% certain, but I think the ICS design with the EST bindings had a hand in this. There really weren’t any other design changes that could have affected the responsiveness.

All in all, the T6 is a machine on the slopes and does exactly what it was designed to do: bomb down mountains. Unfortunately, it’s a stiff board, and with a price tag of about $900, I highly urge you to think hard about what your riding style is. Mine is very aggressive and I love the T6 for being very aggressive!

Related posts:

1. Burton Vapor 2010 Rider Review
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. Burton Ion Boots 2010 Review

2010 Burton Rider Review

A rider review by Hoon, a rider, surfer, biker, and all around family man: hoonhwang.blogspot.com

As I wrote before, I spent a sweet weekend at the U.S. Open of Snowboarding. It was fun times with friends and some awesome snowboarding. I did a quick write up for Fuel here on it. As part of the weekend, I demo’ed a bunch of 2010 Burton Snowboards. I’ve been moving to smaller boards with a more blunted tip/tail shape so keep that in mind. Here’s a quick review for each board tested. Of course these aren’t production boards, and things may change before the fall.

Conditions: Spring VT. Nice groomers bright and early. Sugar, crap and ice mid-day. Slush, rocks and bare spots in the afternoon. US Open chaos but took runs all over Stratton. Found some rock jibs, stump and tree jibs. Didn’t roll through the park as my “rider” pass didn’t allow me into the Stratton parks (just the US Open pipe and slopestyle).

Burton Method 155

Burton Method 2010

This is the board that you’ve been hearing about. It costs around $1,300 to $1,600, depending on who you ask, and Burton raided the R&D department to create this ubermachine. I was 100% skeptical about this board, but like the Vapor, I was pleasantly surprised. The shape is pure freestyle with blunt tip and tail. Many boards in 2010 will be rocking the blunt tip/tail shapes, which are old skool, but I love them. It was surprisingly a fun ride. It handled everything well, but was a bit too dead compared to the liveliness that I’ve come to expect from Burton. Lighter and softer than a Vapor, livelier than a T6.

In the air, it was ridiculously light, like hit a kicker and totally overshoot the landing, light. After a few runs, I got a handle on the feel and started getting really comfortable with the board. I did a few rock taps and log jibs with no problems. You have to test the durability right? According to the Demo Tent Dude, it’s lighter than a Chopper kids board (that’s with bindings), whoa. I’d say my biggest issue was fearing that someone would steal it, so I had to bring it into the bar with me to keep it safe at lunch time.

Burton Jussi 156

Burton Jussi 2010

Holy fawking crap! I’ve always liked the Jussi as a nice stiff freestyle board with insane amounts of pop and springiness. But it seemed a bit too stiff to be that versatile board that you want to rock everywhere. The latest incarnation of the Jussi offers a softer (not too soft) flex between the bindings and scoop tip and tail. In the past, I’ve also really liked scoop as seen in the Fix or Seven for 2009. Scoop seemed to provide me with the extra little love for butters and flat land without sacrificing the ollie pop that I crave. The Jussi didn’t disappoint. From first to last run, it was like meeting back up with your old girlfriend. Sweet, comfortable and trustworthy. From high speed 180s to crud busting to goofing around, it was shredtastic. I’d right more, but I fear that this would be just another cliched “this is awesome” review.

And the graphics? Amazing. Burton put out all the stops on this one. For a short summary, I felt like they took my 08 Uninc, slightly softened the flex, added Scoop and sped up the base. This is definitely top 5 for 2010.

Burton Jeremy Jones 159

Burton Jeremey Jones 2010

Another tested favorite from ye old closet, the Jeremy Jones was one of my favorites way back in 2007. My assumption that this would be that same board, but now updated with better construction, a faster base and zero camber in the 159. To my surprise, I hated this board. Hate might be too strong, but I really disliked this board. Part of it could be because the base wasn’t really that well waxed, even though the Demo guys pulled the board right of the bag. Could it be that the zero camber was affecting the base on the flats? I couldn’t really get a good feel with the board. Riding it was ok, nothing special. It just didn’t feel right at all. I respect Jeremy Jones as a rider a lot, but I gotta say, it might be time to retire the board from the lineup after this season.

Oh and the graphics? Absolutely horrendous. Sorry Lance V, I’m just not into the topsheet. I do like the new Forum graphics though for 2010.

