Snowboarding is one of the coolest sports on the planet. However, like any other sport, it requires high-quality equipment if you want to get the maximum dose of adrenaline without sacrificing your own safety.
The best snowboard models are those that have passed the annual Good Wood test from the reputable Transworld.. This year, magazine experts tested the best male and female versions of snowboards. And we organized them into categories so that it would be easier for you to make a choice.
We present you the best snowboards of 2018-2019. The rating is aimed at different levels of abilities and various types of snowboarding.
Best men's snowboards for the park in 2019
1. Dinosaurs Will Die MAET
average price - 16 900 rubles.
Deflection - Lowrider Camber
Rigidity — 3/10
Rostov - 148 - 158 cm
Waist width - 25.2-26 cm
The best men's board for the winter season of 2018-2019 carries the true spirit of the company DWD, which produces funny and high-quality models without resorting to aggressive advertising and sensitively listening to testers of every size.
This snowboard features a mid-wide waist, symmetrical True Twin design and an extruded base.
Due to its stability at speeds and predictable behavior, the DWD MAET can be called an ideal choice for a rider who prefers skiing in a large snow park or in one of the best ski resorts in Russia.
2. Stepchild Latchkey
average price - 11 544 rubles
Deflection - Camber Between Feet; Flat contact points
Rigidity — 6/10
Rostov - 148 - 159 cm
Waist width - 24.6-25.2 cm
This sintered base snowboard requires careful maintenance, but it gives you unsurpassed glide quality.
“I liked the simplicity of this board,” said one of Good Wood's testers. “It’s elementary, but not nonsense - that is how snowboarding should be.”
The product features carbon streamers that improve torsional stiffness and increase the durability of the flexible profile. Due to its rigidity, Stepchild Latchkey is suitable for a snowboarder who prefers high-speed movement, but also does not forget about jumping.
A discreet coloring and low price make this model a good New Year present for a professional freestyler.
3. GNU Headspace
average price - 31,000 rubles.
Deflection - C3 Camber
Rigidity — 4/10
Rostov - 149 - 158 cm
Waist width - 25-25.5 cm
The testers compared the feelings of this snowboard with an extruded base to a ride in a beautiful car. You meditate and say to yourself: "This is exactly what I should feel from the snowboard."
The asymmetric GNU Headspace shape, coupled with sufficient softness and a pronounced camber along the entire board, provides stability both in fast forward movement and when cornering. At the same time, the snowboard behaves well in deep snow.
The only difficulty testers reported was the need to part with GNU Headspace.
Also in this top were models:
- YES. Greats UnInc.
- CAPiTA Defenders of Awesome.
- SIMS Juice.
- Academy Propacamba
- Interior Plain Project Harrow
- Lib Tech Box Knife
- Signal Super Park Series
- DC 156
- Public general public
- Burton free thinker
- Salomon assassin
The best women's snowboards for the park in 2019
1. Salomon Gypsy Classicks by Desiree
average price - 39,990 rubles.
Deflection - Rock Out Camber
Rigidity — 5/10
Rostov - 138 - 151 cm
Waist width - 23.8-24.7 cm
The best women's snowboard season 2018-2019 was created in collaboration with the famous snowboarder Melancon Desiree, hence its name. It features a sintered base and a fully symmetrical True Twin design that allows you to ride both in your rack and in the switch.
Thanks to the side cutout of the Quadralizer, the board smoothly enters the bend even in difficult areas. It provides fast acceleration and a soft "landing". None of the Transworld experts could find a flaw in the Gypsy Classicks.
2. Burton Rewind
average price - 40 538 rubles.
Deflection - Pure Pop Camber
Rigidity — 6/10
Rostov - 141 - 152 cm
Waist width - 23.7-24.5 cm
This model of True Twin uniforms will appeal not only to cat lovers, but also to those who need a responsive and beautifully managed snowboard. Burton Rewind is suitable for both freestyle and for riding on the "puff", giving odds to guys. Thanks to the enlarged edge under the snowboard mounts, it is possible to predictably drive on ice slopes.
Overall, Burton Rewind earned the praise of testers for its comfort and stability. And of the shortcomings can be noted except that its rigidity.
3. Arbor Cadence Rocker
average price - 41,280 rubles.
Deflection - System Rocker
Rigidity — 5/10
Rostov - 139 - 155 cm
Waist width - 23.15-23.95 cm
Experts have classified Cadence Rocker as the mildest snowboard for women of all that they tested this time. This fully symmetrical model has an excellent balance, it is fast, flexible and durable. Four Grip-Tech lugs facilitate rotation and maximize stability.
