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Snowboard designs are only getting more specialized. There will always be plenty of all-mountain boards to choose from, since that's what most people are most comfortable riding. But the whackier edges of the spectrum — banana boards, park boards, camber hybrids, split boards, powder-specific boards — are thick with innovation.
We got the opportunity to test a crop of new boards for three days last week, just after the first snow fell in California's Lake Tahoe region. We carried several quivers of hardware up the Funitel at Squaw Valley and rode each of the boards for at least a full day, trying them both on their intended terrains and across the rest of the mountain.
The only thing we couldn't properly test (due to snow conditions in the backcountry) was K2's new split board, so look for a full review of that later, as well as video reviews of a couple of the more interesting rides in this list. Also, you can read the rest of our reviews from our trip to the misty mountains in our previous round-up.
We got the opportunity to test a crop of new boards for three days last week, just after the first snow fell in California's Lake Tahoe region. We carried several quivers of hardware up the Funitel at Squaw Valley and rode each of the boards for at least a full day, trying them both on their intended terrains and across the rest of the mountain.
The only thing we couldn't properly test (due to snow conditions in the backcountry) was K2's new split board, so look for a full review of that later, as well as video reviews of a couple of the more interesting rides in this list. Also, you can read the rest of our reviews from our trip to the misty mountains in our previous round-up.
Burton Root
Snowboard length has traditionally been one of those things you determine once, and that's it — that's the size board you ride. Burton's new line of boards with what it calls "Nug Raduction" lets riders reduce the size of their boards by 8 to 10 centimeters without losing any of the characteristics they've grown used to. The result is a lighter, smaller board with big board stability. The Burton Root I rode ($450) is actually 12 centimeters smaller than my usual board, and after a few minutes of adjusting to the smaller size, it was a joy to ride. The board eschews the traditional camber and rocker with a "Flat Top" shape that extends to the rise of the tip and the tail. Add the slightly wider base and something called Squeeze Box (Burton loves the puns) that enhances flexibility under the bindings while adding stiffer sections outside the foot area, and the board ends up with the feel and stability of a larger board. Because of the smaller size, it's a fun board to toss around the groomers, park and trees. But, it loses all its fun when it encounters ice. The perfect second board. — Roberto BaldwinPhotos by Ariel Zambelich/Wired