Burton Custom Vrocker 159

Burton Custom V-Rocker 2010

Every time I went into the demo tent, the Custom Vrockers were out. So finally I stalked the board by getting to the demo tent first thing on Sunday AM. The 156 (my preferred size) was already out, but they did have a 159. Unlike the Custom, the Vrocker is a mid-wide. The 159 has a waist width of 255, so I was totally able to take the board out even though it’s a bit long and wide for me for East Coast riding.

Many people I know were pushing me to ride this board. And it pains me to say this, but they’re right. The board is sick. The flex is slightly softer than the regular Custom and the Vrocker works in synch with this stiffer, all-mountain deck. It was super stable, held an edge at speed on ice, etc. and also at the same time was able to utilize the Vrocker to make your park riding, freestyle dorking sessions more fun. I’ve been testing the Never Summer SL-R. The Custom Vrocker reminded me a lot of the SL-R or the T.Rice that I was also riding. The common themes are: slightly stiffer flex, reverse camber, yet still maintains an edge and has ollie pop off the tail. So I think you’ll see a lot of Custom Vrockers on the slopes in 2010 as it combines the traditional best seller: the custom with Burton’s version of the rocker. Definitely a killer combo and this is also on my short list now. I just wish it came with blunted tip and tail.

Burton Easy Living 155

Burton Easy Living 2010

The Easy Living is Burton’s replacement of the Uninc (RIP PIG). The Unincs are my opinion of the gold standard. I’ve had an Uninc in my quiver for as many year’s as the boards have been around. I love the way these boards ride: stable, twin tipped, slightly stiffer flex and of course, sick graphics. So I fully expected to jump on the Easy Living and have a similar experience. On paper, the Easy Living looks almost identical to the 2009 Uninc 155, which was hella fun when I tested it a few months ago. The major difference is that Burton upgraded the base for 2010. The graphics in person are friggin’ rockstar. I remember when I first saw them, I was skeptical, but they’re tight.

The ride was a different story. It was stiffer than this year’s Uninc, and it kinda didn’t impress me at all. Of course it could have been the horrible conditions or the fact that I was super hungover or possibly still drunk, but I tested all the boards in this state. The board rode fine, but IMO it didn’t meet the standards that I’ve come to expect from the Uninc boards. Rocking it switch was super twitchy, like unpredictable not happy to ride switch twitchy. The board rode fine straight and was also fine in the air. Talking to a few different people, there’s been mixed reviews of the Easy Living. Surprisingly this board is not on my list for 2010.

Related posts:

1. 2010 Burton Custom V-Rocker Review: It’s Not What You Think
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. Burton Vapor 2010 Rider Review

Burton’s Vapor is one of the boards I rode a lot in the past 2 seasons, so when I finally got my hands on the 2010 model, I had to take it out for a couple of days. First of all, let’s go through some of Burton’s BS marketing mumbo jumbo to give you an idea of some of the technology put into their previously most advanced board (Burton’s Method takes the cake this year). Here’s some of the tech worth mentioning:

Vaportech Alumafly Core – Burton’s infamous NASA-grade aluminum honeycomb architecture (oh yeah!) that makes up the core of this board and allows it to be one of the lightest on the market. Couldn’t find a picture of this stuff but imagine holding a metallic honeycomb in your hand that twists and bends like moldable plastic but pops back into position just like real wood. When you hold this board up to a strong light, what do you see? Virtually nothing. That’s because the board is 90% air by volume.

Infinite Channel System – The 2010 model features Burton’s ICS system that allows for basically infinite stance positioning options. Rami posted an article recently explaining this in detail. You’re no longer confined by shitty three degree increments in your stance, the width between your feet, etc etc etc.

Carbon Vaposkin – Burton’s ultra light topsheet that contributes to the feather-like weight of this board.

Sintered N20 Vision Base – New, faster base technology that apparently comes pre-impregnated with wax and holds it much better than your standard base. This is supposed to make for a much faster ride.

Directional Pro-Tip – The board is like most others in the sense the nose slightly longer than tail for better float and pop but the difference with the Vapor is a tail that is significantly narrower than the nose, which is supposed to reduce swing weight (mostly off the pipe and jumps) and give it a more playful flex.

The Reality

I’ve been a big fan of this board ever since I got into snowboarding. I couple of seasons back I bought the ’08 model and absolutely love riding it but that doesn’t mean that this shred stick is for everyone out there.