However, Cadence Rocker lacks versatility, it is an excellent board for a snow park and do not require more from it.
The best women's snowboards also included:
- CAPiTA Space Metal Fantasy.
- Dinosaurs Will Die Bogart.
- Signal Ambient.
- K2 Lime Lite.
- Never Summer Shaper Twin
Best price / quality 2019 snowboards
1. Dinosaurs Will Die MAET
average price - 16 900 rubles.
Deflection - Lowrider Camber
Rigidity — 3/10
Rostov - 148 - 158 cm
Waist width - 25.2-26 cm
Look at the majority of the representatives of the ranking of the best snowboards for snow parks 2018-2019. and understand why the MAET model came first in terms of price and quality.
Good reviews about the products of the Canadian brand indicate that the "dinosaurs" are great for both beginners and experienced riders. They look, perhaps, a little childish because of funny prints and small size, but they easily withstand 2-3 seasons and are popular with athletes from around the world.
2. K2 Broadcast
average price - 38,640 rubles.
Deflection - Directional Camber Baseline
Rigidity — 6/10
Rostov - 153 - 163 cm
Waist width - 24.6-26.6 cm
Second place in the top 3 best snowboards in terms of price and quality went to the universal male model with a sintered base. He is equally good on soft snow, on tracks and ski jumps.
This is a newcomer to the K2 line, but its flexibility, excellent quality of materials and thoughtful design are precisely those qualities that make the products of the American company one of the best on the snowboard market.
3. Arbor Cadence Rocker
average price - 41,280 rubles.
Deflection - System Rocker
Rigidity — 5/10
Rostov - 139 - 155 cm
Waist width - 23.15-23.95 cm
This is the best female model of a snowboard for snow parks in terms of value for money. Its rocker deflection allows you to make confident landings and spectacular sorties, gives good control at speeds. A core made of poplar gives the board responsiveness for two or more seasons.
4. GNU Klassy
average price - 35 990 rubles.
Deflection - C2X
Rigidity — 5/10
Rostov - 145 - 155 cm
Waist width - 23.9-24.7 cm
And this is the best women's universal snowboard model in terms of cost and quality in the season 2018-2019.
Experts felt that GNU Klassy, with its smooth ride, is ideal for driving in fresh powder. On the side radius line, snowboard designers placed seven smooth protrusions. They are most noticeable in the area of mounts, where the center of gravity is located. This gives the board owner more control and power exactly where they are most needed.
Stylish design, a classic shape with an elongated nose, a special form of deflection that promotes aggressive riding and maneuverability - all this makes GNU Klassy the preferred choice for snowboarders who are hungry for fun and adrenaline.
Also, the Good Wood test in terms of price and quality ratio passed:
- Endeavor B.O.D.
- CAPiTA Birds of a Feather.
The best universal men's snowboards of 2019
1. GNU Müllair
average price - 41 990 rubles.
Deflection - C3 Camber
Rigidity — 7/10
Rostov - 155 - 164W cm
Waist width - 24.8-26.5 cm
It was very difficult for experts to find any flaw in this board. It has a light and incredibly dense core made of aspen and Columbian Gold (very elastic wood), a slippery base with a sintered base and a deflection that provides speed and stability in deep snow.
However, don’t think that GNU Müllair is a “single task” snowboard. It is equally well suited for laying deep trenches in the first spring slush and for laid-back freestyle in a snow park. When cornering and during downhill skiing, the board behaves stably and will become the best friend for the professional who knows what he wants from the snowboard.
2. Salomon Speedway
average price - 41 990 rubles.
Deflection - Backseat Camber
Rigidity — 9/10
Rostov - 155 - 170 cm
Waist width - 24.9-26 cm
We can safely say about this board: “The more, the better.” While many snowboards tend to travel shorter distances, Speedway, on the contrary, will travel further than you would normally expect.
With its ultra-light core, long nose and directional conical shape, this snowboard has proven its worth in high-speed cornering. One of the testers called it "a very tough and stable ride."
3. Jones Ultra Mountain Twin
average price - 47 500 rubles.
Deflection - CamRock
Rigidity — 8/10
Rostov - 154 - 164W cm
Waist width - 25-26.2 cm
This elegant sintered base snowboard is designed for lovers of fast and aggressive driving. Carbon fiber stringers are responsible for extreme torsional hardness, which allows the board to be used on hard slopes.
The rocker on the nose and tail of the snowboard provides smoothness, and the camber underfoot gives control and stability when performing stunts and speed driving.