I got my hands on a 2010 157 model preloaded with Cartel EST bindings, which I tested with my new Burton Ion boots during a November visit to Whistler Blackcomb.

• Conditions: Reasonable temperatures between 2 and -10 degrees. Snow varied on different locations on the mountain but mostly soft packed and groomed with some powder on the sides of the runs.

• First Impressions: Right off the bat, the board feels amazing under your boots. This was my first time riding Burton’s ICS/EST setup and I must say, you can feel a difference. Felt much more connected to the setup, as if there was less “stuff” between me and the board, and even me and the snow. The pop was slightly improved when compared to previous models. When plowing through the powder banks on the side, it was much easier to keep the nose up than other boards I’ve tried and you even feel the tail sink a little.

• Feel – The board keeps up with the typical Burton stereotype of a “stiff” board. High speeds on groomed runs felt really good and natural. The best kind of turns for it were longer, faster S-shaped turns. Despite being a very light board, at high speeds the board held an edge extremely well and didn’t have the “shattery” feel you would expect. Instead a much mellower, damper ride with quick edge to edge turning. I loved pressing down with my entire body weight on it during a carve and knowing it would holf. That being said, this board sucks with tighter turns on much steeper slopes. The response just wasn’t there. Although I think the one I tried out was a bit too long for me, you can tell that the stiffness just doesn’t help. Buttering around towards the flatter part of some runs was also difficult if not impossible. You would need something with a mellower flex for that kind of stuff.

• Stability – The thing is a beast on groomed runs but didn’t take some bumpy, choppy terrain as well as I thought it would. The lightness of the board definitely played a factor there. In pow it feels smooth and natural almost like a powder board. The more aggressive pop in the tail lets you also pull off some tricks you didn’t think were possible in such deep snow.

• I Believe I Can Fly – I don’t care what bullshit you’ve heard out there regarding ultra-light boards, when it comes down to it there really isn’t much of a difference on the snow. But who said a board like the Vapor is made for the ground? This baby is meant to FLY. Where you really feel the lightness is in the air. Whether it’s a tiny feature on the side of the run or a giant ramp in the park, the second you get this thing off the ground the weight underneath your legs seems to disappear and turning your body for simple switches, 180’s, or even 360’s feel effortless. Swinging the board around feels much better than your typical snowboard and you use much less energy to do it.

• Park Riding? – Definitely not this board’s area of expertise. The stiffness just makes it hard to catch rails and boxes properly and with a board this expensive, I’m not sure you would even want to try. The thing is a vision when it comes to the halfpipe. You can really feel it climbing the walls of the pipe nicely and the “swingyness” of it makes it easier to spin in the air. A lot of people have claimed that the Vapor is essentially a pipe board, but that’s definitely not my thing.

The Usual Suspects

With a price tag over what you probably pay on your mortgage, this thing is pricey! Especially when you consider what you would have to dish out for EST bindings to get the true ICS/EST experience. Snowboarding is fun kids, but you need to draw the line between “fun” and “excessive” sometimes. All the technology packed into this board has also made it somewhat fragile. The Vaposkin topsheet is a scuff canvas for 6 year-old skiers waiting at lift lineups or going up the chair. This thing scratches very easily on the topside and if you’re OCD like me, it might drive you a little nuts! It’s also a stiff board that goes fast but might not be enjoyed by people that enjoy a slower, “jibbier” experience down the mountain. Buttering around is pretty hard to pull off on this board and it definitely is not your friend in the park. This shred stick definitely falls under the “advanced to expert” category and it will definitely overpower the inexperienced rider.

Time to Be Honest

Burton’s Vapor is definitely a wonder when it comes to snowboarding. Despite my comments, this thing is an all-mountain machine that will take you anywhere on the mountain but doesn’t seem to truly sell itself except when you’re in the air or riding the pipe. The price tag is too hefty to just throw this stick in with the rest of the collection and at the same time it’s range is too narrow to have as your single, full-time board. Other companies, like Elan with their Inverse, make lighter boards than the Vapor. I loved this thing on groomed runs but there are arguably better piste boards out there, even from Burton themselves.

That being said, I’m going to keep riding my ’08 Vapor till I break it and then I’m going to buy another one!

Related posts:

1. Burton T6 2010 Rider Review
2. Burton Jussi 2010 Review
3. 2010 Burton Rider Review: Method, Jussi, Custom V-rocker, Jeremey Jones, Easy Living