“I saw that it was the perfect board for most guys,” said one of the testers. "She rips the whole mountain and is definitely suitable for the park - even for riding on rails."
The manufacturer rates this board 8 out of 10 in terms of stiffness, which means that it may take you some time to tame this troubled beast.
The ranking of the best universal snowboards also includes:
- Hightide MFG Grease Gun.
- Weston Range.
- Burton Skeleton Key.
- K2 Broadcast.
- SIMS Kidwell RT2.
- Endeavor B.O.D.
- Dinosaurs Will Die Kwon.
- Nitro Squash.
- CAPiTA Kazu Kokubo Pro.
- Lib Tech T. Rice Orca.
- RIDE MTNPIG.
The best universal women's snowboards of 2019
1. Burton Feelgood
average price - 49 550 rubles.
Deflection - camber
Rigidity — 6/10
Rostov - 142 - 152 cm
Waist width - 23.8-24.4 cm
The legendary Feelgood, created to solve any problems in snowboarding, has returned as the best universal women's snowboard.
Among its main advantages: classic deflection, which allows full control of the board even at high speed, directional geometry with an elongated nose for stable behavior on the track and the core from a combination of soft and hard wood, which gives it flexibility without loss of strength.
Burton Feelgood is suitable for any type of skiing, and will be the best choice for experienced and beginner snowboarders.
2. GNU Klassy
average price - 35 990 rubles.
Deflection - C2X
Rigidity — 5/10
Rostov - 145 - 155 cm
Waist width - 23.9-24.7 cm
A good universal women's snowboard has already won the award in the nomination "best in price and quality in 2018-2019." And no wonder, because it is manufactured by Mervin Manufacturing, which includes professional riders who understand what the correct board should be. All GNU Klassy models are handmade.
The directional shape of this snowboard ensures that it will keep your nose above the snow, no matter how deep it is, and the edges of the GNU Magnetraction allow you to respond instantly to hard surfaces and fast turns.
3. RIDE Hellcat
average price - 35,000 rubles.
Deflection - Directional Hybrid Camber
Rigidity — 7/10
Rostov - 143 - 154 cm
Waist width - 24-24.8 cm
On this beautiful black and red board, you can ride both on the prepared track and in the forest. It is designed for ladies who are not afraid of extreme speed.
Testers chose RIDE Hellcat for its speed and solid sintered base, but admitted that it is too tough for beginner riders.
More experts included in the top universal snowboards for women:
- Lib Tech Cold Brew.
- Salomon Pillow Talk.
- Rome Winterland.
- YES. Hel Yes.
- CAPiTA Birds of a Feather.
The main factors when choosing a board for snowboarding
The two most important factors to consider when buying a snowboard are your level of training and your preferred skiing experience.
There are three types of snowboarding - universal, freestyle and freeride.
The first suitable for those who want to experience everything the hillside has to offer - from simple descent to simple tricks. A great choice for beginners who have not yet decided on their favorite style.
Freestyle - This is the choice of people with good sports training. Jumping, stunts, grabbing a snowboard while jumping, a sea of adrenaline - it's all about freestyle. Here you need a flexible and fairly soft board that can withstand blows during touchdowns.
Freeride - This is riding in soft snow ("puff") on the mountain slopes, usually far from busy routes. It requires a stiff and long board with a bent nose that does not stick in the snow and glides over it smoothly.
Snowboard length and width
The length of a universal snowboard is 15 centimeters shorter than your height. Freestyle boards are 8-10 centimeters shorter than your height. A freeride snowboard is 10 centimeters shorter than your height. But it is also important to consider weight. If your bone is wide, this is plus 5 centimeters to the length of the board. If you weigh a little, remove an additional 5 centimeters from the length.
On the websites of many manufacturers of snowboards there are tables from which you can find out how long the board should choose according to your height and weight.
As for the preferred width of the snowboard, it depends on the size of your leg. If you have a small leg, then models with a narrow waist are suitable - from 250 to 260 mm and the width of the edges up to 300 mm.
And if you wear shoes of size 44 or 45, choose wide snowboards - with a waist of 260 mm and a width of edges of 300 mm.
To summarize
If you are new to snowboarding, you may need a short universal sports equipment, with a thin waist (the bottleneck of the board) and soft enough. Rigid boards are mercilessly punished for any mistakes and careless movements.
Advanced riderswho need stability at speed when freeriding prefer hard and long boards.
Some experienced snowboarders (for example, those who like jumping and tricks) will prefer a softer and shorter board that is easier to manipulate. On this you can stand both face and back forward.
